Counterfeit American Express Gift Cheques might be the latest form of fraudulent financial instrument circulating via the Internet. The items seen thus far are for $500.00 - note the largest denomination issued legitimately is $100.00.
If you receive one of these items - it is recommended you verify it before negotiating it. For the information to do so - link here.
Counterfeit financial instruments being used in Internet scams are nothing new. Here are some previous posts, I've done on this sort of activity:
Counterfeit Cashier's Checks Fuel Internet Crime
Counterfeit Postal Money Orders Showing Up in IScams Again
Postal Money Order Romance Scam
Counterfeit Travelers Express (MoneyGram) Money Orders Showing Up ...
In most Internet scams involving counterfeited financial instruments - a person is duped into negotiating the item and wiring the money back to the sender (scammer). If someone asks you to cash an item and wire them money - take a deep breath - and just say "no thanks."
Friday, September 15, 2006
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27 comments:
i've recently been a victim of the counterfeit american express counterfeits, i did alotta shopping, about 4500.00..... the police came and took the rest of them, what am i more than likely to look forward to?
Hard to say - I would need more info on how you got them and how they were used.
If you don't want to post here - you could send me a private e-mail at edwarddickson@sbcglobal.net.
I have to thank whoever set up this website. I was contacted some time ago from an "Artist" in europe, who requested me to be the go-between between her and her "client" here in the US. Basically, I was to recieve American Express Gift Cheques in the amount of $3500US, at $500US increments, and in return for 10% of the total, I was to send the rest to an over-seas location via Western Union money transfer. I recieved the checks last night, and my boss advised me to check them out before I cashed them, and when I did, they turned out to be counterfeit. Whoever set this website up is a god-send. I wouldn't have known how to check them out unless I found the information in this site. Thank you.
Elf
Thanks Elf:)
You are the reason I do this!
I just received a package from UPS next day air...It was a brown envelope with my name and address on it and inside there were 6 $500 american express gift cheques in the envelope. I called american express and they said they were fraudalant so if they were part of a fraud ring why does it have the same colors the holograhic foil with the centriun mark and the strip down the left side if you can respond please do
Hi I got 6 american express cheques in the mail and got really suspious about them and took them to my bank the next business day and found out it fraud . The checks dont come in the 500 amount and am so glad I did not go to a point of sale or use them for anything I gave all 6 of them to the bank and iI hope they find who doing this to people it was sended to me with no return address on it I did have a contact persons name that I think sended them to me. But I have heard that a lot of men are sending ladies checks in the mail and some are from not even from the usa but how stupid do they think one can get?
I'm posting this to the person who got the cheques and wanted a reply.
If you contact me at edwarddickson@sbcglobal.net - I would be happy to try to help you.
What do you do when you don't know where they come from and you was stupid enough to believe they were a gift?
When I got mine I freaked out wondering where they came from no return address just a post mark of where I believe they came from, and 6- $500.00 gift checques- I do not have a bank account but went to a bank to see if it was for real or not I only took one, and at two banking institutes the only thing that keep them from cashing it was I did not have a bank account- so stupid me asked my step daughter to deposit one in her account and after a day or so the bank deposited the money in her account and she gave it to me. I also since it was christmas used one at a Dept Store, I asked management first if it could be used and they said that they could not cash it but it could be used to purchase items which is what I was going to use it for any way for christmas, Needless to say Come the other day when I get a phone call stating that they were counterfeit and they have froze my step daughters account for it. My question is should the bank not have known??? And are you liable because of their stupidity. I had no earthly ideal that these things where counterfeit, and all the American Express people would say was that "all financial institutes know that the highest denomination for a gift check is $100.00---should they have not known that it was not real since they are a banking institute? And what can you do when you don't have the money to pay back the ones that were used- Thank Godness I only used 4 0f them and still had two left---but I definetely would not have used them if I even thought they were fake,
Please let me know what I can do about this.
rchrdschris3@hotmail.com
if these are counterfiet, and you cash them out, how do teh insitutions and police contact you, do you give this infomation prior to cashing them out?
They will use whatever information used to cash the item to track you down.
Since my last comment on the fraud cheques recieved I have paid the two back that went through my step daughter bank, however there were two used at a walmart store that I have heard nothing from and am wondering what might happen since I have not heard anything from them or anyone else, they were used before christmas and it is now in march what should I do if anything? I do not want to go to jail, should I contact them, or do they write it off as a loss since they exsepted them, or what. Please let me know what I should do. rchrdschris3@hotmail.com
what do you do if some of the cheques have not bewen returned to you and they were used before christmas and it is now march. Would the supermarket (walmart ) take it as a loss or why have I not heard anything from them??????
