Online fraud strikes GCSU

     Identity and money theft, on the internet, have run rampant for the last several years, and recently the problem has come to Facebook, and to GCSU.
     One GCSU student tried to sell her digital camera through Facebook, where an internet con man was waiting to make the first offer. In late August, an unknown person contacted the student, who wishes to remain unidentified, and sent her a $2,000 counterfiet check to pay for the cost of the camera.
According to the Internet Crime Complaint Center, a Web site created by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the National White Collar Crime Center, the 419 scam, or Nigerian Fraud Scheme, targets individuals that use Internet classified advertisements to sell merchandise. The scam artist, who is from out of the country, e-mails the victim to express an interest in the item and states that the method of payment will be a U.S. bank cashier’s check.  In the student’s case, the thief used Facebook.
       The scam artist then tells the victim that the payment will be a cashier’s check that is several thousand dollars more than the price of the item being purchased. The scam artist asks the victim to wire back the difference between the check and the purchase price after the check clears.
     Once the victim’s bank cashes the check, they then wire the balance to the scam artist in Africa. Typically within seven to 21 days, the victim learns from his or her bank that the check was counterfeit and that they must return the full amount to the bank.
     The fraud is particular dangerous because people often consider cashier’s checks to be the same as cash and would have no reason to doubt the check’s authenticity. Even worse, the counterfeit checks are impressive replicas that are difficult to spot, even by the banks that are clearing and cashing the checks.
     Moreover, In some cases, the scam artist is able to convince the seller that some circumstance has arisen that necessitates the cancellation of the sale, and is successful in conning the victim into sending the remainder of the money.
     Unfortunately, the fraud is almost impossible to investigate without federal law enforcement, to the dismay of thousands who fall victim every year.
     “If it’s international in origin, it becomes a federal matter,” GCSU detective Robert Butler said. “But the F.B.I. doesn’t get involved unless it’s over $10,000."
     Like most law enforcement officers, Butler believes fraud is best averted through educating the public to spot danger before becoming a victim.
     “If I could put someone in jail, I would — but the best thing we can do is warn everybody on campus,” Butler said.
     The particular scheme takes different forms. Some involve receiving an unsolicited fax, email or letter concerning Nigeria, or another African nation, containing either a money laundering or other illegal proposal. More often, the potential victim receives a legal and legitimate business proposal by normal means as well.
     Scammers typically target the elderly, and many of these cases go unreported because victims are too embarrassed to report.
     Several reports concerning these crimes have occurred at GCSU. The most recent took place several weeks ago. The victim, a GCSU student, had $2,000 stolen via an online 419 scam.
     Megan Scott, a GCSU senior, is aware of the trouble scamsters and identity thieves try to cause.
     “My dad has received a phone call from the bank about a check worth more than $1,000 that was waiting to be cashed by him, but it was actually being done by a person who had been able to duplicate one of his checks,” Scott said.
     When fraud or identity theft occurs, very seldom does an arrest take place. Most often, it’s too late to track criminals down by the time the victim realizes what has happened, or in the case of the 419 scam, the criminal is hidden overseas.
     “Many times, these people will talk to you over the phone and ask you to send half the money now and half later in an effort to sound nice. They’re particularly clever,” Butler said.
     According to FBI, the best solution to identity theft and fraud is    prevention.

                         Tips to Avoid ‘419’ Fraud:

•If you receive a letter from Nigeria asking you to send personal or banking information, do not reply in any manner. Send the letter to the U.S. Secret Service or the FBI.

•If you know someone who is corresponding in one of these schemes, encourage that person to contact the FBI or the U.S. Secret Service as soon as possible.

•Be skeptical of individuals representing themselves as Nigerian or foreign government officials asking for your help in placing large sums of money in overseas bank accounts.

•Do not believe the promise of large sums of money for your cooperation.

•Guard your account information carefully.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Sep 21 2007. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry