Alabama's education ranking, explained

[MikeH]

Wait, I'm not making this up.

It's a very, very well known scam. Google international cheque scam or overpayment scam.

In this case the cheques are probably stolen/forgeries rather than using the international clearing, but it's the same deal.

http://www.hoax-slayer.com/overpayment-scam.html

And it's so low cost for the scammer that they only need a small success rate to make it worth doing. they are actually preying on the honesty of their victims in honouring the hand-shake agreement.

[rah]

If they're not international, then it shouldn't take as long to clear. Especially if they have to look like government issued tax refund checks.

And mailing a check to a P.O box (which can be traced quite easily)

[Krill]

Give him a fraudulent cheque?

[Arrian]

Either that, or he'll gradually accumulate chunks of personal info over time -- he's already going for a copy of [wife's] signature.

Yeah, that sounds possible.

-Arrian

[Felch]

International check doesn't make sense, if it's supposed to be a Govt refund. It could very well be a way of screening potential victims of better scams.

[Dauphin]

Cashier's cheque scam.

[443gogreen]

I got one of these too.....

I googled this Professor's name as well and got the same search results for the professor in Florida.

So, I called the IRS and they tell me that his name and/or his company is NOT listed in their database of phishing sites, etc...

Based on his letter, the person owed the refund (me) would file with the IRS for the refund and the check would be mailed to me directly. This guy stays out of it......I then send him the money (10%) for finding it.

The page that asks for the signature does say, however, that I am signing a "promisory" note of sorts that I'll send him that 10% and it states the amount which is infact just 10%.

It does say that he will forward me the case # (?) and appropriate contact information to follow up.

My radars are going off but I can't figure out how it's a scam.

Either way, I'm going to do some detecting on my own behalf because if this guy found me a "refund" then I should be able to find it, too. Right?

[EPW]

I disagree

[Arrian]

Ok, get this. We got a second letter from this guy. This time, he specified that the refund owed is for overpaid mortgage insurance on my wife's old FHA loan.

That was enough for me to track down a thread on metafilter (started by someone who got a very similar letter from Mr. Boggs) that, among other things, explained how to check on it ourselves by heading over to the HUD website. We did, and guess what? The federal government actually *does* owe my wife $1092.08. Nice of them to tell us, eh?

So, while this guy is seeking a rather rich finder's fee, he's not lying about gov't owing us money. Thing is, we don't need him to get the money. We just need to call the HUD 1-800 number.

My plan:

1) Get the money.
2) Donate it to charity.
3) Write Mr. Boggs back, thank him ever so much for tipping us off and explaining that the [insert charitable org here*] was pleased to accept our donation, including the money he thought we'd give him as a finder's fee.

-Arrian

* - if possible, find out enough about Mr. Boggs to pick a charity he probably won't like much.

[OzzyKP]

Yea, it likely isn't a scam, he is just trying to make a buck by providing a service that people may or may not need.

In your case Arrian, it seems you actually DID need his service. Since you never would have known about that cash otherwise (or at least hadn't found it yet).

[Kuciwalker]

Yeah, there's no reason to be a dick to him. Even though he was acting out of self-interest, he did actually do you good.

[Lorizael]

Or you could give me the money. I'm really ****ing poor.

[KrazyHorse]

Yeah, there's no reason to be a dick to him. Even though he was acting out of self-interest, he did actually do you good.

Who's being a dick? Arrian should keep the money and send the guy a note saying that he's doing so.

[rah]

Hell, when I got the money, I'd send him a few bucks and thank him.

[KrazyHorse]

I don't see why you would do that.