[Oblivion]

Alright, kiddies, y'all may want a bottle of some type of hard liquor before you proceed any further. The story I'm about to tell you actually occurred, and as retarded, or skull splittingly idiotic as any of it may sound, be aware that all of this is (sadly) 100% true.


Okay, so I have a little brother, who is currently 21. He's been living with my dad, and my mom's been living with me. So he stops by yesterday planning on staying for the weekend. My mom, being the type of person she is, immediately starts snooping in his bag and finds two checks written out to my brother. My mom asks him who they're from. Here's where the fun begins.

You know those various craigslist postings where some random guy tells you to that he'll send a check that you can cash, where you can keep some money while sending back the rest? Yeah...

So he goes ahead, cashes this particular check, which was for $2,600, keeps $400 and sends the rest back. He gets a call from the bank letting him know that it was a fraudulent transaction, and they tell him to inform the police. Apparently they can't reclaim the rest of the money cause it went overseas, and now he's on the hook for $2,200.

Now, one would think that this would be an unfortunate lesson that one would wisely learn from, and never deal with such people again. YOU'D THINK THAT, WOULDN'T YOU.

My genius bro, it turns out, has been STILL getting checks, from these same people (these were the checks my mom found in his bag). Now, here's how that portion of the conversation went.

Me: So what the hell are these checks?
Him: Oh, they're new ones.
Me: What?! You're still trying again with this shit?
Him: No, of course not.
Me: Then why did you sign them both?
Him: I wasn't planning on cashing them.
Me: Still doesn't explain why you signe...
Him: Besides, they already turned me down.
Me: So you DID try once again!
Him: Well, yeah but only cause I knew they would turn me down.
Me:...okay. I'm curious when did you cash the first check?
Him: Some time early February.
Me: When did you try to cash these new checks?
Him: Like 3 weeks ago.
Me: *head asplodes*

Yes, that's right. After getting fucked over by these people, he thought it would be a great idea to try AGAIN, just a few short WEEKS after the first incident happened. And I didn't include this wonderful nugget:

Me: Okay, assuming that you lucked out, what the hell were you planning on doing with your new found monies?
Him: I was gonna pay back the money I owed from the first time.
Me: Well, then.


So...after all that, I tried to do my best to point out that he's a fucking idiot and that he's playing an EXTREMELY dangerous game here. Unfortunately, when reason and common sense didn't seem to have any effect, one has to resort to fear, and I simply asked him if this shit was worth going to butt pounding prison. The penalties here in California range from 1-3 years in the State pen. He said that he's not worried because (again, NOT making this shit up!) he feels that his fellow prisoners will leave him alone cause he's skinny and doesn't know how to fight.


....


Fuck. my. life. Who knows what other shady things this twit has been doing without any of us knowing. He is in for an extremely painful future. :/

[Bamelin]

=(




I guess we have a 2012 contender now ...

[MrOogieBoogie]

Your brother's stupidity + your pain and anguish = lulz for me.

[Snaku]

Wow.

[Mike Works]

So there's this guy called Darwin

[GK86]

I need to send him some checks. This time it will work.

[SouthernDragon]

He is pretty stupid.

[GrizzNKev]

Hey, I don't like my brother either. I think he's pretty dumb.

[Staccat0]

This should cheer you up
http://kasperhauser.com/scammer-letters

[mysticwhip]

