On December 20, 2010 at 11:32 a.m. a resident reported being the victim of fraud. The victim stated that this incident is stemming from a possible fraud interaction in Ghana, Africa. The victim stated he had a short online relationship this past year (2010) with a ‘Janet Peah’ of ‘LatinAmericanCupid.com’. During the coarse of the relationship, Peah wrote to the victim requesting money for an inheritance settlement of hers. At this point, another party, Mr. Agogo, claiming to be a lawyer, emailed the victim and requested $8,000.00. The victim gave Agogo his bank information and stated that he would be depositing $9,450.00 into his account from which he could withdraw $8,000.00, and Western Union wire it to unknown parties in Africa to assist Peah. The victim complied and withdrew the money on December 16, 2010 and directly wired the it via Western Union.
The victim was later contacted by his bank and was made aware the check for $9,450.00 deposited into his account was counterfeit.
***Roselle Park Police remind all residents of the many fraudulent practices committed over the Internet. You are advised never accept a check from an unknown party to be deposited into your personal account. Any requests for immediate wiring of funds of a check received from an unfamiliar party is most likely a fraud. Additionally, never accept checks made in excess of an amount you are expecting. (This is also a sign of a possible fraud)
Regardless of bank availability policies, counterfeit checks can take up to six (6) weeks to reveal they are fraudulent and the bank will deduct the disputed funds from the account and hold the account holder responsible.
For more information on this subject follow the below listed link:
http://www.ic3.gov/crimeschemes.aspx