Fake Check Scammer Busted by UPS Delivery Man

Three Loud Cheers for UPS! Scammers out there, watch out! I think we have found the cure. Fedex, UPS, and other deliver services will soon be sending you to the police. Even in Nigeria.

“An alert United Parcel Service driver made a very special delivery to Socorro Police last week — a suspected middleman in an international scam.

Phillip Clifford, 49, of Socorro, was arrested Wednesday, June 3, and charged with eight counts of forgery (a third-degree felony) after law enforcement officials uncovered hundreds of bogus money orders, forged bank checks and countless shipping documents at his parents’ home on U.S. 60.

Investigators say Clifford acted as an intermediary in an international scam conducted by a Nigeria-based company.

“The suspect appears to be part of a very large scam,” Socorro Police Detective Richard Lopez said. “He’s a small part of it, but he’s definitely part of it.”

UPS officials notified police of the potential fraud May 28 after the driver — whose name is being withheld — became suspicious when delivering packages to Clifford.

“The driver would drop off a package at Clifford’s address and, within days would pick up hundreds of (UPS shipping) envelopes that the suspect would send out using the alias of Dennis Summer,” Lopez said. “The driver got suspicious after two shipments — addressed to Clifford — had identical tracking numbers and after Clifford asked for additional shipping supplies.”

The driver then informed his supervisor of the activity and the decision was made to open two packages that were bound for Clifford.”