Cashiers Check

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Anonymous

I had someone interested in buying a bull and they agreed on a price. They then in turn sent me a cashiers check for the bull plus shipping. This person asked me to wire the shipping money to a hauler I was unfamiliar with. I thought the purpose of a cashiers check was that it was garaunteed good...guess what it was conterfiet and the bank didn't catch it so now I am out the money that I wired. I have since notified the local law enforcement and contacted the FBI. Luckily I still have the bull. So my advice to everyone out there don't draw money off a check (even a cashiers check)until the bank says it has cleared.



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Good for you to notify the authorities and FBI !!!

This may have been a component of the Nigerian scams. Money should never be sent to a 3rd party. And, true, from unknown "purchasers" always good idea to wait till any check clears.

Also another warning: If you or anyone has an E-Commerce component on your website (as we do), DO NOT accept a credit card from an UNKNOWN buyer--with credit cards, they can always complain and have the charge reversed!

As a sidebar--- we have had several inquiries over the past year from "unknown" as well as supposedly foreign "buyers". All of these have been screened thoroughly and in ALL CASES, we have told them "NO DEAL" because their responses did not add up 100% valid. Finally, anyone who is in a foreign country--well, WHY would they want to purchase an animal from another country anyway??? Obviously, a scam.

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> Good for you to notify the
> authorities and FBI !!!

> This may have been a component of
> the Nigerian scams. Money should
> never be sent to a 3rd party. And,
> true, from unknown
> "purchasers" always good
> idea to wait till any check
> clears.

> Also another warning: If you or
> anyone has an E-Commerce component
> on your website (as we do), DO NOT
> accept a credit card from an
> UNKNOWN buyer--with credit cards,
> they can always complain and have
> the charge reversed!

> As a sidebar--- we have had
> several inquiries over the past
> year from "unknown" as
> well as supposedly foreign
> "buyers". All of these
> have been screened thoroughly and
> in ALL CASES, we have told them
> "NO DEAL" because their
> responses did not add up 100%
> valid. Finally, anyone who is in a
> foreign country--well, WHY would
> they want to purchase an animal
> from another country anyway???
> Obviously, a scam.

We have an ad on this site for our Simmy bull - got an email from Amsterdam, Holland yesterday. Knew it couldn't be legit, but was a great conversation piece at the office!!!!!



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I listed a Holstein/Jersey cross cow last spring on this site and got a reply offering more than I was asking, if I would help them collect an unpaid dept by accepting a cashier's check for way more than the amount and putting the extra into a US Postal Money Order. It just sounded too fishy too me -- people don't offer more than what you're asking.

Ann B

> We have an ad on this site for our
> Simmy bull - got an email from
> Amsterdam, Holland yesterday. Knew
> it couldn't be legit, but was a
> great conversation piece at the
> office!!!!!



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True Again! There is a HUGE network and variations of that network among the Nigerian scam artists. I get 1 or 2 email daily that I can't delete fast enough...lol. Some of these scams are re-routed through "legitimate" countries and/or through "legitimate sounding" 3rd parties or business entities. [It is prudent for the "normal" person to be a touch paranoid in business.]

There is no reasonable reason WHY a person in a foreign country would want to purchase livestock or semen from "across the ocean" in another country, UNLESS that item was extremely valuable or pricey and could not be found in their country! This is especially true when one considers the complicated and costly process and problems involved of US Customs, transoceanic shipping, various quarantines, government paperwork, insurance, etc. Now, if we all even bothered to reply to some of these seemingly outlandish purchase requests with the following questions, then I am sure we could defuse those people quickly. Some Question to ask them (among others):

1. Why are you wanting to purchase from us? 2. Don't they have any cow, calf, horse, etc., of "our" quality (or breed) in YOUR country? 3. If you are serious about purchasing, I'll give you the name (in USA) of MY attorney that you can send your money too. Once your funds are verified in our possession, we will go from there. 4. We don't pay you (or your agent) any money--YOU'RE buying from US, not vice versa. 5. Our "best" price is the price we have listed to our domestic customers in US Funds. 6. We don't sell "some" of our livestock--we sell specific animals for a specific price. 7. It is not our problem that your shipper or hauler or other 3rd party is "short on cash"--no rebates, advances, etc. on any deals. 8. WHY are you offering to pay us more than we are asking for the item? 9. Finally, we don't advance or pay any of OUR money to validate, "show good faith, etc." to consumate a deal.

Here are relevant highlights of Running Arrow Farm's "international policy":

1. We only sell domestic within the continental USA (you pick up or we'll transport). 2. Credit cards are accepted only from "approved" purchasers or customers. 3. From "approved" new customers, a valid USA Bank cashier's check is required for final pick-up of your stock. [We accept their business check from people we know].

