Craigslist.com
Complaint 80958 Details

I had recently listed an antique sewing machine on Craigslist.com and asked $150.00 for it. I was contacted by Jim Wuertz using the email address: [email protected]. He expressed interest in the item, and told me he was out of state and would be contacting his secretary to send the payment. He didn't seem concerned with the price of the item, but was very insistent that I keep $100 of the funds he was sending via UPS or Fedex for my time and trouble and running around. He asked for my complete mailing address, the name to be put on the payment/check and my cell phone #. I asked repeatedly for his contact information and was politely ignored. He never provided me with anything other than his email address. I was leery, so provided my work address rather than my home address.

He sent an email on Feb. 25th indicating that payment had been delivered did I go to the bank immediately and send his money right away. He wanted it sent to his shipper via Western Union. His actual email is below:

Good News,The payment has already been delivered to you this
morning...If should there be any delay with its delivery please call
the Fedex on phone Here is tracking number.www.fedex.com
(793268206241)** to find out the where about of the payment ....,Now
you have the check i will like you to take the check to your Bank and
have it cashed immedialtely or deposit it into your bank account and
withdrawn the shipping funds.You will deduct the cost of the purchase
out of the cash,$100 for your runing around,$20 for the transport fees
to transfer the remaining money to the shipper via Western Union Money
Transfer today.Here is the shipper information to send the money to
via Western Union or Money Gram Money Transfer.....................


Reciever's Name..... Debra Lynette Clift
Address.......... 14 Victoria Drive
City......... Sandwich
State.........IL
Zip Code........60548



As soon as you have everything done,I will need the details of the
transfer once you have sent fund . . .
1.The MTCN or REFERENCE
2.Sender's name and address used in sending the money
3.Actual amount sent.

Please pay off the Transfer charges from the remaining fund after you
must have deducted your money and the $100 that is to cover the cost
of your run around and Extra $20 for the Gas fees.Kindly locate a
Western Union store close to
address from their website
http://www.westernunion.com/info/agentLocator.asp?country=global
Please also email me the best time you want my mover to come for the
pick up at your location today and your map quest for easy way for the
mover to know your house asap...*** pay off the transfer charges from
the excess fund that is going to shipping company.

I responded that I hadn't received the check yet, and would let him know when I had. I received it on Monday, Feb. 27th and it was for $2500.00! Never, had he indicated the dollar amount he was sending, so this really surprised me. I also received 2 emails (1 from him, and 1 from his wife Renee Hernandez) inquiring about why I hadn't contacted them or cashed it yet, they seemed desperate for the funds to be moved quickly.

Upon further examination of the check it would appear to be a photocopy of a check on some security paper stock. I happen to work in the printing industry, and deal with security documents on a regular basis, so I could recognize the lack of "printing" involved in his check. I also noticed that the check was not from Jim Wuertz, nor signed by him, but was from the Alfa Laval Aalborge company in Mirimar, FL - with the JP Morgan Chase Bank of Houston, TX and it was mailed in an envelope from a company in St. Cloud, MN called Schoenberg Kosel & Hjort......nothing was adding up. I contacted my local police department and district attorney's office with the matter and have notified Jim Wuertz that his attempt at fraud was caught.

I've also reached out to the company whose Fedex account is being used, to notify them that their Fedex account # is being used without their knowledge.