WITH CHRISTMAS JUST THREE WEEKS
AWAY, BEWARE OF SCAMMERS
ADVANTAGE OF EBAY'S MASSIVE
POPULARITY.
SUMMER
EVERY DAY THOUSANDS OF
PEOPLE GO ONLINE CHECKING FOR
DEALS ON EBAY.
A YOUNG MOTHER THOUGHT THAT SHE
HAD FOUND THE PERFECT GIFT FOR
BO:
HOWEVER, AS SHE TOLD 6 ON YOUR
SIDE CONSUMER REPORTER DON DARE
- THE DEAL ENDED UP COSTING HER
EIGHT-HUNDRED DOLLARS.
DON:
SCAMMERS WILL USE ANY AVAILABLE
PLATFORM TO TRICK INNOCENT
PEOPLE
OUT OF THEIR MONEY, AND EBAY IS
NO EXCEPTION.
THE ONLINE SITE INVOLVES A LOT
OF
TRUST ON BEHALF OF THE BUYER AND
THE SELLER, BUT IT'S RELATIVELY
EASY FOR THAT TRUST TO BE
EXPLOITED.
AS AN EBAY USER IN KODAK HAS
FOUND
OUT.
EVERY DAY BEFORE SHE GOES OFF TO
CRYSTAL TURNER READS A STORY TO
HER 4 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER, KYLEE.
LIKE MOST MOMS, MRS.TURNER IS
LOOKING FORWARD TO CHRISTMAS AND
BUYING THAT PERFECT GIFT FOR
HER KIDS.
SHE HAS THREE CHILDREN --
INCLUDING TWO TEENAGE BOYS,
TIMOTHY AND THOMAS. THE
OLDEST WAS ASKING SANTA FOR A
USED THREE WHEELED MOTORCYCLE --
SPECIALLY A CAN-AM
SPYDER. THESE ARE NEW ONES. THEY
USE AN ATV-LIKE CHASSIS.
CRYSTAL TURNER: IT WAS GOING TO
BE A CHRISTMAS PRESENT
FOR MY KIDS. ONE WANTED A FOUR
TRUCK. SO WHAT WAS THE BEST
THING BETWEEN IT? IS THE
SPYDER.
THIS IS THE PICTURE OF THE
CAN-AM SPYDER SHE FOUND ON EBAY
AT A BARGAIN BASEMENT PRICE.
I CAN DO. YOU KNOW
THAT WOULD BE A HECK OF A
CHRISTMAS PRESENT FOR MY KIDS.
CAN YOU IMAGINE THEM WAKING UP
WITH THAT IN THE
YARD? DARE: CONSIDERING THE FACT
THAT IT IS 16-THOUSAND
DOLLARS BRAND NEW. CRYSTAL:
YEAH. EIGHT
HUNDRED. I WAS LIKE, WELL I CAN
DO THAT!
CRYSTAL READS: I'M IN THE ARMY
WITH MY MILITARY
THE WOULD BE SELLER, A
CHRISTINE LANFORD, THE NAME THE
SCAMMER WAS USING, SENT A SERIES
OF TEXT MESSAGES TO CRYSTAL
CRYSTAL READS: THE BIKE IS
ALREADY PACKED AT THE SHIPPING
COMPANY IN WILMINGTON, DELAWARE.
I AM
SELLING IT AT THIS LOW PRICE
EIGHT-HUNDRED INCLUDING
DELIVERY BECAUSE I'M RECENTLY
DIVORCED. I DECIDED TO MAKE THIS
DEAL WITH EBAY ONLINE
SERVICES BECAUSE THIS WAY WE
WILL BOTH BE PROTECTED.
WITH THAT INFORMATION, SHE WAS
CRYSTAL SENDS 8-HUNDRED
DOLLARS IN EBAY GIFT CARDS.
CRYSTAL: WELL I GO TO KROGER GET
THE GIFT CARDS,
COME HOME AND SEND THEM. DARE:
BOOM, GONE. CRYSTAL:
BOOM. THAT EVENING IS WHEN I GOT
A REQUEST FOR 8- HUNDRED MORE.
SHIPMENT WAS STOPPED BECAUSE
THE MOTORCYCLE WAS NOT INSURED.
CRYSTAL: YOU NEED TO MAKE A
FULLY REFUNDABLE 800 DOLLAR GIFT
CARD. DARE: SO THEY NEED MORE
MONEY.
CRYSTAL: THEY NEED ANOTHER 800
DOLLARS. SO, THAT'S WHEN I
PUT TWO AND TWO TOGETHER. OKAY,
I'M GETTING SCAMMED.
ETHAN CUNNINGHAM: A 2004 TOYOTA
4RUNNER. ETHAN CUNNINGHAM
RELATED A SIMILAR STORY WHEN IN
FEBRUARY 2019, HE SAW A DEAL FOR
A
TOYOTA ONLINE TO REPLACE HIS OLD
BANGED UP VAN.
AND IT ONLY HAD 92,000
MILES. IT WAS GARAGED KEPT
EXCELLENT CONDITION, IT'S GOT
NO LIENS ON IT. THE PRICE WAS
REDUCED TO 19-HUNDRED. I
THOUGHT IT WAS TOO GOOD TO PASS
UP. I THOUGHT IT WAS A
REALLY AWESOME DEAL.
ISN'T THIS A COINCIDENCE, THE
SELLER JULIE CLAIMED SHE WAS A
SOLDIER -- SAME STORY CRYSTAL
WAS TOLD.
ETHAN SENT 19- HUNDRED DOLLARS
IN GIFT CARDS, ONLY TO BE TOLD A
FEW HOURS LATER BY THE SCAMMER
THAT ANOTHER 800 DOLLARS WAS
NEEDED TO PAY FOR INSURANCE.
TO AVOID BEING SCAMMED, EBAY
SAYS ALWAYS COMPLETE
COMPANY'S OFFICIAL
CHANNELS. ALWAYS COMMUNICATE
USING THE SERVICE PROVIDED.EBAY
SAYS IT CANNOT FOLLOW UP DEALS
MADE OUTSIDE OF THE PLATFORM AND
CANNOT VERIFY COMMUNICATIONS OR
AGREEMENTS MADE ON PRIVATE
CHANNELS.
CRYSTAL TURNER: PEOPLE DON'T
CARE IT'S THANKSGIVING. THEY
DON'T CARE HOW HARD YOU HAVE TO
WORK. THEY
DON'T CARE. DARE: THEY GOT YOUR
MONEY. CRYSTAL: THEY GOT MY
MONEY AND IT'S GONE. IF IT IS
TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE
DON'T DO IT.
JUST DON'T DO IT.
DON:
YOU ONLY NEED TO FALL FOR THAT
SCAM ONE TIME, AND LIKELY IT
WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN. EBAY IS
AWARE OF THESE SCAMS AND
POSTS A WARNING ON ITS WEBSITE.
TO BE ON THE SAFE SIDE, EBAY
RECOMMENDS THAT YOU DOCUMENT
EVERYTHING.
PACKING AND POSTING OF EVERY
ITEM, INCLUDING ANY TRACKING
NUMBERS USED.
THIS WILL HELP PROTECT YOU
AGAINST BASELESS FRAUD CLAIMS.
SUMMER.
SUMMER
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.
6 ON YOUR SIDE LEGAL ANALYST
GREG ISAAC'S IS HERE. GREG, IT'S