Nigerian Purchase Scam
The
Nigerian Purchase Scam is a new form of fraud taking
victims in the online space. This is becoming
widespread in auction sites and on business’
ecommerce websites. A buyer will bid on or seek to
purchase big-ticket goods (e.g., cars, boats, etc.)
from the website. They will pay by forged cashier’s
check and ask the seller to ship the product
overseas. The buyer will “accidentally” overpay the
seller, stating “they wanted to make sure there were
enough funds for shipping”. The buyer will then ask
the seller to deposit the check and refund the
amount of the overpayment. The seller will deposit
the counterfeit cashier’s check and send the
overpayment to the buyer prior to the check clearing
through the international banking system. The seller
is out the funds equal to the overpayment. In
addition, the seller could be down the value of the
shipped goods if those are sent at the same time.
To protect yourself,
always be careful when transacting with unknown
parties. If you question the legitimacy of a buyer,
talk with your Branch Manager to determine the best
way to validate the check and funds prior to
shipping any goods or providing a refund for the
overpayment.
