One of the men behind a multi-million dollar moving scam in Chicago was recently sentenced to prison.
This scam was first reported by NBC 5 Responds four years ago.
Prosecutors said employees of the moving company, operating under the name “New City Moves,” stole more than $3 million from more than 800 customers, many in the Chicago area.
Earlier this month, Andre Prince, a senior sales representative at the company, was sentenced to two years in prison for his role. Prince and a customer service representative were convicted of wire fraud conspiracy. The other employee was awaiting sentencing Monday.
Meanwhile, the business owner has fled while awaiting trial and is considered a fugitive, according to prosecutors.
Here’s how prosecutors say the scam worked:
First, “New City Moves” chose a name that was very similar to a Chicago company with a 4.2-star rating from the Better Business Bureau called “New City Moving.” It was only three letters off, which was enough to fool many customers into hiring this fake company.
According to federal prosecutors, Prince posted fake online reviews and offered customers rock-bottom prices over the phone. But once the items were in the moving trucks, customers were forced to pay sometimes triple the original quote to get their belongings back. The FBI and prosecutors said the company also operated under the names “Great Moving USA,” “Green Movers,” “Cross Country Moving And Storage” and “Movers Consulting.”
If you have been the victim of a similar scam, you can file a complaint with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
