Online scam fleecing Houston car shoppers, HPD warns
By RUTH RENDON Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle
Oct. 8, 2008, 10:01AM
Shoppers looking for cars on Craigslist.com are being warned by Houston police about a scam in which phony sellers are offering fictitious vehicles for sale.
Senior Police Officer D. Domagas, of the department's Major Offenders Division computer crimes unit, said his office has received reports of incidents in which scammers are placing ads online for vehicles that don't exist.
Domagas said the scammers contact victims via e-mail, posing as representatives of the company "ebay.inc," and instruct the victims on how to make payment arrangements for the vehicle purchased.
According to investigators, buyers are instructed to send the funds through MoneyGram. The money is being picked up at several MoneyGram locations in the Houston area.
The buyers are unable to communicate with the phony sellers after the money is retrieved and they do not receive the vehicles or refunds, Domagas said.
At least four people have been scammed in the fraudulent operation, he said.
Police asked that anyone with information about such incidents, or who believes they may have been victimized by the scam, call the computer crimes unit at 713-308-3100.
By RUTH RENDON Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle
Oct. 8, 2008, 10:01AM
Shoppers looking for cars on Craigslist.com are being warned by Houston police about a scam in which phony sellers are offering fictitious vehicles for sale.
Senior Police Officer D. Domagas, of the department's Major Offenders Division computer crimes unit, said his office has received reports of incidents in which scammers are placing ads online for vehicles that don't exist.
Domagas said the scammers contact victims via e-mail, posing as representatives of the company "ebay.inc," and instruct the victims on how to make payment arrangements for the vehicle purchased.
According to investigators, buyers are instructed to send the funds through MoneyGram. The money is being picked up at several MoneyGram locations in the Houston area.
The buyers are unable to communicate with the phony sellers after the money is retrieved and they do not receive the vehicles or refunds, Domagas said.
At least four people have been scammed in the fraudulent operation, he said.
Police asked that anyone with information about such incidents, or who believes they may have been victimized by the scam, call the computer crimes unit at 713-308-3100.
