[email protected]
Complaint 276714 Details

Email received from this address in response to our posting to sell r/c airplane on Craig's List posted for Erie County. Emails have gone back and forth with him always being friendly but evasive in answering my questions. Today we realized this was a scam when we received a special delivery check from Sanders Composites, Inc. from San Diego, CA in the amount of $2,160.56 for an item that we were selling for $85.00. We had asked to have cash only and pick up in person but his emails were insistent that he would wait until our bank cleared the check and then he'd have a shipper sent to pick up the item and there would be a little extra for our trouble. His emails listed below. We were naive to get sucked into it this far and receive the check, but this is were it ends. Do not know how these people sleep at night!
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HERE IS THE SCAM:
In a variation, scammers ask you to deposit a check for them, and then wire money back to them. The scam is that the check is fake. It will bounce, and you’ll owe your bank the money you withdrew. By law, banks must make the funds from deposited checks available within a few days, but it can take weeks to uncover a fake check. It may seem that the check has cleared and that the money is in your account. But if a check later turns out to be a fake, you’ll owe the bank any money you withdrew.
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EMAILS FROM BEN KELVIN:
Hello! let's do like this, actually now I'm not in town for now, I came to visit my son so i wont be able to meet with you but am ok with
the condition as seen on the advert, I'll proceed in issuing a Check out to you and when you received the check , I will make arrangement for pick-up. So get back to me with below details asap.

Name:
Address:
City:
State:
Postal Code:
Phone Number:
Last Asking Price:

And as soon as this is provided, the payment will be overnight to you and i will let you know when its mailed out. I need you to be honest with the sale as I am a God fearing person.
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BEN KELVIN
Sep 12 (13 days ago)

Hello.Thanks for your email ,i will need your honest and trust to end up this transaction..I will like to know if i can trust you with my
money because am sending you a check and the payment will be made out immediately i heard from you. I will provide the tracking # as soon as it as been sent out, "More so" I'm including the shipment funds in the amount on the check because i don't have time to come down for a look of the items but as soon as the check is cashed in your bank, you will
deduct your own money for the item plus extra $50 for yourself as running around fee and you will get the remaining money to the mover
that will come for the pick up for me ....Thanks for your mail and understanding once again, and i will be get back to you with the
tracking number...

Thanks
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Today when this large check was received, we also received the following email which we are ignoring upon the advice of the State Police.
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Hello,

How are you doing ? I will like to let you know that you will receive the payment today. Here is the UPS tracking number for the package .... .... 1ZAE71430134000844

FOLLOW MY INSTRUCTIONS BELLOW:

Immediately you receive the check, just go straight to your bank and have the check cashed instantly or you can deposit it into your bank account. As soon as you have the funds, deduct the money for your item and also take $100 for yourself for your running around and have therest of the money wired to my mover via WESTERN UNION Transfer which can be done at any Western Union outlet around you so that they can have the money for the pickup.

Here is the name and address to send the money to:

Receiver name.... Donald Robinson
Address.........1926 I St Nw
City...............Washington
State............DC
zip code.......20006

He is due to be back in your location anytime from now and has informed me that the only thing holding him up is the shipping funds.
Afterward i will require the following info from you............

1. The name and address of the sender.
2. The amount sent. (After deducting the transfer Charges).
3.MTCN #

Please deduct the transfer charges from the amount you want to send to the shipper .Dont forget to send me the map quest to your location for easy passage to the shipper. kindly get back to me asap.Go to
Western Union outlet with cash to enable you make the transfer Thanks..


HERE IS THE TRACKING STATUS FOR THE PACKAGE...THE CHECK WILL DELIVER
TO YOU TODAY ......PLEASE DO NOT KEEP SILENT.

Your Tracking Information
Status: IN-TRANSIT
Last Scan: 9/25/2013 8:16:00 AM OUT FOR DELIVERY ERIE, PA US
ERIE, PA US
Carrier: UPS
Service: NEXT DAY AIR
Expected: Sep. 25, 2013 10:30 AM