PRODUCTS, IT'S EASY.
BO:
BUT WITH EVERY INTERNET
INVENTION THAT MAKE LIVES EASIER
COMES THE INEVITABLE OPPORTUNITY
FOR SCAM ARTISTS WHO
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE PUBLIC
PLATFORM.
LORI:
TONIGHT, SIX ON YOUR SIDE
CONSUMER REPORTER DON DARE
REMINDS YOU THAT BEING SENT A
CASHIER'S CHECK IS THE FIRST
SIGN OF
AN ONLINE SCAM.
DON:
THE KNOXVILLE WOMAN WHO CALLED
US SAID SHE WAS WISE THIS
TIME, AND WASN'T GOING TO BE
FOOLED A SECOND TIME.
THERE IS A POPULAR SAYING THAT
GOES LIKE THIS: FOOL ME ONCE,
SHAME ON YOU; FOOL ME TWICE,
SHAME ON ME.
AFTER BEING TRICKED ONCE, YOU
SHOULD LEARN FROM YOUR
MISTAKE AND AVOID BEING TRICKED
IN
THE SAME WAY AGAIN. THAT'S A
WISE PROVERB TO
FOLLOW.
ONE OF THE TOP ITEMS ON
CRAIGSLIST, THE ONLINE
CLASSIFIED
WEBSITE, IS BUYING AND SELLING
FURNITURE.
JOAN LACKEY: WITHIN LIKE FIVE
MINUTES, I GOT RESPONSES. SIX
OF THEM.
JOAN LACKEY SAYS HER CELL PHONE
WAS FILLED WITH REQUESTS FROM
PEOPLE WANTING TO BUY FURNITURE
SHE HAD POSTED FOR SALE ON
CRAIGSLIST LAST MONTH.
JOAN EVERYONE OF THEM WANTED ME
TO HAVE MOVERS
PICK IT UP. EVERYONE OF THEM.
IT SAID, WE DEFINITELY WANT
YOUR FURNITURE. WE WILL SEND YOU
A CHECK.
SHE SAID ONE OF THE POTENTIAL
BUYERS, ALVARO ALVARES, WAS
REALLY INTERESTED. JOAN: I SAID,
NO CHECK, CASH ONLY. SO, THEY
SAID, WE WILL
SEND YOU A CASHIER'S CHECK. I
SAID, ALL RIGHT, I GOT IT I SOLD
IT.
BUT WHEN THE CHECK ARRIVED, HER
EXCITEMENT DIDN'T LAST LONG
THIS IS THE CHECK. IT SAYS
CASHIER'S CHECK RIGHT ON IT.
SO, THAT MEANS IT WOULD
IMMEDIATELY CLEARS. IT'S FOR
A THOUSAND DOLLARS MORE THAN
WHAT MY FURNITURE WAS
SELLING FOR. SO, I'M LIKE, THEY
TRUST ME TO GIVE THEIR
MOVERS A THOUSAND DOLLARS?
SOMETHING IS WRONG HERE.
JOAN WAS IMMEDIATELY SUSPICIOUS
... BECAUSE SHE HAD
BEEN SCAMMED BEFORE TWO YEARS
AGO.
JOAN: ONCE I BOUGHT A MOTOR HOME
ON CRAIGSLIST FROM
25-HUNDRED DOLLARS. AND THAT WAS
A STEAL. SO I JUMPED
RIGHT ON IT. WHEN I CALLED THEY
TOLD ME I HAD TO SEND
AMAZON CARDS.
SHE PURCHASED AMAZON CARDS --
LIKE THESE -- TOTALING 25-
HUNDRED DOLLARS. SCAMMER ALSO
REQUEST OTHER KINDS OF MONEY
CARDS. JOAN NEVER GOT THAT MOTOR
HOME -- NEVER GOT HER MONEY
BACK. AND, IT WASN'T GOING TO
HAPPEN AGAIN WITH THIS FAKE
CHECK.
