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I didn't want to come here but I
couldn't ask mrs. Washburn to drive all
the way back into town just to hear more
bad news your daughter's suggested
meeting them halfway and this place was
it the stock they sold you is basically
worthless either the companies don't
exist or they've never heard a low and
michael Chiesa should have known better
I started getting these investment
offers in the mail shortly after my
husband died and I should have done my
due diligence before sending them any
money at all these crooks are very
slickness Washburn they target seniors
with mailing lists lottery sweepstakes
once they get your information they
don't give up have you arrested these
criminal champ I mean even if you can't
recover any of my money I would like the
satisfaction of knowing that they're
going to pay for their actions it's a
bit more complicated than that low and
Michael's is what we call a boiler room
basically if bank of phones and con men
they've set up shop in Canada to make it
hardest prosecute would be very helpful
if we could get access to your phone
records I'm sure I don't have any
problem with that however I have caller
ID on all the phones at home and I don't
remember ever seeing a call that came
from outside the country usually the
calls are routed to switchers here in
the US
or they use prepaid cellphones or
calling card they do the same with the
mail so you never see foreign postmark
see how clever of them my husband always
handled all of our investments perhaps I
should have hired somebody after
investments we're so small especially in
the beginning and I guess I wanted to
think that I could do it on my own it's
difficult watching someone when they
realize that they've been taken I could
imagine Doris Washburn sitting alone in
her house it's just starting to realize
that her husband was really gone then
the phone rang and it's a nice young man
asking if she'd had a chance to read the
prospectus that she'd received in the
mail she probably explained that she
hadn't had time since her husband had
only recently passed away the con man
were then stop talking about investments
all together it's been some story about
losing his and her sister they might
have talked for an hour or more without
him ever once asking for money by the
comment hung up gorse Washburn might
have thought she made a new friend the
next time he called she'd be happy to
make a small investment is there
anything else you can recall that might
help us be to anyone else besides
Matthew rain yes I spoke to his
supervisor on at least two occasions and
if anything was even more charming than
mr. rain remember you always ask how my
daughter was holding up
oh honey I believe his first name was
Richards or Richardson something like
that I know I haven't written down at
home I'm very careful about taking good
notes I believe his first name was
parked car creatures are Richard Hart
Richardson Mark Richardson I'll need to
get your notes today Doris all right
we're going to get to the bottom of this
calm it couldn't be we busted a boiler
room operator named park Richardson just
before my father died three years ago
this is exactly the type of scam he used
to run hold up on that one George you
might I have my own mother in that stock
George got it hey Marshall park
Richardson is still locked up Richardson
it's not the guy that was running that
investment scam via when your father's
friends mixed up I'm working a u.s.
Canadian cross-border case said it might
make extradition would I we check with
the marshals do about 20 minutes ago it
didn't take long to find out park
Richardson was released from prison four
months ago while he was inside the join
you must pick up some new tricks it's
gotten good at finding and busting
boiler rooms in the US so their newest
wrinkle is taking their operations
across the water sometimes the Canada
Latin America for an offshore island but
as fast as they can change their tactics
so can we the phone Buster's national
call center is a Canadian telemarketing
fraud complaint organization
we now routinely work with Canada on
cross-border fraud schemes through I
called one of my contacts there and gave
them all i had on low and michaels and
my suspicions about Park Richardson's
burger two days later an e-mail brings
me a passport photo of a man named Park
Richard who's in Canada on a tourist
visa yeah photo confirms our guy knowing
the city he's in help and within a few
days Canadian law enforcement has
tracked down the location of the boiler
room in Montreal takes time for the
Canadians to build their case get the
warrants make the arrest but I don't
mind waiting the look on Park Richardson
space is going to make it all worthwhile
you can't keep me here I'm an American
citizen I demand to speak to someone
with the US Embassy like Tonto just this
is all just a big mistake I
misunderstanding French which thing you
guys have Park Richardson remember me at
your trial I told you should try a new
line of work this one has too many
occupational hazard for system no matter
what they think I've done here it
happened in Canada so none of your
business except your victims are in the
US and you use the US mail to get them
that makes it my business because I look
this is all just a big mistake I just
came to help a friend of mine start up a
small company nothing that is even in my
name we're extradite in you can u.s.
space mail fraud charges plenty of time
to sort it all out about 10 years let's
go
see in court
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thanks to our partnerships with Canada
Park Richardson is now serving a 10-year
sentence for mail fraud effective law
enforcement within the US has driven
these criminals across borders in an
effort to hide their crime what u.s.
Canadian cross border task forces are
helping to stop these crimes prevention
is still the best medicine consumer
should be aware that there's an
increasing trend for fraud schemes to
operate outside the US modern travel
communications and the Internet make it
even easier for these crooks to prey on
you you can help protect yourself with
some simple steps one if an offer seems
too good to be true it probably is
beware of anything that promises large
sums of money sweepstakes or lottery
winnings in exchange for your advanced
payment donation or investment to don't
allow yourself to be pressured into
making a decision consult with your
financial advisor Better Business Bureau
family member or trusted friend or your
consumer protection bureau before
deciding to act 3 remember the
legitimate businesses will never object
you asking questions they're also happy
to provide references beware of anyone
who tries to conceal their mailing
address telephone number or evades
questions about their operations or be
aware that if you respond to even one of
these offers your name will likely be
added to a mooch list by these criminals
these are mailing lists similar to those
used by legitimate businesses attract
people who've fallen for these scams in
the past they're bought and sold as part
of these underground enterprises 5 be
cautious if a company insists on using a
commercial wire transfer service to send
money it's often impossible to verify
the actual destination where the money
will be picked up making the receiver of
the money to
Colton trace always pay by credit card
or postal money order and if you think
you've been the victim of fraud you need
to report it these reports are vital in
helping to track down these criminal
operations especially if they're
operating outside the United States you
can contact your local postal inspector
in the phone book or on our website at
usps.com / postal inspectors
cross-border fraud can be a world of
trouble for its victims make sure that
you're not one of them the United States
Postal Inspection Service would like to
recognize our partners in law
enforcement for their efforts in
combating cross-border frauds these
include project Colts in Montreal the
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Toronto strategic partnership project
mtor in vancouver the alberta
partnership against cross-border fraud
in calgary the vancouver strategic
alliance and the atlantic partnership in
halifax these task forces target
criminals in canada who operate
fraudulent foreign lotteries price
promotions sweepstakes advanced payment
loans credit card and internet scam the
phone busters national call center
assist these partnerships in
investigating and prosecuting criminals
who commit cross-border and
telemarketing fraud our ability to
protect us consumer is greatly enhanced
by these partnerships and we are
grateful for their cooperation
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