Scammers seem to think they can fool people just by asking for payment a different way. People have wised up on scams that ask victims to pay by wire transfer or reloadable money cards, so why not try asking for eBay gift cards? Did you even know those existed?
That is what happened recently to a mom and her son who were shopping for a used truck on Craigslist. The truck, advertised as "in mint condition," despite having 70,000 miles on its odometer, looked pretty good online and was priced reasonably.
But when the young man contacted the seller by email, there was a big catch: the seller wanted the entire amount - $3,500 - paid in advance by way of eBay gift cards. The seller, who claimed to be stationed at a military base in Arizona, would then ship the truck to the buyer.
Luckily, the young man's mother smelled a rat. She knew it was likely a scam and told her son not to bite.
The scam is among many listed on Better Business Bureau Scam Tracker, a site that allows consumers to report suspected scams and search a database for scams similar to ones they have experienced, whether they lost money or not. Scam Tracker is accessible at bbb.org/scamtracker/stlouis.
Scammers like to use gift cards, money transfers and similar payment methods because they are difficult to trace. They get their money almost immediately - or as soon as a victim gives them the code on a gift card - and they can cut off communications as soon as they receive the money.
Craigslist is a common place for these scams, but any classified advertising site can harbor similar scams. Buyers should be skeptical any time they are asked to pay before they get the merchandise from an unfamiliar seller, and they should use a credit card if possible, in case they need to challenge the charge.
Used car buyers should not pay anything to purchase a vehicle until they have inspected it themselves and checked its VIN number against accident databases to see if the car has been in a crash. Buying something sight unseen is almost asking for trouble.
BBB recommends you buy from an established business you can check out at midmobbb.org. BBB Business Reviews will provide you with a rating from A+ to F, show how long the company has been in business, its physical address and a list of any complaints and how they were resolved.
For more consumer tips or to avoid scams, go to midmobbb.org or call 573-886-8965.
Sean Spence is the Mid-Missouri regional director for Better Business Bureau.