SCAMPATROL

[Faith]

It has come to my attention that a scammer or scammers are now specifically targeting the parents of seriously ill children who are seeking financial assistance for the skyrocketing medical bills that they are struggling to pay. The scammer(s) are harvesting the email addresses of their intended victims from pleas for help posted on the 'net, primarily on yahoogroups. This is a simple, yet extremely disgusting, variation on the standard "fake cheque" fraud. Here's how it works:

The scammer, posing as a minister in charge of disbursements for a fictional charity organization, contacts the victims and tells them that their child's plight has qualified them for assistance. He tells his victims that a "donation" will be mailed to them in the form of a cheque drawn on the charity's account. In the real cases found thus far, the "donation" amount has been $5000, but any amount could be used in this scam. The cheque is sent, and quickly followed by a frantic email from the "minister" saying that his secretary made an error, and sent a cheque for $7000 by mistake. The victim is asked to send the "overage" back to the charity by WU after the cheque "clears", so that the money can be sent to other parents waiting for assistance.

The cheque is, of course, fake. In a few weeks or months, it will bounce, leaving the already struggling parents on the hook for the entire amount, and possibly forcing them to deal with the legal implications of passing a bad cheque as well.

It doesn't get much worse than this, folks.
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[tsnerd]

That is truly monsterous, Faith

[Samir]

I can hardly think of anything worst. Please post some more info, their opening letter or something. I'd like to have a go with them.
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Samir

[crashhoot]

I have occasionally had dealings with parents of seriously ill children, and I am aware of the financial nightmares they face. To prey on them for profit is the lowest form of evil.

I'm sorry if this is too strong for this forum, but if I ever encounter one of these lads face to face, I will gladly rip his beating heart out of his chest and show it to him before he dies!

Okay.Rant over. Mod's feel free to delete if this is inappropriate for this forum.

[Faith]

@Samir- you have PM.
@Crash and TSnerd- I posted this because it shows just how low the scammers will go. I also wanted to help get the word out, because I think this modality will soon spread to other scammers. It is tailor-made to suck-in very desperate folks, and relies on the victims' morals (only an honest person would return the "overage"), making it one of, if not the most, repugnant scams I've ever seen.
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