Sam Winscott contacted me via email with interest in a automotive distributor that I listed on Craigs list. Offered more then the listed price if I would unlist the item right away. I responded that I would to make the sale.
Sam emailed me two days later saying that the check had been mailed, but an error had been made in the amount of the check. Requested that I could send him the overage by Western Union after I cashed it. I received the bank check drawn on a credit union in Dallas TX in a few days. The check was written for three times the amount of the asking price.
At this time I knew that this was a scam. I reported it to my local police Department. They assigned a case number but expressed no other interest. I phoned the credit union that the check was drawn on. They asked if it was a "bank check' and if so was phony. They expressed no interest in follow up. My local bank did send a copy of the check to their fraud department just to do it.
I also filed a report to iC 3 which is a federal cybor crime agency.
I have a lot of free time, so I had fun playing Sam for four weeks. He emailed, phoned, and text me many times looking for his money. Over 50 pieces of correspondence. I had a good time giving him creative excuses.in the end I sent the two case numbers as Western Union transfer numbers. He called within an hour, and when I told him what the numbers were he hung up rather fast. Didn't even say good by. It would seem if crimes like this are prosecuted they would not be as common. No one cares about the little person. If I had cashed the check, I would have been arrested.
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