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SUNNY Temp: 97 °F Wind: WNW at 9 mph Friday, July 18, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend June 26, 2003 Nigerian scam hits car sellers Two Medford residents lose thousands in deals By ANITA BURKE Mail Tribune Two Medford residents selling vehicles over the Internet have lost thousands of dollars to a scam apparently based in Nigeria, Medford police said. Police said local people selling cars online lost money when prospective buyers sent them counterfeit checks for well over the vehicles’ asked price, then demanded the overpayment be returned immediately. The victims, who were not identified, wired money to the buyers before discovering the checks were fake. In one local case, a person selling a $50,000 vehicle received a cashier’s check for $90,000 from a buyer in Nigeria who initially contacted the seller via e-mail, Lt. Mike Moran said. The buyer said the extra money was to pay for shipping, taxes and other fees, then any funds not needed to cover such expenses should be returned to the buyer. The buyer immediately began pressuring the seller to send the money back as soon as possible, without waiting for a bank to verify the availability of funds, Moran said. Advertisement The second case here was similar, with a seller getting an overpayment, then being pressured to return the extra money quickly, he said. The vehicles purchased with the forged checks weren’t shipped out of the country, police said. The checks weren’t easily identified as counterfeits. Verifying funds internationally can take seven days or longer, Moran said. The wait is worth it, though, for anybody conducting international business online, he said. "Waiting may save you thousands of dollars," Moran said. "Once your money leaves this country, it’s very unlikely that you will ever see it again." The scheme has hit victims around the country, garnering attention from investigators in cities, state attorneys general’s offices and even the Secret Service. The targets of the scam usually are selling big-ticket items such as cars, motorcycles or livestock. However, the scammers sometimes target people selling less expensive items and seek the return of relatively small amounts of cash, Moran said. "In doing that, they may not get much money, but they do get routing numbers and other banking information off the check" the victim sends to them, he said. Medford police also have received reports of another international Internet scam trying to get banking and other personal information from Medford residents. The perpetrators send e-mails telling the recipients they have won a lottery in the Netherlands and need to submit personal information, including a bank account number so the winnings can be deposited, Moran said. Reach reporter Anita Burke at 776-4459, or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Rogue Valley Auto Finder Rogue Valley Job Finder --> Rogue Valley Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times