A retired man stirred by a sense of nostalgia, looking to buy a classic restored muscle car, just like the model of the first car he bought in 1970.

A woman who decided its time to get rid of her home air purifier by offering it for sale.

What do these two people have in common?

Both turned to online marketplaces, specifically Facebook, to find a classic car for sale in the first case, and to locate a buyer for the purifier in the second case. And they both found themselves tangled up with scammers prowling these online marketplaces.

The fellow looking for the classic car, Archie, looked for a long time to find a 1970 Pontiac GTO. Then he saw a Facebook ad featuring a perfect-looking model, offered by a dealership in Maine. And priced to sell.

Archie knew most models of that condition and vintage ran from $60,000 to $90,000. This one was offered for less than $50,000. The seller sent photos, copies of the title and a Lemon Squad inspection report.

Archie checked and found the Maine dealership was for real. It maintained a website which showed the GTO in its inventory. Archie negotiated and agreed to wire the payment from his bank to the seller’s account. The seller even sent a photo of the GTO loaded in an enclosed trailer, ready for shipment from Maine to Iowa. An excited Archie waited for the promised delivery. Which didn’t come.

Archie called the seller, who explained away the delay with a claim of another delivery in Pittsburgh with the same trailer. So Archie waited. And waited. The GTO never arrived. More research by Archie and his friends found the same GTO actually owned by someone in Massachusetts, not for sale. The title and Lemon Squad reports were forgeries. The car dealership website was cloned, and the dealership was “permanently closed”. And Archie’s money is gone.

Archie tells us, “I acted too fast. I saw something and it struck me. I wanted the car. I thought it checked out, because they sent me the title and the inspection report.”

Archie’s advice to anyone looking to buy a classic or collectible car from an online ad is “You need to see in person what you’re buying.”

A Clinton man with decades of experience trading in collectible cars, motorcycles, and bicycles sums up his advice: “You need to lay eyes on what you’re buying or get someone you trust to do the same. No exceptions.”

What about Sheryl, the woman selling her air purifier on Facebook Marketplace? Her ad got no traction for weeks. Then a buyer contacted her, agreeing to the asking price, and wanting to pay through Venmo, the peer-to-peer mobile payment service.

The buyer claimed she sent the payment by Venmo, then claimed Venmo wanted the buyer to send an additional $300 “to verify her transaction”. Sheryl even received several emails from Venmo, supporting the buyer’s version of money transfer. Although tempted, Sheryl knew enough about Venmo to sense a scam and hesitated. She asked for advice from law enforcement. Then the buyer demanded her $300 overpayment paid back, with Bitcoin or gift cards. Sheryl knew it was a scam.

Online marketplaces can offer an easy and convenient method for us to buy and sell. We just need to remember criminals are adept and skillful at creating phony ads promoting sales, and phony profiles of prospective buyers. There’s two surefire ways to avoid these scams:

• Face to face transactions, preferably in a public place
• Cash only

Contact Seniors vs. Crime

Let me know about scams, fraud, or other crookedness you run across. Most of what I learn, I learn from you. Contact me at Seniors vs. Crime, Clinton County Sheriff’s Office, 563-242-9211, extension 4433, or email me at randymeier@gapa911.us.

Randy Meier is the director of Seniors vs. Crime.