The check has arrived! See below:

I was a little disappointed that this wasn't an attempt at a bank check. Instead, it looks like they just ran an ordinary business check through a laser printer. I guess I'm not dealing with one of the better scammers.

As you can see, the address on the check is shown as Alvaro Mendoza of 25 N Belcher Rd #F-60, Clearwater FL 33765. As before, the name used is a phony. The real Alvaro Mendoza is a marketing consultant in St Petersburg. A quick Google search reveals that the address is at Coral Cove apartments.

According to my "cousin" in Virginia who received the package with this fake check, the return address on the inside envelope is "Larry Inc, 9734 Dove Hollow Lane, Glen Allen VA 23060". This is a residential adddress, but again, probably phony. The UPS tracking number shows that the envelope was shipped from Hampton VA.

Meanwhile, I received several anxious messages from the "buyer", as follows:

October 7
HELLO,
SORRY FOR THE DELAY,I GOT A CONFIRMATION FROM UPS THAT THE CHECK WILKL GET TO YOU PROBABLY ON MONDAY BUT LATEST ON TUESDAY SO PLS GET THE CHECK CASHED AND SEND THE OVERPAYMENT VIA WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER TO

Name:Velecia Farmer
City: Hampton,
State:Va
Zip code:23663

Amount to send $1800 and please get back to me as soon as you receive this message to know when you're sending the money so that my mover can arrange time to pick the item up from you
thanks very much .

Notice; Once you sent out the money you're to send me the Mtcn# and the exact amount sent with the sender name and address thanks.

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Notice that the scammer got the math wrong in his/her excitement. The car was supposed to cost $500 with a $2000 overpayment to be refunded, but now the request is for only $1800. Wow, a $200 windfall for lucky Ayres T Ream!

And then this email came two days later:

HELLLO,
HOWCOME I HAVENT HEARD FROM YOU NOW THAT YOU HAVE THE CHECK,KINDLY CASH THE CHECK AND SEND THE OVERPAYMENT TO [same person as named above].

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Now the fun begins. The scammer will want us to immediately deposit the check so that he can get his Western Union money transfer before we discover it is a phony. But I suspect Ayres is going to have some minor delays crop up. Poor Ayres ... he's going to have a rough few days. ;-)