MIDDLEBURG HEIGHTS, Ohio
Fraud: Pawnee Trail
A woman went to the police station at 7:58 a.m. Sept. 16 after losing $10,500 in a scam.
She said a woman with whom she worked years ago had posted on social media that her company was hiring for all positions, with benefits. She messaged her about the jobs.
The victim was told to start an Internet chat. During the interview process, she sent about $2,500 via an online payment for work materials and shipping. She continued transferring money for various matters, but she also messaged the woman for reassurance.
She and the suspect occasionally chat on social media.
The victim became suspicious after sending several money transactions. She sent a termination letter asking for her money back. The company sent four checks to her, but they were declined during transfers. She said two checks were still pending and two were being investigated.
She then sent more money through an online transfer system, thinking it would resolve the situation. It did not.
After dealing with it for several weeks, she was told to send gift cards to help her situation. She replied, “I filed a police report.”
An officer tried to contact the company via a landline phone number, but was unsuccessful. He tried calling the woman’s former coworker, also to no avail.
The victim contacted her bank about the fraudulent activities and closed all communication with the suspect via social media. Police have the transactions, messages and receipt notices, which…
