Ainsworth Solar

Victim Location 99037

Total money lost $20,000

Type of a scam Romance

I signed up on match.com and was contacted by someone saying they were Ray Ainsworth, solar engineer, owner of Ainsworth Solar. He said he was a widower, his step daughter had signed him up on match and his month was almost up, and gave me his personal email. We emailed for more than a month then set up a time to meet. He was suddenly called out of the country to claim material for a job he was working. He said he’d had issues in the past with transferring money from his Swiss account to pay suppliers and could I help if needed. I saw nothing wrong with transferring his money around if he gave me access. He left the ‘country’ and within 4 days he asked that I pay some suppliers. I made the transferred and received notification they went through. Fast forward a few days and he had issues with the payment on his credit card and it had been blocked. Could I send him some money and then I could pay myself from his account. Long story short, I’m out about $20,000, after all kinds of promises that as soon as he gets to Switzerland to straighten out his account I’ll get paid, or once he’s back in the states I’ll get paid. I checked his website closer, and there’s a PV solar certification noted. I check with the certification company and there’s no Raymond Ainsworth certified. The address is supposedly his home address, that he paid cash for 4 years ago. According to public records, the house has not been sold since it was built in 2003. Looking back, alot of things didn’t add up. He sent all kinds of pictures. Gave me a story about his wife being killed by a drunk driver. The kids live in Canada, first with his parents after his wife was killed and then with his aunt, because he travels so much for business. Can quote the bible left and right.