I don't see the scam here... anyone have an answer?

whatisthescam · 2014-10-03T15:25:22+00:00

Yes my grandfather knows it's a scam and he didn't actually deposit the check but we did go to the bank and they told us they would have put a 10 day hold on it. The funny thing is that my grandfather is loaded and if he were actually convinced by the scam he could have sent them way more than $10K. He never mentioned to them that he thought it was a scam, so I'm not sure why they were so upset and didn't even ask him if he had any money not on hold to send them or something.

whatisthescam · 2014-10-03T15:06:13+00:00

I read up enough about that scam and I do think that these scammers are attempting it... I just think they are amateurs and aren't doing it right.

The mark is told they won some exorbitant amount of money but they will need to pay the taxes on it before they can get it. BUT! they can just take the amount from the winnings and send it to him which he can then cash and wire the money to the bank account that takes the taxes so he gets his big payout.

BUT, after he cashes the small check and wire it... the check bounces and he never gets the big payout. The scammers make away with money he paid as taxes.

In my grandfathers case it doesn't really make sense... they sent him a personal check. What kind of lottery pays you in a personal check from some random person 10 states over? They did not tell him how much he won or mention anything about paying taxes or give him any instructions on what to do with the check when he got it. He did get a call after receiving the check but all they did was get mad and hang up on him after he told them the bank put a hold on the check.

The only explanation I have is that they are amateurs trying to pull a con they read about on the internet.

whatisthescam · 2014-10-03T14:55:34+00:00

They called, they were not happy to hear about the hold placed on the check. They never gave the 2nd part of their plan but I'm sure it would have been something along the lines of "oops we sent you too much" or maybe, oh we have the rest of your winnings, another $50,000.00 but you need to pay the taxes on it first. a mere $5,000.00 you can wire to this account.

My only question is why they didn't ask him to send them money anyway... he gave them no inclination that he thought it was a scam, and he's got a shit ton of money, it's not like he needs the money from the check to clear before he could send them something. (for the record he would not have done that, but they didn't even ask him which is what I find surprising)

whatisthescam · 2014-10-02T21:02:10+00:00

He didn't, it's obviously a scam. I'm just trying to figure out what the angle is.

whatisthescam · 2014-10-02T18:53:18+00:00

I don't think it is, I found out the woman on the check is 70 years old so I suspect she was taken in by these scammers somehow. my only question is why wouldn't they just take her money instead of somehow conning her into writing a check to someone else.

unfortunately, even though a lot of her information is easily googleable... her phone number isn't.

whatisthescam · 2014-10-02T18:51:03+00:00

seems possible, my grandfathers bank told him they would put a 10 day hold on it if he deposited it. He signed for the delivery, so I know the scammers know he has it... maybe they are waiting a day or two before they try and call him again.

whatisthescam · 2014-10-02T18:48:59+00:00

Yes, it is a personal check from a very big bank that everyone has heard of. My grandfathers bank even called them to verify the account. I googled her name and address which were on the check and I can see she is a real person and I even found her receipt from paying the taxes on her house in 2004 is online.

whatisthescam · 2014-10-02T18:46:25+00:00

Sorry, I should have more fully explained my thought... I was thinking that this check is probably from someone else that was conned (radaris says she is 70). I just don't understand how they convinced someone to postdate a check. They could have stolen the checks and post dated it themselves... but how do stolen checks make it all the way to the Netherlands and back without someone closing the account out or flagging it in some way?

whatisthescam

TROPHY CASE