Asheboro, NC asked in Federal Crimes, Gov & Administrative Law and International Law for North Carolina

Q: Can international law enforcement set up a sting operation on a wire scam pick up?

I recently fell victim to an online dating/wire scam. I contacted my local authorities to file a police report and Western Union to file a fraud report. I have no legitimate address, phone number, or name to track the perpetrator. Is it possible for international law enforcement to set up a sting operation for a money pick up from the suspect? All of the pick ups have occurred in the same location and there are 21 pick up locations. Is it possible to catch this person in the act and claim restitution?

1 Lawyer Answer

A: You are asking the wrong people. This is a board for legal questions. You are asking a law enforcement question. Contact the police.

But, I will tell you that on-line scams are very interesting to the FBI. The problem is that the email locations are often untraceable and land someplace where enforcement is unlikely, like Russia or some African countries. Your local FBI office might be interested if you have an address in the US where they might catch one of these guys.

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