evrita
02-17-2004, 05:02 PM
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4282968/
NH pair arrested in eBay scamBy KATHRYN MARCHOCKI, Union Leader Staff
The Union Leader
Updated: 11:46 p.m. ET Feb. 16, 2004Feb. 17 - Two Lyndeborough residents are accused of defrauding eBay shoppers of thousands of dollars by not delivering on items such as laptop computers that they posted for sale.
Lyndeborough police arrested Robert A. McDonald, 23, and Melinda Smith, 18, on felony charges at their 259 Purgatory Falls Road home yesterday morning after executing a search warrant there, Police Chief James W. Basinas said.
The chief said computer fraud appears to be on the rise, noting his department currently is involved in another, unrelated eBay fraud investigation.
"I'm starting to see it a little more and more now," the 15-year veteran officer said.
Yesterday's arrests cap a four-month investigation into complaints from eBay shoppers from Florida, Alabama and New Hampshire who claimed they sent checks for items posted for sale on eBay, but never received them, the chief said.
McDonald and Smith allegedly kept a Lyndeborough post office box, Basinas said.
After speaking with victims and monitoring activities, police obtained search and arrests warrants from Milford District Court, he said.
Police executed the search warrant at 7 a.m. They seized two computers, business documents and electronic equipment, such as cell phones and digital cameras, Basinas said.
"We are cloning all the (computer) hard drives and taking all the information off the computers that have been seized," Basinas said.
McDonald is charged with theft by deception and failure to register as a convicted sex offender. Smith is charged with criminal liability theft by deception.
McDonald's probation was revoked. He is being held at Hillsborough County jail in Manchester for 72 hours in connection with the charges, Basinas said. Smith is being held on high cash bail, he said.
Both will be arraigned later this month in Milford District Court.
NH pair arrested in eBay scamBy KATHRYN MARCHOCKI, Union Leader Staff
The Union Leader
Updated: 11:46 p.m. ET Feb. 16, 2004Feb. 17 - Two Lyndeborough residents are accused of defrauding eBay shoppers of thousands of dollars by not delivering on items such as laptop computers that they posted for sale.
Lyndeborough police arrested Robert A. McDonald, 23, and Melinda Smith, 18, on felony charges at their 259 Purgatory Falls Road home yesterday morning after executing a search warrant there, Police Chief James W. Basinas said.
The chief said computer fraud appears to be on the rise, noting his department currently is involved in another, unrelated eBay fraud investigation.
"I'm starting to see it a little more and more now," the 15-year veteran officer said.
Yesterday's arrests cap a four-month investigation into complaints from eBay shoppers from Florida, Alabama and New Hampshire who claimed they sent checks for items posted for sale on eBay, but never received them, the chief said.
McDonald and Smith allegedly kept a Lyndeborough post office box, Basinas said.
After speaking with victims and monitoring activities, police obtained search and arrests warrants from Milford District Court, he said.
Police executed the search warrant at 7 a.m. They seized two computers, business documents and electronic equipment, such as cell phones and digital cameras, Basinas said.
"We are cloning all the (computer) hard drives and taking all the information off the computers that have been seized," Basinas said.
McDonald is charged with theft by deception and failure to register as a convicted sex offender. Smith is charged with criminal liability theft by deception.
McDonald's probation was revoked. He is being held at Hillsborough County jail in Manchester for 72 hours in connection with the charges, Basinas said. Smith is being held on high cash bail, he said.
Both will be arraigned later this month in Milford District Court.