Cycling UK Forum

I've just received something that appears very similar, following an advert on the Tandem Club website.
I originally thought it was genuine and gave my details to send a cheque to.
They now appear to want to send me a larger cheque and will arrange collection once I've probably given them my bank details.
Forewarned is forearmed as they say.
Incidentally, I have replied to them saying that I consider the transaction cancelled and that if I do receive a cheque I will simply destroy it.
I'll get a message to the Tandem Club website to warn others on there too.
Thanks Graham, and Dave.

I've read about this elsewhere, most commonly in over payment for deposits for flats and bedsits. The story goes that their company have already approved £x expenditure and they've got to spend it. Obviously it's always more than you're looking for so you agree to "cash" their cheque and when it's cleared give them the difference back, sometimes as a temptation they offer to split it with you. Apparently when a cheque clears on your account you're not always safe to draw against it and it isn't actually "guaranteed" for quite a while.
When they eventually bounce, weeks or months later the funds that never existed are simply taken from your account by your bank and then you're down as you've removed funds in cash to either "split the difference" or simply sell an item as well give the fraudster some cash in the form of the difference.

http://netcred.co.uk/security/overpayme ... -scam.html

Thanks for the warnings - looks like I've had the same person wanting to buy my bike. The email address was xavier_r@outlook.com

This was from a listing on cyclingweekly.co.uk and I was quite surprised at getting a reply within 12hrs of posting so clearly they are either watching certain sites or using bots.

I have just received another email from XAVIER RIVER wanting to purchase my bike. This time with a different email address; r_iver_xavier@yahoo.com
So that is in addition to xriver145@gmail.com.

No problem,
Just cash the cheque at a "cash converters" type place, that way if they try to put a stop on it later it's not your problem.

I did that three years ago when I sold a games console, I ended up with over £1,000 profit and the icing on the cake, the console was returned as there was no-one to sign for it at the given address.
I got a lot of threatening Emails for about three months, each time I stated that the cheque had been refused by the bank so if they would send another one then I could re-send the console.
Eventually I told them that the console had been sold! and to please not contact again or the police would be contacted for harassment.

Since then I've never had any-one try that again.

The main thing to remember is NEVER PUT THE CHEQUE IN YOUR BANK.

Just cash the cheque at a "cash converters" type place, that way if they try to put a stop on it later it's not your problem.

I can understand how you are cashing in the scammers cheque
However are you yourself then becoming a "thief" as you have cashed his cheque but not sent on the item you were selling
Now I know the scammers are thiefs but they also have legal protection and could report you as you have infact committed a crime against them
Are you relying on the fact that they will not contact the police as it will bring unwanted attention on them