So my friend did the idiot thing of actually believing this is true. Some woman who supposedly represented this company offered my friend a job to transfer some of the company's money to an overseas business in Moldova. So he opened up a bank account and the company put a big amount of money into the bank account. He did not give out his SSN. Now they want him to transfer that money to that other account overseas. Well he finally got suspicious and changed his mind and told the company he doesn't want to do it. So now he has this money in his account and the woman won't take it back because she wants him to complete the transaction. He refuses and actually called the police. The woman is now threatening to report this event to affect his credit. Can she do this? She is saying he breached the contract that he supposedly signed. (He says he signed it but is it legitimate?) He doesn't know what to do with this money. Can this woman do anything to him? What should he do now with the money in the account? Anyone ever have experience with this?

 

Cash out the money and run.

 

So, did somebody count up the number of federal laws that were broken here, let alone state money laundering laws? Depending on the extent of the laws broken and the wording of the contract that your worthless, moronic idiot of a friend signed, the contract may not be enforceable if it obviously seeks illegal conduct.

I doubt that she can file an adverse credit report-- your buddy did not buy anything and presumably is not a business, nor does his friend have his SSN.

Depending on his criminal record and negotiating skills, your buddy might be able to turn FBI/Treasury informant and thus avoid prison time.

He should worry more about someone dropping by his place, torturing him for the account info and then killing him rather than reporting him to Trans Union or Experian, but that's just me.

 

and give us a cut of the money.

 

My friend didn't do anything illegal. He still has the money in the account. He hasn't transferred it anywhere. He just needs to know what he should do with the money now. He will most likely call out this woman's bluff and just give the money back to her and close the account. Your thoughts?

 

Contact the FBI, give them all the info and see what they come back with, if we are talking more than $500 it becomes federal, but if he comes forward on his own and explaines the situation, sure he may get laughed at a little by the feds, but at the same time if it leads to the arrest of , oh let's say some terrorist money launder's I am sure the FBI will actually give him a comendation.

 

Do NOT do that since that would be considered laundering money and he will definitely get in trouble.

Call the authorities and have them deal with it.

The bank has all the info of your friend. If it was a LARGE sum of money, I would personally be afraid for my safety.

 

How does he even know what he is doing is illegal? Money is transferred from business in one country to a business in another country legally ALL THE TIME. Just because he "suspects" something doesn't make it illegal or that its a scam, although it very well could be.

but what justification does he have to suspect it is a scam?

 

there will soon be a bounty on your friend

 

Born yesterday?

 

Uhhh...your buddy opened up an account to receive funds from a foreign country and received said funds, knowing that they are to be sent to another country. Now, he is retaining said funds.
Mail fraud? Money Laundering? Theft? I'm sure the FBI, Treasury Dept and DHS will be able to provide cites to the appropriate federal statutes.

Businesses can wire money to each other's bank accounts all the time. How many businesses wire money to a foreign middle-man who is not a broker or lawyer to forward said money to a 3d foreign country for legal reasons?

 

 

Call the FBI, anything else is going to result in trouble.

 

Are you that dense or stuipd? I said it could very well be a scam, but based on the OP, there's nothing that explains why his friend thinks its a scam and I'm not as dense as you so would at least like a little bit of an explanation why his friend is "suspicious".

for all we know, this could be an arms transaction and he's the money middle-man in charge of getting the the funds to the arms dealers, or it could very well be a completely legit transaction and his friend is ILLEGALLY holding funds when he was contractually obligated to do the job he was paid for. Until the OP or his friend provides ANYKIND of details (purpose of the transaction, if there was any "shady" communication that made him feel suspicious, ANYTHING more), then I would be able to form an opinion, but otherwise I'm not jumping to any conclusions.

Again, there is not enough details from anything the OP wrote for me to form any kind of opinion...for all you know the OP's friend could very well be a lawyer or broker, or have experience in the finance or banking that would make him very qualified to do a job of transferring money overseas.

So all of you who think I was born yesterday can kiss my ass for trying to do some due diligence...I'm not jumping to conclusions based on SEVERELY LIMITED INFORMATION like you have and would rather ask more questions before giving any kind of suggestion.

