GOLDEN, Colo.—
You hear about Coloradans becoming victims of on-line scams everyday. But you don't often hear about the victim getting even.That's what Amberay Synder is trying to do.
She had put an ad on Craigslist to sell her futon. She immediately got contacted by a man with the screen name "Harvey Goldfarb." He told her he wanted to buy the $200 futon, but then he sent her a check for $2200 to cover the cost of shipping, he claimed.
"He kept saying are you going to cash the check over and over again."
Amberay, who's been scammed online before, knew right away something wasn't right.
She did her homework and discovered the catch.
"The check was real, but the routing number was fake. He's stealing money from people with fake checks," she said.
Amberay decided to confront "Harvey" through an online chat room. It wasn't long before he not only admitted the crime, but asked Amberay to join him.
"He said 'do you want to make some money with me?'," Amberay told us.
Amberay pretended to go along with it and, in the meantime, contacted the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office. A deputy took a report but spokesperson Jim Shires says, "Because the crime is likely being committed by someone out of state, it is a federal crime."
The case has been referred to the Secret Service.
But that hasn't stopped Amberay from chatting with the criminal in attempt to gather as much information as she can. And it seems to be working.
On Tuesday, she received a UPS package from "Harvey" with all the software and blank checks she needs to commit the same crime.
She's hoping the UPS tracking number will help authorities find "Harvey" and arrest him.
"I believe its karma," she said.
