A Greenbelt resident has recently been the victim of a counterfeit check scam, losing approximately $6,500. The victim recently placed an ad on Craig’s List to list a timeshare for rent in the Kissimmee, Florida area. The victim was contacted by the suspect via e-mail, who advised that he lived in London, and was interested in renting the timeshare for himself and his family.
After several e-mail exchanges, the parties agreed on a price of $1,200 dollars, to be paid by cashier’s check. The suspect advised that his place of employment, which was allegedly paying for the trip, mistakenly wrote a cashier’s check in the amount of $6,500. The suspect stated that it would be ‘impossible’ to get the company to reissue the check in the proper amount, and asked if it would be possible for the victim to deposit the check into her account, then send back the difference. The victim agreed and deposited the check and sent the difference back to the suspect by way of Western Union. A few days later the victim’s bank contacted her and advised that the suspect’s cashier’s check was counterfeit.
The suspect then contacted the victim by e-mail and advised that as they left the Western Union with the money that the victim sent to them they were robbed by three suspects, who took all of the money and stabbed his wife. The suspect then asked the victim to return $1,000 of the $1,200 that the victim ‘paid’ to the victim, telling the victim that she could “Keep $200 for all of her stress”. The victim did not send the suspect any more money.