Alejandro AR

Victim Location 52301

Type of a scam Fake Check/Money Order

This began as a job application and became a counterfeit check scam. Alejandro Abarca Rodriguez advertised on Indeed in the Cedar Rapids area for an assistant. First test assignment involved shopping for foster kids, with money he was to send, and I was to take my weekly pay of $897 out of certified cashier’s check he would send. Then I was to ship the items out to addresses he would supply. He overnights a business check (not cashier’s check) that did not have an original signature, nor did it have the statement piece attached. It was a fake printed copy of some company check, made out to me, in the amount of $4,980. His instructions were explicit that I was to deposit the check immediately into my bank account via phone or atm, and let him know when done. (A cashier would know it was fake.)

I told him the next morning I’d deposited the check (I had not), and he wanted to know how much was available immediately. I told him half, which would be typical of my bank. He wanted me to go immediately to Walmart to do a store-to-store wire transfer and gave me a recipient’s name and information. I told him it would be later in the afternoon, I had a prior commitment right then.

Later in the day, I sent him an e-mail letting him know that I knew it was a fake check.