http://fayobserver.com/Articles/2010/01/21/970006
Craigslist scams finding victims in Cumberland County
By Nancy McCleary
Staff writer
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"We've got a scam going down," said detective Bobby Jeffers of the Sheriff's Office.
People who say they want to buy property that's posted for sale on Craigslist are telling owners that they will pay for an item with two checks or money orders, Jeffers said.
"For instance, they'll say they're going to buy a television and will send two $875 checks or money orders," he said.
The property owner is told to deposit the money, keep what is owed for the property, and return the balance to the buyer, Jeffers said.
It's not until the money has been returned that the buyer discovers that the checks or money orders are bogus, he said.
It's a scheme that's now making up about 80 percent of the fraud cases reported to the Sheriff's Office, Jeffers said.
And, as in many scams, the elderly are targeted.
An elderly Cumberland County man fell prey to a similar scam, Jeffers said.
The man used Craigslist and was notified by someone using the site that he had won $1 million in a sweepstakes drawing. But first, he had to send $2,500 to the bogus sponsors, Jeffers said.
The man did as he was asked and continued to be asked to send money so he could collect the $1 million.
Jeffers, who knew the man, looked into the incident and discovered that phone calls from the sponsors were coming from Jamaica.
Yet the man has kept sending money - about $8,000 in all, Jeffers said.
"He believes he's going to get that $1 million, God bless him," Jeffers said.
Anyone who is selling property on Craigslist or other networking sites should be wary of sending money to a buyer, Jeffers said.
If a check or money order is sent to pay for a purchase, contact a bank or a moneygram hot line to find out if the document is genuine, he said.
Ask to meet with the purchaser in a neutral location. Take a friend and a cell phone to the meeting, Jeffers said.
Staff writer Nancy McCleary can be reached at mcclearyn@fayobserver.com or 486-3568.
Craigslist scams finding victims in Cumberland County
By Nancy McCleary
Staff writer
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<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript"> mpl = $f("container-player", { src: "/fayobserver.com/flash/flowplayer.commercial-3.1.0.swf", wmode: "opaque", canvas: {backgroundColor: "#aeafb2"} }, { log: { level: 'warn' }, key: '#@3e59719aca86e8eb47c', clip: { onBeforeSeek: function(clip) { if (clip.ad) { return false; } }, onStart: function(clip) { pageTracker._trackEvent("Videos", "Play", clip.url); }, onPause: function(clip) { pageTracker._trackEvent("Videos", "Pause", clip.url, parseInt(this.getTime())); }, onStop: function(clip) { pageTracker._trackEvent("Videos", "Stop", clip.url, parseInt(this.getTime())); }, onFinish: function(clip) { pageTracker._trackEvent("Videos", "Finish", clip.url); } }, contextMenu: [ 'FayObserver.com Video Player' ], plugins : { simplecdn: { url: '/fayobserver.com/flash/flowplayer.rtmp-3.1.0.swf', netConnectionUrl: 'rtmpt://e1f1.simplecdn.net/play/' }, controls: { url: '/fayobserver.com/flash/flowplayer.controls-3.1.0.swf', stop: true, bufferGradient: 'none', buttonColor: '#4d4d4d', timeBgColor: '#555555', timeColor: '#01DAFF', progressColor: '#112233', volumeSliderColor: '#000000', bufferColor: '#aeafb2', buttonOverColor: '#cb2525', volumeSliderGradient: 'none', sliderGradient: 'none', sliderColor: '#000000', tooltipTextColor: '#ffffff', tooltipColor: '#5F747C', progressGradient: 'medium', backgroundColor: '#000000', backgroundGradient: 'low', durationColor: '#ffffff', borderRadius: '0', height: 24, opacity: 1.0 } } }); </script> <!-- Multimedia Player [STOP] --><script language="javascript" type="text/javascript"> new Ajax.Request('/fayobserver.com/tools/stats.pl',{ parameters: { id: '39972' } }); </script> If you plan to sell items on Craigslist, the online classified advertising site, be alert for scammers, warns a Cumberland County investigator.
"We've got a scam going down," said detective Bobby Jeffers of the Sheriff's Office.
People who say they want to buy property that's posted for sale on Craigslist are telling owners that they will pay for an item with two checks or money orders, Jeffers said.
"For instance, they'll say they're going to buy a television and will send two $875 checks or money orders," he said.
The property owner is told to deposit the money, keep what is owed for the property, and return the balance to the buyer, Jeffers said.
It's not until the money has been returned that the buyer discovers that the checks or money orders are bogus, he said.
It's a scheme that's now making up about 80 percent of the fraud cases reported to the Sheriff's Office, Jeffers said.
And, as in many scams, the elderly are targeted.
An elderly Cumberland County man fell prey to a similar scam, Jeffers said.
The man used Craigslist and was notified by someone using the site that he had won $1 million in a sweepstakes drawing. But first, he had to send $2,500 to the bogus sponsors, Jeffers said.
The man did as he was asked and continued to be asked to send money so he could collect the $1 million.
Jeffers, who knew the man, looked into the incident and discovered that phone calls from the sponsors were coming from Jamaica.
Yet the man has kept sending money - about $8,000 in all, Jeffers said.
"He believes he's going to get that $1 million, God bless him," Jeffers said.
Anyone who is selling property on Craigslist or other networking sites should be wary of sending money to a buyer, Jeffers said.
If a check or money order is sent to pay for a purchase, contact a bank or a moneygram hot line to find out if the document is genuine, he said.
Ask to meet with the purchaser in a neutral location. Take a friend and a cell phone to the meeting, Jeffers said.
Staff writer Nancy McCleary can be reached at mcclearyn@fayobserver.com or 486-3568.