Highland Park bakery owner targeted in elaborate check fraud scam
Вставка
- Опубліковано 12 вер 2024
- A bakery owner in Highland Park is warning other business owners after she was the latest target of an elaborate counterfeit check scam.
Loria Stern, the owner of Eat Your Flowers Bakery in Highland Park, has been running her business for 12 years. Throughout that time, Stern said she's seen her fair share of scams, but this latest scheme truly surprised her.
KTLA's Rachel Menitoff reports on August 23, 2024.
Details: ktla.com/news/...
KTLA 5 News - Keeping Southern Californians informed since 1947.
Is she protected since the bank initially confirmed the check as being good? The bank should be held responsible for clearing a counterfeit check.
The us banks are in collaboration with those indian and Nigerian online scammers. Otherwise there's no explanation how they allow cashing a fake check and then retrieve the money from its own customer for the scammers favor.
Doubtful she's protected. This is basically a new take on that old getting someone to cash a fake check and then sending the scammer some money from the fake check before it gets caught as being a fake check scam. In the past when this happened those people who sent the scammer money were the ones who ultimately lost their own money since the bank typically reversed the fake deposit so whatever they sent the scammer ended up being their own money. Of course in this case we don't know if she actually sent the scammers money or just lost money because she made that big order and won't get paid for it.
Come on man, isn’t it enough that Biden went after hidden fees on concert tickets? And they’re not going to tax tips. They’re making a world of difference in all our lives! 🤪
Exactly 💯!
That is not how it works sadly. I assisted a neighbor with a cashiers check from England. I knew it was a fraud deal as they sent her too much money and then requested she return the difference which was over $2,000.
The banks big lie-
Talking with bank security back in 2010, and electronic banking has improved since then but this is what they told me:
Bank Security said, a bank says a check clears in 10 days, the reality is can take as long as 30 days to clear smaller banks or credit unions and out of state checks within the US. Even if you wait 10 days and if on the 15th day after deposit it comes invalid they still removed from your account.
For out of country checks and even cashier’s checks it can take over 60 to 90 days to validate. If it comes back invalid after 60 days the remove the funds from your account.
So the original sender sends too much or cancels altogether and requests a refund. The victim sends real money from their account. Like here they reduced the order than requested the money difference back.
Creditcard and electronic payments. In my small business I see more people buying with a creditcard and I process via square. The buyer can make a claim it wasn’t them, the items wasn’t as advertised or the business refused to accept a return. Square often sides with buyer and not the business because Square is actually keeping the Creditcard companies happy. If Square does not reverse the charges then the buyer goes their creditcard company which usually finds for their customer.
Simple. Dont accept checks
Who the heck still pays in checks
Thats what the debit card is for now
@@classicwhitebread Who: 2024 America, that's who.
company checks nave no fee's
Wouldn't a red flag have been that the cheque was from NYC and the business targeted was in the LA area?
But charging $7.50 for 1 lousy cupcake itself is a MAJOR CUPCAKE FRAUD/scam!!
A bulk order should've been provided with huge discount as well!
Karma!
U can thank India.
@@Colleen-pr3qh or the 40yrs behind the times US banking system. ur welcome.
There's the random and unsubstantiated racism I expect from a youtube comment. Just boomers yelling into the void.
How stupid this business owner. They only communicate on the email. They need to secured the half of their money first, also talk to the person who made the order live on the media.
Email is the scam,
Her greed blind her she care more of the money that’s how ppl that are money hungry act they get blind
But charging $7.50 for 1 lousy cupcake itself is a MAJOR CUPCAKE FRAUD/scam!!
A bulk order should've been provided with huge discount as well!
Karma!
Who uses checks nowadays 😅
I do. On some things. Its the best receipt you can have.
A lot of people. Usually, people born before 1980.
I'm out of touch with reality and don't use checks.
I've had too, a lot of times cards have limits on how much can be charged to it in one day. Checks, for whatever reason, don't. Wrote a check to buy my car
I've seen lots of elderly still use checks.
The best advice is don't accept a check.
7000$ for 1000 cupcakes rip off
Hipster Central, And Los Angeles Rent is expensive. oof.
You seem.................. Angry!
that's Cali 🤣
Best Comment Ever!!!
@@dale444ify Yrs, your discount Costco brain can’t quite make sense of it.
$7 per cupcake? I think they were trying to rip off the customer to begin with.
@@lagodifuoco313 if they good and buyers pay, price is the price
Cupcakes 0.53 cents a piece at Sam’s Club . LoL 😂
Right? Were they dipped in gold chocolate?
7.50 .. a pop
Are these the graveyard shift workers of this news station, they’re all looking like zombies.
