72°
WESTON, Conn. -- A 20-year-old Weston man just wanted to earn extra money for college helping someone move furniture from one house to another.
Now he is out $3,000 he sent to a person he was told was living in London, Weston Detective Carl Filsinger said. The scammer contacted the Weston man through a job posting on the Internet. The two exchanged multiple emails, detailing the move, which was to take place in Ridgefield.
The Weston resident received a certified check via UPS to cover rent and expenses. The "Londoner" told him to deposit the check, which was more than was agreed upon, to pay expenses, and send back the remaining amount via Western Union.
Unfortunately, he sent money back before learning the certified check didn't clear.
Filsinger referred the Weston student to the state attorney general and the Secret Service.
To avoid falling for a similar scam, Filsinger warns residents to watch out for: foreign nationals, grammatical errors, claims to be moving to the U.S. for work or school, refusal to disclose all of his or her personal information, requests to pay in advance and quickly, receiving a check that's a lot more than agreed upon and asking to use Western Union.
Filsinger said to make sure a check clears before sending money in return. He said these con artists tend to target young people and senior citizens.
Have you been a victim of a scam? Send your story to shenry@thedailyweston.com.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Westport and receive free news updates.
