Interview with a scam victim.

"In 2009, the IC3 received more than 335,000 complaints of Internet fraud, averaging over 28,000 complaints per month.  The total amount of money lost by those who reported fraud to the IC3 in 2009 was a record-setting $559.7 million.  The mean loss reported in 2009 was more $5,500, while the median loss was $575; the vast difference between the two numbers is explained by a small number of frauds that cost victims hundreds of thousands of dollars.  The largest number of losses in 2009 - 36.7% - fell within the $100 to $999 range, followed closely by losses in the $1,000 to $4,999 range, coming in at 28.3%."

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The following is an actual interview i had with a real person that was the victim of a craigslist scam. Names and money amounts have been left out for privacy.
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Me: So, briefly describe what the ad said.

Victim: It's just your basic story really, they wanted someone to transfer money for them to different companies. In exchange, I was sent extra money I could keep for myself.

Me: What made you want to answer the ad?

Victim: I was between jobs and having no money or a job was stressful and put a lot of strain on my relationship. I thought my fiance was going to leave me.

Me: Did you at any point wonder why they wanted to pay someone to do it instead of saving the money and doing it themselves?

Victim: I was desperate, mostly I was hoping for something easy I could do from home to help us make money fast.

Me: So after you responded to the ad, what happened?

Victim: They sent me a money order, I put it in the ATM, then made some purchases with  the money intended for me. I then realized the money wasn't  posting to my account and told the bank that I thought it might be fraud. I wanted to wait for it to clear but I ended up needing the money. When I tried to contact the guy, I got no response.

Me: What happened when the money order was found to be a fake?

Victim: My bank account went overdrawn and I had to find a way to pay back the money I spent.

Me: How did you feel after you realized you were scammed?

Victim: I felt stupid and really naive, like I should have known better for trying.

Me: What would you say to someone that was considering answering an ad like that?

Victim: No matter how desperate you get please know that it doesn't work, doesn't pay off, and will cost you more. They make money orders look real but they are just fakes. If you do try to deposit one that might be fake take it into the bank and ask them if it is a fake. If it is they will report it for you and you will have helped to get the scam erased.

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I want to personally thank this victim for wanting to share what they went through in that hopes of helping people understand there is no easy money. Have your own story to share? Mail it to weakscamattempts@gmail.com