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Craigslist coverup?
Craigslist coverup?
MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- A paper trail could be your best bet to beat a scammer. That's the hard lesson one man learned -- after he thought he was buying vehicle parts.
John didn't want to show his face to FOX6 News because he still cannot believe he lost $1,300 in a Craigslist scam.
"I was in search of parts for my Suzuki motorcycle and as I do a lot of Internet shopping," said John.
John found the parts he wanted on Craigslist -- 40 percent cheaper than the usual price. The seller asked to be paid with money orders. So John overnighted the money and was told the parts would be sent immediately.
Days turned into weeks -- and then months. At first, John gave the seller the benefit of the doubt.
"I thought maybe he`s not trying to scam me and just fell on hard times," said John.
Postal inspectors say as more and more people shop online, the number of scams is growing.
"The mindset of the scammer in this case is they want money and they don`t care what it takes to get it. It`s a very emotionless crime that - they`re just very greedy," said Gil Webb, U.S. Postal Inspector.
Inspectors like Webb say consumers need to be cautious buying online.
"It's a red flag when the seller only wants to communication with you through emails because emails can be very anonymous," said Webb.
Eventually, the seller in this case was arrested and is now serving jail time for scamming John and 14 other people. John also sued the seller and was awarded more then $4,000 by a judge.
Authorities say you should try to create a paper trail if possible when buying online, so you document everything.
One more piece of advice -- try to get a good phone number for the person before you buy.