# Scentsy Scam



## Doc

My wife sells Scentsy products.  Scentsy sells wickless candles with many different fragrances to choose from.  

A week or so ago she got an email from Mary Stone saying she wanted to place an order.  No problem.  Mary emails a list of the items she wants to order and it comes out to $530 with tax and shipping, a very nice size order for my wife.   So Mary is informed of the order total.  Mary says she has to have a check issued by her bank as she does not have a credit card (and evidently not a checking account).  Mary further informs my wife that she is deaf and cannot talk on the phone and has a hard time placing these orders.  

The next email from Mary says she contacted her bank and had the check drawn up but they made the check out for to much, and the extra was to be used for her daughters upcoming wedding.  She asked my wife to cash the check, take out the amount for the scentsy order and send the extra to her daughter ASAP as she needed it for her wedding.  A week goes by, and the check finally arrives.  $2250.   

Mary has stated that she lives in Illinois.  Her 'debtor' who issues the check is named "University of Pacific".  The check is from the Bank of Stockton in Stockton California.  Postmark on both checks is from Minneapolis Minnesota.  Yes, I said checks.  My wife now has two checks one for $2,350.00 and one for $2,250.  The checks both look official enough, but both envelopes are hand written, even the return address is hand written.  Very suspicious. 

There have been so many craigs list scams that go much like this where they overpay for an item they have never seen and of course the check which looked good to start with ends up bouncing for some reason and the seller is left holding the bag.  So my wife is not at all comfortable with this transaction and has said as much in her email communications with Mary.  

I thought scam from the beginning ...what do you think?


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## Cowboy

Yup Doc, to many red flags for sure, definate scam IMO. The "deaf" excuse for not talking on the phone is sure a new twist though. 

  To bad that sounds like a heck of a sale. CL has really went to crap the last year at least around here, 99% of the emails i get are scammers.


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## Kane

Why doesn't your wife deposit both checks and wait for them to clear in a couple/three days?  If the thing is legit (which it probably isn't) she can wire funds at her pleasure to Mary.  Your bank will know the difference.

Businesses do it all the time.  Take your money and sit on the interest float.  Hell, my last construction management firm made millions in interest "float".


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## Melensdad

Total Scam.


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## Doc

Kane said:


> Why doesn't your wife deposit both checks and wait for them to clear in a couple/three days?  If the thing is legit (which it probably isn't) she can wire funds at her pleasure to Mary.  Your bank will know the difference.
> 
> Businesses do it all the time.  Take your money and sit on the interest float.  Hell, my last construction management firm made millions in interest "float".


She did consider doing that, but knowing up front it is most likely a scam we hate to even do that.  I would wait way longer than 3 days ...it would be more like 10 days just to be sure.  I wonder if there is still a way even after the checks clear that they can come back on the person who cashed it for something I can't even imagine.  I'm worried of it coming back somehow to bite us in the butt ...so knowing it is most likely a scam why waste our time or energies even messing with it?


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## tiredretired

Walk away.  Tear up the checks and forget about it.  100% bullshit scam with a capital S.   A few weeks ago I got a call from someone telling me there was a problem with one of my accounts with a local bank.  I asked the person if they thought I had "I'm friggin" stupid" written on my forehead?  They immediately hung up.


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## muleman RIP

Don't you have some trash or brush to burn? Those kind of checks can make excellent fire starters. As to the length of time for it to clear the bank, even 30 days is not enough time. And these days the banks want to charge you fees for their hassle dealing with it.


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## bczoom

Should these checks be turned over to law enforcement?  I thought writing these was against the law.


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## JEV

You are correct. It'a now federal since the mail was used. Interstate fraud. Turn it over to the cops, or call the issuing bank to determine the validity.


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## Doc

bczoom said:


> Should these checks be turned over to law enforcement?  I thought writing these was against the law.





JEV said:


> You are correct. It'a now federal since the mail was used. Interstate fraud. Turn it over to the cops, or call the issuing bank to determine the validity.



I did think of turning them over, but as of yet, there is no crime (is there?).  I don't think the local police would be interested.  

Looking closer at the checks, one is drawn on the Bank of Stockton and the other is drawn on Bank of America ...same exact check paper with the names of these banks typed in.  One is from the University of Pacific and the other is from the University of CALIF  (typed just like that).  

The check numbers are 31936 and 21065 ...totally different.  Both do have HPS printed on the paper, and get this, both are signed by the same BS signature (rubber stamped)  ....

I would be happy to turn all this over to authorities but I don't know who to contact about this.  They might have the intent to defraud ...but who would be interested in that?


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## tiredretired

Your state's Attorney Generals office would be the best bet.  They usually investigate this type of fraud.  If it needs to go to the feds, they would do it.  Just a thought.


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## Danang Sailor

Doc said:


> I did think of turning them over, but *as of yet, there is no crime*(is there?).



Yes, a crime has already been committed.  The person has already started the scam.




> I don't think the local police would be interested.
> 
> Looking closer at the checks, one is drawn on the Bank of Stockton and the other is drawn on Bank of America ...same exact check paper with the names of these banks typed in.  One is from the University of Pacific and the other is from the University of CALIF  (typed just like that).
> 
> The check numbers are 31936 and 21065 ...totally different.  Both do have HPS printed on the paper, and get this, both are signed by the same BS signature (rubber stamped)  ....
> 
> *I would be happy to turn all this over to authorities but I don't know who to contact about this.  They might have the intent to defraud ...but who would be interested in that?*


This is Interstate Banking Fraud, Mail Fraud, and several other federal crimes; the FBI will definitely be interested.  You
should contact your nearest FBI office ASAP; the colder the trail gets the harder it will be for them to nail the fraudster.
If it were me, I'd be standing at their office door tomorrow morning when they unlock with all the checks, emails, and
any other evidence so they could start a case.  You can bet a lot of $$$ you're not the only ones being "worked" here.


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## luvs

i agree w/ the others.
the calculations= . 'mary' has gotta be a scammer.
yeah. screams scam.


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## AAUTOFAB1

Scam for sure,throw the checks away or turn them over to the FBI, happens all the time,the perpetrators usually end up from out side the us and never get caught.


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## Catavenger

> Should these checks be turned over to law enforcement? I thought writing these was against the law.


I just bet that no matter where the checks look like they came from the sender is not in the USA if so law enforcement can't do a thing.


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## Cowboy

Catavenger said:


> I just bet that no matter where the checks look like they came from the sender is not in the USA if so law enforcement can't do a thing.


 Having dealt with these types of scammers before, and talking to the local and federal officials about it i will double that bet.


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