Scammed On Craigslist In Laguna Beach

LAGUNA BEACH, CA — It's spring, and time to clean out your garage and closets, or even give your backyard dining area a bit of a revamp. So, you take some pictures and post your gently used furnishings for sale on a social selling site. Price it right, and it could be gone in a matter of hours! But what if you're selling a big ticket item (read car, golf cart, exercise equipment) and you end up drawing an internet scammer instead of a customer?

This time of year, there is an internet scam that is targeting sellers just like you, in Laguna Beach.

"The Orange County Sheriff’s Department is warning citizens of an internet scam targeting people looking to sell items online through sites such as Craigslist, Let Go, Offer Up or Close 5," they said in a recent posting. Education is the best tool, and by being prepared, you could save yourself untold headache.

Here’s how it works:

• A bogus buyer reaches out to the seller with a phone call, email or text expressing interest in the for-sale item.
• The bogus buyer then explains they can’t pick up the item for one reason or another, but not to worry – they’ll arrange for movers to come and pick up the merchandise.
• The buyer cuts a check and adds a significant monetary bonus to cover the cost of the movers.
• The buyer then advises the seller to cash the check and wire the extra funds to the mover.
• The trusting seller does as advised, never to hear from the buyer again.

After a survey of their bank account, the seller soon realizes they were duped out of hundreds, sometimes thousands, of dollars because that check was fraudulent and so were the movers they shipped the money to.

The best way to avoid this scam:

Be a prudent seller. If an online transaction involves a check, cash it first and make sure it clears before sending any money or before parting with the item you are selling.

Photo: Ashley Ludwig, Patch Staff