Help, I've been scammed!

[Marleyboo]

OK, so i did something really stupid. I tried to buy a pair of ski's off of CraigsList. The woman was from Denver. I sent her a moneyorder a month and a half ago. I heard from her a couple times but have not gotten a reply to any of my emails lately. I know, I was way to trusting. I have her name and address. I've tried googling her but i don't get much back. Does anyone have any ideas?

[lcbj68c]

As a six-year law enforcement veteran, here are some highlights.

 

File a police report, but the catch is you have to file a police report in the area where the crime occurred! For example, of the crime of "theft" occurred in Denver, then your report would lie with the Denver Police Department, or whatever agency has the jursidiction over where the woman lives. Now this all assumes that she really is from Denver. If she is really from England, Nigeria, or otherwise, it's a complete waste of time and you might as well consider the money gone. Federal agencies dont investigate Fraud overseas unless it's corporate matters with big bucks, not a pair of skis. And your local agency doesnt have the resources and also, wouldnt over a pair of skis. Doesn't make it right, that's just the way it is.

 

Secondly, I'm hoping you saved your copy of the money order receipt and can get a tracking history on it, including where it was cashed. Hopefully it was deposited into the woman's banking account and the Denver investigators have something to work with. Send me a PM of the name and address, and I'll do some surface level poking around and try to determine the next step so that you might be able to steer the reporting agency in the right direction.

[bullox]

"Now this all assumes that she really is from Denver. If she is really from England, Nigeria, or otherwise, it's a complete waste of time and you might as well consider the money gone. Federal agencies dont investigate Fraud overseas unless it's corporate matters with big bucks, not a pair of skis."

 

Thanks for the heads up. Now I know how to take over the world.

[lcbj68c]

LOL, well it's true. If I had a nickel for every time...somebody (usually a geriatric lady who has some kind of mobility problem) made out a police report upset that somebody in Nigeria opened up a credit card in her name, i'd be rich and retired. And often times, they'd wonder why our detectives had not yet been to Nigeria to track down these terrible awful people. While it's not my personal stance, that's just the way it is. If it isnt Microsoft getting scammed, what happens overseas, happens overseas. Identity theft and like crimes are quickly becoming the #1 reported crime in America and yet i'd venture to guess 95% of them dont get investigated due to geographical limitations and of the 5% that do get investigated, maybe 2% of those have leads good enough to result in an arrest. Marley, I'll PM you this afternoon once I get some confirmation on a few things.

[Marleyboo]

Thanks lcbj68c! This just reassures that I am too trusting of a person.

[wisconsinfan47]

Thanks lcbj68c! This just reassures that I am too trusting of a person.

Nothing wrong with that. Good luck getting your money back.

 

[Bikeage77]

kinda off topic, but being in law enforcement, i have a question for you. i had a roommate that owes me 975 in rent, my dad about 4000, and that doesn't even include bills. after i kicked him out, he moved to colorado, where i don't really know how to reach him.

 

however his parents live pretty close.

 

here's the thing, my dad owned the house where we both paid rent, then i bought it from my father. because i grew up with the guy, and he was one of my best friends, it was a handshake deal, so there is no contract.

 

however, i have tons of mail that keeps showing up at my house. not even junk mail, bills, uwm stuff, etc. i also have emails saying he would pay me, and a check that he wrote for 975, but then decided to cancel his bank account the following day because "his bank was screwing him around"

 

the guy has more stories than mother goose, and owes money all over town based on what i can see from the envelopes on the mail.

 

do i just go to small claims and have them direct the mail to his parents? lemme know, it's been a year since i kicked him out and we no longer communicate.

 

thanks!

[lcbj68c]

Absoultely, Save the cancelled check and save the emails as they are very good evidence that the man acknowledges a debt to you by his "attempts to pay". Take him to small claims and the court will make every attempt to have him served, including serving his immediate family (parents) if they cant find him. It's a little more complicated than my next sentence, but in basics, (1) he fails to show. (2) You win your case easily... and either he doesnt pay or you have the State of Wisconsin and Federal government withhold his income taxes until he ponies up.

[pitchleague]

wow, what a cheap-o mooch. Owe tons of rent and, apparently, bills out the wazzou? I'd have thrown him out alot sooner, best friend or not.

 

I knew somebody like that once but got wise to her "scam" from other people. Sure enough, she tried to live with us for a while, but I got the money up front first. She didn't stay too long.

[Marleyboo]

It looks like we may need an "Ask a Cop" thread at Brewerfan.

 

It amazes me sometimes the group of people we have on this site. Almost any answer can be found.

[nohopspanther]

Kiss your money goodbye, you should NEVER pay with Money Order. Money Order screams scam every single time, I mean come on, it's even posted at the top of each Craigslist page to not pay via money order.

[Bikeage77]

thanks a lot for the advice, i'm gonna be looking into that soon...any idea how much somethin like that costs to do?

 

pitch, the thing was, he didn't pay me for 3 months rent...he owed my dad for about a year because he had a cancer scare and an identity theft within a few months spam, so my pops gave him teh benefit of the doubt...after he didn't pay me for 3 months he was gone...my dad didn't need the money as much as i did because he already owned the house, so it was a little easier to allow it to happen i guess...the lesson is, never trust yer friends