I received an e-mail from a man in Europe that owns a jewelry business there. He also has one here in the US. He wants to find someone that would help him supply his customers and collect checks and money orders, have me cash them in my name and wire him the money. Is this legal?

THIS IS A SCAM.

It is one of the oldest internet scams out there.

If he wants to do this, he contacts a COMPANY to handle this, NOT some random person.

Look, use some common sense, first how did he contact you, from a resume you have posted ? Or a spam email ?

Next if he has a business in the US why does he need someone to collect checks for him ?

He can merely receive these checks or money orders in his US store or even in his europe store, banks there accept US checks, no problem.

Next how much commission was he going to offer, there are collection firms that do billing and collection for firms, these are bonded and insured companies, they do it for 1 to 3 percent.

So they are what going to offer you 10 percent ?

What happens, they send you forged or bad checks, they take about because they are made on overseas banks often take a couple week to really clear, so you deposit the checks, and send them the money by wire ( which can be collected anywhere like africa or some island)

Now when the checks bounce, guess what you end up oweing the bank all that money back, and if you don't pay it back, they have you arrested for fraud.

This is an old, old scam I can't believe anyone can even believe this.
Why would someone offer you this, by email , someone you don't even know

Hello:

Like the Padre said, this is an OLD scam. It's been around for YEARS. There's been countless television news stories about this scam. COUNTLESS! How anybody could NOT know about it today, blows my mind.

Of course, why you believe it, is because he offered to let you keep a lot of the money - even though it makes no sense at all for him to need you to do this. But, he offered a LOT of money, which of course, should have sent up RED FLAGS.

The only way victims can be scammed is because the scammers count on their victim's greed.

excon

One of my friends nearly got caught up in something like this a couple of years ago. She was to take the "orders" and transfer the funds to a Nigerian bank. There too, was the promise of something like $600.00 a week - tax free of course, no questions asked. Her contact was a supposed bookseller from Australia. Thankfully she called the Attorney General's office about it and was referred to the fraud department. They took the information down.

No one ever just gives ludicrious sums of money away for doing practically nothing. If it looks too good to be true, it is too good to be true.

I posted a ad on craig's list. I got 3 more of the same thing last night.
I figured it out after I had done some research. Thanks you all for the information
I deleted all the emails and then forwarded them to the internet spam web site for the government.
Thanks again

I got fooled by somebody who offered me 10% if I can cash the check his "custoemer" in the US sent to me. And I was so stupid to have provided him my address and even though soon after that I emailed him telling him that I would not handle money for him , he still told me that a check will be delivered to me in a day or two. I send another email to him that I will return it to the sender or will NOT cash it. But he did not respond to me. What should I do now just in case the check will be sent to me??

Return it. Or hand it over to the police

Thanks. Am I in danger now that that man got my address already if I don't cooperate?

I'd give it to the police, let them track down whoever is trying to launder money in the US if they want to

Chances are you were one of hundreds of people he is trying to scam. Scam artists are too busy trying to reach more people and don't come after you. Most of these scams initiate over seas.