Timeline for Scam or Real: A woman from Facebook apparently needs my bank account to send money
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
5 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 3, 2016 at 2:26 | comment | added | HopelessN00b | As pointed out in other examples, it really doesn't even matter if the check clears or not. It could be fraudulent and be reversed months or years down the line, it could be funds from a criminal enterprise that will be seized under civil asset forfeiture later, etc. Regardless, someone will come take that money back at some point, and the account holder will be on the hook to repay the money they transferred away. | |
| Aug 1, 2016 at 17:38 | comment | added | Cort Ammon | @PatriciaShanahan Thank you for the counterexample, and the good rule of thumb for how to distinguish between the scammer and the legitimate business in such cases. In hindsight, you're right: I was aware of escrow cases like that, I simply forgot about them while writing the bulleted list. I also remember the gobs of paperwork that came with making it legit. | |
| Aug 1, 2016 at 17:31 | comment | added | Patricia Shanahan | There really are transactions that need to go through a third party. For example, a couple of years ago I bought one house in the US and sold another. Each time, we used a third party to collect up and distribute the money and documents. The difference is that each transaction used a licensed and insured escrow agent, not some random individual. Where there is a legitimate need for third parties, there will be well established businesses serving that need. | |
| Aug 1, 2016 at 4:33 | comment | added | vsz | Even it isn't done by check but by real transfer, the danger still persists that the transfers are coming from stolen cards or from the profits of illegal activities. | |
| Jul 30, 2016 at 22:26 | history | answered | Cort Ammon | CC BY-SA 3.0 |