Butler County scam by fake professor costs job seeker more than $800

A victim hoping to get a job as an assistant to a professor ended up being scammed out of a total of $843.51 in Oxford, according to a police report.

Police received a statement about the incident for a report made at 1:56 p.m. March 29.

The victim said he had received an e-mail from someone claiming to be a Disabilities Studies Professor by the name of John Marion saying he was seeking an assistant. The victim replied to the e-mail to say he was interested.

He was told to purchase some items before getting started and told he would be paid back plus a stipend. He then purchased $93.51 in stationary products, $400 in Apple gift cards, $200 in Google Play cards and $150 in Steam cards as requested.

He discovered the scam when he received the check and attempted to cash it. He was not able to get a response on attempts to reach the “professor.” He told the officer he has been in contact with Apple and is working with his bank to resolve the issue.

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