Roger’s Trade Scam Alert

February
5, 2019

The Bay County Sheriff’s Office issued a scam alert today on a new scam in the Bay County area. 

There is an online ad for employment to a company named Roger’s Trade that is expanding out of Germany into the United States. The scammer promises new employees they will eventually receive a company credit card, but first new employees must use their personal credit card to purchase items for the company. In exchange Roger’s Trade claims they will first pay off existing credit card debt on the victim’s personal card. Then the victim is instructed to use their personal card for the additional purchases. 

When
the victim monitors their credit card balance and sees it appears as a zero
balance, they initiate purchases for the company. The purchases are usually
computers and electronic devices that the victim is instructed to ship to a U.
S. address. A few weeks later, the payment on the credit card is reversed and
the victim is left responsible to pay for the original credit card balance with
the added cost of the purchased items.

Sheriff
Tommy Ford warns the public to be wary of employment that requires the use of
their personal credit cards to make purchases for the new employer.

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Prepared
by H. Goodson

Information
by Inv. D. Rozier

Approved
by Chief J. Heape