Beware scammers using money-transfer websites
Beware scammers using money-transfer websites
"The safe, fast way to send and receive money worldwide," declares the website of MoneyGram. This was soothing news for Tina Stallard and her husband, who were planning to buy a second-hand car advertised on the internet. The vendor agreed to travel to London from Italy provided Stallard could demonstrate that she had the necessary funds. "She suggested that I transfer £5,000 to my husband by MoneyGram which would mean that it was ready to be collected from a post office if we liked the car," says Stallard. "As MoneyGram assured me that the money would only be released to someone with the transaction code and ID in my husband's name, it seemed risk-free." Stallard emailed the vendor the MoneyGram receipt with half the code obscured, but the woman managed to decipher the missing digits and used false documents to collect the money. Stallard feels that MoneyGram could have done more to help her.
Sadly, she is the victim of a common scam. Usually the bait is an apartment to rent and prospective tenants are asked to send cash to someone they know to prove their ability to pay. MoneyGram's website specifically warns against this. "Legitimate business is not conducted in this way," it warns. "You will be told that by sending to a friend or relative, [the seller] won't be able to collect the funds, but with false ID, they will, and even if you specify a pick-up location they can collect anywhere in the world."
MoneyGram transfers are not traceable or accountable.....continued below
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- it is a system designed to facilitate transactions between trusted acquaintances without the involvement of unfamiliar third parties and it relies on individual post-office staff to check the ID of the recipient. Be wary of anyone, buyer or seller, who requests payment or proof of funds by MoneyGram, because anyone with information about the transaction can intercept the money.guardian.co.uk © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2008
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