Alright, kiddies, y'all may want a bottle of some type of hard liquor before you proceed any further. The story I'm about to tell you actually occurred, and as retarded, or skull splittingly idiotic as any of it may sound, be aware that all of this is (sadly) 100% true. Okay, so I have a little brother, who is currently 21. He's been living with my dad, and my mom's been living with me. So he stops by yesterday planning on staying for the weekend. My mom, being the type of person she is, immediately starts snooping in his bag and finds two checks written out to my brother. My mom asks him who they're from. Here's where the fun begins. You know those various craigslist postings where some random guy tells you to that he'll send a check that you can cash, where you can keep some money while sending back the rest? Yeah... So he goes ahead, cashes this particular check, which was for $2,600, keeps $400 and sends the rest back. He gets a call from the bank letting him know that it was a fraudulent transaction, and they tell him to inform the police. Apparently they can't reclaim the rest of the money cause it went overseas, and now he's on the hook for $2,200. Now, one would think that this would be an unfortunate lesson that one would wisely learn from, and never deal with such people again. YOU'D THINK THAT, WOULDN'T YOU. My genius bro, it turns out, has been STILL getting checks, from these same people (these were the checks my mom found in his bag). Now, here's how that portion of the conversation went. Me: So what the hell are these checks? Him: Oh, they're new ones. Me: What?! You're still trying again with this shit? Him: No, of course not. Me: Then why did you sign them both? Him: I wasn't planning on cashing them. Me: Still doesn't explain why you signe... Him: Besides, they already turned me down. Me: So you DID try once again! Him: Well, yeah but only cause I knew they would turn me down. Me:...okay. I'm curious when did you cash the first check? Him: Some time early February. Me: When did you try to cash these new checks? Him: Like 3 weeks ago. Me: *head asplodes* Yes, that's right. After getting fucked over by these people, he thought it would be a great idea to try AGAIN, just a few short WEEKS after the first incident happened. And I didn't include this wonderful nugget: Me: Okay, assuming that you lucked out, what the hell were you planning on doing with your new found monies? Him: I was gonna pay back the money I owed from the first time. Me: Well, then. So...after all that, I tried to do my best to point out that he's a fucking idiot and that he's playing an EXTREMELY dangerous game here. Unfortunately, when reason and common sense didn't seem to have any effect, one has to resort to fear, and I simply asked him if this shit was worth going to butt pounding prison. The penalties here in California range from 1-3 years in the State pen. He said that he's not worried because (again, NOT making this shit up!) he feels that his fellow prisoners will leave him alone cause he's skinny and doesn't know how to fight. .... Fuck. my. life. Who knows what other shady things this twit has been doing without any of us knowing. He is in for an extremely painful future. :/

i think he was fucking with you with that line.

better hope he's fucking with you with that entire story.

[Satyamdas]

You know those various craigslist postings where some random guy tells you to that he'll send a check that you can cash, where you can keep some money while sending back the rest? Yeah...

I like how you assume we all trawl craigslist and are familiar with the myriad of bullshit scams being perpetrated there.

[Ashhong]

Your brother's stupidity + your pain and anguish = lulz for me.

[Face it Tiger..]

He said that he's not worried because (again, NOT making this shit up!) he feels that his fellow prisoners will leave him alone cause he's skinny and doesn't know how to fight.

Truthfully: skinny and can't fight is the perfect rape buddy.

[Socreges]

My brother has made horrible, idiotic choices in his life. He'll even make the same ones multiple times. For these decisions, he'll probably end up in prison at some point. But thankfully he's at least not quite this stupid.

[TemplaerDude]

You might want to clock him in the noggin. People don't realize they're being that stupid until someone turns their lights off.

[Trent Strong]

I don't understand how your brother is on the hook for any money. Who does he owe this money to? The bank? Why would he owe them money?

[Instro]

I thought you might be exaggerating when I read the thread title, but it seems pretty accurate now.

[Macca]

So why exactly did your Mom go through your bothers bag?

[RELAYER]

Maybe he is but he sounds mad chill though

[TemplaerDude]

So why exactly did your Mom go through your bothers bag?

Sounds to me that the mother knows how unbelievably stupid he is and probably did the right thing.

Maybe he is but he sounds mad chill though

Pro-tip: being mad chill gets you absolutely no where in life.

[Oblivion]

i think he was fucking with you with that line. better hope he's fucking with you with that entire story.

