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Omaha police say online scams are on the increase

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By The Associated Press

Thursday, Aug 21, 2008 - 08:02:04 am CDT

OMAHA — Omaha police say they’re seeing an increase in online scams that in some cases cost people thousands of dollars.

Police are asking people to use common sense and not to fall for something that sounds too good to be true.

Some scams target Web sites like Craigslist and eBay. Those behind the scams offer to pay the seller more than requested for an item. They ask the seller to keep some of it and wire most of the extra cash back. The problem is the check or money order sent to the seller is fake.

Scams also are targeting online job search sites including Monster.com.

Police warn such crimes are hard to investigate and sometimes they can do little or nothing for the victim.


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Lazy AG wrote on August 21, 2008 8:49 am:
" Hey, Bruning get those people a fraud calendar! If the AG would do his job for a change and pursue these people as aggressively as he does headlines these crimes would be on the decrease. "

Eric wrote on August 21, 2008 10:05 am:
" It is amazing how many people fall for these scams. Myself, I love to string the scammers along. Gives me a warm fuzzy feeling. "

Not the AG wrote on August 21, 2008 10:31 am:
" Bruning has no authority over these cases. Most of these people are in another country, you want Jon to go to Camroon because some Nebraskan wanted to make a quick buck? Like the article says, people think they are getting paid more than they are asking. People are Greedy. Then, the check sent to them bounces and they are stuck with the bill. I had somone try to pay me $1000 for a $20 bird. If I was greedy, I would have gotten scammed, but I used common sense. If people would use common sense, they would not be in the mess.
As for Bruning getting headlines, that is up to the JS, Bruning is just doing his job and the media let the people know what is being done. The last article about him was to show how he really is doing - busted the gasoline fraud people. If the JS would not have published it, everyone would complain the he does nothing.
If you think he is doing such a bad job, why don't you try doing it - Because you ARE NOT QUALIFIED and would really jack things up. "

to Lazy wrote on August 21, 2008 10:43 am:
" Although I'm no fan of Bruning (far from it) -- most of these scammers are from foreign countries -- looks like the feds should be the ones doing more. Sadly, there are a lot of stupid, gullible people out there. "

rich wrote on August 21, 2008 6:44 pm:
" common sense tells you to wait until the check clears before doing anything, whether its sending the item or the "extra" money. "

Patricia wrote on August 22, 2008 11:45 am:
" I answered an e-mail to be a "Mystery Shopper". I was to go to a certain company and relate back to them from the list of questions that I was to ask this company.

A few days later, I received a certified envelope with 6 money orders written out to me, each for $660.00, totaling $3960.00. I was to cash all of these, take $475.00 cash for myself and send the rest to the name listed on my instructions sheet.

I read the back of the money orders, and it stated that I was to see a certain object on the front if I held them up to the light, I couldn't see this so I took them to the post office and they told me that they were not valid.

If I would have cashed them first and sent the money like I was instructed,I would be out $3960.00 because there was no way to trace the person that I would have sent the remaining cash too.

I was glad to know that I checked this out before I went any farther. "

ocd wrote on August 22, 2008 2:54 pm:
" If something seems to good too be true, remember fool me once, fool me twice, wont be foold agian. "

troy wrote on August 22, 2008 4:17 pm:
" Stay away from adult sites, period. You know who you are!!! "