A KNOXVILLE WOMAN SAYS SHE
WAS SCAMMED AT A FILLING STATION
BY
A PERFORMANCE WORTHY OF AN
ACADEMY AWARD.
SHE CALLED WATE, SIX ON YOUR
SIDE
CONSUMER REPORTER DON DARE
TO TELL HER STORY SO OTHERS ARE
AWARE OF HOW IT WAS PULLED OFF.
DON:
LORI, THE CON WAS PRETTY SLICK
AND
APPARENTLY WELL PRACTICED. IT
HAPPENED ON A SUNDAY
AFTERNOON A WEEK AGO. THE
EXCHANGE OF CONVERSATION
WAS CORDIAL BETWEEN THE 80 YEAR
OLD GRANDMOTHER AND A CLEAN CUT
YOUNG MAN,
THAT WAS PART OF HIS ACT AND SHE
WAS THE TARGET.
JEWEL AND HER SISTER JULIE LIVE
CLOSE TOGETHER IN THE SAME AREA.
BOTH ARE WIDOWS AND THEY'RE GOOD
FRIENDS.
JULIE WAS THE FIRST HEAR ABOUT
HOW HER SISTER WAS SCAMMED AT A
LOCAL FILLING STATION. JEWEL WAS
RETURNING TO HER
CAR WHEN A MAN SITTING IN HIS
CAR
GOT HER ATTENTION.
JEWEL: HE WAS DRIVING A NEW
ACURA, SILVER. I SAW THE
CHILDREN AND HIS WIFE, I
ASSUMED. HE SAID, EXCUSE ME
CAN I TALK TO YOU FOR A
MINUTE.HE IS SITTING IN HIS CAR.
HE SAID HE NEEDED MONEY TO GET
BACK HOME TO
MIAMI.
BECAUSE HE HAD STAYED AT A MOTEL
HERE AND SOMEONE
HAD STOLEN HIS WALLET AND HER
WALLET. DON DARE ASKS:
WHAT DID HE THEN WANT FROM YOU?
JEWEL: HE WANTED TO
KNOW IF I COULD HELP HIM WITH
GAS AND A MOTEL TO GET BACK
HOME.
JEWEL TOLD HIM SHE DIDN'T HAVE
ANY CASH WITH HER.
AT THAT POINT, JEWEL SAID THE
MAN PULLED OUT FOUR PIECES OF
JEWELRY, CLAIMED THE WERE REAL
AND VALUABLE, AND SHE COULD
HAVE THEM IN EXCHANGE FOR CASH.
JEWEL: HE SAID IT WAS 14 CARAT.
AND IT WAS WORTH 4-
THOUSAND IN VALUE. DARE: THIS
WAS WORTH 4-THOUSAND?
JULIE: YES.
SHE SAID THE MAN THEN GAVE HER A
SOB STORY SAYING HE WOULDN'T BE
ABLE TO RETURN TO SOUTH FLORIDA
WITHOUT HAVING CASH FOR THE
TRIP. HE WANTED JEWEL TO KEEP
THE SO-
CALLED 14 CARAT JEWELRY IN
EXCHANGE FOR MONEY.
JEWEL: SO SAD AND ALL, I
BELIEVED IT. I SAID I CAN GO TO
THE ATM.
WITHOUT BEING THREATENED, JEWEL
WENT TO HER ATM,
WITHDREW 400 DOLLARS AND GAVE IT
TO THE MAN. CURIOUS ABOUT
THE RING, PENDANT, AND NECKLACES
SHE HAD THEM
APPRAISED.
DON DARE ASKS: WHAT DID YOU FIND
OUT ABOUT THIS JEWELRY WHEN YOU
TOOK IT TO THE JEWELRY STORE?
JEWEL: THAT
IT IS PHONY, THAT IT IS NOT
REAL.
SHE WAS TOLD THE PIECES WERE
CHEAP BRASS.
DARE: WHEN SHE TOLD YOU WHAT HAD
HAPPENED, WHAT DID YOU THINK?
