I am a coach for boys travelling basketball team. We recently signed on for a tournament and as usual had to pay our tournament entry fee up front. This was done through online sports tournament sites (who have since pulled the scammers posts and adds for events). The tournament organizer cancelled the tournament and refuses to refund out payment. I have emails and text messages that include him stating he would issue a refund, but he never has and is ignoring me now.
Normally when paying for these sort of things one must either send a personal check or a cashiers check. In this case, i was directed to purchase a "Green Dot" refill Visa Card and send the organizer the amount. The explanation for this was that I was enrolling at a late date and that was the fastest way to pay. I do have the number for this card, the number it was sent to and after reading the literature that accompanied it, realized that the receiver would have to register his card and SS# with the Federal Government (post 9/11 law apparently). I know the persons name, cell phone number and have one business address that is actually a residence.
I have also found that he has done the same thing to at least two other coaches recently in different parts of the country. His "business" is represented by at least three different names and claims a trademark that is not in the trademark database. This is not a lot of money ($225) but it will mean my boys (age 11) won't be able to play one of our last three tournaments of our season. They raised the money themselves through fundraising. It just kills me that this guy is out there taking money from kids. What might I do to both recover our tournament entry fee and help make sure this guy is not scamming other nonprofit youth organizations like us?
Thank you for any assistance.
Normally when paying for these sort of things one must either send a personal check or a cashiers check. In this case, i was directed to purchase a "Green Dot" refill Visa Card and send the organizer the amount. The explanation for this was that I was enrolling at a late date and that was the fastest way to pay. I do have the number for this card, the number it was sent to and after reading the literature that accompanied it, realized that the receiver would have to register his card and SS# with the Federal Government (post 9/11 law apparently). I know the persons name, cell phone number and have one business address that is actually a residence.
I have also found that he has done the same thing to at least two other coaches recently in different parts of the country. His "business" is represented by at least three different names and claims a trademark that is not in the trademark database. This is not a lot of money ($225) but it will mean my boys (age 11) won't be able to play one of our last three tournaments of our season. They raised the money themselves through fundraising. It just kills me that this guy is out there taking money from kids. What might I do to both recover our tournament entry fee and help make sure this guy is not scamming other nonprofit youth organizations like us?
Thank you for any assistance.
