B&B Owners on the Offensive Against Advance Fee (419) Artists

The advance fee artists on the Internet are always looking for a way to make a quick buck.

When they targeted B&B owners, they might have bitten off more than they can chew on.

Here is a warning from "Pillows and Pancakes" - a magazine covering the B&B industry:

The end goal is to get the B&B owner to send money to the scammer. Typically, the scammer will make a booking and overpay for it with either a credit card or forged check. The scammer will request the balance sent somewhere, usually by Western Union. Remember, these scammers are creative and there are many variations on the scam.

To read more on the different variations, link here.

They have listed other links to become aware and deal with this activity, also:

View Names/Aliases

Actions you can take

Resources

Forum

Unfortunately, I wasn't listed as a "resource," but here are some posts I've done on this type of Internet scam:

419 Artists Arrested and Tie to Funding Terrorists Suspected

Counterfeit Cashier's Checks Fuel Internet Crime

Counterfeit Postal Money Orders Showing Up in IScams Again

Aids Cure, Another Lure in the Internet Fraud Saga

Don't Trust a Bank to Tell You Whether a Check is Good, or Not

Advance Fee Scams with Katrina

And the most current bogus financial instrument a lot of these scammers are using is:

American Express Gift Cheques Being Circulated in Internet Scams

Please note that not even American Express has published anything on this yet - at least as far as I know?

Of course, the most extensive list of resources I've ever seen about Advance Fee (419) is the 419 Coalition Website.

On a closing note, I would like to welcome the B&B folks to this effort to rid the Internet of these "less than desirable" users!