Not sure - maybe they were good, or Walmart never figured out where to reach you?
My son fell victim Counterfeit American Express Gift Cheques
:( He told me that a man at his job, very nice man he liked, that was an illegal, had no green card, told my son that he coudln't cash them because he was illegal and asked my son to buy them from him to help him out. My son felt bad for him and did buy them over months, he had 1300.00, in 100.00's. He thought it would be a good way to save money and let them pile up. Well he went to cash them in at the bank and the bank called AE and told him they couldn't cash them, but nothing else. He went to the store- the bank was in the store, and bought cigs with it just fine. When he walked out, the cops arrested him. He has court coming up now. So what should he do now? He was shocked and couldn't believe the guy woould do that to him. He doesn't work with the man anymore and hear he got deported. I don't know what to do. The charges are Counterfeit and forgery. What should he expect to happen?
I'd have to have a few more details to make an educated guess. You can write me at edwarddickson@sbcglobal.net.
I was scammed. I wrote to starpoint_artgallery@yahoo.com. I was told I could make money by putting checks into my account by either cashing them or depositing them and then take 10% for myself and then send off the rest to whatever place he would tell me. Well yesterday I received 5000.00 in Amercan Express Travlers Cheques. I was already suspicious as a Detective I know and my son warned me SCAM SCAM SCAM. So I called American Express and sure enough they are counterfit. These counterfiters do a pretty good job. It's hard to tell they are fake. Since seeing they don't come in that denomination on this site why do they use them, they seem pretty stupid I then called the police and haven heard back from them yet. If they don't want to take them I'm to write VOID Across them (already done) and send them to the place American Express told me to. I wouldn't dare try to even use those I enjoy my freedom. I feel sorry for those people that have and are in trouble now because of it. For those who didn't know any better it's sad you got scammed. I pray this guy or guys women or whatever need to get caught as they are hurting alot of people. If these scammers read this beware you are going to get caught and you deserve to be. You have injured alot of people.
I have fell victim to these email scams. I have $26,150 in counterfiet Travelers Checks, Postal Money Orders, Checks and Money Gramm Money Orders. I got email asking me to be a payment rep for 5 different companies in the UK, After the first payment came via UPS and they were 5 $850.00 Money Orders Well I use Money Orders all the time and they didn't look right. I took them to Post Office and they told me about this email scam called 419. The person who sent the email his name is Kenny Freeman went I got home I send him a email and told him that I could cash them because they where counterfiet. He claimed he was calling the FBI on me I told him go ahead I did nothing wrong. since then I gotten all these counterfiet Checks, Money Order and Travelers checks. Because of what happen with the first payment I called American Express, Post Office and Money gram approvler line before trying to cash them. I was born at night but not last night. these scammers must be stopped. I have a list of names and email address if anyone wants my list email me at FrederickF@q.com don't fall for their scam like I almost did.
hi, i am 20 years old and recently discovered that i have been victimized by these internet frauders....i have done about 4000 dollars worth of shopping and i am scared i am going to go to jail. i also live on disability as i have AIDS and can't work...i don't make crazy amounts of money to pay back the bank or what have you.
Looks like these instruments are pretty active again.
I work in advertising and the email address starpoint_artgallery@yahoo.com came across my desk with the name Scott Steward attached. I want to first thank the everyone who has kept up with this especially the person who included the email starpoint as this is this was the only way for me to tell this was a scam and at least my publication wouldn't be apart of messing up more lives.
I was scammed by an artist. He needed financial reps in UK. I was stupid enough to send him my details.
One day when I came back home, there was a letter for me, from Ghana, with $3,500 in American Express Trav. Check; no return address of course. I had to wire it through Wester Union to Ghana, and kept 10%.
I cashed them in. All checks were for $500 and the bank didn't ask me for any docs. I got the money without any problems, and wired it back.
I received other checks, for less than $20,000. I went to a Money Transfer shop, and tried to cash in 4 of them (I had more in my bag). I got arrested, and later on, bailed. I have to return to the police stn next month. I’ve been sent back the counterfeit check, by my bank, and they already debited my account for the $3,500.
