How does this check scam work?
 

I sold a pistol on Gunbroker a few weeks ago. Buyer sent me his FFL info and said he'd mail me a cashier's check on Monday. No check arrived for a few days. He then emailed, said he'd been called out of town on business, was going to the bank and would FedEx me the check. I was in no rush, just keeping up the contact.

Sure enough, TD Bank check arrives via FedEx two days later, I do a mobile deposit, it clears right away and I ship the gun. I emailed a few days after I get notice that the gun got delivered. Buyer says he's been busy, but will get it soon and leave me good feedback.

Yesterday I get an email that a package from the buyer is getting delivered tomorrow. I forward to buyer and ask what's going on. This is his reply:

"Yes, weird, of course I been juggling way to much lately and could of been me, I got to stop drinking the water,lol
Well if I did I apologize, I do recall telling them to ship the second day, not next day, and using my business account the price drops 50% .,

I will look for the receipt and see what it says, I paid more then a stamp to be faster but shipped it slower then a stamp, , whats wrong with that picture, lol,

Thank you for your patience, "

Today another check arrives for the same amount, looked identical to the other one except for the date and check number, signature is a tiny bit different. I called my bank, they said the first check is cleared and cannot be clawed back.

What to do next?

Send it back to him. He must have paid you a second time, perhaps confusing you with another purchase he may have made. You got paid, he got his gun. Deal done.

I'm certainly not going to deposit it, but am wondering WTF this is or how it could come back to bite me. I can see writing the same check twice from a personal checkbook if he forgot to enter the first one. But a cashier's check sent via FedEx takes some effort and costs money right away.

Actually, I'm not sure he got the gun. I'm calling that FFL in a min. to see if he picked it up.

Ok, here's a strange twist. Just called the FFL. The lady said their transfer person has already left for the day. I asked her if she knew the buyer. She said, "Yeah, he's here now having lunch in the back. He usually waits until all his guns are in and then picks them up at once. He buys 10-20 at a time." She's going to speak with him and then call me back. Wow.

I have sold and bought guns using Gunbroker and my late mentor said ALWAYS call and talk with the buyer/seller and if needed their FFL and check to make sure the FFL holder is real! Haven't bought/sold any in years but that always worked very well.
John

Oh, I knew the FFL was for real. It's a big retail shop and range in FL, I have a hard copy of their FFL and they're listed in the GB and ShipMyGun databases. No worries there at all.

Dude has more money than he has cents .... sounds like he just paid you twice imo. Just send the 2nd check back to him .....

Reading that nonsensical sentence tells me the buyer should stop drinking something. I have no idea what he is saying.

Keep the check until he asks for it.

Yep, that's exactly it. He double paid because he's distracted and not organized.

Buyer just emailed me that he had 13 items waiting for pickup and three of the sellers had the same first name as mine. I'm mailing the check back tomorrow.

There's a guy who needs to get his own FFL.

Unless he's the world's busiest straw buyer......

I don't think he's a flipper and you can't really get an FFL anymore just for the purpose of buying for yourself and saving on the transfer and shipping hassles. Some people just have huge collections.

I was at Scottsdale Gun Club once when a widow's deceased husband's collection came rolling in on carts, being unloaded from a moving truck. This guy had a real transferrable Ma Deuce with 50k rounds of ammo, WWII and Korean War era rifles from every manufacturer, just unreal. The conference room table was piled up with guns and that was just what they could fit in that load. There's a lot of stuff out there.

I would shred the check. I you must send it back, void out the check before you send it back. If someone else cashes it, he may think he paid you twice.

MAke sure the original check has cleared for at LEAST 7 days.

Well forged checks sometimes take a while.

I can't fathom a second check being a scam - unless somehow hes using it to launder some other purchase?

^^^^ This! Unless a cashier's check is from a major bank, and you can cash it at one of THEIR branches, and confirm it's legit before you proceed. I'm not sure if 7 days is long enough if you are talking big $$$ either.

It's from TD Bank, but we don't have any TD branches in AZ. Check cleared on 03/11. My bank assures me it cannot be clawed back without some proof of fraud.

If it's for 1K and is found to be a fake, your bank "might" eat the loss ... if it's for 100K .... I doubt they will ;). They are not obligated to do either one.

I do wire transfers for larger amounts fwiw .... no way would I release my 911 purchased by a cashier's check without waiting to make sure.

It was for $1296.00.

We've both pi$$ed away more without blinking ;).

I wouldn't actually believe what "your bank" person told you .... even if they were the branch manager. Sounds like they don't have a clue....

SOMEBODY will eat the loss on a fradulent check drawn on TD Bank .... it won't be them. That leaves either your bank or you....