About $80,000 has been defrauded from people around the nation in the past several months through what authorities say is an Internet scam using Fairfax addresses.
Police got on the case in December when merchandise from an online purchase was shipped to a Fairfax address and the check used to pay for it was counterfeit.
Financial crimes detectives in Fairfax said several high-dollar items have been stolen this way, including a white gold cross with princess-cut diamonds, an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Safari watch, laptop computers, computer servers, and a Game Boy system with games.
Here’s how the scam works: The perpetrators bid on an item through an Internet auction site. After they win, they correspond with the victim by cell phone and e-mail. They convince the victim to ship the item via FedEx COD to a supposed home address; however, the address is actually a business that ships packages. The suspects claim the item at the store and pass a counterfeit check as payment. The store then sends that payment to the seller. At least three package-shipping stores in Fairfax County were used to obtain the items, detectives said.
“Internet scams are growing by the day,” said Fairfax County police Officer Shelley Broderick. “And what’s so scary about this is that it can victimize anyone. You have to be smart about your selling practices if you’re going to use anything like the Internet or newspaper ads.”
The perpetrators have used various names and e-mail accounts, and at least two people used a fake business name and identification to open a mailbox. The counterfeit checks they are passing have the company name JP Morgan on them.
Anyone with information on these cases or the suspects involved is asked to call Fairfax County Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-8477. A $1,000 cash reward will be paid for information that leads to an arrest.
Protecting yourself
» When using a service like eBay, read and follow the site’s safety and security tips.
» Never ship anything by COD; always demand check, money order or money transfer services before shipping items.
» Use common sense: If it doesn’t seem right, don’t do it.
