A young woman came to my door posing as a University Student who had just been selected in her Art class to travel abroad, and was trying to raise funds to earn "points" that would help subsidizer her trip.
She at first was trying to sell me magazine subscriptions, but when I declined I was offered a cash or check option that would in some way benefit the local children's hospital, and I decided to write her a $20 check, made out to M.F.A.
The scenario was definitely suspicious (of course now I'm kicking myself), and afterward I did some research on M.F.A. And low and behold it's what appears to be a nation wide scam of some sort, where M.F.A. Is the clearinghouse.
The similarity in her tactics to those I've now read about on-line are strikingly identical - so it wouldn't surprise me if she has been coached in the tactics to lie and do whatever it takes to get a check written to M.F.A.
Everything I've read about this scam is that it's a quick cash grab - get as much cash checks as possible then split. $20 goes unnoticed by the victim, and the scammers move on to the next. I still have yet to figure out how the young kids are being paid for their "work", but they must get a kickback of some sort for every $ they collect for M.F.A.
I am located in Kent, WA, about 20 miles south of Seattle. The scam took place on 05/01.
Beware.
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