The bad story:
I want to share my case with you, it may help some body to avoid this situation and if you have any help, PLEASE CONTACT ME!! I am frustrated and scared about this...
September 2005: A friend and I began a money transfer, internet café and Hispanic multi services business as partners.
September 2006: I was contacted by an individual owning a "check cashing business" in Mexico, DF. He receives many checks and money orders from customers sent by relatives from USA. He would mail me the money orders and he would deposit the money orders in the business account and then wire the deposited amount to an account in Utah. The purpose of this was to avoid Mexico’s low exchange rates. The business received, as commission, 1.5% of each transaction.
The scammer pursued a business relationship continually. He gave us a $20,000.00 security deposit to cover any possible returned items. I was to receive this security deposit by keeping $2500.00 and 1.5% with each money order transaction. I would receive bundles of money orders amounting anywhere from $5000.00 to $12,000.00.
He sent copies of his identification, business registrations, samples of documents to deposit, and a contract explaining trans-action procedures.
I contacted a representative from the public ministry in Mexico to research information concerning the individual and busi-ness. No problems were found.
October 2006: My partner sells the business to me.
I accept a business proposal from the individual for a 2 month trail run.
I verified with Money Gram and Bank of America some of the documents with no negative information on the items.
December 2006: The accounts were changed under the new business name and transactions continued.
Begin to receive returned items with the annotations: Stolen, Forged and Counterfeited.
At that point I asked the scammer to send copies of identifi-cation for the returned items and stoped transactions. He sent one but it was falsified.
I tried to reach him continually but has not been able to make contact.
January 2007: Checks continue to be returned forged and counterfeit.
Business accounts were closed on BOA but they charge our personal accounts.
February 2007:The $20,000.00 deposit is exhausted and I have no money to continue paying the bank.
I was forced to sell the business.
We met a lawyer who recommended con-tacting the pollice department and filing a police report. The lawyer called the Utah bank and was informed that the account is still open.
March 2007: I sold the business and is still receiving counterfeit items.
April 2007:
On April 19, 2007 a police report was made at the police department.
The numbers: $160,000.00 on returned items and over $30,000.00 returned and paid by myself.
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