This literally has nothing to do with AI lol
They said that AI can write impeccable business letters that are void of grammatical or spelling errors such that even someone in a foreign country can fool someone with it thinking it was written by a legitimate company
@@jogmas12Nope. E-Mail scams from Nigeria for example have always had good English.
@@jogmas12 they do not know if that is AI.
7500 for 1k cup cakes .. wait what
So much for a quantity order discount or maybe they're usually $10 each.
If it seems to good to be true, you know the rest. Who the F. Orders 1,000 cup cakes 🤦♂️
Event organisers for a large children's related event that spans 2 days might want to order that many cupcakes? The bakery owner said there were a lot of specific details in the emails going back and forth with the assumed customer. You have to remember also that the same artificial intelligence software that can be used to help you with your spelling and grammar for academic essay submissions can also be used for writing persuasive scams.
@Nathan-ht9sc Yeap now not only do you want to avoid email with bad grammar but email with good grammars. The only acceptable way to make sure it's legit is to have the customer come over and place the order in person. That way if they do attempt to scam you, you at least know what they look like.
@@Nathan-ht9sc yeah sorry but no. If I’m a small business owner and you want a big order like that walk yo behind in the establishment. Thank you
Lady Stern should have said Yes we can refund you. Then ask the thief for an address to catch the criminal.
No matter how tech-savvy you think you might be, there are people out there that are way better at it than you. Always be on alert, always do your due diligence and follow your instinct. Good luck
The us banks are in collaboration with those indian and Nigerian online scammers. Otherwise there's no explanation how they allow cashing a fake check and then retrieve the money from its own customer for the scammers favor.
They work hard and these scammers con artists ought be in prison
@@LindaMerchant-bq2hp too right. as an aside, do you need a bridge, have one that needs a new home
When the customer asked for some money back that was a huge red light. With debit card and electronic transfers no one uses checks anymore!
$7,000 for cupcakes 🤯🤯😅 I can’t get clients to pay that for kitchen countertops 🤦♂️
It's not about the total price of order. She charged $7.50 per god damn cupcake!
Did they come to pick the order?
Red flag #1. Someone in NY is ordering 1,000 cupcakes in California. Red flag #2 They don't have Zelle or credit card in this day in age. I've been in business for over 28 years, never once a fraud check, only NSF from my customers. I call them and take a credit card over the phone.
If you must take a check in person, write down their driver's license # and expiration date.
Sure, blame the victim. Her BANK told her she was covered if the check cleared- which it did. Her bank should have come good for it.
Cash only !
@@lavendersprig2905 yes and still double check is real
What does this have anything to do with AI? Counterfeit checks exist way before computers.
You could try actually listening to what they said for a change. They explain it right in the video. Is your attention span really that short?
@@PTANV-x2g AH Yes. The marvelous Mr. Know-it-all. Please enlight me with your knowledge and point me the timestamp in the video where they proved the fraud is made with AI
Overseas scammer via email had high command of the English language, and reproducing what looked like a legitimate check. Likely the email account was traced back to a foreign entity. They never intended to pickup 1,000 cupcakes, but wanted a refund of half the fake check because they reduced the initial order.
And once AI becomes even more perfected a phone call with a fake voice won't even save you from scammers.
AI is a terrible idea.
@@simplelife42132:20 said AI helps foreigners seem like native English speaking customers.
They were saying that AI can write impeccable business letters that are void of any grammatical or spelling errors
How is this scam “elaborate” ?
I hope the cakes are good because the business sense is not.
She's been running the business for 12 years. Is that long enough for you? When a bank's security clears a check that is sent to you, why would you question that?
I like those muffins!
@@Nathan-ht9sc heard of credit cards
@@Nathan-ht9sc heard of direct secured payment
@@Nathan-ht9sc heard of a cake shop accepting a cheque then getting scammed.
Two outta three ain't bad as Mr Loaf used to say
I never take checks ....cash only no venmo no paypal etc
The real crime is the $7,500 for those cupcakes!
How is the scam company making money? They didn't pick the cupcakes up and resell them ... how are they making money? This is a head scratcher for me.
EDIT: Okay, I figured this out. The scam company was expecting her to refund half the amount from that fake check. Luckily, in this case, that didn't happen. (I know, I'm slow) 😊
Very slow indeed
The real fraud is bakery charging $7.50 a cupcake
Not for nothing but shouldn't your hair be netted when preparing food?
So how did she fell victim if she didn’t refund the fraudster and the bank took back the money from her account
She’s spent labour and materials making cupcakes for a sale that never happened. 👎
@@Nathan-ht9scBut she still has the cupcakes 😂
@@Cornmolioshe will not sell 1000 cupcakes in a day. She only makes a few to sale at her location.
Yes I don't understand how the check initially cleared, but then the funds were withdrawn, how the hell did that happen? Can someone explain that to me?
