just got scammed

[WillS]

Ok so what do we do now?

After being open almost 2 years, this is our first experience with this.

Lady calls us on 11/19/14 for a cleaning in a nice area of Vegas. We perform the cleaning on 11/22/14. Total $475. Customer writes a check, I have a note from the tech saying the customer asked for the check to be held til Wed. (11/26/14). I spoke to the tech, who says she seemed like a nice lady in her 60's, just wanted us to deposit the check in a few days. I deposited the check the same day she wrote it, didn't wait til Wed.

Just received a return check notice "Unable to Find Account" from US Bank. Called US Bank, gave them her account number on the check, they said no such account, check is fraud. I didn't notice the check bounce out of the account, but wasn't paying attention as much because of how f'in busy we were the last 2 weeks.

(We tried calling, "phone is not taking calls at the moment").

What now?

1. Go to her house and see what the hell? (Guessing she may have moved out already but the guys said all her furniture was in the house, she didn't want anything moved, we even cleaned chairs for her)

2. Search Property Assessor Records - find the owner and call them? Maybe a lien? Is it worth it for $475?

3. US Bank said there is really nothing we can do about reporting the check as fraud. But I think fraud or theft is $2,500 or more in Nevada.. so can't report it to police.

4. Just shit out of luck?

 

[WillS]

If it was $100 I might be more willing to let it go, but $475 hurts the budget a bit.

 

[dgardner]

Small claims court? (if you can find her....)

 

[Mark Saiger]

My wife worked at US Bank. Had her read this post....

She says take it to the police just to help them build a case if they need more help.....and then might be able to help you.

And if enough pass a certain dollar amount, say your state limit of $2500, they can follow through.

Definitely purse some legal course of actions as you can.

Not saying you will get your money back, but maybe you can get her arrested and prevent further problems....Plus get some satisfaction of getting even!

 

[Desk Jockey]

Drive your van through their living room. Jump out and say "We're even".

 

[WillS]

*Update: I texted her this morning and said we needed her to contact us about payment, no response. I then texted her about 10 minutes ago and said, the check was showing as fraudulent, we need payment, will be sending the technicians to the home to collect cash payment. I got a call from her 10 mins after sending it!!!

She said she doesn't know, didn't want to elaborate on the bank account, and now she wants us to come clean an additional area the dogs went to the bathroom in over thanksgiving and will pay us for that to she "said". She is putting cash in an envelope for us, but doesn't want the appointment til the end of the week. I told her we don't feel comfortable scheduling something without payment from prior job. She said well, think about it and call me back, and she gave me a new phone number saying her cricket one was turned off because she couldn't pay it yet.

Shit.

 

[WillS]

I'm wondering if by Thursday she is going to be moving and will leave us a note at the door when showing up, "Sorry Suckers"

 

[Desk Jockey]

Just stop by unexpectedly. Tell her you were in the neighborhood.

 

[bob vawter]

you've tried the nails in the driveway yet....
when you go there ..park in the street.........

 

[Becker]

Had a guy write my tech a counter check for $300.00 ( the guy was a walk up while getting gas, upscale home )

Came back, so I texted him, he said he would get me money by the weekend. I stated I would waive the $25 return check fee if he paid by the weekend.
Monday, no payment, so I text, hey....................
He sez he just transferred money to the account.
Well, my gut said confirm before redeposit.
I visit Well Fargo, the guy there told me, find this guy and get another form of payment and that's all I can say.

SO I text him.. Hmm closed account, he then tries to tell me well fargo closed it because his account number was stolen.

I told him my protocol is to file a report with the police.

I then drove to the local police station, 2 fold.

My GF texts, asks how my day is. I replay. At police station, might file a report if he does not make the check good, and also I'm going to renew my carry permit. Well, I get a text from him.. WHAT? I realize I texted him, not her. OPPPSSS.

His next text was a credit card number.
Cleared for $325.
He then texts, you better not run it for more or we are going to have a problem.

My god is all I could think.

And opps....

 

[NobleCarpetCleaners]

Contact your county office and ask about filing a contractors lean(if she's the owner on file). Here it costs around $35. If you can and its a reasonable fee it sticks on the property forever and here you can motion the courts to apply interest. After you file you can mail her a copy of the lean and a copy of the law that says she won't be able to clear escrow if she attempts to sell the property.

 

[hogjowl]

Report her to your local county attorney generals office. They claim to frown on bad checks. I think they do, because two very serious men in black suits interviewed me one time as I was coming out of a house next door to a guy they were looking for for bad check writing. I learned later that they got him and sent him away.

