news: Counterfeit Checks, Tunica Casinos, and ... Nigerian Scam

[Mousey]

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FAST FACTS:

Nigerian scam began worldwide in early 1980's
Scam also referred to as "Advance Fee Fraud," "419 Fraud"
Scam costs Americans billions
Scam has evolved in recent years
melissa.moon@wreg.com

(Tunica, MS 11/20/07) Lots of money moves through the Casinos in Tunica everyday, but now some bogus money is also showing up.

The Tunica County Sheriff's offices say in the last couple of months it's investigated about 30 cases involving counterfeit travelers checks in Tunica County. Checks tied to one of the most well know Internet scams around. They say most alarming is the people passing the checks.

"We've arrested over twenty people with different backgrounds. Some of them are school teachers, retired people," said Lt. Cederic Davis.

Deputies say the majority of those cashing the checks are the latest victims of the latest version of the Nigerian scam. In this case they receive unsolicited emails from an international company offering them part time work.

The company asks them to cash travelers checks from clients in the U.S., keep 10% for themselves and wire them the rest.

It's only after the money is wired to some place like Nigeria the victims find out the checks were never any good.

"Some of these companies are so bold they are starting to call the people even though they are arrested you know, where is my money," said Lt. Cederic Davis.


Sheriff's deputies ...

 

[brianzz]

www.fakechecks.org has lots of good information about these assmasters

 

[silkprint]

Yeah . I got one myself a few months ago supposedly from an online casino . It looked real . My bank assumed it was real but it bounced about 10 feet high . I didn't use any of the funds but imagine if I had ?? It was for $2200 .

 

[Mousey]

At least now I know why it's more complicated to cash Traveler's Checks at casinos than a personal check.

We were at the Grand in Biloxi when I cashed a few traveler's checks a couple years ago. They got my fingerprint on each one, copied DL info on each, phoned Visa to verify that each check was legit. Took over 30 minutes for this 'convenience'. I'd left Hubby waiting at Wheel of Fortune for so long he had played out all his credits and thought I'd been kidnapped as I left the Cashier Cage.

Went through the same process at the GoldStrike in Tunica last summer.

I'd rather not carry my little bankroll in cash while traveling, but dang... the crooks have made the process of using travelers checks very inconvenient now.

 

[LaurieJim]

At least now I know why it's more complicated to cash Traveler's Checks at casinos than a personal check.

We were at the Grand in Biloxi when I cashed a few traveler's checks a couple years ago. They got my fingerprint on each one, copied DL info on each, phoned Visa to verify that each check was legit. Took over 30 minutes for this 'convenience'. I'd left Hubby waiting at Wheel of Fortune for so long he had played out all his credits and thought I'd been kidnapped as I left the Cashier Cage.

Went through the same process at the GoldStrike in Tunica last summer.

I'd rather not carry my little bankroll in cash while traveling, but dang... the crooks have made the process of using travelers checks very inconvenient now.

...........travelers checks used to be the safest way to carry money on trips i thought, thanks for the info mousey. no more travelers checks for this ole gal when traveling, cold hard cash the only way to go from now on......laurie

 

[ballysdb]

When I tried to cash one at Ballys A/C my signature on the Travelers Check didn't match the sig on my license. In NY you renew your license every 8 years and my sig had changed a lot since then. Just a heads up to sign it the way it looks on your license.

 

[winbig]

When I tried to cash one at Ballys A/C my signature on the Travelers Check didn't match the sig on my license. In NY you renew your license every 8 years and my sig had changed a lot since then. Just a heads up to sign it the way it looks on your license.

Only in America.....treated as a criminal until you prove your innocence....

 

[LaurieJim]

my bank has stopped all travellers checks

thought this was interesting, was talking to my branch manger the other day at the bank and noticed a sign posted no more travellers checks at this bank. when i asked her about it she said that just in our small branch they had lost over 96k on a nigerian scam that was growing rampant in our area.she did go on to tell me that any out of state checks that the funds could not be verified would have a 15 day hold until cleared so to protect the banking customers.these scams are out there so please be aware as one of the bank cutomers lost her life savings. 30k is alot of money when your 72 years old and the check comes back and the bank has to re-coop the money back even if its your lifes savings....laurie

 

[Mousey]

How awful!! Great... can't use Travellers Checks as a convenience anymore. Crooks always make it tough on the 'good' guys.

 

[LaurieJim]

How awful!! Great... can't use Travellers Checks as a convenience anymore. Crooks always make it tough on the 'good' guys.

im sure you can still get them from banks maybe the larger ones, but they have been targeting the smaller banks, credit unions. it seems to me maybe they are thinking the smaller banks are easier to get over on.it sucks anyways.........laurie