DARE: YOU WERE WISE BECAUSE THIS
HAD HAPPENED TO YOU ONCE BEFORE.
JOAN: ABSOLUTELY.
ETHAN CUNNINGHAM: IT ONLY HAD 92
THOUSAND MILES. IT WAS GARAGE
KEPT.<
ETHAN CUNNINGHAM TOLD US LAST
YEAR HOW HE PAID NEARLY
2-THOUSAND DOLLARS THRU EBAY FOR
AN SUV HE
FOUND FOR SALE ON CRAIGSLIST.
<ETHAN CUNNINGHAM: IT'S GOT NO
LIENS OR LOANS ON IT, THE
PRICE WAS REDUCED TO 18-
HUNDRED. I THOUGHT IT WAS
TOO GOOD TO PASS UP. IT WAS AN
AWESOME DEAL.
WHAT MADE IT SWEETER IS THAT
JULIE CLAIMED IN THIS LETTER SHE
WAS A SOLDIER. JULIE MESSAGED
AN AWESOME DEAL.
WHAT MADE IT SWEETER IS THAT
JULIE CLAIMED IN THIS LETTER SHE
WAS A SOLDIER. JULIE MESSAGED
SAYING SHE COULDN'T MEET WITH
ETHAN. SHE TOLD HIM TO BUY GIFT
CARDS.
ETHAN SAYS: I HAD TO TAKE
PICTURES OF THE GIFT CARDS
AND RECEIPTS AND SEND THEM
THROUGH WHAT I THOUGHT WAS
EBAY.
BUT ETHAN NEVER GOT TO THE 4
RUNNER ... THE PICTURE HAD BEEN
CLONED. JULIE THE SOLDIER NEVER
EXISTED. CRAIGSLIST HAS
THESE WARNINGS TO AVOID BEING
SCAMMED. NEVER PAY PEOPLE YOU
HAVEN'T MET IN PERSON, BEWARE OF
OFFERS INVOLVING
SHIPPING. DEAL WITH LOCALS IN
YOUR AREA TO AVOID SHIPPING
SCAMS. AND NEVER USE MONEY CARDS
OR WESTERN UNION TO SEND MONEY.
CRAIGSLIST WANTS YOU TO CONTACT
THEM IF YOU HAVE BEEN SCAMMED OR
SUSPECT A HOAX.
JOAN: EVERY AGE GROUP GETS
SCAMMED. IT DOESN'T MATTER
IF YOU ARE 20 OR 65 LIKE I AM.
JOAN DIDN'T FALL FOR THE OFFER
SENT BY THE SCAMMER. IF YOU GET
A SUSPICIOUS CASHIER'S CHECK,
JOAN'S ADVICE IS DIRECT.
JOAN: DO NOT CASH THEIR CHECKS
DON:
WHEN IT COMES TO CRAIGLIST BE
CAREFUL DOING BUSINESS WITH
ANYONE IN ANOTHER STATE OR
COUNTRY.
NEVER DEAL WITH ANYONE WHO MAKES
A LOT OF EXCUSES ABOUT
WHY THEY CAN'T MEET YOU IN
PERSON.
SCAMMERS FREQUENTLY LIE ABOUT
BEING IN THE MILITARY, TAKING
CARE OF A SICK ELDERLY RELATIVE,
OR BEING A MISSIONARY. DON'T
BELIEVE THEIR STORIES.
CRAIGSLIST STATES ON THEIR
"SUPPORT
PAGE,"
THAT IF YOU ONLY DEAL LOCALLY
WITH
PEOPLE YOU CAN MEET IN PERSON,
YOU WILL AVOID 99 PERCENT OF
SCAMS.
LORI AND BO
SOME GOOD ADVICE TO FOLLOW.
BO:
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:
STILL TO COME -
T-W-R-A COMING TO THE RESCUE OF
WHAT THEY THOUGHT WAS AN INJURED
EAGLE...
BO:
WHAT THEY FOUND - THATS GOING
VIRAL ONLINE - WHEN WE COME
BACK.