If anyone falls for this or scams like it from nigeria over the age of 12 I have a bridge in brooklyn for sale......

The article is misleading; the checks aren't real.

Usually the checks are written from another state or country, or come from a real bank account from a stolen check book.. the victim cashes the check and wires the money with the "loan" the bank gives good customers while waiting for the check to clear.

Unfortunately, when the check comes back unpaid (and it always does), the "loan" is reversed and the victim is out how ever much money they wired the scammer.

All banks now use an overnight check clearing process that is supposed to stop these scams in their tracks... I'm surprised the scammers still attempt it.

I would like to sell them the Sauvie Island bridge, if they have not sent in their money yet.

Anthony, the idea is that time is of the essence. These guys are depending upon the victim cashing the check right then and then sending the money via Western Union immediately afterward. Sure, the check will be caught and returned, but usually after midnight that day. That usually gives the scammer about six to 14 hours to collect the cash and get out before anybody realizes what's just happened. Mail a few thousand of these to everyone in a university directory, and the perps will probably snag $10,000 to $100k per day for about two or three days. By the time the banks inform their customers that these were fraudulent checks and that the customer is responsible for the $1800 that was already sent off, the perps have moved on to the next scam.