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Los Angeles- It starts with an offer to work at home. The e-mail reads Finance Co-coordinator Needed. The job promises that you’ll be paid online and that you’ll only have to work part time to make big money.
Our new boss Mark Anderson calls and explains with the precision of a surgeon exactly how to handle the financial transactions for his company. He tells Jennifer Incip that she is to go to her bank and cash the four U.S.Postal money orders his client is sending.
Each of the sequentially numbered money orders is drawn in the amount of $850.00 for a total of $3400.00 she is instructed to keep 10% that’s $340.00 for just cashing the money orders and forwarding the cash via Western Union to a name and address in Alberta, Canada.
If it sounds too good to be true, It is. Mark Anderson has absolutely no idea that he is actually talking to Jennifer Hersey, an undercover Investigative Reporter for The Investigative News Channel. Jennifer Incip is an acronym for Investigative News Channel Investigative producer (Incip). |
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With all the scams coming out of Lagos, Nigeria as well as Ghana and Eastern Europe we decided to see how many more scam artists would approach us. We didn’t have to wait long. With so many offers this story is now going to be a four part series.
The really sad part of these scams, is that if our fictional employee had actually cashed these near perfect, counterfeit postal money orders, the bank can and will come after her for the full amount of the cash paid out to her. She also stands the very real chance of arrest by Postal Inspectors or the FBI. There are a number of federal statutes that speak directly to conversion or possession with intent to defraud. U.S criminal code Title 18, section 113.
Sec. 472. Uttering counterfeit obligations or securities
Whoever, with intent to defraud, passes, utters,publishes,or sells,or attempts to pass,utter,publish or sell,or with like intent brings into the United States or keeps in possession or conceals any falsely made, forged, counterfeited, or altered obligation or other security of the United States,shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 20 years,or both.
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There are a number of other Federal statutes dealing with counterfeiting and all with serious penalties for the UN informed soccer mom or worker who needs to make extra money part time.
Then there’s the threats by phone when the (NCE) Nigerian Criminal Enterprise thugs don’t get their money. Once they have your phone number, the threats start rolling in. They want their money and they want it wired now. They start accusing their mark of ripping them off. They say they know where you live and hang up abruptly leaving the mark with time to think about the consequences. |
Immediately turn over any counterfeit Postal Money orders or other fraudulent documents the scammers have sent you. Possession of the counterfeit instruments is in and of it’s self a crime. The sooner you turn the instruments over to Law Enforcement the better.
Education is the best defense against scams. In the coming months we will take you inside numerous scams. We’ll show you how to spot counterfeit checks, money orders, credit cards, and the list goes on. Don’t forget to check out the examples of real and fake U.S. Postal Money orders.
These money orders are showing up frequently in e-bay purchases and Craig’s List. Unfortunately the victim usually ships the merchandise before he realizes that the money order is counterfeit. |
Los Angeles Current
