Phone Repair Scamming Reports Flood In

Newport, KY: According to alleged victims, he's using the same old "business" plan, different market.

William "Liam" Franklin is using Craigslist to sell phone repair services, such as for iPhone. Some report having to go to the police weeks or months later to get their phones back, unrepaired, with or without hope of getting their deposits back.

On the flip side, he has been allegedly hiring lists of drivers (he does not drive) to pick up cell phones from people, then firing them (or stringing them along until they quit) before getting paid. It's the exact same story as five years of complaints from web designers doing work for his "clients", only to not be paid, and the consumer often not having their finished product and losing a deposit -- with the started (unpaid) work being used as "proof" for any civil court to justify keeping the deposits for himself.

One of the victims found his address from a driver, only to find the apartment freshly abandoned. They have in turn found other victims who are all now looking for him and other victims, hoping the police will take more firm action. In an email from William's kin,

Hes been doing shit like this for over 15 years almost, and he will not
stop because its under 1000 dollars.

From other sources regarding his methods, this is apparently so he can stay below the radar of criminal law, keeping it a "civil" matter. But collectively, it is unknown how much money we're talking about since the complaints started in January.