A Stranger Wants to Give Me Money -
Could This Be an Incoming Transfer Scam?
A number of indicators can identify an internet scam. The most powerful is a request (or even a demand) to send money to someone under dubious circumstances. But what if you were given a large sum of money instead of giving your money away? That sounds fantastic. What's the catch, exactly? The problem is that you will not receive the funds. I'm going to tell you a personal story about how I was duped. I had a personal website when I first started out as a freelance designer. It didn't get much use, but I didn't want to close it because having a personal domain name has significant advantages.
For a long time, the site hadn't brought in any new clients, then one day, I got a message that said, "Hey there, this is Rebecca." "Do you do logo design?" I inquire. We swapped a few emails, but nothing particularly lengthy. Rebecca, it appeared, had started a new business. The website was still being built, and a "consultant was handling the logo and brochure contents." Mr. Andy is his name.
On the other hand, Rebecca was so ready to get started that she accepted Andy's initial suggestion and gave the go-ahead without hesitation. The only minor stumbling block was Rebecca's requirement for materials from that consultant - and Rebecca owed Mr. Andy money. It wasn't a large sum, just over a thousand dollars, and Rebecca was happy paying it, but the transfer was being held up due to "technical difficulties."
On the other hand, Rebecca suggested she could send it to me. It would be really beneficial to get the project back on track. Is that all right? She would pay Mr. Andy the cost of the job as well as the debt, plus a little extra for my effort. Andy would then send Mr. Andy the money owing to him, and everyone would live happily ever after.
Who could refuse such a tempting offer?
Incoming Transfer Scam: How it Works
The offer, as enticing as it may appear, is suspect. For at least a few years, this type of con has been going around. After I consented to the suggestion, the following happened:
- Rebecca transferred $5,000 to my account, including $3,000 for my fee, $1,500 for Mr. Andy's debt, and $500 for the "inconvenience."
- I then transferred $1,500 from my account to Mr. Andy's, as arranged.
- The card used to conduct the original transfer was detected as stolen a few days or weeks later. My fee and the extra money were both lost when the bank reversed the transaction. The transfer to Mr. Andy, on the other hand, cannot be canceled. That operation, ironically, was lawful.
I contacted fundstrace after the scam and submitted the legal documents. I was able to retrieve the money I had lost thanks to their team and experience. Needless to say, the deal sounded too good to be true, so keep this story in mind if you ever come across one.
What Should You Do if You Have Already Received the Transfer?
In the vast majority of circumstances, the easiest and most successful response is to do nothing at all. In this rare instance, inaction is preferable to action. Block questionable "customers" and advise erroneous transfer senders to contact their bank. Also, if possible, phone your bank to explain the problem. Please don't spend the unexpected cash, either; the sender may try to recover it through a bank or a court.
For additional insights on this matter, I would recommend that you speak to the fundstrace professionals. They are a team of expert recovery agents who deal primarily in scam recovery. They are in the field and always know about current on goings so I am sure they can help you out with what to do.