Contact 6: Bogus sellers on Craigslist



MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- FOX6's Contact 6 is issuing an alert regarding Craigslist -- and scammers trying to sell something and bogus buyers.

"If you`re not careful when you buy on online auction sites or other sites, you can easily be duped from your money," U.S. Postal Inspector Tom Ouelette said.

The item in question is an elliptical machine. A seller posted a picture of the item on Craigslist for $1,500.

"Sure enough, to the seller`s delight she got a response. What she didn`t expect was the buyer sent her $2,500 -- basically $1,000 more than the asking price," Ouelette said.

The money order the buyer sent was counterfeit. The conman was hoping to trick the seller into wiring back the overpayment from her bank account before the bank realized the money order was worthless.

"The entire transaction was bogus. The buyer never had any intention of buying anything. The intent was to get the seller to wire transfer the money," Ouelette said.

Fortunately, in this case, a red flag went off for the seller. She contacted postal inspectors and didn't lose any money.

Investigators say scams like this one are common. Some advice: when you're online, beware of anyone sending more money than the asking price.