Possible scam?

Although I'm normally a trusting little soul, I can't hear a thing over the noise of the warning bells on this one.

A friend has just had an enquiry about a couple of hundred quid's worth of stock. Two days later, it's a confirmed sale. All they need is his bank details please, to shift the money to him. So far, so good. Now the interesting bit.

While checking his account for something else, he sees he's a couple of grand up on where he should be. :eek::eek: Seems a cheque for the couple of hundred, plus two grand
has been paid into his account, at the branch nearest the prospective client, and should clear by Saturday.

I'm convinced he'll shortly get a phone call, and /or email asking him to BACS the overpayment back, asap.

Thoughts please.

Sounds dodgy. I think after 6 business days the cheque is really cleared and can't be reversed, so wait at least that long before doing anything...

From https://www.help.barclays.co.uk/faq/...-clearing.html :-

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However, you can be certain that an unpaid cheque won’t be debited from your account without your permission if 6 working days have passed since it was deposited, unless there’s a suspicion that fraud has been committed.

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I'd be highly suspicious as you don't just add a couple of £K mistakenly when writing out a cheque!

Although not quite the same but it did raise my suspicions at the time a few months back I received a BACs payment for £4600 into my business account!! Unfortunately I wasn't expecting such a nice payment and was trying to track down where it had come from. Later that afternoon I got a call from a Bride whose Wedding I'd done 2 years previous. It turns out it was money for a new car that she was meant to transfer to he Husbands account but sent it to me instead!

To say she was relived when she spoke to me was an understatement!

Sorry Peter to go off at a tangent but I think this is a defo scam.

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Originally Posted by Spirits High

Sorry Peter to go off at a tangent but I think this is a defo scam.

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As do I, considering I've googled the name and address, and it's a Skoda Garage, rather than the alleged company. Having viewed on Google maps, it's not a particularly salubrious area, either. ;)

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Originally Posted by Excalibur

As do I, considering I've googled the name and address, and it's a Skoda Garage, rather than the alleged company. Having viewed on Google maps, it's not a particularly salubrious area, either. ;)

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Good scam, if they ask for the money to be xferred back to them before the cheque has cleared properly. A mistyped digit on a transfer is unlikely enough (cos the bank asks you if you're sure at least once) but a written amount on a cheque? NAH! Book em

Perhaps someone has found a clever way of offsetting £2k worth of tax?

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Originally Posted by Spirits High

It turns out it was money for a new car that she was meant to transfer to he Husbands account but sent it to me instead!

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I had that once and unfortunately the person contacted me - It was a final payment for the venue. :)

If you'd said it was payment for a booking I'd be less inclined to think "scam". However, as it was for goods, it's in the realm of one of the oldest scams in the book. Punter buys something physical off you, pays by cheque but overpays, says "Oh, it's ok, just bank the cheque and send me the difference by Bank Transfer. Hell, you can even keep £100 for your incovenience". Victim banks cheque, after a day sees the money in the account and sends off the difference. Then, punter cancels the cheque (as cheques can take up a few weeks to truly clear through the banking process - you don't notice this as the banks generally allow you to draw against a deposited cheque whilst the processing is ongoing - you don't realise this unless the cheque gets cancelled). So, the punter has your goods and the money you've sent by bank transfer (which is instant) and you're left with nothing but a potential overdraft when you see the value of the cheque disappear from your account.

As has been said earlier, it could be a genuine mistake. But I'd always recommend caution and wouldn't be sending any money until the cheque truly clears.

Only just dead, four years is nothing. ;)

Right, chaps and Chapesses, here's one for you. Normally, my website enquiry form brings in various ones in foreign languages, advice on how to make a gazillion dollars a day without working, how to get my SEO higher I can comprehend, and other such guff.

However, it's hit the jackpot this time. Wickes ( you know, the big building and DIY chain ) want me to supply them. Yippee. :D What with, I don't know as yet, but they will pay me within fifteen days. Body of email below, just in case anyone else wants a share. ( Mind you, I'm a little peeved about being " Dear Sir/Madam located in the United Kingdom". :mad: Still I suppose it just beats " Dear Fist name", which I got yesterday.

Message: Dear Sir / Madam Located in the United Kingdom, WICKES is the UK's most popular DIY merchant with over 230 branches furnished with European products. We are looking for new products to attract new customers and also retain our existing ones, create new partnerships with companies dealing with different kinds of goods. Currently, we looking for new suppliers to improve our sales in these categories: Building Materials Landscaping & Fencing; Kitchens & Bathrooms; Flooring & Tiling; Plumbing & Heating; Tools, Equipment & Workwear; Painting & Decorating; Electrical, Lighting & Ventilation; Security & Ironmongery; Fixings & Adhesives; Please send us your catalog through email to learn more about your company's products. Our Payment Terms are within 30 days net in Europe and 15 days net in UK. Best Regards, WICKES BUILDING SUPPLIES LIMITED James Morris Executive Purchasing Department Tel: +44 1438 94 1225 Email: [email protected] http://www.wickes.co.uk/