JULIE, JEWEL'S SISTER: OH, IT
WAS TERRIBLE
THAT SHE GOT SCAMMED. I FELT
SORRY FOR HER.
JEWEL: I WAS NOT THINKING
CLEARLY OTHERWISE IF I
WOULD HAVE SAID LET ME HAVE YOUR
NAME AND ADDRESS, SO
WHEN YOU GET ON YOUR FEET YOU
CAN HAVE YOUR JEWELRY
BACK.
SO, HOW DO YOU KNOW THE
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN REAL SCAMMERS
AND PEOPLE IN REAL
NEED?
SLOW IT DOWN, ASK QUESTIONS.
SCAMMERS OFTEN CREATE A SENSE OF
URGENCY SO THAT THEY CAN BYPASS
YOUR BETTER INSTINCTS.
USE COMMON SENSE. BE AWARE OF A
SAD STORY. IF COMPELLED TO
ASSIST, OFFER MONEY TO BUY GAS
ON THE SPOT NOTHING MORE.
DON'T EVER OFFER GOING TO AN ATM
OR PROVIDING GIFT CARD.
NOW MATTER HOW SAD THE STORY, IF
THE PAYMENT FEELS FISHY, IT
PROBABLY
IS.
JEWEL: MY HEART WAS IN THE RIGHT
PLACE, THAT'S OKAY TOO.
DARE: BUT YOU WON'T DO THIS
AGAIN? JEWEL: NO
DON:
HAD A CRIME BEEN COMMITTED WHEN
THE MAN ACCEPTED THE CASH IN
EXCHANGE FOR THE FAKE JEWELRY?
LEGAL EXPERTS TELL US,
TECHNICALLY, YES. IT WAS FRAUD.
THE
MAN WASN'T HONEST. HOWEVER,
WOULD IT STAND UP IN
COURT?
JEWEL WILLINGLY GAVE HIM THE
MONEY? NO ONE KNOWS, IT WAS
NEVER REPORTED.
JEWEL NEVER GOT THE LICENSE
NUMBER TO HIS CAR, NOR, DID SHE
ASK FOR
IDENTIFICATION, SHE DIDN'T THINK
IT
WAS IMPORTANT AT THE TIME. WOULD
YOU HAVE ASKED FOR THE
INFORMATION?
POLICE TELL US, USE YOUR BEST
JUDGMENT IF YOU ARE APPROACHED
BY A STRANGER MAKING A SIMILAR
REQUEST FOR MONEY.
LORI.
LORI:
THANKS DON...
DON:
HAD A CRIME BEEN COMMITTED WHEN
THE MAN ACCEPTED THE CASH IN
EXCHANGE FOR THE FAKE JEWELRY?
LEGAL EXPERTS TELL US,
TECHNICALLY, YES. IT WAS FRAUD.
THE
MAN WASN'T HONEST. HOWEVER,
WOULD IT STAND UP IN
COURT?
JEWEL WILLINGLY GAVE HIM THE
MONEY? NO ONE KNOWS, IT WAS
NEVER REPORTED.
JEWEL NEVER GOT THE LICENSE
NUMBER TO HIS CAR, NOR, DID SHE
ASK FOR
IDENTIFICATION, SHE DIDN'T THINK
IT
WAS IMPORTANT AT THE TIME. WOULD
YOU HAVE ASKED FOR THE
INFORMATION?
POLICE TELL US, USE YOUR BEST
JUDGMENT IF YOU ARE APPROACHED
BY A STRANGER MAKING A SIMILAR
REQUEST FOR MONEY.
LORI.
LORI:
THANKS DON...
IF YOU HAVE A CONSUMER
QUESTION FOR DON -- SEND HIM AN
EMAIL AT D-DARE AT W-A-T-E DOT
COM,
OR CALL HIS SIX ON YOUR SIDE
HOTLINE
NUMBER AT 865- 633-5974.
LORI:
BREAKING NEWS..
A SAINT LOUIS COUPLE WHO MADE