How can I recover stolen money?

[Distribution]

A few months ago, I sent money to a long time friend of mine (I knew him about 8 years). He had helped me build the computer I'm using now. But In February, I had an extra 5830 and decided I wanted a cheap system to mine Bitcoins. So I told him and he said he had some spare parts he would sell me. I just needed a few things, like a case, psu, and motherboard. He said he had what I needed and we finally settled on a price of 160. I said I would send him half now and half later. It took a couple weeks to finally settle the deal (I'm in Florida, he's in Ohio), but I sent the check ($80). A couple weeks later I still hadn't rceived it and contacted him. He said he was going to send it out. Then he told me he sent it out. I asked for tracking info and he said "USPS doesn't have tracking." Then I never heard from him again. I've sent emails, tried to call, everything. He's also since deleted his Facebook. I've called the police (mine and his) to no avail. The only recourse I thought I might have had was that I forgot to sign the check and he forged it. But I let it go on so long that i don't know what the statute of limitations says on it. Any opinions? Any around Elyria, Ohio want to get some money back for me?

[Distribution]

If anyone believes they can personally retrieve the money, I'll give you $50 or the equivalent in Bitcoin. I have his phone number, address, Twitter, Myspace, Paypal, email address, and various other bits of personal info. I also have the check image when he deposited it, in case any info can be gleaned from that.

[RodeoX]

That sux man. If I were in Ohio, I would put on a suit and go scare his pants off with talk of "the lawsuit". And forget paying me $50, I'll get it from him. 

[Distribution]

That sux man. If I were in Ohio, I would put on a suit and go scare his pants off with talk of "the lawsuit". And forget paying me $50, I'll get it from him. 

Haha, thanks Rodeo. It really makes me mad. Not even the amount of money, because it's really nothing. But just the fact that someone would take advantage of a friendship like that. I'm digging up more and more on him, I wish I knew how to make his life miserable until I got it back. Maybe make a website with all of his information?

[Unacceptable]

Forget about it,consider it a xmas gift & move on.It's not worth the effort,been there,tried that & no success

If you live near Port Saint Lucie,Fl,pm me if you still need help setting up a mining or gaming rig.Just give me gas money,I'd be happy to help  

A cheap mining rig would run about $150 or less plus a vid card (or 2) & power supply,I have an old full tower case I'll give ya

[RandyFolds]

I had a friend pull that once. I ran into him a couple years later at a friends house and he had just gotten out of jail for forging prescriptions and was smoking oxycontin off of tinfoil. I didn't even want to try and get it back .

I would call the bank and say he forged the signature. Fuck 'em. The statute of limitations or whatever is at least a year for such a crime. The caveat is that he might end up in deep shit for it...like, felony deep. I guess it depends on how pissed you are.

[Flip Tulipcoin]

A few months ago...

Just to be clear, he ripped you off for $80, or more?

Eighty bucks is eighty bucks, but I can only say that I wish many of my life lessons came that cheaply 

Without proof of fraud, an amount like that could probably only be disputed practically in something like "small claims court"; I don't know what either OH or FL specifically provide.

With proof of fraud, it turns into a criminal matter, and you would need to file charges, get a prosecutor's office interested, etc. It's kind of a small amount for that.

A little over a decade ago I got into a situation where I was being *legally* shaken down by someone who ultimately failed. Seeing to their failure in this effort cost me about $15K in legal fees. The person in question is a fairly stupid crook with a lawyer who will apparently pursue *anything* if someone is paying. The person has a history of stealing from others by such means.

Initially, I seriously entertained having the fellow turned into a quadraplegic by bikers, a scenario such as he would have a fender bender on a country road with a couple of goons who would then follow through with a targeted, professional beating. This would have required that I call in some markers for favors from folks I really prefer not to see that much but nonetheless have for friends. It would have been much cheaper than using a lawyer, by the way.

Instead, I chilled.

As things worked out, time took care of matters for me. I'm glad I did things the way I did, having gone for the cheaper, messier solution would seem very not worthwhile looking back from here.

It's such a cliché, but really, Live and Learn.

[DeathAndTaxes]

Two options:
1) Let is go.  It was months ago and you are still stressing over $80.  The stress can't be worth $80.

2) File lawsuit in small claims court.  That is your legal right and recourse.  Your case is rather weak and the amount trivial but if you have the cancelled check and he has no proof of sending anything you likely will still win.  Expect to get a talk from judge about wasting the courts time.  In many state he will get stuck for the $80 + court fees which would be much more.  The bad news is he likely still won't pay you but at least it will result in a public record on his credit report.

[Flip Tulipcoin]

Two options:
1) Let is go.  It was months ago and you are still stressing over $80.  The stress can't be worth $80.

+1

[Matthew N. Wright]

Two options:
1) Let is go.  It was months ago and you are still stressing over $80.  The stress can't be worth $80.

+1

+1

Some douche nozzle in New York scammed me on eBay 8 years ago for some Nintendo GameBoy SPs and games worth several hundred bucks. That was at the time I really needed money for a flight out of the country too. I could have flown from the midwest to his address, staked it out, murdered him, displayed his head on a pike with a GameBoy cart in his mouth. The thing is, I took my experience and went on to make thousands on eBay in proper sales (before Paypal banned me for making too much money). The way I see it is, someone who was really hungry got a free meal. Big deal. I've probably gotten tons of free meals without even realizing it.

