Internet scams come in many forms, victim warns
By Eloise Aguiar
Advertiser Windward O'ahu Writer
KAILUA — Before Tony Schaeffer could warn others about an e-mail scam that victimized him, six other Kailua residents were swindled in the past week.
Tips for online sellers and others to avoid being a victim of a scam: • Wait until a check — even a cashier's check —Êclears the bank and the money is deposited in your account before sending any "refunds." This may take several days or more. • If a buyer says they "wired" money to your account, it might actually be a phony cashier's check that will bounce a week or so later. Make sure any payment clears the originating bank, and instruct your bank to not accept any check deposits not made by you. • Get the buyer's full name, address and phone number.Ê Call them at that number. Verify it on phone-number lookup Web sites. • Resources: Scam Busters American Bar Association guide to safe shopping Federal Trade Commission guide to e-commerce
Schaeffer, 65, of Maunawili, went public with his story in a press conference at the Kailua police station yesterday to warn others about a crime that evolves as scammers find new ways to separate the unsuspecting from their money.
Protect yourself from scams
Computer crime is one of the most difficult to investigate and to stop, making vigilance important, said acting police Lt. John McCarthy, with the Honolulu Police Department's Kailua station.
Today, scams come in the form of sweepstakes, requests to move large amounts of money through a person's bank account and in business transactions, such as Schaeffer's case, McCarthy said.
Police investigate, but more often than not, they can't do much because problems arise over jurisdiction, especially when the criminal is in another country or state, and inability to track criminals who use e-mail and wire service to transfer money, McCarthy said.
"That's the sad part; they have total control," he said. "There's nothing we (as ordinary citizens) can do other than not get involved."
McCarthy said he has seen no increase in such crimes islandwide, but Deputy Attorney General Kristin Izumi-Nitao said crimes involving computers are on the rise.
"I get at least 20 complaints a week," said Izumi-Nitao, project director for a unit in the attorney general's office that deals with computer-related crime.
Schaeffer said he has "been around the block" but was still bilked of $2,550 when he tried to supplement his income.
Schaeffer was running low on cash, having taken off from work for several months to be with his wife, who is recuperating from heart surgery. He has a collection of musical instruments and decided to sell a few on the Internet to tide him over until he returned to his job next month.
But instead of getting the $3,650 he sought for his 'ukulele, he got taken.
"I'm pretty embarrassed," Schaeffer said at the Kailua police station. "I've been through just about every mess you can get into. You would think, after so long, I would be smart enough not to let something like this happen to me."
He had posted his offering on the Internet and the response came via e-mail, from a person who said he was from Nigeria.
Schaeffer agreed to sell the man four older-model Martin 'ukulele for $3,650. The man sent a $4,000 cashier's check but then e-mailed Schaeffer to say he had decided to purchase only two 'ukulele for a total of $1,450.
He asked Schaeffer to return the difference through a wire transfer and told him that someone would pick up the 'ukulele.
Leery of a possible scam, Schaeffer said he had his bank verify the cashier's check and when it did, he wired the $2,550 to the person. Four days later, the bank notified him that the cashier's check had bounced, he said.
"If you can't trust a cashier's check that's OK'd by the bank, where you at?" Schaeffer asked. "You're in trouble. So people just gotta beware."
The check was drawn on a Florida bank, looked legitimate and even had legitimate routing numbers, McCarthy said.
He also noted the case of a woman who went to police after learning she had won a sweepstakes and was asked to send money before she could collect her prize. Police tried to track the e-mails, but they were coming from all over the United States, he said.
Izumi-Nitao, of the attorney general's office, said most of the complaints she receives are "eBay cases where you buy something and don't get it." The complaints range from cases involving $15 to more than $5,000, with most around $100, she said.
With only two deputies, three investigators and two forensic examiners who handle everything from computer scams to sexual predators, Izumi-Nitao said not all cases are pursued but all cases should be reported.
Reach Eloise Aguiar at eaguiar@honoluluadvertiser.com or 234-5266.
