Campbell, CA (PRWEB) October 30, 2006
Confidence artists target B&Bs, Hotels, Lodges, and Resorts with what is known as "Overpayment Fraud." Typically, scammers will make a booking and overpay for it with either a stolen credit card number or forged bank instruments (check, draft, money order, etc…). The scammers will create a story for the overpayment and request the balance be sent back to them or a third party, usually through Western Union. Most often, they will tell you the third party is the "car hiring" firm.
If a bank draft/certified check/money order is used in this scam, it will most likely be drawn on a foreign bank. The consequence of this is it can take up to three months to learn that the instrument is fraudulent. Often, when the deposit is reversed, it is too late for the B&B owner because they have already sent back the money by wire, to the scammer.
Pillows and Pancakes have taken strong measures against the scammers. A page detailing the scam with examples has been created here: http://www.pillowsandpancakes.com/scam-warning.htm
A community run forum has been created too, with the sole purpose of exposing the scammers and spreading the information to other B&B owners.
http://www.pillowsandpancakes.com/sw/phpBB2/index.php
Pillows and Pancakes have also blocked known scammers from http://www.pillowsandpancakes.com. When a scammer is blocked, the only thing he/she can view on the site is a page explaining she has been banned from the site and it tells her how she can be removed from the banned list.
Members of Pillows and Pancakes will have an extra ounce of protection by being listed with http://www.pillowsandpancakes.com
About Pillows and Pancakes
Headquartered in Campbell, CA, Pillows and Pancakes is the Internet's fastest growing B&B directory.
More information about Pillows and Pancakes, its history and services is available on the Internet at http://www.pillowsandpancakes.com.
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