Paul Ross CHURCH Scam

PAUL ROSS CHURCH SCAM ALERT!
Written September 3, 2013
Update: It just so happens that within a week or two of posting this warning that I have been contacted by a Paul Ross who sells real estate and claims this post has adversely affected his business. He says he almost lost a job over it. He has been a victim of identity fraud. So let me be clear: The following scam alert has NOTHING TO DO WITH REAL ESTATE who happened to be named Paul Ross, even if they have a similar criminal record to the scammer. The following concerns only CHURCHES WHO ARE BEING REQUESTED TO WIRE MONEY TO A STRANGER, NOT TO PEOPLE SEEKING TO FIND OUT INFORMATION ABOUT A PAUL ROSS WHO HAS A LEGITIMATE REAL ESTATE BUSINESS.

In the last month, I was contacted over the phone by a man identifying himself as Paul Ross. He said he was trying to move to our community because he had inherited a home from his deceased grandmother. He gave what seemed to be a local name, and said the trust had sent him the deed, keys, and information about the home. But the address he gave me was not quite correct (street name lined up but not the house number). He blamed this on recent 911 address updates.
He shared that he was in prison the last 15+ years and hasn't seen any family, or knew anyone living around here. He wanted financial help for gas money to come.
He had recently been released from federal prison. Prior to that he had also been in state prison in Arizona. He even gave me his ID number so I could look up his state record on the department of corrections website. It was there but the dates on record had ended over 20 years ago. He said his federal record was not available under privacy laws so he couldn't send that to me.
He was calling Bible churches in the area for help because he had gotten involved in a Bible Study in prison and came to Christ. He was hoping to get connected with a church here once he moved.
He also said he had to get out of his friend's apartment by 3:00 that afternoon because he lived in federal subsidized housing and he had stayed there too long already. The police would come and kick him out, or worse, charge him with vagrancy or something else and he could easily end up in jail. He needed help with gas money immediately.
So I googled his name and found a scam alert of churches he had visited in another state. I then called this agency and talked to a couple individuals, even receiving calls back from the new executive director who was very concerned and wanting any new information we had on him. All I knew was that he wanted me to wire the money to a town in a state near that one where he was currently staying.
Due to this fact, I did not give him any money. He called me back a week later saying he had made it to town but was wondering why we hadn't gotten back to him. I asked where he was staying and if I could meet with him. He refused to say where and would not meet with me. He asked why I didn't call back and after I told him a few things the phone went dead. I am sure he is trying to revise and improve his story so that less people can "figure it out" that he is trying to scam them.

In the future,
IF ANYONE IS CURRENTLY BEING SCAMMED BY PAUL ROSS:
I have a suggestion. Play along with him ask where to send the money, etc... Once you find out, also contact the local police in the town where he is. Tell them where the money is supposed to be sent, and the time he was planning to pick it up. Ask if they are interested in doing a stake-out and watching for him to show up and claim his money. They may need to talk to someone who has actually been scammed by him in order to be able to do anything about it. Since he did not officially scam me, I cannot charge him with anything. They can question him and see if he has falsified any information.
The end goal is to stop Paul Ross from continuing to take advantage of good-hearted people who want to help others in need, but not enable them to keep lying, scamming, and abusing their good will.

Update - the link that I found has been removed from the website of the religious organization who had once posted it.

Paul Ross got us. But he only got half of what he wanted. The story is same except he has gone far enough to look at property records and note names to help solidify his story. $60 bucks is worth finding out id can trust a person to me. But I will not fall for this again. He just got me on the 18th of September. I cannot get a bead on this guy, but I will be relentless in my pursuit. Mark my words.

I received a call today (9/27/2013) from Paul Ross. He indicated to me that he had spent the last 30 years in prison and that during his incarceration was taught the gospel in KY and obeyed the gospel back in 91'. He went on to tell me that he had a deceased grandmother who use to live here in town. He also indicated that he had to be out of his current location at 3pm and was lacking enough money to be able to get here from KY. After I spoke to him and took down his information, my secretary began her internet search, and she's good. She began reading this thread to me so I called him back and expounded on some passages of Scripture that are pretty revealing as to what God has in store for people who would bring affliction upon Christians, namely 2 Thess. 1:6-9. Surprisingly he listened to everything I had to say very politely. I began to read to him the post above that we had found on the internet and the following comments below. He countered that someone out there had set up an account with scamwarners and was setting him up, he claimed that they did a good job too because they even knew his Arizona information. I said to him that there were more than just one comment about him from different sources and then the nail in the coffin was when I pointed out that if someone was trying to falsify his info. and set him up then how did they have the same details regarding having to be out of their current location at 3pm. They would have to be a prophet. He knew I had him figured and said "I need to get out of this" and "I need to figure this out." I said, you better get out of it not just for the sake of the trouble you will be in physically and on this earth but for the trouble you will be in eternally.

And Paul, if you are reading this right now I want you to know that God is not in the business of casting people into hell, that is not His desire. 1 Tim. 2:4 indicates that God's desire is to save people. He wants to bring many sons to glory and He is waiting patiently hoping that all will come to repentance. It doesn't matter how sinful and how selfish you have been living, there is still time and you can still change. Remember the Corinthians and the changes they made, "Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulteress, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor THEIVES, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor SWINDLERS, will inherit the kingdom of God. such WERE some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God." Paul, you can make changes and you will feel so much happier if you do, life will be so much better and you will not have to fear the wrath of God. Consider Tit. 2:11-14, "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for his own possession, zealous for good deeds." And like God said to Cain so long ago, "If you do what is right, will you not be accepted?" I will be praying for you to repent and live a life worthy of the gospel of Christ.

He just called me in Montgomery, AL. Glad I checked this out.

He called the next day upset that we hadn't called him back. I wasn't very nice.

"Paul Ross" is still at it. Just got off the phone with him. Thank you for this site!!! It was like "Paul" was reading right off the orignial post as a script. Kept our church from getting scammed.