On August 29, a 45-year-old sales representative for a moving company in Brooklyn was sentenced to 2 years in prison and fined $100,000 for committing fraud, according to the Eastern District of New York Prosecutor’s Office.
Between 2017 and August 2020, the defendant Andre Prince, along with co-defendant Kristy Mak, worked for several moving companies controlled by a third defendant, Yakov Moroz. These companies included “Great Moving USA,” “Green Movers,” “New City Moves,” “Cross/country Moving and Storage,” and “Movers Consulting.”
Mak served as the customer service representative for these companies and supervised Prince, who was a senior sales representative responsible for persuading people to choose one of the fraudulent moving companies.
The defendants posted fake reviews online and had salespeople provide low-cost moving estimates to lure customers into using these companies. Once a contract was signed, after loading the customers’ items onto the truck, the movers would demand new, additional fees. If customers tried to contact the salespeople to inquire about these unexpected fees, they could not reach anyone. Customers also faced threats from the drivers, stating that unless they paid additional fees, their goods would be held hostage, sometimes at two or three times the original estimated cost.
One victim testified in court that his original moving estimate was $2,425, but the movers charged him nearly $4,300 before even completing the job. He was then forced to pay an additional $3,000 to have all his belongings released by the company. The victim stated in court: “This is the worst experience I’ve ever had in my life.”
Through these fraudulent schemes, the defendants collectively obtained over $3 million from more than 800 victims.
While Prince has been convicted, Mak is awaiting sentencing, and Moroz is currently a fugitive.
If you have been a victim of a similar scam, you can file a complaint with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Link: https://nccdb.fmcsa.dot.gov/nccdb/home.aspx