Tweet
When several timeshare owners received phone calls offering them compensation from a man who claimed to be the chief of the U.S. Department of Justice's fraud section, it seemed like a windfall.
But there was a catch.
The caller said that if they did not want to come to court in Tallahassee to pick up the cash in person, they would have to send a deposit of 10 percent in advance by Western Union.
The caller – who falsely claimed he was the fraud crimes chief – said that the people were entitled to restitution of between $3,280 and $4,180 as a result of a court action against several fraudulent timeshare listing companies.
The victims, who live in Connecticut, Texas and Washington, D.C., said they recognized the names of some of the companies because they had paid them to try to sell timeshares they owned. They received the calls in February 2013 and some of them arranged to send cash to a man named William Mattern.
On Wednesday, federal agents arrested Mattern, 63, of West Palm Beach, on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
Investigators from the U.S. Postal Service Inspection Service said Mattern was one of several people involved in a conspiracy to rip off timeshare owners.
Mattern, who appeared in federal court in West Palm Beach on Thursday, has not yet indicated if he will fight the charges or not. He is being held without bond at least until a detention hearing on his case next week.
Investigators said they found evidence, including store security video footage, that Mattern picked up about 30 of the money transfers – worth an estimated $9,682 – in 2012 and 2013 at stores in Palm Beach County.
By Paula McMahon, Sun Sentinel
6:26 p.m. EDT, August 7, 2014
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/pal...,5223337.story
But there was a catch.
The caller said that if they did not want to come to court in Tallahassee to pick up the cash in person, they would have to send a deposit of 10 percent in advance by Western Union.
The caller – who falsely claimed he was the fraud crimes chief – said that the people were entitled to restitution of between $3,280 and $4,180 as a result of a court action against several fraudulent timeshare listing companies.
The victims, who live in Connecticut, Texas and Washington, D.C., said they recognized the names of some of the companies because they had paid them to try to sell timeshares they owned. They received the calls in February 2013 and some of them arranged to send cash to a man named William Mattern.
On Wednesday, federal agents arrested Mattern, 63, of West Palm Beach, on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
Investigators from the U.S. Postal Service Inspection Service said Mattern was one of several people involved in a conspiracy to rip off timeshare owners.
Mattern, who appeared in federal court in West Palm Beach on Thursday, has not yet indicated if he will fight the charges or not. He is being held without bond at least until a detention hearing on his case next week.
Investigators said they found evidence, including store security video footage, that Mattern picked up about 30 of the money transfers – worth an estimated $9,682 – in 2012 and 2013 at stores in Palm Beach County.
By Paula McMahon, Sun Sentinel
6:26 p.m. EDT, August 7, 2014
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/pal...,5223337.story
easy graft money. Bruce F. Czajkowski
Comment