I don’t know if the bank can (or will) lodge a complaint against me. (The police don’t know about the 1st part of the story). I’m really scared because I got caught in this nightmare. I was scared, and didn’t know how to get out of it. I’m really afraid of going to jail.
Hello all...what you have described has been going on for a few years now, though the criminals are getting more inventive. All I can say is that...THERE IS NOOOOO SUCH THING AS FREE MONEY. Personally, I am surprised that so many have actually gone out and SPENT the checks. Then again, the criminals rely on hope, which is what makes it work...well, that and greed. I recieved five 500 USD checks in the mail today, and am amazed at how far these thugs have gone...the bottom line is, they wouldn't be doing it and spending money sending the checks if it didn't work. A few of you on here are testament to that. The reason it is all possible is because the banks are REQUIRED to clear a check after five days. Then, of course, you believe it MUST be real and go ahead spending the money. In the end, you send untraceable CASH to some Nigerian laughing his head off and you get stuck with the bill. You pay, and the banks really don't care...they are, after all, the only legal thieves involved in the whole process, if you have watched the news lately.
RIP the checks up, burn them, do whatever, but don't be taken in. Too many others already have. For those who have been victims, my heart goes out to you...but really...how realistic is it to think someone would just hand hundreds, if not thousands of dollars to you and trust your good judgment to send 90% of the money??? Come on...
Also, I wouldn't bother with the police or the FBI...these things are almost impossible to trace and the name of the person who contacted you is probably an alias of about 200 others. Any questions or concerns, feel free to e-mail me at ron032606@gmail.com
I would like to know what can I do because someone I met as a friend through Facebook told me asked me if I could do him a favour. He was about to travel with his son to europe for holidays but had cheques (traveller cheques) with him that he needed to change so that he could travel and he's living in Nigeria and said to me that there they don't change these kind of cheques, but he says he's american, I never saw him just writing through Facebook and Yahoo mail, anyhow, today I got the cheques, 3 of 500 euro each and he wants me to change them and send the money via Western Union ! What I think is that this is a big fraude, the cheques must be fake because I find all this very strange and the enveloppehasn't got the name and address of the person who's sending (him) and the address he gave me it's an address in Nigeria but that he wrote me on yahoo. I was about to go tomorrow to a Bank to change the cheques and send him back the money to that address in Nigeria, but may be I'm gonna have problems when I'll go to the Bank and try to change because if this is fake ???? I think may be the best is send this back in an envellope to the address he wrotte me me from Nigeria, and don't do anything to change What do you think, please give me an advice cos I believed but I think all this isn't true
Thank you
Thanks for having this site... my neighbor just about fell for this same scam through a 'secret shopper' scam. The checks were received from a Kenneth Stove Medium Research 10090 W 26th Ave Lakewood CO 80215-1477 / and the cash was to be sent to:
Receiver's Last / First Name : WILES ANA
Destination: 2615 Helberg Rd HOUSTON TX 77092
I smelled a rat and sure enough! Thank You
YUP- BUSTED! i received some fishy looking $500 AMEX Gift Cheques too from a Gary Jones also from Medium Research. I responded to an ad for Market Research. I was suspicious- now confirmed- thanks to your site! My question is if there is a way to bust the person? I have a phone #- i looked up Medium Research in the BBB.com and it is on there, however categorized as Foreign-Lotteries. Any advice on what I can do? Should i contact the BBB, forward the envelope w/ the checks to someone- or just not do anything? Return address is based in Denver, however on the express label, says it was sent from a Houston zip code. And $ also to be deposited to an Wiles Ana in TX.
Hello everybody!
I want you to know that I nearly have been scammed by a "disable business woman". She was an intermediate between a client and me and I arranged with her that I would translate a text for 2000€ and I would receive a 30% of the total amount in advance and that the payment would be through travelers cheques.
Unfortunately, the client had a mistake and sent to me 3000€ (6x500€) in American Express travelers cheques. (The envelope in which the travelers cheques were has no information about the sender's name nor address. Very suspicious!)
The business woman wanted me to have in cash all the travelers cheques, I could keep the agreed 30% and then I would have to send to her the rest of the amount via Western Union.
I finally did not have in cash these forgery travelers cheques.
The only advise I can give to all of you is "Use your commons sense".
Nobody mistakes in sending 3000€ instead of 600€.
Hi,i live in the uk and i got two traveler cheques through the door this morning. The cheques are worth $500 (u.s dollers). I got them through a job advertised on gumtree (mystery shoppers). WHAT SHOULD I DO?
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