FINAL CAVEAT: "Everyone on a computer/internet has a DELETE button...lol...use it wisely!"



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> There is no reasonable reason WHY
> a person in a foreign country
> would want to purchase livestock
> or semen from "across the
> ocean" in another country,
> UNLESS that item was extremely
> valuable or pricey and could not
> be found in their country.....

Well, as to the legit buyers that's exactly the reason! I agree that perhaps even extreme caution is advisable when dealing with foreign buyers, internet sales, etc. --- but, for example, there are some big time ranches here in south Texas that sell a helluva lot of bulls and semen to foreign buyers from Mexico, central and south America. Similarly, there were obviously valid reasons why years ago Americans sought to import french Charolais, Fleckvieh Simmentals, etc., etc.
 
Agree with you too! Yes, YEARS ago, when a person's word was their bond and there was no internet scams, etc., the importation of foreign animals to create a new domestic market was legit and the basis for the foundation stock in the USA--even Longhorns were imported by Christopher Columbus!

And, selling across to Canada or Mexico is not "interoceanic" and relatively easy(?) to truck one/some across country lines.

Agree, there are a number of LARGE commercial operations and others that do in fact successfully buy/sell to Mexico and Canada on a regular basis.

The point of my earlier post was "Caveat Emptor" and know who you are dealing with. Selling across adjoining country lines is one thing...dealing with someone across the Atlantic or Pacific ocean is another. A truckload or a carload sale could be much more cost-effective than someone wanting to buy one or some in Australia, China, Africa, or another faraway place.

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A good example of why you need to know who you're dealing with in overseas deals is from just a couple of years ago. There is a new breed of rabbit, the Lionhead. Small little rabbit with slick fur over the body and a profuse mane of wool, reminiscent of an African lion. Really cute little things. Anyway, the maned mutation was first noticed in Belgium and imports were made to England. Then US breeders heard about them and had to have them (yes, I have some too). Dozens of animals were imported from England by a gentleman in Texas at exorbitant prices, sight unseen, only contact was over the Internet, and practically all of that first shipment eventually went into the stewpot! Practically every animal was a cull -- color culls wouldn't have been a problem, you can work with color. But these animals had severe genetic problems like bad teeth, cow hocks, and pinched pelvis. This gentleman has since traveled to England, met with more reputable breeders, and imported some really gorgeous, high quality animals, and for much less than he paid for the culls.

Ann B

> Agree with you too! Yes, YEARS
> ago, when a person's word was
> their bond and there was no
> internet scams, etc., the
> importation of foreign animals to
> create a new domestic market was
> legit and the basis for the
> foundation stock in the USA--even
> Longhorns were imported by
> Christopher Columbus!

> And, selling across to Canada or
> Mexico is not
> "interoceanic" and
> relatively easy(?) to truck
> one/some across country lines.

> Agree, there are a number of LARGE
> commercial operations and others
> that do in fact successfully
> buy/sell to Mexico and Canada on a
> regular basis.

> The point of my earlier post was
> "Caveat Emptor" and know
> who you are dealing with. Selling
> across adjoining country lines is
> one thing...dealing with someone
> across the Atlantic or Pacific
> ocean is another. A truckload or a
> carload sale could be much more
> cost-effective than someone
> wanting to buy one or some in
> Australia, China, Africa, or
> another faraway place.



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Sorry about your loss. I am in the banking industry and see this kind of stuff, unfortunately, often. With todays copiers and computers, to spot a fake is out. You can call the bank and verify the cashier check, not verify funds, but verify the cashiers check is legite and the amout is, indeed, what the check was bought for, and the payee is the same-- basically, make sure no alterations have been made. Be careful on any check, especially this time of year, this is when they come out in herds.

> A good example of why you need to
> know who you're dealing with in
> overseas deals is from just a
> couple of years ago. There is a
> new breed of rabbit, the Lionhead.
> Small little rabbit with slick fur
> over the body and a profuse mane
> of wool, reminiscent of an African
> lion. Really cute little things.
> Anyway, the maned mutation was
> first noticed in Belgium and
> imports were made to England. Then
> US breeders heard about them and
> had to have them (yes, I have some
> too). Dozens of animals were
> imported from England by a
> gentleman in Texas at exorbitant
> prices, sight unseen, only contact
> was over the Internet, and
> practically all of that first
> shipment eventually went into the
> stewpot! Practically every animal
> was a cull -- color culls wouldn't
> have been a problem, you can work
> with color. But these animals had
> severe genetic problems like bad
> teeth, cow hocks, and pinched
> pelvis. This gentleman has since
> traveled to England, met with more
> reputable breeders, and imported
> some really gorgeous, high quality
> animals, and for much less than he
> paid for the culls.

> Ann B



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