Make it known that this is a scam. If you have a website, post a link to this one. If you frequently post in discussion forums, put a link in your signature. Tell your friends about it. If you work for a media outlet, consider running a story on this long-running fraud.
Phil McDonnell from the real MacFanatic told me that he still gets a lot of email from confused people who are wondering what happened to their orders. It's sad. If these victims only had found this site earlier!
One of the pivotal points is the bank that receives all the money for Dennis Charalambides. If the bank would cooperate with the FBI, we would have a real chance. But big institutions like Bank of America are complacent. Just because a few people complain, they won't do anything. But what if hundreds of people complain?
Call the bank, tell them what you as a customer think about their role in this scam and ask them to contact and cooperate with the FBI! Sure, the FBI has been contacted before, but it's unclear if they ever did anything. A big bank like BofA has more clout than a few individuals. Here's all the info you need:
Bank of America |
ABA Routing #: 125000024 Account Name: Dennis Charalambides Account #: 72593858 Swift account : BOFAUS3NWDC Bank code : FW125000024 |
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| Mon - Thu: Fri: Sat: |
9:00am to 5:00pm 9:00am to 6:00pm 10:00am to 1:00pm |
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| All times are PST (US West Coast) | ||
Unfortunately, several people have contacted the local branch already, but apparently no action has been taken. Who knows, at the end someone there may even be involved in this scam? If you want to take your complaint a step higher, the best bet is probably to write an old-fashioned paper letter directly to Mr. Taylor, the President of Consumer and Commercial Banking at corporate headquarters:
Bank of America |
Of course he won't answer you personally, but at least the case will hopefully get some more attention. Depending on your situation in this case — victim, BofA customer, concerned observer — here are some tips you may use for writing the letter:
Don't whine about your loss. Don't ask them to return your money. They couldn't legally do that without a court order and if you make unreasonable demands, they will just throw your letter away. (You may get money back if the FBI catches the guy and he gets convicted. We're doing the first step here: trying to get an FBI investigation started) Instead, write it with the bank in mind. They are concerned about their reputation. They don't want to be associated with crime and fraud. They don't want to lose customers. So,
Keep the whole thing short and concise. Executives are busy people and don't wanna read lengthy pamphlets.
I also tried for over three hours to find a general main switchboard number for their corporate headquarter in Charlotte. All I could find were numbers for a consumer branch office at that location and several 1-800 consumer service numbers. After trying out several of them, I think the best one would be 1-800-432-1000. When they ask for your access ID, press 0, then they will ask which type of person you would like to speak with. Press 6 for others. It will probably not get you very far though. The phone reps don't have a standard way to deal with this issue and will just try to appease you somehow.
Alternatively, you can send them an email here. But again, it won't go far either. I tried that and only got a form letter response referring me to the customer service phone number. Incidentially, I found a nice essay on "Turboing Customer Service Calls" on the real MacWhiz website. Maybe it helps you.
It has been done before, but with the rampant growth of internet crime recently, they may be more busy hunting virus writers and disregard this case as just another one of those hit-and-run style scams you often find on eBay. Whatever the reason, Mr. Charalambides has only grown bolder over time. Unfortunately, it seems like even some victims don't bother to file a complaint. But only if your voices are loud enough will you be heard!
The IFCC is the arm of the FBI dealing with Internet fraud. File a complaint even if you are not directly affected. You could've been the next victim! Emphasize that this is a long-running operation and give them all the information you have (there's plenty on this site).
You can also contact the Washington State Attorney General and voice your concerns as tax-paying citizen about this ongoing crime. A complaint to the Better Business Bureau is also a good idea.