Strange Cadillac Escalade Stereo Scam Hits King County

RENTON, WA — This is an old-school scam. There are no Nigerian kings or giftcard swaps involved, just plain grifting.

According to Renton police, a car-stereo selling scam that has been seen in Eastern Washington and Idaho came to this side of the Cascades this week. Two men selling high-end car stereos at low prices have approached people in Renton and Kent. One person in Renton bought the scam, and ended up with a junk stereo system.

The two men, who are in their 20s, were driving a black Cadillac Escalade when they approached the Renton victim this week in a parking lot along Sunset Boulevard. They told the victim he could own a $3,500 Cinematronix stereo for just $400.

The scam has been going on in the Spokane area for years, according to KHQ, and has even reached Canada.

"If you purchase the items, you later discover that the equipment does not work and is worthless. Always remember that if it sounds too good to be true, it is very likely a scam," Kennewick police warned local residents in early June.