Is this fraud please help

If your friend benefits from deceit both civil and criminal punishment is possible. Fraud is actionable if certain elements of proof are established by the evidence. Using the written documentation you have is a good place to begin. Contact a local lawyer - many may give you a free consultation for an hour - to discuss your specifics. Have your friend discuss the matter with an attorney under the protections of attorney client privilege before anything else. Far too many variables exist in the short post you wrote for any further observation by me.

Good luck to you.

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She is definitely civilly liable for the money and if she never intended to do the work, she might be possibly on the hook criminally. It is not clear why someone would send a check if she told him she would not do the work. the facts do not add up.