Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin

Victim Location 53089

Total money lost $2,950

Type of a scam Employment

I received a job offer for a virtual assistant position via a LinkedIn message. I accepted the position and began emailing with the person who had hacked Rick Perkins’s LinkedIn account. They said that the job would entail 5-7 hours of work from home scheduling meetings, hotel reservations, and other clerical tasks. I got my first check in the mail on Monday, March 11th for $2,950. The person running the scam was contacting me through text message at this point, as I had given them my full name, address (to mail the checks to), and phone number. I deposited the check into my bank account through a mobile deposit. The next day, Tuesday, March 12th, I received a text message saying that I would have to purchase a printer and online software through an unnamed "independent supplier." To purchase these items, I would have to deposit $2,550 of the check I had received into a PNC bank account (#4681445192) under the name "George Dickson" with a cashier’s check. I stupidly bought a cashier’s check from my bank and deposited the amount into the PNC account. The next day, Wednesday, March 13th, I received another text. They said I would have to purchase an Amazon gift card worth $400 to cover the cost of shipping the printer and the software. I was confused because they said I could keep $400 of the original check as payment for my first week. Again, I went to Pick N Save and bought an Amazon gift card, and I sent them the claim code. Finally, today, Thursday, March 14th, I received another check for $3,600 in the mail. They asked me to deposit this money again to the same PNC account with another cashier’s check to purchase a desktop computer and a mobile phone. I hadn’t received any shipping information on the printer or the software at this point, and I was wary of making another large purchase. I checked my online banking records and noticed that the first check had bounced. I didn’t deposit the second $3,600 check and went to my bank immediately to file a fraud claim. I am furious at myself and at the scammer because I am a student and I threw $2,950 into the garbage; that is an entire semester of school at the community college I go to!