CRIME ALERT

FGCU Police & Safety

Police # Parking Services# Emergency Management                                                                                                                                                                                                           

 January 18, 2012

Avoid Excess Money Scams

FGCU PD has received several reports of students, faculty or staff being victimized through various internet scams.

Although the original contact can be anything from:

A job offer for a secret buyer

Offer to buy an item you listed on internet

Renting a house or buying a car

The end result is always the same. Once a price is established the victim receives a check for more than the agreed upon amount. The scammer then requests the victim to use a money wiring service to wire back the excess funds.

 DON’T DO IT.

 Approximately 4 days after depositing the check and wiring the excess money back, your bank will advise you that the check was counterfeit and they deduct the amount of the check from your account. You are now out any money you wired the scammer. This also happened recently in the county involving a counterfeit PayPal account.

If you ever receive a check for more than the agreed selling price, you should be concerned. If the check is from a third party or they are asking you to send the excess money to a third party, you should be concerned.  The Lee County Sheriff’s Department has a unit that specifically deals with such crimes. If you are a victim of such a crime, you may contact the Sheriff’s Office Fraud Line at 239-477-1242 or contact UPD at 239-590-1900.