Yours is the most recent posting. I am terribly sorry that this happened to you, too, as happened to me. I did what I could to eliminate the ad's after I was scammed in Aug., before it could happen again to others like you. All backpage.com and craigslist.org ad's were removed after I filed fraud abuse complaints on each and every ad; however, the ad's re-appeared on backpage.com in Sept. and backpage.com has failed to remove them after I complained at least twice regarding each and every city/region. The ad's appeared coast to coast, from Maine to Sacramento and from Seattle to Daytona, even Honolulu, and lots of cities in-between. Like me, you didn't read the other comments before sending money, as you wish you had, because scammers rush their victims, applying pressure to hurry, call back, meet a deadline, people are waiting, etc., so that there is little or no time to think about it or research. I have also been as angry as you, finding out why the old saying is, "so mad I couldn't see straight," because my vision blurred. You will feel better if you do something about it, like reporting the criminal activity at https://tips.fbi.gov/ and/or The Internet Crime Complaint Center at http://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx , as involving interstate wire fraud. You could also file a consumer complaint at https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/ . The Federal Trade Commission will respond with general information and store your complaint in a database used by law enforcement, but may not take further action. Check your local backpage.com, craigslist.org and/or nuvo.net ad's for re-appearance of the scam (I check daily) and send fraud abuse complaints to
[email protected],
[email protected] or
[email protected], respectively. Use the various phone numbers as search terms to find ad's in other cities and complain about them, too:
310-595-6663 (MCIMetro ATS, Inc. Anaheim, CA 92801 land line under the name "Tanya")
404-295-1907
610-967-9888 (Verizon North, Inc.--Emmaus, PA 18049 land line under the name "DISPATCH ANS SV" )
888-280-6241 (voice mail only / "Phone Sex Center")
210-319-0960 (San Antonio, TX cell phone)
336-964-9387 (Asheboro, NC cell phone)
215-531-7686
214-542-4230
On 8-26-2008, I responded to the following ad (have both saved and printed copies) on craigslist.org, "top shelf position!driver [sic] needed 4 escort service $4000+ wkly poss!"
Reply to:
[email protected]
Date: 2008-08-25, 4:10PM
"for more info 6//1//0//9//6//7//9//8//8//8
listen to entire message on prompt #2
if you like what you hear
don't call the 336 # mentioned in message
instead call 3//1//0//5//9//5//6//6//6//3
do not call unless you are ready to start asap!
as early as this evening
and you are prepared to fully comply w/ all aspects of company policy"
I called 610-967-9888, a Verizon North, Inc.--PA land line under the name "DISPATCH ANS SV" located within about 150 ft. of Main St. & S. 4th St., Emmaus, PA on a map where the scale is 1 in. = 500 yds. I further called 310-595-6663, a MCIMetro ATS, Inc. land line under the name "Tanya" located on the north side of Burton Way near N. Crescent Dr. in Beverly Hills, CA on a map of the same scale, leaving my name, phone number and a brief message. A "Tom" called me back immediately, wanting me to obtain a cell phone first, then send a $930 deposit from WalMart via Money Gram. I e-mailed my full name, address, telephone number and the names and phone numbers of two references to
[email protected], as Tom said it was Federally required for application purposes. There were a flurry of phone calls, both incoming and outgoing, involving both my land line and new cellular phone, as well as Tom/Tanya's number. Tom wanted me to call him after each step, but usually did not wait, calling me before I could call him back, pressuring me on the ETA, as the 3 "ladies" I was supposed to "meet and greet" were waiting or getting ready, needed to hire babysitters, get their hair/nails done, etc. Tom having asked me to call him when I got to WalMart, he revised his request downward to $850, which was sent as a MoneyGram International Money Transfer at 6:08 PM EDT, Reference #18906391 to Henry Morgan, Durham (NC), USA, with a Consumer Fee of $57.30. Tom had specified Test Question "Favorite Food?" and Test Answer "Candy," however, it turned out that the WalMart clerk failed to enter the Test Q & A, MoneyGram (800-666-3947) telling me later, after the money was received at 5:58 PM Central, presumably 6:58 PM EDT, that, for lack of a Test Q&A, that Henry Morgan had to have displayed (fake?) ID which Money Gram would have recorded, such as state driver license number, and that they will release such information in response to a police/court subpeona. Perhaps the scam partner was so greedy that (s)he displayed real ID to obtain the money, which could result in an arrest. Meanwhile, Tom did not wait for me to even reach my car outside WalMart before calling back, asking for a callback when I was one block away from the Renaissance Center Marriott, a huge public place downtown, about 10 miles away. Once there just after 6:30 PM EDT, he claimed the ladies were delayed until 7:45 PM EDT and, asking if I ate, suggested that I go inside to eat, but never called back. I began calling Tom around 8 PM EDT, but no answer, going to voice mail, and, after leaving only one message, the error message that the voice mail box was full, nor did Tom answer the phone when I blocked my number (*67 prefix). I gave up about 8:20 PM EDT and returned to WalMart, where it was too late to cancel the transaction, returning home to call MoneyGram.