El Paso County TX – The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office White Collar Crime Unit wants to warn the El Paso / Southwest Texas Community with ongoing Fraudulent Activity or “Scams” which are hitting our area hard. There have been a surge of cases where individuals have recently come forward claiming to be victims of on-line scams.
Below is recent case that has been reported to our office:
On Friday 07-02-10 at approximately 4:45 PM, Deputies were patched to 124 Lake Cumberland, El Paso County, Texas, in reference to forgery. Deputies arrived and met with the complainant / victim who told authorities between June 20th & present day (07/02), unknown person(s)had issued him five forged money orders for a flute he had placed for sale on Craig’s list for $450.
The Victim stated that shortly after posting the flute for sale he received an e-mail from an individual who was interested in buying the item. The Victim then received another message from the same subject advising an assistant had sent payment for the flute via money order & once he received the money order, he was to deduct the amount for the flute & send remaining money back to the subjects assistant. The Victim agreed & stated he sent the remaining balance to the subjects assistant via Western Union "Money in Minutes". The initial amount sent to the Victim was $825.00.
The Victim stated that on June 25, 2010, he received another message from the subject claiming his assistant had made a mistake & sent the Victim 3 additional payments for $725.00 each & requested he cash the money orders & to keep $100 for his inconvenience. The Victim agreed & followed the same steps as before and sent the subject the money. The Victim used his financial institution to cash the Money Orders. On July 1, 2010, the Victim noticed that his balance on his bank account had been depleted and inquired about it. The Victim stated that he was notified that all five money orders were returned as forged to his bank by Money Gram.
Sheriff’s Detectives have provided some indicators of probable fraudulent activity or “scams:”:
- Payment in advance for products or services
- Using a wire transfer, Western Union, money order, postal order, etc. to complete a transaction, especially in advance of the receipt of goods or services
- Any mail soliciting employment as a “Secret Shopper”
- Any phone calls from “your favorite grandson,” or a dear friend stating they need money to pay for damages sustained in a traffic accident in Canada
- Letters, emails, or phone calls from an “Investigator” from a bank or credit card company requesting detailed information (Credit Card number, Social Security Number, Date of Birth, etc.) to continue an investigation, or demanding monies be drawn from your account to continue an investigation
- Goods offered for sale on Craig’s List that require payment, sight unseen, for receipt of the offered good
Regarding internet transactions, unless the sale is initiated by the buyer from a reputable business, it should be considered suspect.
You can report these crimes here:
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