Commercial debt collection scam using the name Jerry Janke and Janke Engines
Date First Reported: August 2014
Primary Name Associated: Jerry Janke
Description of Potential Fraud:

A New Hampshire firm notified us that they received an email from the purported Jerry Janke of Janke Engines looking to retain them with regards to a commercial debt collection.
This is a classic bad cheque scam that presents as legal matter requiring the assistance of a lawyer. In this scam lawyers will be duped into wiring real funds from their trust accounts after depositing a fake cheque received as payment from the debtor (who is part of the fraud). See our Confirmed Fraud Page for more of an explanation of how these frauds work and to see other names associated with it. Our Fraud Fact Sheet lists the red flags of a bogus legal matter that is really a fraud.
Here is the initial contact email sent by the fraudster to the lawyer:
From: Jerry Janke [email protected]
Date: August 18, 2014 at 10:29:59 PM EDT
To: undisclosed-recipients:;
Subject: Debt collection
Reply-To:
My firm needs your assistance for a debt collection in your county.
Please get back to me for details to enable you do your conflict check.
Thanks.
Jerry Janke
President
Janke Engines.
5540 Dietrich Rd
San Antonio TX
How to handle a real or suspected fraud
If you have been targeted by any of these frauds, please forward any of the emails and supporting documents that you have received to [email protected].
If you suspect you are acting on a matter that might be a fraud, call LAWPRO at 1-800-410-1013 (416-598-5899). We will talk you through the common fraud scenarios we are seeing and help you spot red flags that may indicate you are being duped. This will help you ask appropriate questions of your client to determine if the matter is legitimate or not. If the matter you are acting on turns out to be a fraud and there is a potential claim, we will work with you to prevent the fraud and minimize potential claims costs.
If you have been successfully duped, please immediately notify LAWPRO as there may be a claim against you. Instructions on how to report a claim are here.
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Fraud Fact Sheet More fraud prevention information and resources are available on the practicePRO Fraud page, including the Fraud Fact Sheet, a handy reference for lawyers and law firm staff that describes the common frauds and the red flags that can help identify them.
August 20, 2014 at 3:00 pm, Bryan h said:
I just received the same email.
August 22, 2014 at 5:58 pm, J. A. B. said:
Received an email the same email this morning; I requested more info from the sender and never got a response.
August 27, 2014 at 9:38 am, Tim W said:
got the same emaail in VT on 8 27 14 from an aol address
September 01, 2014 at 6:19 pm, PBD said:
I received the same e-mail, although he has changed his electronic address. He signed a contract and a few days later I got an envelope from Canada containing a $230,000 check (bad, I am sure) from the presumed debtor in Alabama. I have not opened it, awaiting a law enforcement entity that might want to dust the check for prints. Who would investigate this? The FBI?