Police warn residents of money-order scams

By Greg Jones, staff writer
Published on Wednesday, March 30, 2005 12:53 PM MST

Local law enforcement officials are urging the public to be cautious of money-order scams being perpetrated on some Valley residents.

There have been two unsuccessful attempts to defraud people from Graham County after they tried to sell items on the popular Internet auction site Ebay.

Two individuals, one selling a motorcycle and the other selling a car, received notice from international buyers wanting to send money orders for the vehicles.

Both individuals eventually received the money orders, and both were very suspicious because the amount of the money order was far greater than the item being sold. They were told to cash the money orders, keep 10 to 15 percent for themselves and wire the money back.

If it sounds too good to be true, that's because it is, Safford Police Chief John Griffin said.

"Of course, those money orders are counterfeit," he said. "It's a fraud. Someone else is making money, and you ain't."

The scam is a variance of the "Nigerian Letter" or "419" fraud schemes -- the name comes from the fact that most letters of this kind originate in Nigeria, and 419 refers to the section of the Nigerian penal code that addresses fraud.

While the specifics of the different schemes vary, there are several similarities among them.

According to the U.S. Secret Service, victims are often convinced of the authenticity of the forged or false documents because they are on apparently official Nigerian government letterheads with fake seals and are sometimes accompanied by false letters of credit, payment schedules and bank drafts.

Thatcher Police Chief Mike McEuen said people who fall victim to the money-order scam can lose thousands of dollars. He said they cash the money orders into their bank accounts and send money orders back to the con artists, but when the bank can't verify the legitimacy of the original money orders, the money is deducted from the victim's account.

According to a Secret Service fact sheet, "A large number of victims are enticed into believing they have been singled out from the masses to share in multimillion-dollar windfall profits for doing absolutely nothing.

"The goal of the criminal is to delude the target into thinking that he is being drawn into a very lucrative, albeit questionable, arrangement.

"The letter, while appearing transparent and even ridiculous to most, unfortunately is growing in its effectiveness. The fraudster will eventually reach someone who, while skeptical, desperately wants the deal to be genuine."

Griffin and McEuen said the success of the scam depends entirely on people's desires to make a quick, easy dollar.

"It works on greed," McEuen said. "We want people to know if something looks too good to be true, it probably isn't true."

He said the scheme is alarming, and usually the money lost cannot be recovered, either because the perpetrator can't be located, or because the foreign government on whose soil the crime originated is unwilling or unable to prosecute offenders.

Griffin and McEuen cautioned Valley residents not to let greed cloud their judgment.

"There ain't no free money out there," Griffin said.

To contact Greg Jones, call 428-2560 (ext. 234) or e-mail him at gjones@eacourier.com.

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Comments

14 comment(s)

Genevieve wrote on Oct 22, 2009 7:59 PM:

" I visited this spot in 2001 and had a wonderful time, in the two weeks I was there I greatly enjoyed the spring, the people and hiking in the surrounding area. The time I spent here was the highlight of my winter adventure. I played dominoes, drank tequila and picked up pretty rocks (and soaked in the spring of course!) It sounds like some terrible things have happened since and it's a shame that it's now closed. I would have loved to have seen it again. "

Tricia Wenzl wrote on Sep 20, 2008 4:32 PM:

" Re: Eve Batchelder murder-2006. I personally knew Eve as did many of my other co-workers and we were appalled that her confessed murderer was allowed to plead to a lesser charge (obviously) to escape the death penalty. This was a pre-meditated murder and kidnapping, resulting in the death of a wonderful, gentle soul not to mention leaving her two children without their mother! Jason Martinez does not deserve to live at the expense of the taxpayers with the chance that he could be paroled! Society cannot afford to be "soft" for the fear of peer pressure. "

ciara wrote on Jul 17, 2008 9:06 PM:

" hi i would like to know what time the pool opens "

Warnar Moll Amsterdam The Netherlands wrote on Jul 14, 2008 11:20 AM:

" I agree with Rustom Kevala.
In literature there are many scientific indications that the preparation of the sacred liquid (Haoma),could not contain a Hallucinogen-Entheogen drug (cf publications of Harry Falk, Jan Houben, Frits Staal and the late Mary Boyce).
As a plant-physiologist and toxicologian, I did some study about the preparation of Parahom (as described in Avesta). From the scientic point of view it is impossible that the sacred drink is hallucinogen.
I do not understand the arguments of the Pima's Church of Cognizance.
It is as stupid as the assert: Jesus used Marihuana. "

tom wrote on Apr 19, 2008 3:15 PM:

" if having someone go through something like especially a child is not an invasion of privacy then nothing is but then thats the 9th circus for you "

F THE SYSTEM!!! wrote on Feb 14, 2008 9:15 AM:

" Who cares about ibuprofen anyways! its just a pill that peopel take for headaches and aches who cares about what the school system. If someone suffers from chronic headaches and stuff like that they should be allowed to carry it around. IT was a bad thing to distribute it around to others, but they should be able to keep it anyway. Its not like teachers are all that willing to let students out of the classroom just because of a headache!!! SMS should be sued. Strip searching a student like that should NOT BE ALLOWED!!!! "

LaVae McClellan wrote on Feb 5, 2008 1:51 PM:

" Eric and Kevin Yazzie are my brothers, they always will be. Yeah its true they had a history of fighting, but thats all u see. The Eric and Kevin i know are happy and fun loving, make everybody laugh. I miss kevin, but theres nothing we can do for him now. As for Eric they need to let my brother go already "

joe tapia wrote on Dec 9, 2007 8:05 PM:

" I have spent half of my life in this canyon along with my cusion juan luepke and I would like to know what threats to the public that our gate is causing. there is another way into the canyon then through our property. Just before you get to the cobra guest ranch on klondyke rd take the tully springs\old aravaipa town turn follow for about 4 miles there is a side road just after the second cattle guard the road turns east you have to open a few gates but there not locked. "

JOE TAPIA wrote on Dec 9, 2007 12:11 AM:

" THE ROAD THAT EVERY ONE HAS USED FOR THE LAST 20-30 YEARS, Is owned by my family. as I have been told to me by my father that the b.l.m and nature conseverency asked to use our road because their easement down by the river kept getting washed out by floods.So when norma put the gate up the b.l.m asked the conservency to redo the road by the river again conservency said no way. By,joe tapia "

Katelynn Nichols wrote on Dec 7, 2007 5:34 PM:

" Clifford Bea Fowler is My uncle ans my cousin Kelci's dad he may be a white supremeist but he still loves his daughter.But he should be held responsible for his actions. "

Stephen wrote on Nov 30, 2007 8:57 AM:

" My thoughts and prayer's go out to the late Bobby Bell's family. "

SMSmom wrote on Nov 9, 2007 12:11 PM:

" I will be notified if my child is in so much trouble that he may need to be stripped searched. "Depending on circumstances"--NO I WILL BE NOTIFIED!!! TRY ME!!! "

Keisha wrote on Oct 27, 2007 8:03 PM:

" I'm sure if these guys were a threat to society action would of been taken. I'm not condoning such behavior but Linda sounds like she's up to no good. "

linda wrote on Oct 26, 2007 11:59 AM:

" Is there any way to post the photos of these molesters "in" the schools so that the children and school staff may detect any possible molesters? After all they are the ones who would most likely see them. "

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