Complaint Review: Lekha Wireless Solutions Pvt. Ltd. - Internet

Lekha Wireless Solutions Pvt. Ltd. was looking for a Data Entry Clerk/Administrative Assistant on OregonLive.com Jobs, and I applied to it. I did check out their website. It is http://www.lekhawireless.com I did not receive a response until a few days later (Feb. 27th). Lisa Hook (Human Resources) told me to use Yahoo IM to chat to Mr. Alexander Vandett (also goes by Christopher), the Hiring Manager at 8:00 A.M. my time. I was expecting it to be a video chat, but instead we typed the whole time. His e-mail is [email protected] and his Yahoo IM user name is mralexandervandett.

With our first chat, he told me to expect a $2,530 check in the mail from FedEx (even though it was sent through UPS) and he told me to deposit it. The address I received the check from was Georgiana O Brennan Georgiana Inc. 20739 Rosebay, CT Mississippi S. MS 39702-0150. With the check I received, I also got a note from Mrs. Lisa Banks from the payment department, informing me to e-mail her with how the funds were used, the exact amount used and whom I ordered or got the materials from. Her e-mail is [email protected]

I deposited the check, and it was confirmed as fraud. I stayed blind to it and made excuses about the bank, thinking that they labeled it as that because it was a large amount of money and also thinking it would go through by next week. The other part is I just really absolutely wanted to start working instead of being unemployed and feeling completely useless. This money from the check was going to be used to pay the vendor. He wanted me to cash the money in and then do a transfer through Western Union. When I informed him about the fraud check, he told me to wait while he questioned the accountant. He came back and said the accountant told him the check was good as cash and we should wait to see what would happen once the check processes. That was his own words.

While still chatting with him about it, he then asked me if I could get a hold of $790 to buy a time tracker from a vendor so we could start my temporary training. This is where I stupidly told him I had another bank (I use it for only for my future savings and for emergency) and I could do it. So I reluctantly took out $1,000 and transferred the money through Western Union to the vendor Tyrone Battle (Aikens, SC 29801).

Two days later, he told me I needed to transfer some more money over to the same vendor to pay for the rest of it. Being desperate as I was to start the job, I stupidly did it. I sent over another $3,400 to this vendor through Western Union. Was I worried about not getting my money back? Heck yes, and I mentioned it to him, but of course, he promised me I would be fully reimbursed, and I stupidly fell for it. He even called me to reassure me. The contractor's number used was 1-561-283-8435. He has also texted me. The number used was 111-044-0604. The second one is obviously not a telephone number and it is hooked up to something else so he can't be traced. Im assuming it was made through the Yahoo IM Call.

The day after, he asked me to take out even more money. He wanted me to withdraw another $3,500 to pay the vendor for materials I was going to need for my job. I was becoming extremely uncomfortable but reluctantly went to the bank. Hey, I was desperate at the time to be employed. Desperate people do stupid things. Yup, that would be me, Miss Extremely Desperate and Stupid. Arriving at the bank and asking for more money, the banker seemed to be very bothered by how much I have been taking out these past few days, and they made me talk to them about my situation. Once I described it, they told me they think it was a scam, yet I was still wanting to be blind about it and thought it was just to buy supplies from the vendor. What harm was to be done? I just really wanted to start my job, so I was going to use my own money just to speed the process up. He did promise me reimbursement. I mean, a promise is a promise, right? I really wanted to get cash to do the transfer yet I also really did not want to lose any more money. I smartly decided to not do the transfer.

While driving home, I thought about it while also yelling profane words and insults at myself. How could I be so stupid, especially when the first clue was the fraud check? Finally, I got my brain back and common sense in place. I am extremely thankful for the employee at the bank who made me stop and think twice. If they haven't done this for me, I would have been out by another $3,500. Ouch.

I came back to chat with this Mr. Alexander Vandett, to tell him I did not have the funds. He was frustrated with me and he kept being extremely persistent about withdrawing the money and sending it to the vendor. He told me repeatedly I could not be reimbursed at all until all of the money was paid off. I told him I did not have the funds and I wish I had a moneytree. This pissed him off. He did not respond for the rest of the day.

Since my wake up call, I started seeing the fraud signs clearly. I can't believe I did not see such obvious signs before. I am highly embarrassed. I felt like there was a large bright arrow pointed at me with the label FREAKIN IDIOT attached to it. I felt like the laughing stock of the world. :(

The next day I asked him to send me a copy of the expense reimbursement policy. Several minutes later, I received an e-mail from Mr. John Dineen, one of the reimbursement officers, who sent me the reimbursement form. I filled it out and re-sent it back. I asked for $3,500. The e-mail used was [email protected]. He also has another e-mail, [email protected] I looked up the address that was on the form. It said 111 2nd Avenue N.E. St. Petersburg, FL 33701. I checked out the address on the internet, and it is a site for Sab Caf.

I told Mr. Vandett thank you for the form, but I still needed to see the companys expense reimbursement policy.  When he sent it to me and I read the policy, I saw it said nothing about having to pay the vendor fully before receiving a reimbursement. I wrote them an e-mail describing how much I have already sent and how I wanted a full reimbursement of $3,500 back before I did any more money transactions. I also told them I did not have to pay the vendor fully before receiving a reimbursement because it was not in the policy.

When we chatted again the next day, he said he received my e-mail and talked to the accounting department. He gave me bad news and told me there was nothing he could do about it until I paid the vendor in full. I was already prepared for this and immediately told him about how there was no policy about paying the vendor fully to receive any reimbursement. I asked him again to send it. He responded by saying they can only send a reimbursement once. I told him I understood and I told him I would be willing to receive a full reimbursement of only $3,500 and I understood I would not get the rest back. He obviously did not like my response, because he then again did not respond to me for an extremely long time. Once he finally responded, he told me he was taking to the head department. I think he was lying.

Seriously, I just really needed them to send me that amount, and then I would still have lost $1,100, which is still a lot, but I would rather lose the $1,100 than the $3,500.

When the check finally processed, it came out as fraud. I traveled to the bank and told them it was a fraud from a job scam. They were not very helpful though, since it had already gone through, they told me they could not do anything about it, including the bounce back fee. So much for that.

I am extremely happy I was smart enough to at least archive all of the Yahoo IM conversations I had, so it gave me proof of what had happen. I printed out every single conversation I have had with him along with detailed information on names, addresses, phone numbers, bank receipts, money transfers and e-mails. I took all this information and filed a complaint to the state police and to Scambook.com.

Now I am just hoping this fraud company gets caught sooner than later and I receive all of my $4,600.00 back. Every single cent.