I got scammed with a fake check on craigslist!!! Help!!?

I was selling my bike for 200 dollars on craigslist and some guy from all across the country wanted to buy it. this guy's name is steve chambers. he sent me a a check for 2200 dollars instead and insisted that his secretary made a mistake. he told me to wire the difference to him in Florida. i did and a couple days later my bank account was overdrawn!!! this guy is a scammer!! what can I do to get my money back??? the bank customer service said that since I cashed it out, they can't reimburse me. I'm so nervous. Should I go to the police???

You were the victim of what is commonly called a 'Check Overpayment Scam" Honestly I don't think there is much you can do to get your money back, but here is information from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on this increasing problem - perhaps there is some information you can use.

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/alerts/overpayalrt.shtm

Check Overpayment Scams: Seller Beware

Thinking of selling a car or another valuable item through an online auction or your newspaper’s classified section? If so, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency, wants you to know about check overpayment scams.

According to FTC officials, the scams work like this: Someone responds to your posting or ad, and offers to use a cashier’s check, personal check or corporate check to pay for the item you’re selling. At the last minute, the so-called buyer (or the buyer’s “agent”) comes up with a reason for writing the check for more than the purchase price, and asks you to wire back the difference after you deposit the check. You deposit the check and wire the funds back to the “buyers.” Later, the check bounces, leaving you liable for the entire amount.

The checks are counterfeit, says the FTC, but good enough to fool unsuspecting bank tellers.

In a different version of the scam, the FTC says, consumers get a check that has their “winnings” from a lottery. They’re asked to pay taxes or fees. Sometimes, the sender claims to be trapped in a foreign country without any way to cash the check. Either way, federal officials say, if you deposit the check, you’ll lose.

Here’s how to avoid a check overpayment scam:

Know who you’re dealing with. In any transaction, independently confirm the buyer’s name, street address, and telephone number.

Don’t accept a check for more than your selling price, no matter how tempting. Ask the buyer to write the check for the correct amount. If the buyer refuses to send the correct amount, return the check. Don’t send the merchandise.

Consider an alternative method of payment. As a seller, you can suggest an escrow service or online payment service. There may be a charge for an escrow service. If the buyer insists on using a particular escrow or online payment service you’ve never heard of, check it out. Visit its website, and read its terms of agreement and privacy policy. Call the customer service line. If there isn’t one or if you call and can’t get answers about the service’s reliability, don’t use the service. To learn more about escrow services and online payment systems, visit www.ftc.gov/onlineshopping.

If you accept payment by check, ask for a check drawn on a local bank, or a bank with a local branch. That way, you can make a personal visit to make sure the check is valid. If that’s not possible, call the bank where it was purchased and ask if the check is valid. Get the bank’s phone number from directory assistance or an Internet site that you know and trust, not from the person who gave you the check.

If the buyer insists that you wire back funds, end the transaction immediately. Legitimate buyers don’t pressure you to send money by Western Union or a similar company. In addition, you have little recourse if there’s a problem with a wire transaction.

Resist any pressure to “act now.” If the buyer’s offer is good now, it should be good after the check clears the issuing bank.

Throw away any offer that asks you to pay for a prize or a gift. If it’s free or a gift, you shouldn’t have to pay for it. Free is free.

Resist the urge to enter foreign lotteries. Most foreign lottery solicitations are phony. What’s more, it’s illegal to play a foreign lottery through the mail or the telephone.

If you think you’ve been targeted by a check overpayment scam, file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at http://www.ftc.gov or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). For more information on buying or selling via an Internet auction site, visit http://www.ftc.gov/onlineshopping.

From craigslist site: http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams.html

Who should I notify about fraud or scam attempts?
FTC toll free hotline: 877-FTC-HELP (877-382-4357)
FTC online complaint form (www.ftc.gov)
Canadian PhoneBusters hotline: 888-495-8501
Internet Fraud Complaint Center (www.ic3.gov/)
Non-emergency number for your local police department.

go to the police, i doubt you'll get much help though.

You can try going to the police, if he has been doing this for a while they might be able to catch him. But if you want me to be completely honest I would say your screwed...

This is the very same reason that there is a disclaimer on Craigs list warning you not to deal out of state and not to wire money.

You should report it (other answerers got you the addresses) but you'll never get your money back.
Never wire money to a stranger, no matter the reason.
Learn your lesson now so you don't lose your life savings when you're 60!

THE prior answer is proably right, but call the police there is maybe a chance goodluck, and be more careful. to all there is plenty talk about siuations like this, never hurry your decision especially with your money

Yep they're everywhere. You just have to be smart. When you're in the US selling your car and someone calls you from across the country or another country just tell them to go away. Scammers are out there because people don't pay attention. I'm sorry this happened to you, but next time use Yahoo Answers to ask "hey...this guy sent me a check and said....."

You would have gotten answers back to tell you it was a scam, because naturally the most obvious solution would've been to mail him the check back and have him produce and new one...and not a check, but a cashier's check or a money order.

You never want to take a check because I took one from a relative and it intially bounced and I called them and they said resubmit it. Well I thought it was good to go until I got a note from the bank THREE months later saying that they've been resubmitted it to the other bank and it kept bouncing so they NOW have to remove the money from the account. Never do business with a check.

Unfortunately you're going to have to chalk that up as an expensive lesson. AND don't be ashamed because that's how these people continue to get away with it because who wants to admit it. Tell people what happened so they don't make the same mistake.

You can try the cop route but likely he opened the other account with fake id's. What goes around comes around so he'll get his eventually.

I'm sorry that this happened to you.

This is pretty common and the oldest trick in the book. Hes long gone, your not going to get your money back. But you will want to report it to the police.

Yeah, go to the cops.

Not the brightest thing in the world, sending all your money to a stranger, was it?

You have been very foolish and naive; this scam is so old that most people know about it.

As a previous poster has said, why didn't you ask this question before you cashed the check and sent the crook money? This forum could have helped you avoid being cheated.

This is an expensive lesson for you. Just make sure you learn from it and don't be fooled again.

Google the internet for "internet scams" and learn about the many ways they can scam you. Be educated.

.

That is the oldest scam in the book. I can't believe you fell for that. Hey, do you want to buy some real estate I have in Arizona? It's a great deal!

Your local police won't be able to do much. File a complaint with the ICCC (a division of the FBI that deals with Internet fraud) and then try contacting the the local police in the vicinity where the money was sent.

I've used the ICCC before and in just a matter of day they had assigned a Sergeant with the State police to my case. He was very helpful in getting my situation resolved.

http://www.ic3.gov/

Dear Girl: P.T. Barnum said it perfectly. " There is a sucker born every minute" and the con men can smell them out like our dog smells steak. You may report it but there isn't much one can do to restore your funds. Every thing about the man may be phoney. But you should know better than conducting business over the Internet. There is no control whatsoever over things like this. Always do business with those who you know are reputable. You should have learned an expensive lesson.

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