Burglaries, hacks , scammers is not worth to have a business in California.
Yeah, nothing bad happens anywhere but in California.
7k for cup cakes for a one time order was the red flag
Who still accepts checks? That’s her fault, especially if someone trying to write down a big amount.
Who the heck still accepts a Check🤦I wouldn't even accept a check from my mother🤷♂
At any point a person can call their bank and decline a charge. And if the bank can determine that they never receive the product then a lot of times the bank will just decline it.
The email address in itself should've given it away, that it might be a scam. The 2nd would be a check, not a lot of people pay with check now a days., lots of check scams out there. The third is you've never met this person.
She should have been able to call the bank and explain what was going on.
Do not take checks solves the problem.
7usd for a cupkake ?????? 😂😅😅🙄🤔
So the check initially cleared. She exercised her due diligence, what more can anyone do? How the hell was the scammer able to withdraw all the funds after the check initially cleared??
The bank it was drawn upon bounced it.
YT banning my comments again when I mention undians and migerians.
@@BannedonYT-i2b poor dykkhedd baby.
I'm Beyond 🎯 Targeted. Phone disconnected 4 times this month! I understand ☺️
How about these banks that are worth billions, implement more security measures to protect their customers?
I sure hope the bank covered the victim, being the were the ones that cleared the check. If not, that bank might need to be avoided at all cost.
Would've asked for a *_cashier's check_* for such a large order and call the bank to verify
yet another poorly reported story by ktla...
as far as i could tell, the scammer didn't make any money because the bakery never refunded the $3500 as requested...
the bakery is only out material and labor to make the cupcakes, which probably isn't much given the high markup and cheap labor...
keep up the shoddy work by telling half the story, ktla
The bakery is “only” out material and labour. A loss that they didn’t need due to a phoney customer.
It’s good they are reporting, this really is the purpose of local news-awareness for public safety. ,
I don't understand how the bakery lost the $7000,00 after the original check cleared. Like how do you cancel a check after you already use it??
7 bucks a cup cake !!!! Oh hekno
Must be a good cupcake
Who the heck accepts checks? This woman is stuck in the 90s.
Who accepts checks anymore 🙄🤦🏻♀️
Target stopped accepting personal checks for a reason.
They can call the bank and stop payment at any time that's really what this conversation is about.
Are you sure?
This is not an elaborate scam. People quit writing rubber checks about 20 years ago😅
Not an intricate scam at all. A well known fake check scam.
I'm confused, how did the scammer make any money off of this? If they write her a 7K check and later the 7lk is withdrawn from her account due to it being a fake check, where is the profit to the scammer.? Sounds like they didn't even get any free cupcakes. I understand how the business owner loses money but don't understand how a scammer profits off of this.
Old scam selling a ring for 1000 i will pay you 1500 dollars but send you 2000 in a check . When you cash the check send me 500 dollars that i overpaid. It clears you got 2000 then 5 days later bank says bank fraud bad check . After it cleared its never the banks fault cause you deposited the check .
I don't see how it's a scam she didn't really receive any merchandise. A thousand freaking cupcakes is a lot. I watch Judge Judy all the time and it's all marriages and weddings that went wrong😅😅😅
Most banks don't really train "tellers" to monitor fake documents being deposited. About 10 years ago I saved a senior with dementia from WF cheating her out of hundreds in overdraft fees due to their cashing a fake check then draining her account due to the error. I had a meeting with the branch manager and her son, we got the bank to refund the overdraft fees.
I keep watching over and over the same scam on the news..
I know people pay outrageous prices for stupid things all the time but…. cupcake= Butter,sugar,eggs,flower and icing ••$7+ each…..who really got scammed here?
Ever hear of rent, employees, taxes, materials, and profit?
The address on the check for "Peak Trading Corp" returns to a strip mall with a Family Dollar. There's your first clue. Also, who would pay 7.50 per cupcake?
They’ve been in business for 12 years. I’m sure there’s enough people willing to pay the price for a cupcake even if in your eyes the price is not of your taste.
@@Nathan-ht9sc There's not. My point here is not subjective.
Wow 7 dollars for a cupcake...
Bruh. No one uses the word: "Quotation" when wanting to say "quote." That was the first red flag.
Normally the bank will call unless old girl just didn't pick up the phone but normally the bank will call to verify whether or not the customer actually received the merchandise or not. Which would have given her the opportunity to explain what's going on. And a lot of times the bank will make a decision in favor of the merchants. Trust me I've been on the wrong end of that.😅
Take five minutes call the Banks automated system punch the account number in and the amount of the purchase and it will tell you sufficient funds are available to cover purchase. But in the case of what goes into baking the products and someone calling to revise the order and get scammed this mofos will stop at nothing to a make a buck out of the hard working.
oldest scam in cragslist, that check is always going to bounced in a few days.