 

[Able 1]

Lean on the property is the best way to get your money.. I get a bad check once every three years, I just have my wife(used to be in collections) blow up their phone.. I gave up on the whole court system, way too much time involved.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

Likewise in KY the County Attorney gets pretty aggressive on fraudulent check writing.

That was no accident.

 

[dealtimeman]

Call police and file theft of services. Follow up with district attorney, and file a lien on property.

 

[ruff]

Not saying that he shouldn't, even if it is just for the satisfaction and stopping this from going unpunished.

How much work/time are we talking here, in doing all this filing?

 

[dealtimeman]

When you file a Lein on the property it ensure that "someday" you are going to get paid.

File a theft of services to document and attempt to protect your community from getting scammed again from this person.

District attorney just to burn the bad energy off from being screwed.

 

[Desk Jockey]

In light of recents posts and thinking better of my hasty posted comment I would like you to disregard the drive your van through the living room.

Yes, drive through the bedroom so they have no where to sleep.

 

[kingjoelking]

First of all you cant file a lien on the property unless the bad check writer owns it.

Second of all a bad check under $650 is a misdemeanor.

Third of all this is a forgery "The legal definition of forgery in Las Vegas, Nevada comprises, "false making, counterfeiting and the alteration, erasure or obliteration of a genuine instrument in whole or in part, the false making or counterfeiting of the signature of a party or witness, real or fictitious, and the placing or connecting together with intent to defraud, of different parts or the whole of several genuine instruments." (NRS 205.085)" so doesn't pertain to bad check laws. It's much worse.

 

[Able 1]

Varies from state to state, and city to city within your state..

 

[Lars]

Sorry to hear this... Trust is everything in our business. Customers trust us in their homes, with their valuables, to do a great job and then get burned by deceitful low lives who take advantage of our good nature...
I'm sure you can think of a few ways to return the kind gesture

 

[Mikey P]

I like the Donald's story.

send her a text that should have gone to your cousin Guido.



"yeah, she never paid and now has some BS story of wanting more work to delay the inevitable. So yes please go to her house and have a "talk" with her. But remember not to hurt the dog..."

 

[JS41035]

Let the county attorney handle it. DO NOT go to her home. These people that write bad checks know the drill. They are not the kind of people you want to be alone with. Losing 475 bucks may hurt. But having a crazed person make a false accusation against you or your tech will complicate your life a lot more than losing a couple hundred bucks will. I've been in the same situation. Never got my money but the woman ended up in prison.
I say file the paper work. Then write it off. Don't let them steal more from you by wasting time on collection. The woman that wrote the bad check to me had written HUNDREDS of them. I'm glad I didn't waste any more of my time and emotional energy.

 

[dealtimeman]

In Texas anyone who lawfully performed ordered services on any property can get a lein on said property. Just have to have your signed work order and make sure you did the work. Documentation is king.

 

[Zee]

DO NOT go to her home.
.

Nobody said she needs to know he came by. It could be at the time when she wasn't there....and could be that somehow her mail slot was open on the front door and a garden hose accidentally got stuck in there with 5 gallons per minute water entering onto the hardwood floors.

 

[Becker]

Nobody said she needs to know he came by. It could be at the time when she wasn't there....and could be that somehow her mail slot was open on the front door and a garden hose accidentally got stuck in there with 5 gallons per minute water entering onto the hardwood floors.

Run your life as if everyone has a drop cam.

 

[WillS]

Hoping today we are getting paid. She called yesterday when we were on the way to her home, as she asked us to come over because she would have the money, and said she now didn't have it. Said someone deposited money into the wrong bank account and she won't get it til tomorrow. Least I know she's not moving because I mentioned her land lords name (that I found through Property Assessor Records). She did say, we were threatening her and texted us and asked if we were angry? Crazy Town - just give us our money.

 

[John Olson]

Hoping today we are getting paid. She called yesterday when we were on the way to her home, as she asked us to come over because she would have the money, and said she now didn't have it. Said someone deposited money into the wrong bank account and she won't get it til tomorrow. Least I know she's not moving because I mentioned her land lords name (that I found through Property Assessor Records). She did say, we were threatening her and texted us and asked if we were angry? Crazy Town - just give us our money.

My Brother just got out of Indian Springs and needs a job want his number?

 

[SamIam]

Drive your van through their living room. Jump out and say "We're even".

Ya doofus send a teenager to bust a window when no ones home throw a hose in busted window and let her rip,

leave Chavez's card's all over for the mop up!

 

[SamIam]

John Olson" data-source="post: 4326652" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch">

My Brother just got out of Indian Springs and needs a job want his number?

Oh ya send the prison rat! thats what I would do! just kidding hope your bro does well.