Team Xtreme Sales LLC scam claiming you are purchasing books for children with autism and cancer in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

On August 17th, 2010, an older teenager traveling on a skateboard, rang our door bell and was chatting to my husband about buying some books.  My husband did not understand what he was talking about, so called me to see what he was saying.

He said his name was Shawn and that he lived in the neighborhood and did I know another neighbor named Karen; and that she had recommended that he come and talk to us and see if we could help him earn a trip to London in September.  He was selling sets of books, which were displayed in a pamphlet, with names like "A 1000 Words', 'Atlas', 'Dictionary', 'Villians', and 'Spiderman'.

The sets sold for $40.00 and were to be donated to children with autism and cancer at the UNC Childrens Hospital in Chapel Hill, N.C.  He said he was a student (freshman) at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and that his Grandmother was making him promise to do chores for the people in the neighborhood who purchased from him on the next weekend.

He was very chatty and said his parents were in the military and were stationed in Germany, but that he was living with his grandmother so he could get in-state rates to the University.  He also told us of the different chores he was doing for other neighbors, liking washing cars and that type of thing.

Of the $40 paid for the books, so much was supposed to go toward their airfare and accommodation on the London trip and that if you made a purchase you would get a form to file on your income taxes and a gift certificate from Barnes and Nobles.  He also said that his professor would probably give us a call to check on our purchase.

He had a legitimate looking ID, the pamphlets, invoices and a bag with lots of cash and checks from our neighbors, so we thought he was being honest and was truly trying to do something good for the children and earn a trip and we purchased two sets of books by check. 

He was supposed to come back the next weekend and help my husband move some furniture.  When Friday, Saturday and Sunday passed and he did not turn up I looked up Team Xtreme Sports online only to find out this was a scam.

I immediately went to my Checking Account and found the check had not been cashed and did a stop payment on it.  I had to pay $30 to do the 'Stop Payment', but at least saved $50. I do not know yet if any of my neighbors are aware of this scam, but I intend to let them know.

Before he left, I asked where his Grandmother lived and for his phone number.  He told me a location for his Grandmother, which I have not checked yet since it is too late at night to do that, but the telephone, which he said was in Arizona, did not answer, but went to a full Sprint mailbox for someone named Jim.