Dude, I WISH he was fucking with me. I would have been thrilled if that was the case. He's truly fucking stupid enough to believe it, though.

[outunderthestars]

I don't understand how your brother is on the hook for any money. Who does he owe this money to? The bank? Why would he owe them money?

The check was fake, but he already withdrew the funds. The bank puts money in your account within a day or two out of courtesy while the check fully clears, if it doesn't, you owe the bank for the money they fronted you.

[Speevy]

I once messed with one of those Nigeria guys for a good week before telling them to jump in a river.

[mysticwhip]

Dude, I WISH he was fucking with me. I would have been thrilled if that was the case. He's truly fucking stupid enough to believe it, though.

damn, that sucks. I feel the same way about my sister sometimes.

[Slavik81]

I don't understand how your brother is on the hook for any money. Who does he owe this money to? The bank? Why would he owe them money?

His brother earned $2600 from a fraudulent transaction, so he must repay the $2600 he does not deserve. He still had $400 dollars of that ill-gotten money sitting around, so that was easily repaid. Now he owes $2200.

Unfortunately, he didn't just take out the $2200, but he gave it away to a stranger. So he's completely out those $2200.

[DarkFlow]

I don't understand how your brother is on the hook for any money. Who does he owe this money to? The bank? Why would he owe them money?

He's the one that cashed it. They have no idea where it come from other then him, so he's the one on the hook. This is why the scammers have OTHER people cash the check for them.

[Striek]

Didn't some gaffer post a thread about how they fell for this exact scam a few months ago? Search isn't helping me but I could swear it happened.

Greed or desperation with a hint of stupidity is pretty potent I guess.

[akira28]

You're right. I need a beer after reading that.

[Trent Strong]

The check was fake, but he already withdrew the funds. The bank puts money in your account within a day or two out of courtesy while the check fully clears, if it doesn't, you owe the bank for the money they fronted you.

His brother earned $2600 from a fraudulent transaction, so he must repay the $2600 he does not deserve. He still had $400 dollars of that ill-gotten money sitting around, so that was easily repaid. Now he owes $2200. Unfortunately, he didn't just take out the $2200, but he gave it away to a stranger. So he's completely out those $2200.

He's the one that cashed it. They have no idea where it come from other then him, so he's the one on the hook. This is why the scammers have OTHER people cash the check for them.

Well that doesn't seem fair. Obviously this particular case is a scam, but someone I know could write me a check, I could cash it, the check could bounce and then I'd be on the hook for it. Not cool.

[Tokubetsu]

You should kill him. He has used up too many natural resources already.

[Slavik81]

Well that doesn't seem fair. Obviously this particular case is a scam, but someone I know could write me a check, I could cash it, the check could bounce and then I'd be on the hook for it. Not cool.

It would only be a problem if you spent the money before it cleared. Otherwise you'd only lose what you gained.

The reason he's screwed is because he gave the money back to the person who wrote the check.

[whitehawk]

Well that doesn't seem fair. Obviously this particular case is a scam, but someone I know could write me a check, I could cash it, the check could bounce and then I'd be on the hook for it. Not cool.

He wouldn't be on the hook if he waited for the check to bounce before trying to give the money back to the scammers. But instead he gives the money away for he realizes the check is no good, and now he owes the bank money. Unfortunately he gave that money away.

[ruuk]

I think our brothers are related.

[Buckethead]

Please don't use the "R" word.

K thx.

[Log4Girlz]

If something sounds too good to be true, give it a shot anyway....you never know.

[Lionel Mandrake]

He may actually be in the running.

[Reuenthal]

I know this Nigerian prince, your brother would love to get to know him.

[Emitan]

I think our brothers are related.

Please don't use the "R" word. K thx.

We can't even say "related" now? Fuck you, NeoGAF I'M OUT

[BannedEpisode]

Well that doesn't seem fair. Obviously this particular case is a scam, but someone I know could write me a check, I could cash it, the check could bounce and then I'd be on the hook for it. Not cool.