 

 

The person who contacted him is most likely conducting something illegal, there is absolutely no reason for a company to hire an individual have said individual open a bank account and receive and transfer money to a foreign country.

 

+1

 

Well there's that and the fact that this complete stranger solicited the OP via email to offer him a "job" completely unsolicited...and when he agreed to do it the job turned out to be moving money.

Have him do NOTHING FURTHER and call the FBI immediately. This whole things sends up flags left and right. Let the FBI sort it out...

 

Can you give us about an estimate of about how much money this is?

 

I don't see anywhere in the OP that said anything about a "stranger" soliciting this guy. Was it actually by email or someone he knew personally or was acquainted with personally through someone else? Also, I don't see mention that it was through email, only that a lady offered him a job to do something.

What do you think the FBI's gonna do? Are they going to start an investigation without asking any questions just because this guy felt suspicious as the OP put? No, they're going to ask the same questions that I am asking, and more. How did he know this lady? What type of "business" did it involve? and most importantly, WHY does he feel suspicious?

I have my opinion, and yes, it sounds shady based on NO INFORMATION except that the guy felt "suspicious", but when did asking questions (which is all I've done) to get a better understanding of the situation before giving any kind of suggestion mean that I was born yesterday? But I guess the simple act of asking questions will cause a lot of you guys to jump to conclusions that the person asking was born yesterday. I guess that's why society and the economy is in the tank...people didn't like asking questions and signed up for shit they never should have gotten into, whether it be a scam or a bad mortgage or whatever.

 

I don't think most of us were making fun of you at all, and lucky's post was acerbic, but not to the point of ridiculing your methodology.
However, I think I have enough information to support my conclusions, as follows. The 1st post has this info:

OP's friend was offered a job, the only function of which was to serve as a conduit for wire transfer of funds.
If OP's friend was a lawyer, banker, broker (or even accountant) or some legitimate middleman, the post would not have used the last sentence I quoted, and OP's friend would not have contacted the cops-- friend is clearly operating off the books and out of his field of expertise.

Now, I do not know of any legitimate enterprise involving the moving of money in which unfamiliar 3d parties are paid to be middlemen or conduits without added value. Maybe I just fell off the turnip truck and hit my head too hard, but I can only think of enterprises which are illegal under US (but maybe not Moldovan) law, so my conclusion is that OP's friend is 1) an idiot and 2) has broken some laws, for which he may not be prosecuted if he helps the Feds now.

 

Ok here is some more info. My friend was contacted through CareerBuilder. We are talking about thousands of dollars. He actually talked to a lawyer today and filed a report with the FBI through their website. Also, he contacted the bank and told them what happened. Apparently, the account was frozen by a bank representative before my friend even contacted them. He also found out that an additional savings account was opened under his name and some random guy he has never heard of. This is crazy. How did these people go ahead and open an additional account without his persmission? I think he has all the right parties informed of this situation.

 

Ooooh shit...
It sounds like there is an inside man(or woman) with the bank- not necessarily at that branch, but in the bank's system, if your friend really did not give any SSN or DOB to the "Moldovan" business directly or through CareerBuilder.

I highly recommend your buddy do fraud alerts on himself through all the credit reporting agencies NOW!

 

How much money is it?

 

Man, I know times are getting tough but damn, no excuse to leave common sense at the door.

I hope your boy goes to the FEDS before the other party decides to. I think he's screwed either way IMO.

 

Ok I am not sure if certain people read responses. I already said he filed a report through the FBI. I think he took all the precautionary measures he could. He talked to a lawyer. He filed a report. The bank has frozen all accounts. They are doing more research into the accounts for him. Right now its out of his hands. He dones all he can. I think he will be fine.

 

lol.. your friend is crazy. Cant believe he/she went along with this to begin with.. but the right thing was done.. contacted the FBI and told the bank whats up... better to have given up the info on your own than to have the feds come in and find out.

your friend better watch his/her back though... what if it was Mexican mafia?

 

Wow. Good luck to your friend. That is some shit.