Overpriced cupcakes. Cupcake shop is the real criminal
I STILL DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW THE FUNDS WERE WITHDRAWN FROM HER BANK ACCOUNT ?
Are you looking to do the same?
IMMATURE RESPONSE. I WOULD LIKE TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE SCAMMER WAS ABLE TO WITHDRAWAL THE FUNDS ? OR THE BANK SIMPLY REMOVED THE FUNDS BECAUSE IT WAS A STOLEN CHECK ?
The bank found out the check was counterfeit and took back the money.
The us banks are in collaboration with those indian and Nigerian online scammers. Otherwise there's no explanation how they allow cashing a fake check and then retrieve the money from its own customer for the scammers favor.
@PRECIADOR
Is your caps lock stuck? Or are you always yelling?
Well yes there full-time job LMAO if they're able to hit you up for a 1,000 cupcakes then why would they show up at a Warehouse all day LOL
That's what's happened to me when I just arrived to Scamfornia.
She got free advertising
Similar incident bappen to us. If its check, make sure give bank 3 business days to clear the check.
Or more
they tried that with one of my aunts. I told her not to take the check cash only or Zelle PayPal anything established no cash app to ghetto
Rachel Manitoff looks so sad ... Just like somebody stole here cupcakes
What I like about this bakery is it’s indoors.
Is there one positive thing about AI? If there is I haven’t heard about it yet!
There's so much about this story that strikes me as odd. e.g. $7.50 each on an order quantity of 1,000 cupcakes. I live barely a mile from this place; I'm almost curious enough to go over there to check out that operation firsthand. (almost)
Walk in there and say I’m here for the 1,000 cup cakes
lol, did you see that Adam’s apple on shim
I don't see how you make money canceling a 1,000 cupcake order LMAO I don't see how that makes you any money. But if we're going to have that conversation maybe it's one of her competitors LOL
She's a baker dealing with weddings this can't be the first time somebody called with a revision. And 1,000 cupcakes is a lot man. I'm trying to hedge that😅 some sort of way. She could spread that out Bakery to bakery that way she's not having to Fork over for all these ingredients and she can just pay a fee in case the deal Falls through.
why would u buy 1k cup cakes with a fake check that cashed .
It has nothing to do with AI.....
where was the AI part again ????????????
I didn't anything AI related, just people are confused on what AI is. It sounded like the good old check cashing scam.
Right here:
they say that Martha Steward went to Camp Cupcake
Those kishas jus luvzin cupcakes y’all
Just because you know how play the basketball, doesn't mean you can COACH the team.
1. You take NON-refundable deposit.
2. Wait for it clear
3. Start baking
But charging $7.50 for 1 lousy cupcake itself is a MAJOR CUPCAKE FRAUD/scam!!
A bulk order should've been provided with huge discount as well!
Karma!
Ok so why did the bank accept the check? They usually do a check verification and hold the money for 2-3 days to verify it’s legit?
Always VET large orders. Google is your best friend. Stop saying AI. A human can do the same and has. Sick of this AI scapegoat. You have no oversight and are too trusting. You’re a business aka a target. Stern tells me you should’ve known this?
Maybe that $1000 is her loss in labor and cost.
It was $7k form1 thousand cupcakes
@noneyun9943 So the $1000 was deposited that she lost as it was refunded because of fake check.
The ca. way said newsom
This is the most common check scheme to exist lol it’s not advanced or new in anyway and has nothing to do with the advancement of technology
Yikes! Ghetto much?
You never i mean NEVER take checks!
Feel bad but lesson learned
Who use checks now days someone try to scam my dad with that they came to see the truck and they said oh we can pay you with a check and my dad said no right away and they keep insisting saying but look I make you the check right now I give you 2k extra then they said just don’t deposit it right now because is gonna appear with no founds because we deposit our money and to tomorrow the foundries would kick in 😂 my dad was like nop cash or nothing they beg us and I told the lady well why you just don’t come tomorrow if the foundries are gonna be their and the lady and her husband were like you right 😂
It's not that hard LMAO don't take a check LOL
something suspicious about the owner
cash
She better hurry up and sell them cupcakes and get them in front of a TV Camera LOL do the interview after you sell all them cupcakes don't do the interview now and then cry cuz you got to throw that stuff in the trash😮.
Why did she take a check?!...
A check is so 1990s... LOL 😂
Businesses write checks. Are u new???
You people believe way too much in AI LMAO all someone has to do is mention Ai and it changes the entire complexity of the discussion LMAO😅
Wilson Michelle Thomas Shirley Martinez Helen
If you're still taking checks I don't know what to tell you man LOL😅
Ai lol really smh