Some of the trickiest scams are those that do not seem to be initiated by the scammer.
Late last week, the Cottonwood County Sheriff’s office learned that a rural Jeffers resident faced exactly that type of scam.
According to the resident, she was trying to sell a utility trailer online and received interest via e-mail from a Montana resident. A few days later, the seller received a money order check in an amount that was higher than the trailer’s value and the buyer asked to be “reimbursed” for the overage.
The scammer, in this case, tried to leave the impression that he or she was simply responding to a sale offer–not creating a scam.
It all seemed a little strange and suspicious, so the Jeffers woman destroyed the check and sold the trailer to a different party. Often, what occurs is that the check that is received from the “buyer” turns out to be worthless. The scammer hopes that by then the seller has already sent a “reimbursement” in the form of a money order, gift card, etc.
Send your story to: rahnl@windomnews.com, or call 507-831-3455. Stories will appear in an upcoming edition and in a Thursday website report. By sharing your story, you may prevent others from being scammed.
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