ScamVictimsUnited.com

Hello,

I was scammed last September. I am still paying off the debt and we have managed to get by. Broke, but still kickin.

One of our friends owns a business and was contacted by phone by someone from Lagos, Nigeria. Interested in purchasing multiple quantities of a product they carry. They are going to pay by credit card and have a UPS account.

Now I haven't heard of a credit card scam and am waiting to find out what happens. I am sure it is a scam and figure it has something to do with a stolen credit card and possible wire transfer of money back to them when they decide they don't want the product. Our friend has not made a transaction yet, and we have warned them. They feel pretty safe as this will go through their credit card machine and is protected by the company that gives them the credit card service.

Has anyone heard of this one?

Thanks,
B Rollins
P.S. My heart goes out to everyone who has been scammed.

How are they protected by the company that gives them the credit card service in the case of a stolen number? just very curious about that... In the case of shipping mass quantities of any kind of product, people in the past have found it quite difficult to recall any shipments once the fraud has been found out so they are out the money AND the product. Does this company guarantee the funds if the card turns out to be stolen and they don't catch it?

Yes, I have heard of instances where there have been stolen credit cards used...not as common, but because public knowledge is slowly catching up with them and their beautiful "artwork" (the checks)...they are being forced to try some creativity.

If your friends insist on going through with the transaction, I would strongly recommend a "30 day hold" due to shipment size or some other type stalling technique...just a suggestion.

I have advised them the same on the shipping. As far as the credit card machine goes... Once it has been approved it is approved and if something goes wrong the company gets nailed by it. I wouldn't want even the credit card company to have to go through this stuff either.

I am 100% sure it is a scam and it did not even involve the internet. It was a straight up phone call. Well almost!! She did say it had the sound of a relay system. AKA internet phone. They don't even have a website and for the life of me I can not figure out how they would have gotten the number. But the person wants it shipped to Nigeria from the our small little town in the states. If it was moonpies (since I am in Chattanooga) I might think it has a small chance of being legit. But it is not Moonpies and the product could be obtained in Europe wich is much closer.

The caller said he is in Lagos, Nigeria. As soon as I heard that I told her it was a scam. Don't know how it works, But I definately know it's a scam.

It is just very strange how they skipped the internet completly and are using a credit card instead of a cashiers check.

Zenos,
Please go to the website http://www.419eaters.com and look under the Main Baiting forum- you don't have to join to see this thread.
Look under all posts by Sandra Rosemary.She is an IP operator who has been handling many of these scammers from Lagos. These criminals have learned how to tap into the relay system in order to place mulitple orders like the ones you friends have gotten.
They should not go through with it. If they have been warned it is a scam, and still use their credit card, they could be implicated in the fraud.

These guys are not stupid when it comes to designing ways to steal money.
They have the equipment and knowledge to do it.
Here in Canada, my local bank was taken for about $4,000 in one day because a hig tech criminals placed a "skimmer" on the screen of the ATM.
It scanned everyone's card before each transaction and then was used for mass withdrawals.
No one noticed the skimmer because it was made to look like part of the machine.
Tell your friends not to try and figure out how it could happen- it will.
Please do whatever you can to protect them before it is too late.
Churchmouse

I have warned them and told them that the transaction will be fraudulent in someway shape or form. I also told them that I do not know how this will affect them and that they should not go through with the transaction.

I have heard of the ATM skimming scam, but I did not know it was the same people running that scam as the 419 and fraudulent cashiers check.

Thanks for the warning I will let them know that these people are in on that as well.

Thanks,
-BRollins

Our friend got the guys credit card and shipping information. They then told him that they did not want to do business with him.

They took the information he gave to the FBI and are done with it.

Just thought everyone would like to know about one scam stopped.

The FBI told our friend that this scam works by using a fraudulent credit card to purchase the item. They get enough information to start up an UPS account using the victim's store. Using that account they have the product shipped and then sell it in Nigeria for exhuberent amounts of money.

The victim is stuck with the shipping bill. And evidently a fraudulent credit card, even through the so called safety of a credit card service, comes down on the victim's head. Unless the credit card service company gives authorization directly.

I wander how many companies know this about their credit card service? As cashiers checks, I thought once a credit card company approved a card that it was as good as cash in your hand. Guess not.

Well if you guys don't know about this one, that is the scam. It would have cost our friend $1900 just to ship the items to Nigeria.

Zenos,
It's great that your friends dodn't get scammed by these guys. It sure was a close call!
Business today is filled with frauds. It's tough when one doesn't know if a transaction is legitimate or not. The "Lads from Lagos" are operating all over the world as well so the scammers can call from the UK, Holland or Australia as well as Nigeria.
The internet makes international business as easy as buying from the corner store- but the criminals have figured out how to make it pay better. Checking out sales is time consuming and makes one a little paranoid but the old adage holds true- better safe than sorry!
Churchmouse

What is so scary is that with better scammers (regular phone and better English) it seems like this could seem like a normal transaction to a lot of business owners. At least depending on the product. Our friend sells dog food so that seemed a little rediculous for someone wanting that shipped to Nigeria. But something that people in another country might think that they do not have access to. It might seem normal.

PLEASE advise your friend NOT to ship. YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY NOT protected by the credit card processing company (I work for one so I know this for sure). An approval code just verifies that the funds are available on the card at the time the auth is attempted--that's it. It is in NO WAY a verification that the transaction is legit. ALL ORDERS FROM NIGERIA are Fraud (at least in my 6 years of experience). Once the legitimate cardholder sees the charge on their statement, they will dispute it and the merchant/business will loose all thier funds + their product+ their shipping charges--IT IS NOT WORTH THE RISK!