Les Jones

E-commerce > Oldest Internet Scam in the Book: the Too-big Check

From the Maryville-Alcoa (TN) Daily Times*:

Jessica R. Johnson, Mentor Road, Louisville, reported at 4:17 p.m. Feb. 23 that she was informed of an inheritance. The Nigerian man who informed her requested money to process her inheritance. According to the police report, she told the man she didn't have the money and he sent her a $5,000 check. She deposited the money and sent $3,600 to the man at a Nigerian address. Her local bank then notified Johnson that the check she deposited was counterfeit.

If anyone ever sends you a check in an amount greater than what they were supposed to pay, tear up the check. The scam is that you deposit the check, send back the excess amount, and then discover the check (or money order, or wire transfer) was bogus.

* AKA The MAD Times and The Daily Crimes.