Swiss booking....alarm bells are ringing

[Starchasers]

Hi all,

A few days ago a received what appeared to be a corporate enquiry through HR for three people to stay a week. Now our property caterers for 10-14 people. I quoted them our full whack price and they excepted....hmmmmmm

Today I received this.

Dear Mike,
>
> Thanks for your mail,we confirm receipt of your full info for the
> payment,sorry my husband travelled and will only be calling you
> when he is back,please note that we also run a factory here an
> while am there i dont always respond to phone calls because of
> noise from big factory machines,you can always get thru to me on
> phone in the night while am at home,should in-case.
>
> This moment we have just finished with this clients /sponsor
> company regarding the payment preparation,I am glad to tell you
> that we have concluded payment arrangements with them hence the
> booking of the apartment should be confirmed,Moreover, because of
> the distance we were able to make an arrangement with a pre-paid
> car hiring agent who will supply the guests with vehicles and other
> logistics that will be used by the guests and fro your place.
>
> This moment as the payment Cheque has been prepared together to
> cover both there logistics expenses over their stay there, however
> you will be recieving a cheque of 4,380£ that will cover the cost
> of their accomodation /deposit which is 2,000£ , while with your
> good office you send the balance of 2,380£ to transport logistic
> agent for them to arrange Car hiring/ flight ticket to your
> property and other logistics arrangment, it is our duty to do this
> but because me and my husband will be out on holidays for 3weeks
> from Wenesday 29th April,we/they have decided to trust it on you to
> help us disburse the excess to the logistics so as to enable them
> continue with there's,
>
> Kindly confirm this while i will be sending you the full info and
> address of the logistic agent ASAP:Please remember that the
> integrity of our agency is involved, so this business requires
> prompt response. I also hope that my clients stay will be
> comfortable in your apartment? I wait for your confirmation and
> have a wonderful day.
> Thanks for your understanding.
> Mrs Elizabeth Douglas(EUROAGENTS/CONSULTANTS)
> +41762523995,Tödistrasse 7, 8027 Zürich, Switzerland

Now, I feel a little naive here. Could this be money laundering?. Would you send a cheque for over double the amount of your holiday and ask holiday provider to forward remainder on?...

It seems highly suspicious and we have politely told them to poke it.

Any thoughts?

M

>

[Lesblancs]

Alas, classic scam tactics, if you look through other cases you will find many similar. You will do well to have no further contact with them - although it is a bit worrying that they moved to Suisse.

Bobby

[A-two]

Could this be money laundering?

No, it's not money laundering, it's fraud and you'll get more of these scams, they are very common and all give a reason why they need to overpay the rental fee. The idea is that you don't find out from your bank that their check/cheque is a fake until after you have paid their agent the difference with your real cash. You did the right thing not to accept. I actually baited one of these last year, agreed to all their terms and gave a genuine PO Box# to mail the check. Never arrived, so they weren't even very good at it....

Never accept any overpayment, it's always a scam 100% of the time. Genuine people just don't do that, ever.

[Pfrad]

yes, i received the exact same message...with mistakes related to description of my property and same lame excuse on why they send more money! they are definetely looking to have you send a check back before their fake one clears. Wow, people have no better way to earn their living? I reported them to Homeaway (which is how they found my website) and i will write a letter to the Swiss embassy to notifiy them...even though i suspect these people are not in Switzerland.

[The Stig]

Could this be money laundering?

No, it's not money laundering, it's fraud and you'll get more of these scams, they are very common and all give a reason why they need to overpay the rental fee. The idea is that you don't find out from your bank that their check/cheque is a fake until after you have paid their agent the difference with your real cash.

I don't doubt what you say is true, but surely, even if somebody was daft enough to fall for it, they would wait until the cheque had cleared before forwarding any money to another party?

[Big Sis..]

Heres a thread explaining how some of these scams work

viewtopic.php?t=6277

[la vache!]

I don't doubt what you say is true, but surely, even if somebody was daft enough to fall for it, they would wait until the cheque had cleared before forwarding any money to another party?

But people do fall for it, especially those new to renting. I posted on another thread in June about someone in Normandy who phoned me having seen a post I did on another scam thread. They lost 11k euros. I don't know if they ever got their money back.

[The Stig]

I always assumed that once a cheque had been cashed, i.e. the money in your bank, it was safe. Shows how wrong you can be

[Mountain Goat]

Not a chance this has anything to do with Switzerland, but after a bit of baiting, and making them do some work with faxing birth certificates and passport details, shop them into Yahoo (I assume)?

One interesting point for the connoisseur to savour is whether Nigerian keyboards have an umlaut.

MG

[greenbarn]

You might think the cheque's cleared, you might think the money that's now in your account is now most definitely yours...........

In true Blue Peter fashion, here's one I posted earlier (different thread). It's part of a section of FAQ's from the website of the British Bankers' Association. The killer is the use of payment by a cheque drawn on a foreign bank - note that there's mention of weeks for clearance.
Somewhere on the same site was information stating that a cheque drawn on a UK bank clears in a maximum of six days, after which the funds are safely yours. (All this assumes your own bank is UK as well, of course.)

If I receive a cheque drawn on a bank abroad, how can I exchange it?
Most banks will be able to present the cheque for payment on your behalf, but handling charges could be expensive as your bank will need to send the cheque to the bank abroad and claim payment on your behalf. Always ask your bank how much it will charge for this.

How quickly can I draw against a foreign cheque after paying it into my bank?
This depends on how the cheque is handled by the bank.

There are two methods which the bank can use to obtain payment on your behalf:

if the cheque is for a relatively small amount or if you have arranged a facility with your bank, it may be able to negotiate the cheque for you. This will be credited to your account immediately and you can draw against it straight away;

the bank will not however receive payment for this for perhaps two or three weeks and will probably charge interest for this period. If the cheque is returned unpaid your account will be debited and you will have to stand the loss;

alternatively, the bank may collect the cheque on your behalf. The cheque will be sent to the bank abroad for payment and your account will be credited with the sterling equivalent on the day the proceeds are received. It could be several weeks before payment for the cheque is received by your bank.
How much will it cost me to exchange a foreign cheque?
This will depend on the method used and the amount involved. It is not normally cost effective to exchange cheques for small amounts.

Surely if a cheque is drawn in sterling I can pay it into my bank in the normal way?
Only if it is drawn on a bank which is a member of the UK clearing system. If the cheque is drawn on a bank abroad, it will still have to be sent to that bank to receive payment for it.

If I have the choice, what is the best way of receiving funds from abroad?
Either by a sterling cheque drawn on a UK bank (this can then be paid into your account in the normal way) or by a sterling transfer direct to your account through your own bank. Some banks may make a small charge for this, but it will probably be cheaper than either a transfer received in foreign currency or a cheque drawn abroad.