Gurnee cops warn residents of Internet scam

Police are warning area residents about an Internet banking scam involving stolen personal information and falsified checks that victimized a Gurnee man.

Gurnee Police Cmdr. Jay Patrick said an unidentified Gurnee man contacted police July 22 to report $3,070 was taken from his bank account.

Patrick said the victim noticed the transaction on his bank's online registry, and questioned the bank about its validity. He was told the transaction was made by another bank in Wausau, Wis., and that bank provided police with the name of the account holder.

When the Wisconsin man who cashed the check was questioned, Patrick said, he told police he found a job over the Internet that required him to deposit checks into bank accounts as part of a check cashing job through an unidentified Los Angeles-based company.

The Wisconsin man said he was told checks would be sent to his home address, and he would deposit them in his bank account. He would wire money to the Los Angeles company and keep 5 percent to 10 percent as a commission.

The Wisconsin man cashed what police say was a bogus paper check that contained the Gurnee victim's name, address, and account information.

"This type of scam is the same as many others that have happened over the Internet for years," Patrick said. "Years ago, these used to be scams that would come over fax machines and usually originated from Nigeria or somewhere like that."

Officials believe no California-based check-cashing company exists, and that it may be part of a criminal operation in Russia, Patrick said.

The Gurnee victim has been reimbursed by the bank, Patrick said, and the Wisconsin man must repay the bank for the money that was taken. No charges have been filed against him. Patrick said he did not know if other victims have been identified.

The FBI has been contacted to investigate the Russian operation.

"The adage, 'If it seems too good to be true, it probably is,' would be good to keep in mind when looking at any kind of offer like this over the Internet, because you will not get something for nothing," he said. "People need to be careful when making a business transaction like this. Basically, not too many reputable companies hire unknowns over the Internet."