KLAS-TV Channel 8 News Las VegasNew 'Craig's List' Twist on Old Scam Hits Valley
Chances are you've heard the scam before. Someone sends you an email offering you money. You get to keep a portion of it, but have to send back the rest. Now a new twist on this old scam is popping up here in the valley.
This new twist to this old scam is now targeting the web site Craig's List. Eyewitness News spoke to one woman who almost got scammed herself until she remembered if it seems to good to be true, it probably is.
Angela Thomas has three more bundles of joy. All of them her grandchildren, all of them growing out of their clothes, faster than she and her children can buy them.
"I wanted to get rid of it so that was my Spring cleaning plan -- to put up a few pages on Craig's List and give it to somebody that could use it," said Thomas.
She started getting responses immediately, mostly from mothers with children. Then she received a strange email from a man calling himself Mark Smith.
"He wanted to buy all of the clothes and a red flag for me was that initially, all we wanted was like $100 for all of these clothes if you wanted to buy all of them. He wanted to give us like $300," she said.
After a couple of more emails, each time offering a higher price, a check showed up in the mail one day.
"Next thing I knew, I'm being UPS'd a check for over $3,500. I'm dumbfounded by this," said Thomas.
Tim Bedwell with North Las Vegas police says this is a new take on an age old scam.
"This is kind of an interesting one to me. And I don't think we've seen it in the valley before," said Bedwell.
Someone sends you a check for more money than they owe you and you send them the difference. Fortunately, Thomas didn't fall for it.
"Sometimes it takes a little bit of greed on the part of the victim in order to fall prey to these scams," said Bedwell.
A strong reminder that things aren't always as they seem. Thomas tells us this is the last time she'll ever sell anything on Craig's List or any other web sites like it. She says instead she'll donate all those baby clothes to Child Haven or to someone who really needs them.
Craig's List makes it very clear they do not bear any responsibility in any exchanges between those who post on the web site and those who answer posts.
Email your comments to Reporter Ashanti Blaize.
