Madison County Sheriff's deputies have uncovered a scam that has been targeting home based businesses after deputies investigated a suspicious order that was received from a home and internet based business in Cazenovia.

Here’s how the scam works:

- The vendor was contacted via email with an order totaling $214.00, wanting it
shipped to an address in New York City.

- The person sending the email identified herself as Anna Pamela. In the email,
she explains she is deaf and unable to use a credit card.

- The vendor responds to Anna stating she can send a check, and the product will
be shipped once the check clears the vendor’s bank.

- Anna replies stating her boss will be sending her the check direct as she has not
been paid, then contacts the vendor a short time later indicating her boss will be
sending the check to cover the order via FedEx, then provides a tracking
number.

- Anna sends another email a day later saying her boss made a mistake and sent
her entire paycheck to the vendor (in the amount of $1999.89), not $214.00 for
the order, and asks the vendor to cash the check, mail the product out at once,
and send her the difference the same day.

The address provided by Anna Pamela in New York City does not exist. The company
who represents Pamela’s “boss” is identified on the bogus check as Toy Industries
Association, Inc., with an address on Broadway in New York City. The check is allegedly
to be drawn on Wells Fargo Bank. The return address on the FedEx envelope is from
Colorado. Images are attached to this release, with names being redacted.

Madison County Sheriff Allen Riley reminds the public to be constantly vigilant to these
types of scams and fraudulent activities as the scammers will resort to any tactic to obtain
money.

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