ScamVictimsUnited.com

As in my first post on this site I was explaining how I almost became the victim of a check fraud scam. In that previous post I mentioned the company Ariel and how I knew this seemed like a scam. So now here is that story.

Like I was saying before this all started about two weeks ago. Along with agreeing to become a payment agent for several companies, I also got an email from a company called Ariel by Introtrieve that sells computer software. Their entire set up seemed convincing at first glance. They offered an online website, an online application form and so on. I received a call from the company area manager (DAVID LOGAN) for my so called district (who by the way sounded English) (after all Ariel is an english based company)

So I signed up for Ariel and a few days later email would come in asking about their products and pricing. So I would answer these emails adding any extra information about Ariel that I researched. I probably would have been rep of the month by now because of my committment to customer service. But anyway, I got several emails about pricing and different deals / packages. Anything I couldn't answer I forwarded to David my area supervisor and he was sure to help me answer these questions regarding the products and services. I thought to myself wow, what an easy job.

So my mind started wondering, I began to think "how do these potential customers find me (rep 4009 ). So I started to search, high and low. I started with the Ariel website and its list of distributers, then I tried other sources like Google. To this day I still haven't found a way to reach myself. So now in the back of my mind was, if I can't find myself how do these customers find me. I put that thought aside and continued trying to get my first sale.

Could this be my first sale:

I got an email from a lady called ROSE BROWN. I automatically thought she was a U.S. customer since I was a rep in the U.S. So I answered her questions and she said that she would buy the complete software and subscription package which came up to $9320 which did not include shipping.

Here is where it gets a little interesting
below is an email where she agrees to buy the package (follow the dates carefully)

Sent on Jun 15, 2005
Hello (Ariel rep4009)

i would like to place an order for the yearly multiply subscription. $9,320 also include the cost of shipping to Toronto, Canada.
please inform me, to whom my company should make the check out to, and the address.

please send me your phone number as well.

Thank you
Rose Brown.


So I responded..... giving her the necessary information to ship the payment.

and then she writes back

Sent on Jun 17, 2005

Hello Rep 4009

i will send out a payment for the full amount today, you should receive it by the middle of next wk.
but i have a question am currently in Canada on business, i would like you to send the product to my address in Canada so i can sign for it.. would i still pay $15 or $33 , according to your web-site any shipment outside the US is $33.
can you confirm this? if this is correct, the amount i would now send would be $9,320+ 33
=$9,353.

Thanks
Rose Brown

So I respond and now I am awaiting payment.............

So guess what happens now.........

The next day Sat Jun 18, 2005 USPS (snail mail) drops off a letter in my mail from Toronto Canada. I open it and its the $9353 & she added 9 cents. so its $9353.09

I was like wait didnt she just tell me that she WILL be sending payment. I thought that this was unbelievable, and what really caught my attention was this person send me almost $10G's by regular post. There was an 85 cent Canadian stamp on the envelope. I was like no no no. This is crazy.

The timing being a factor and her method of delievery I knew something was not right. I am thankful that it was delivered Sat afternoon because my bank closes early on Saturday, and it gave me time to do some research and find this site a day later.

Final part of the story.
So here I am with a check in my hand but unsure of whether or not to make this deposit on Monday. So I begin to examine it. It was a check from Royal Bank Of Canada. I am no professional check examiner by no means, however I am familiar with a Royal Bank check. (I grew up in the caribbean where we only have Canadian banking institutions, and my father is a business man so I came across these checks frequently while having to make deposits). So what do I do, I simply call home get my sister on the phone, get her to locate a Royal Bank check and down to comparing we go...... I determined the check was fake and here it sits on my desk to be put in my newly started collection.

So now I have to deal with the scammers and devise a story about how my bank account was frozen, and how I am being questioned by the local authorities here in FL. (Hi Karynsolo, thanks for responding to my first post, just saying hello since you are in FL also)

That's the rest of the story. Since yesterday I have received 2 packages, that I havent opened yet because they are waiting for me at my alternate address.... and the scammers are already asking me to deposit the checks.

Any suggestions about what to do now. I have some ideas, but I need to brainstorm some more.

Any responses will be appreciated. Once again I would like to thank this site. Sorry for the long post