Beware of wire transfer scams that prey on your honesty

Fraudsters who have been targeting people who are selling items on the internet. The price of the item for sale is usually between $5,000 and $10,000 (the items include boats, cars, and even an irrigation motor to run a center pivot irrigation system).

The purported buyer usually agrees to pay full price. The buyer always says they are from overseas (they have claimed to be from Africa, Europe, and Canada). The buyer will send an email to the seller telling them to expect an official check via an overnight delivery system (generally FedEx) in two days, and also briefly explain how the buyer will get the merchandise.

The day before the check is due to arrive; the buyer will send an email to the seller explaining a mistake was made on the check. Instead of the check being $5,000 (the agreed selling price), it was inadvertently made out for $10,000 (sometimes the buyer will give some reason why the mistake was made).

Also, sometimes the buyer will send a "Third Party Check" saying the check is from a company he/she does business with in the U.S. In either case (whether the check is made out to the seller or a third party), the buyer instructs the seller that once the check is cashed to wire the "overpayment" via Western Union back to the buyer.

If the seller (now the victim), withdrawals the cash before the check is returned to the bank as counterfeit, the victim IS RESPONSIBLE to reimburse the bank for the total amount of the check.