Cashier’s Check Scam – Craigslist Scam

People sending fake cashier’s checks – Sachs Marketing Group on Click-N-Ship Labels

Hi.  I’m Eric Sachs – CEO @Sachs Marketing Group.  I wanted to write this post as a PSA to inform our audience about a cashier’s check scam that’s been happening recently.  Someone (or perhaps multiple people) are attempting to scam unsuspecting people by sending fake cashier’s checks in the mail and then somehow, hoping to profit by enticing the victim(s) to deposit the checks and send the bad guys money!  The reason I’m writing about it is because for some reason, this person (or persons) have decided to use our company name and address on the return address USPS label:

Fake USPS Shipping Label

Information About The Scam

Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve been contacted by four, separate victims who were nice enough to bring this to our attention.

One victim (we will call him Joe)  had attempted to sell an item on Letgo.  He was contacted by a person (the suspect) and they agreed on a sale price of approximately $300.  The suspect sent a fake cashier’s check to Joe for much more than the agreed upon sales price – $1,300.00.  The check was sent to Joe in a FedEx envelope and our company (Sachs Marketing Group) was listed on the USPS shipping label as the “sender.”

Another victim (let’s call her Janet) had answered a “Gigs Offered” ad on Craigslist.  The suspect agreed to “hire” Janet to do some research on the web in exchange for $250/week.  The suspect gave Janet a list of tasks – things like looking up information on farm animals, types of feed and anticipated yield of meat at slaughter.  After a week, the suspect sent Janet a cashier’s check for $1,300 – much more than their agreed upon $250 for the week.  Sachs Marketing Group was listed as the “sender” of the package and our name and address were printed on the USPS “Click-N-Ship” label.  Janet attempted to cash the check and was informed by the bank that it was a fake check.

In this most recent incident, we actually received another “Click-N-Ship” package at our office – “Return to Sender.”  The package contained another fake cashier’s check from CITI.  The amount on the check was $2,850.00.  I don’t know the back story for this check but it is clear that the delivery was refused by the intended recipient.  Sachs Marketing Group was listed as the return address.

 

Fake CITI Cashier's check

Using Sachs Marketing Group to add legitimacy

It seems as though someone (or several people) have decided to use our company name in an attempt to legitimize their scam.  Perhaps they feel if the checks are being sent from a well-established business, it will lend credibility in the eyes of the intended victims.  We have attempted to report each of these incidents to the authorities.  We contacted the US Postal Inspector as well as the Postmaster General.  We were told that the suspect(s) are printing fake USPS labels using photo editing software and because the tracking numbers are fake, there’s nothing they can do.

It is unfortunate that we live in a world where people attempt to take advantage of others in this way.

How You Can Help

If you or anyone you know has received a fake cashier’s check sent from Sachs Marketing Group, please use the comments section below to tell your story.  Please also share this post on your social media channels.  Help us to get the word out about this with the hopes that fewer people will fall victim to this scam.

Thank you.

 

14 thoughts on “Cashier’s Check Scam – Craigslist Scam”

  1. I just wanted post an update: Since this post went live, we’ve received two more “Click-N-Ship” envelopes that came to us “Return to Sender.” Both contained fake cashier’s checks (one from CITI and one from Capital One Bank).

    Please watch out for this scam!

    Reply
    • Im trying to sell an item on let go and just Had an issue. Someone Offering to pay me $50 more than The asking price of the item if would hold It. I pretty much knew it was a scam. So I told him sure. he said they would be sending me a cashiers check and wanted my address and name. So I told them OK. I Gave them the name and phone number to my local sheriffs department and the address to my local sheriffs department. Of course they never replied. However I did message him saying (ha ha ha)

      Reply
  2. I would like to say thank you for what you have done. I’m a beginner in marketing world and now I feel much more confident in ecommerce marketing

    Reply
  3. I have someone on Letgo now trying to get me to agree to send my information so he can send me an E-Check or a cahiers check. He is asking for an email address and my cell number. I have asked what bank will the check be issued from. He has not responded.

    Reply
    • Under no circumstances should you send him your information. It is most likely a scam. Never share your information with anyone you don’t know. Ask to deal with cash only when buying and selling items through apps like LetGo.

      Reply
      • Right now I have a check sent from someone through let go I had him send the check to a p.o box we closed right after. We figured it was a scam. I talked to the guy on the phone and nevwr gave him any personal information. We’re going to open a new bank account and not use our existing with our money in it to cash it. The check is real but I still have a feeling this guy is trying to scam us some how. The only reason im messaging you is because the senders address was james bowen companies but the guy said his name was ricky.

        Reply
        • Did the bank tell you the check is real? Also how much is it for? Just curiou . My experience with the scammer was craz . He ended up sending a 2nd check after I started ignoring his text messages and ended up texting me from 4 diff phone number . He was trying to buy an inversion table from me listed on Letgo for 200$, he offered another 50$ for me to hold it til the cashiers check got there and then when the check arrived it was for 1500$ he said someone in his office made a mistake and tried to get me to send the difference back after putting his check in an atm and getting credit for it. Lol yea let me get all over doing tha . People suck trying to take away money you’ve worked hard for and is marked to feed your family and children wit . Disgusting

          Reply
  4. I just had the same thing happen. They offered to send a cashier’s check for the purchase price + $50 to “hold the item” for him. I asked where he was located because he had a CA area code (I’m in NJ) and he said he was a “military man” so out of town. The other odd thing was that he originally responded in the LetGo app, but then asked me to text him directly to his phone. Seems like he didn’t want any conversation in the app. Shady from the start.

    Reply
  5. Thanks for the post. I just received the exact same package with a cashier check. It was returned to me because they used my address but not my name. Knew something was fishy about the package.

    Reply
  6. The same thing just happened to me. The thing that kept me from depositing that check was that I informed the guy that I don’t have a bank account because I don’t like banks.
    He stopped communicating with me after that.

    Reply
  7. This week our company has received 4 checks in the same manner, USPS 2-Day Priority Mail using our office as the return address. We don’t sell anything on Let Go, Craigslist, etc. We are a transport brokerage in Fl. The checks are made out to different people, from different companies, with nothing else in the envelope. “Approved Payment” is in the memo line. I called each company to advise them, except for the one company that doesn’t even exist. I don’t get how they are even getting through the mail with the fake labels. Its ridiculous.

    Reply
  8. I posted a ad for my business on Craigslist and was sent a yellow envelope with the Click-N-Ship. The cashier’s check is for $4,720 and I agreed upon $2,900 for my labor service to paint the house and they sent a extra $1,820 asking me to pay the movers. They gave me a address for the house to be painted here in my city, but the check is from Montana and the Click-N-Ship return address is for Oklahoma

    Reply

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