LITTLETON, Colo. - Chris Sullivan runs his business from his home office in Jefferson county. A recent call from his business partner came with some alarming news.
“It was a complete surprise. I was completely shocked. I got a phone call from my business partner. She said someone just called and they’re supposed to start as your assistant today. I didn’t hire anybody, so it was really a big shock,” said Sullivan.
The scammers built a realistic webpage that includes accurate information about Sullivan, his biography, his professional history and a similar version of his company’s name.
"It's my picture; it's my bio. It's legitimate -- the information on there, other than we aren't looking to hire. But everything that is on there about me is real,” said Sullivan.
Sandra Kosanin is the one who applied for the job, which was posted on Craigslist. But she quickly realized it was all a scam.
Kosanin, who lives in Miami Beach, said she found it odd that she was being pressured into accepting a job she didn’t find fitting and only talked to those trying to hire her by text message.
“That was already weird, because usually they email me and tell me about the job, and I go for interviews,” said Kosanin.
Here’s how she was told it would work.
The company would send her a check, and she would remove money from her account and deposit it into other accounts that were given to her by the company.
Kosanin said she was told she could deposit the check to pay her back, but it was only after the transfer, and the five-day waiting period set forth by the bank, that she realized the check was fake.
“I don't know why the bank couldn't see that it was a fake check. That's what really bothers me, because they should have seen it already, you know? It's a bank!" said Kosanin.
Sullivan was told by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office that there are a lot of scams going around like this, but because he didn’t have sensitive personal information stolen, there’s nothing the sheriff’s office can do.
“Talk to someone if you’re going to take a job. Make sure there’s a voice behind that or an office, and I would never take money. If it’s too good to be true, it’s too good,” said Sullivan.
