Virginia Beach Woman Falls Victim to Craigslist Job Scam

The Law Firm of Michael S. Weisberg, P.C. would like to alert Virginia residents to the fact that online scams have become increasingly more common in recent years as more people are using the Internet to communicate, shop and obtain information. Most of us are able to spot fake lottery and inheritance scams that are sent to our inboxes, but most of us wouldn’t expect to be scammed while looking for work. Unfortunately, that is precisely what happened to one Virginia Beach woman earlier this month.

According to news reports, Cidlaly Holbrook, a resident of Virginia Beach, regularly used the popular website Craigslist to find new cleaning jobs. One person recently responded to one of her advertisements and requested cleaning services for a six-month period. They agreed to pay Ms. Holbrook $400.00 a week and even offered to send the payment to Ms. Holbrook in advance. Ms. Holbrook was excited about the opportunity.

When Ms. Holbrook received a check for nearly $2,900, there were instructions attached to it that directed her to cash the check, keep a portion of the money and send the remaining portion to the person’s alleged “landlord” for the purpose of paying for repairs that needed to be completed. Ms. Holbrook complied with the instructions and received a call from her bank a few days later stating that the check was fake. Ms. Holbrook is now on the hook for paying the $2,900 back to the bank. Local police authorities are reportedly looking into the case.

Local residents can protect themselves from becoming the victims of online scams by following a few simple guidelines when conducting business online. You should never wire money via Western Union, Moneygram or any other type of wire transfer service as most requests for payment using this method have been identified as scams. Also, you should avoid cashing third-party checks and sending the cash to the requester. Finally, you should never give out personal or financial information such as bank account numbers or Social Security numbers unless you can verify that the requester is a bona fide business or financial institution.

If you have received any communication that you suspect might be a scam or if you have been the victim of an online scam, you should alert the local authorities as soon as possible. You should also alert your bank and credit card providers that you have been the victim of a financial scam, which may have compromised your financial accounts. This action may prevent additional financial loss.