New Hampshire State Police have uncovered a Concord connection to a "widespread international scam operation" that involves counterfeit checks, an offshore headquarters and the possible use of eBay and Craigslist to find victims, police said yesterday.
Authorities have located and raided the homes of two Concord residents and a Michigan resident in connection with the case, according to a State Police news release issued late yesterday. Police said an investigation is continuing but did not say whether any arrests have been made.
A news conference is scheduled for 10 a.m. tomorrow at the Troop D barracks on Iron Works Road in Concord.
The FBI, Secret Service and Immigration and Customs Enforcement are also involved in the investigation, which points to Nigeria as the possible origin of the scam, police said.
Police said the number of victims is unknown, but it is believed that the Concord suspects distributed $5 million to $10 million in fraudulent checks over the past two years, police said.
In the scam, victims who make a sale online receive a counterfeit bank check for more than the sale amount. They deposit the check, then send the difference to a designated location. Later, the fraudulent check bounces, and the victims are out both the check amount and the money they transferred to the would-be buyer.
Police believe the victims had posted their items for sale on popular Internet sites such as eBay and Craigslist, where the scam artists contacted them.
With technology and the Internet, scams are becoming more sophisticated, said Linda Tomlinson, a spokesman for Tom Colantuono, the U.S. Attorney for New Hampshire.
Tomlinson spoke in general terms, not being familiar with the details of the case.
"Since the scam artists are getting smarter with technology, they're becoming more convincing to their victims that they're legitimate," Tomlinson said.
Historic variations of the scam involve mail solicitations, telemarketing calls and e-mails, she said.
State Police said the investigation started when they received a tip from a local business last May. Five months later, police found an address label with e-mail information and traced it to the Concord residents.
Police said the Concord suspects received monthly shipments of fraudulent checks with the logos of prominent banks. Via computer, the two received names and addresses they used to write the checks and mail them.
The illegal scam has been curtailed because of the investigation, but State Police cautioned the public because the Concord connection was only a part of a larger criminal organization.
Anyone who is unsure of the validity of a bank check received through the mail should confirm its authenticity prior to deposit, police said. At the very least, they should make sure it clears before withdrawing funds.
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