===========================================================================
==  Chasing the Demon                                 By:  Robert Niles  ==
===========================================================================
 
Quite a while ago I placed a request in comp.sys.amiga.marketplace, a 
newsgroup on UseNet, requesting items to purchase. One was the 2091 with 
two megabytes of RAM. The other was some CDROMS.
 
A few weeks later, on a thursday, I received an email message from 
DRFEEZE@DELPHI.COM. He stated that he had some 2091's with RAM available 
for $45.00. 
 
Well naturally I thought this was a good deal. I didn't think that these 
were brand new 2091's, but maybe some old ones that he might have 
repaired. I've seen plenty of these type of guys before, who would buy 
used and broken equipment, repair them if needed and resell them for a 
small profit.
 
I replied, telling him to contact me in which he did. I ended up 
ordering the 2091 and a 1MB Agnus, both of which came to a total of 
$68.00, to be sent to me via COD.
 
I really started to wonder about this guy. I hoped that he was 
legitimate, but when one purchases something over the net, you can never 
be sure that the item(s) are going to be exactly what you wanted, in the 
condition that you wanted. It's a chance, sometimes a big one.
 
The next day I was reading through the newsgroups, again in 
c.s.a.marketplace where another reader named Mat Hall placed a note 
stating that he sent this DRFREEZE $310 for a A1200 via Western Union 
and didn't receive the A1200 as expected.
 
Ugh...now I really began to wonder. I contacted Mat Hall to find out 
what became of his "purchase" on friday. He told me that DRFREEZE 
emailed him, and had him contact him. Via the telephone DRFREEZE was a 
person named Devlin Chase from Orrville, Ohio. They set up their deal, 
and Mat went down to wire the money. Mr. Chase definately went to his 
local Western Union to pick up the funds, but Mat never received his 
Amiga 1200.
 
At this time Mat and I decided to do a little investigating.
 
I logged onto Delphi, a commercial online system to see if I could find 
more information about this DRFREEZE. On the main menu, I went into an 
area in which I could find out more information on users. It's a bit 
like the InterNet "finger" command. It tells you the username and the 
realname of the user...and the user can put in more information about 
himself if he/she wishes. Anyways, doing a who-is on DRFREEZE, the name 
Damion McCool was returned. Quite different from the name originally 
given to Mat telling me that this guy was not legitimate. 
 
Next I went into the Amiga group there on Delphi to read some of the 
messages. After a while I found a post there from a user warning 
everyone to stay away from this Mr. Chase. In the note he stated that 
Mr. Chase, known as Devlin Chase is also known as Pactor and that he 
works with a woman named Betty Jean Yodar. That they have posted 
advertisements of equipment for sale, accepted the money but never ship 
the goods. He stated that they don't answer the telephone, but if they 
do they quickly hang up. He stated that they have tried to say that Mr. 
Chase had commited suicide. This person on Delphi lost over $500 from a 
deal that did not go through.
 
Next I tried directory assistance asking for the telephone number of 
Devlin Chase. The operator stated that they was no listing for anyone 
with the last name of Chase. Pretty much a dead end, this only told me 
that this wasn't his real name, or he didn't have a telephone number.
 
I called Mat again.
 
We found out this:
 
Mr Chase logs onto hosts like Delphi and America Online who have a test 
period in which anyone with a credit card can sign up for a few days or 
so to try out the service. Mr. Chase gets on these, reads the forsales, 
replies via private mail to make his deal. He then cancels his account 
of that system. Those who can wire him the money, those who refuse can 
send it to his address, which actually is the address of his accomplice, 
Betty Jean Yodar. The address that he gives is:
 
412 Park Ave.
Orrville, OH 44667
 
 
This is the address of Betty Jean. But if you write out a check, he has 
you make it out to Devlin Chase. This doesn't tell us if it's his real 
name, but it does tell us that he has the means to cash the check if 
written under this name.
 
The telephone number that he has given out - 216-683-7881 again, is not 
under Mr. Chase's name, but that is where he resides, as he has answered 
it there many times for me. We can't find out his real name, directory 
assistance will not tell us his name.
 
Mr. Chase has called himself Devlin Chase, Damion Chase, Pactor, Damion 
McCool. On the phone, he breaths heavily as if he has just climbed up a
couple flights of stairs.His accomplice is Betty Jean Chase, which is 
either himself under a different name, or it could be another person 
altogether. BettyJean Chase has an account on Compuserve, ID# 74452,674.
The address he give is the one noted above.
 
While nothing of our meager investigation resulted in some sort of 
prosecution of Mr. Chase, we are still compiling information. Please let 
us know if you might have any additional information. This Mr. Chase has 
been hitting the Amiga community hard.
 
Most of all beware. If you purchase something, have it sent via COD, 
inspect the contents if possible before accepting the package, and as 
always if something sounds too good to be true, it most likely is.