Authorities accused 12 people of running a moving company scam and North Carolinians may have fallen victim.
Investigators believe this operation has been going on for the past five years.
They also believe North Carolina was the first state the scammers targeted with their first fake startup company.
The group called themselves Public Moving Services in North Carolina and Presidential Moving in Texas.
It was called Unified Van Lines in Baltimore and Unified Van Lines in Connecticut.
Online reviews for each of those fake companies looked so real people actually hired them.
Authorities said once a moving company was hired, the group would pack up the moving trucks, charge customers an extra $1,000 and drive off, never be heard from again.
“Sometimes the customers paid those prices, sometimes the goods were delivered,” said U.S. Attorney Benjamin Glassman for the Southern District of Ohio. “Sometimes these companies didn't deliver the goods at all."
Authorities also said the group threatened to auction off people's belongings if they didn't agree to pay the inflated prices.
Investigators believe hundreds of people have fallen victim to this scam.
Those 12 people were indicted Tuesday in Ohio.
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