May 24, 2013
Editor:
Dave Uphoff
Scammers have reportedly been active in the Minonk area the past few months. A Minonk resident had an experience with a scammer last week that typified the methods scammers use to con people out of their money.This person advertised his car for sale on a trading post and was contacted by a person who wanted to buy the car. They agreed upon a price and the buyer proceeded to send this person a check that was $10,000 more than the agreed selling price. Then the buyer called up the seller in Minonk and said there was an accounting mistake at this office. He told the Minonk seller to cash the check he received from him and then send him a check for $10,000 to cover the overpayment.
Obviously, the Minonk seller smelled a rat and took the check to the bank to see if it was good, and of course, it wasn't. However, a less astute person might have cashed the check and then proceed to send his own check for $10,000 to the buyer only to find later that the check he received from the seller bounced resulting in the seller losing his $10,000.
Other people in Minonk have not been so lucky. Local authorities said that one person in Minonk was scammed for $5000.
There are many things a person can do to keep from being scammed. If you receive a call from someone you do not know, do not give them personal information such as your social security number, or your bank routing number or bank account number, or credit card number.