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Dial-a-Cab driver David Marks (R22) had a lucky
escape in early February when he was taken in by a
scam that has cost unsuspecting Internet users many
millions of pounds. Those who have been users of the World Wide Web for more than a few minutes will no doubt have received emails from Nigerian or South African "banks" and signed by the "President" asking the receiver if they could help by transferring an amount of cash – which apparently they are not allowed to take out of the country – into your UK account. The amount is usually somewhere in the region of $1billion of which you can keep 20% for being so nice in helping them. They just need one or two small pieces of info in order to assist in the transfer of funds - these consist of your name, bank sort code and account details! Amazingly there are some who provide them and are astonished to find that rather that funds being transferred into your account, it’s actually your funds that make the reverse journey! It’s probably the same people who try to carry out a scam which involves them pretending to buy something you advertise on the ‘net, when sadly all they do is to relieve you of your hard-earned cash. David had been trying to sell his Fairway and heard of a Taxi Internet site operated by a Mountview driver. David |
INTERNET SCAM ALMOST COSTS DAVID £2000! |
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 David Marks: Almost lost £2000 to a scam |
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advertised the cab and had a few enquiries but had no firm offer until one arrived seemingly from somewhere outside the UK. "The phraseology sounded African," David told Call Sign, "although the name of Brown Smith was obviously meant to deceive." The buyer told David that his "car" was fascinating – obviously never having seen a London Taxi – and that he wanted to buy it. He agreed David’s price and said that he would add £1900 for transportation costs. "I saw nothing wrong at all with the deal," said David, "he said he would send a cheque and he did. What I didn’t realise was that even after you paid a cheque into the bank, the sender could still stop it!" David then reached the scam: "He then emailed me again to say that he was sending someone to pick up the cab and could I return the £1900 transportation costs through a |
Western Union Money Order, something you pay for in advance and which clears very quickly." David had assumed that Brown Smith’s cheque was ok and was preparing to send the £1900 money order as requested until he met his close friend and fellow DaC driver, Bernie Silver (G08). "I told him that he was mad and that this was a well-known scam. I couldn’t believe that anyone has fallen for it!" David didn’t send the £1900 and neither did Brown Smith’s cheque ever clear. "Mr Brown Smith never wrote again either," said David! "Anyone like to buy a good Fairway…!" The Internet is an amazing tool, but it has opened up some amazingly big money scams. Think before anyone asks you to send money and remember that just because a cheque has been paid into your account, that doesn’t mean that you have the funds… |
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