MEMPHIS, TN - (WMC-TV) – Cammie Brown was trying to make a little extra money. She decided to sell Avon on the side as an independent sales rep. Less than two months in, she was targeted by scammers.
"There is a contact button and that is how she got in contact with me," Brown said.
The person ordered 175 dollars worth of merchandise, but when the check came, Cammie got much more.
"So I was thinking just a little bit of money here and there but when I received the check it was worth 2,250 dollars, red flag went off," Brown said.
Cammie was the target of a common overpayment check scam.
Crooks come up with a reason to pay you more than what you're requesting, then ask you to wire the extra cash back to them.
Cammie didn't fall for it.
"I guess sometimes you think things can't happen to you but when this did I wanted people to be aware that this is happening and they will give you a pity story so just be aware of situations that you can get yourself caught up in," she said.
She showed us several emails pressuring her to wire money, each one more desperate and urgent. The person never communicated through telephone, only online.
"If I get something on the internet I am definitely going to be more leary and more cautious about what I do," Brown said.
Cammie figured she wasn't the only person targeted. She contacted the company listed on the FedEx package. Her suspicions were correct.
The company says it had problems with crooks using its name in the past.
"They contacted FedEx and there were 14 cases not with this but the same situation," Brown said.
If you find yourself in a similar situation, remember, never accept a check for more than your selling price, and don't wire money to a buyer.
The FTC offers safety tips and details on how to report check overpayment scams.
Safety tips: http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2004/12/checkoverpayment.shtm
To file a complaint: https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/
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