To whom it may concern,
I checked out this homework position posted by Farmacie Umans B.V. And actually played along with it. They basically send you a check from a "U.S. Creditor" to cash in your personal checking and send overseas (Amsterdam of all places, not suspicious at all, right?), minus a $600 commision.
Well, I knew it had to be a scam, so I played it out to see if I'd actually get a legitimate check. Sure enough, I got a real check for $5000 in the mail from New York City. However, the company who wrote the check to me personally (in my name) was based out of another state. Now before the check came I figured it was possibly the laundering of drug money and they just needed someone to transfer the money for them.
But when I got the check, I realized that some poor business owner had probably gotten his account information stolen, and I'd better inform that person. So I went immediately to the FBI with the check, and sure enough it was a real check.
I was told that it was most likely some kind of European organized crime scam, and that since the criminals are in Amsterdam (where the FBI has no jurisdiction) they could get away with the money from these checks and screw the one sending the checks.
Anyhow, I saved some innocent business owner thousands by turning the check in, so I would suggest doing the same to anyone who gets one. If you haven't gotten this far, I suggest going to the authorities with any e-mails they sent you (that's what I did), so these frauds can be brought to justice. Or play along and get as much info about these folks as possible. If you are greedy and want the money, you will pay for every cent you take or send. If you fall for this obvious scam, you deserve to lose money.
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