At some point you have to toss stupid as an excuse for what's fair.

[Vesmir]

#YOLO is a dumb fucking term

Some people are idiots. Your brother and my uncle are two of them.

5 years ago, my uncle squandered $1 mil from my grandmother (latino culture :lol) and blew it all in real estate after we (my mom and I) told him not to. He then pulls out a mortgage that my mom, grandmother and I live in and blows it on more real estate.

Don't trust idiots with money.

[Mumei]

Your brother isn't as stupid as mine.

My brother drove home drunk and hit a deer. He came home without getting pulled, but wasn't sure if it was okay to just leave the deer there in the road. So rather than asking me if this was a good idea (and I was awake and heard him come home), he grabbed a crowbar and a shovel, put them in his car, and started driving back towards the deer. I'm not sure what precisely he was planning on *doing*, but I imagine it involved bludgeoning and ... burying?

He was pulled over on his way back to the deer and received his DUI.

I suppose one might think that the alcohol is a mitigating factor in the stupidity, but that's still rather sad.

he feels that his fellow prisoners will leave him alone cause he's skinny and doesn't know how to fight.

"Specifically, prisoners fitting any part of the following description are more likely to be targeted: young, small in size, physically weak, white, gay, first offender, possessing "feminine" characteristics such as long hair or a high voice; being unassertive, unaggressive, shy, intellectual, not street-smart, or "passive"; or having been convicted of a sexual offense against a minor."

Just from what I know from what you've said.

http://www.hrw.org/reports/2001/pris...rt4.html#_1_23

Wish him the best of luck.

[Oblivion]

It's truly difficult to describe my brother's mentality. It's part childish naivete thinking that he's somehow invincible, part masochistic tendency and just simply spiteful arrogance (he's the guy in the movies that presses the big, red button right after everybody tells him not to push it).

[mcrae]

how does it work that he is on the hook for the money? like what actually happened? i dont understand

[Log4Girlz]

It's truly difficult to describe my brother's mentality. It's part childish naivete thinking that he's somehow invincible, part masochistic tendency and just simply part spiteful arrogance (he's the guy in the movies that presses the big, red button right after everybody tells him not to push it).

[Aaron]

how does it work that he is on the hook for the money? like what actually happened? i dont understand

If you're in good standing, a bank will deposit the money from a check into your account before it clears. If the check comes back as a fake, they take that money back. If you have already spent said money, you now owe them the money they gave you out of naive trust that you weren't an idiot.

[Rezbit]

Wow. What a dumbarse.

[xbhaskarx]

Yeah your brother appears to be a naive and easily manipulated simpleton, why don't you give me his contact info and I'll have a word with him.

I like how you assume we all trawl craigslist and are familiar with the myriad of bullshit scams being perpetrated there.

lol

[UFRA]

Yeah that's pretty dumb, but the OP's build up to the story was over-hyped IMO.

The sad thing is there's tons of people out there who fall for these scams every day.

I was expecting something more wild I guess.

[Imm0rt4l]

Wow, your brother really is an idiot.

[demolitio]

I'm convinced Idiocracy might be an accurate depiction of the future based on a few of my friends and this story. No offense to your brother, but no matter how hard you study or what you read, you can't fix common sense in the end. :(

Hell, my uncle wants to put in $4,000 and me to put in $1,000 into an account to start doing short-term stock trading with me leading the account and making the decisions with him as more of an investor. That might sound nice, but I also know how money and family don't go well together and I'd be responsible for all the risk which I don't want to be accountable for if it's mostly not my money. I talked about doing this myself, but adding family money into it complicates things.

Money complicates things and in your brother's case, it made him do something stupid out of the idea of getting fast, easy money. Money seems to cause tunnel vision, and CL is the last place I'd trust. Hell, only people I know who fall for those emails anymore tend to be older people...lol

Are you sure this isn't April's Fools somehow? lol