SCAMPATROL

[JB]

Almost we concluded the deal, but Scam Patrol warned me and so i didn't cash the cheque (of course it was a larger amount then the real price).
Now the fake-shipping agency writes to me that they want to pick up the piano (that was our deal) and want to know when they get the money and can pick it up.
Should i write back? If yes, what can i write?

[Old Coaster]

Absolutely not. If your computer has a bounce facility, bounce it back to the sender. Otherwise ignore it.

There may be a third step where they threaten you, but that is all hot air. Just ignore it as well.

OC
_________________
la terre n'est qu'un seul pays

[jez]

Ignoring them is the best policy - however they can be persistent and if they have your phone number they may try and contact you that way. A simple "I have reported you to the police" and then hanging up usually works well.

If they do become persistent and/or threatening, it's a good idea to report them to the police anyway.

[Q]

The fake shipping company is the scammer (as you are probably already aware). He is only trying to presurrise you because he realises the longer it is since he sent the cheque more likely it is that the cheque would bounce and you will realise its fake (he will be assumed you've cashed it).

The advice the other members here have provided is sound. If you can bounce the email like OC suggests please do it. This makes it look like your email account no longer exists. Also if you have the ability to block email addresses - block his email address; this way you will no longer receive any further emails from him, unless he mails from different address. Even better if it possible to change your email address completely - do this. This way he cannot get in touch even if he changes his email address as he won't know your new address.

Don't worry about any contract or agreement you had with him. It doesn't count for anything. Your agreement in any case was nothing more than a 'gentleman's agreement' which in law doesn't count for anything. Even if he wasn't scamming you would still not have had any obligation to furfil it. The fact he was also attempting to scam you means he has defaulted on his part of the agreement. Even if you'd signed a legal contract it wouldn't have counted because he is attempting to commit fraud.

There is also something I should alert your attention to just in case you receive one. Some scammers will send threats to the person they are trying to scam towards the end when their scam is failing to work. Such threats generally say something along the lines that they've reported you to the FBI or police and that because you have stolen 'his money' and that you are going to be arrested. Its a bluff - don't fall for it. They are in the wrong not you. There is no way they would have gone to the FBI or any law enforcement organisation of any kind because they would be laughed at and probably arrested themselves. They send these threats because they can see their scam is failing and its a last ditched attempt to scare their 'victim' into sending the money to them.