Actually this particular scam is going on in many different incarnations, so beware!
There is a man targetting Virtual Assistants who goes by the name Todd Meyer. He has become very sophisticated in his delivery and how he does his scam. He even had a one of my VA buddies going for awhile until she received a POST DATED Cashier's Check. She smelled a rat -- banks don't post date checks. But because this guy promised lots of work over several months she had turned down several other clients. So even though he didn't catch her in his scam, she lost out on other potential clients with real money.
Things to look at:
- If they claim to be a business man or woman, then they should have a business email address not a yahoo or hotmail account.
- If they are from another country and/or "representing" someone else, be extremly cautious.
- And of course the old adage, if it sounds too good to be true, double and triple check things out!