[splatster]

Two options:
1) Let is go.  It was months ago and you are still stressing over $80.  The stress can't be worth $80.

+1

+1

+1

[Distribution]

I agree with everyone on the "It's only 80 dollars" thing. I stated that. But like I said, it's about a guy who used a friendship to get 80 bucks and split. And not just like an acquiantance friendship. It was 8 or 9 years. I'm not going to take him to court, because I'm not into wasting tax dollars. I don't care about the money. I just don't want him having the money. He seemed pretty active in trying to raise money at the time, so my guess is he got into drugs or more likely he started losing money in the stock market. But I'll probably end up letting it go. Its just one of those things that.creeps up and makes you remember "wow, there are some really bad people." I've lost more money in other deals, but never has one taken such a toll.

[Matthew N. Wright]

I agree with everyone on the "It's only 80 dollars" thing. I stated that. But like I said, it's about a guy who used a friendship to get 80 bucks and split. And not just like an acquiantance friendship. It was 8 or 9 years. I'm not going to take him to court, because I'm not into wasting tax dollars. I don't care about the money. I just don't want him having the money. He seemed pretty active in trying to raise money at the time, so my guess is he got into drugs or more likely he started losing money in the stock market. But I'll probably end up letting it go. Its just one of those things that.creeps up and makes you remember "wow, there are some really bad people." I've lost more money in other deals, but never has one taken such a toll.

Right on. Shit happens too. Some people don't deal with shit happening and their whole life collapses. Could be one of those things where he owes 20 people 20 times as much as you so he is overwhelmed. I'd recommend getting some more details if you want closure.

[Distribution]

I agree with everyone on the "It's only 80 dollars" thing. I stated that. But like I said, it's about a guy who used a friendship to get 80 bucks and split. And not just like an acquiantance friendship. It was 8 or 9 years. I'm not going to take him to court, because I'm not into wasting tax dollars. I don't care about the money. I just don't want him having the money. He seemed pretty active in trying to raise money at the time, so my guess is he got into drugs or more likely he started losing money in the stock market. But I'll probably end up letting it go. Its just one of those things that.creeps up and makes you remember "wow, there are some really bad people." I've lost more money in other deals, but never has one taken such a toll.

Right on. Shit happens too. Some people don't deal with shit happening and their whole life collapses. Could be one of those things where he owes 20 people 20 times as much as you so he is overwhelmed. I'd recommend getting some more details if you want closure.

I usually give people the benefit of the doubt but he told me he shipped the stuff out. Then he stopped answering calls and emails and deleted his Facebook. Actually I found out he made a new Facebook page under a pseudonym. He also told me at the same time that he was selling a stolen calculator on eBay. I laughed at the time thinking it was a joke but now I think he was serious. I've had people steal $120 textbooks from me, people scam me out of bitcoins, and people steal my credit card number.  But nothing compares to this situation. Truth is I'll probably never pursue anything. But as for letting it go? That's going to take some hardcore meditation or something.

[Ean]

I forgot to sign the check and he forged it.

Have you spoken to your bank about it?

As I see it, he has stolen from the bank, not from you. Let them handle it.

[notme]

I forgot to sign the check and he forged it.

Have you spoken to your bank about it?

As I see it, he has stolen from the bank, not from you. Let them handle it.

Yep, the fraud department is there for this very thing.  They might not recover the funds, but at least they can worry about it instead of you.  If they do recover them, great, it's bonus money.

[RodeoX]

Not that you should do this or anything.... But. Here is one of my favorite get even techniques. Go to the book store and collect the subscription cards in all the magazines. Fill them out and sign your "friend" up for as many subscriptions as you can. He will be receiving a bill with the first issue of every magazine. Canceling these subscriptions is a huge pain in the ass. If he fails to cancel them, they will turn him over to collections.   

[Flip Tulipcoin]

Not that you should do this or anything.... But. Here is one of my favorite get even techniques. Go to the book store and collect the subscription cards in all the magazines. Fill them out and sign your "friend" up for as many subscriptions as you can. He will be receiving a bill with the first issue of every magazine. Canceling these subscriptions is a huge pain in the ass. If he fails to cancel them, they will turn him over to collections.   

Yeah, unconventional methods open up a lot of possibilities. I really want to riff on this theme with you, but I should be good instead 

It can be harder to take when someone you have known a while burns you out of nowhere. Just go through a few business partners, wives, etc and you will learn to get over it or otherwise end up naked on the roof with a deer rifle 

[Distribution]

Not that you should do this or anything.... But. Here is one of my favorite get even techniques. Go to the book store and collect the subscription cards in all the magazines. Fill them out and sign your "friend" up for as many subscriptions as you can. He will be receiving a bill with the first issue of every magazine. Canceling these subscriptions is a huge pain in the ass. If he fails to cancel them, they will turn him over to collections.   

There's another that involves posting a high demand item for free on Craigslist with his phone number. Or I could just turn the other cheek and send him some Christmas presents...from the Silk Road.