Airmens' Names Used in Online Scams
Sounds too good to be true?
That's because it is.
This scam and others similar to it have circulated around Craigslist for a few years now.
Service members of all branches have had their names used as the "sellers" of these vehicles. Often, the ad even states that an Air Force tow truck will take the vehicle from the nearest Air Force base to the buyer's house. The photos are taken from other Craigslist ads, photo-hosting sites and even car dealership websites.
Unfortunately, people can and do get conned into sending money, and the car of course never shows up.
Staff Sgt. Amanda Gibson, an approving official for the 3rd Munitions Squadron here, was a "seller" -- much to her surprise.
"I found out through an email from someone at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, (Ohio)," Gibson said. "I thought it was over. ... Then I got a call from security forces at a base in Pennsylvania because a civilian had gotten in touch with them and asked if I was real."
She was also mentioned in an article in the Hartford, (Conn.) Courant about the scam, she said.
In all, she has found her name in 61 scam advertisements and continues to get occasional emails about the vehicle she's allegedly selling. Gibson has filed reports with the Federal Trade Commission and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, she said.
Unfortunately, there's not much that can be done. The scammers are not in the U.S. in most cases. FBI Agent Tim Gallagher, the section chief of the bureau's cyber division, said that the FBI has arrested people in connection with the scams overseas.
However, that may be cold comfort to those who have been duped.
"I think service members' names are chosen because it's relatively easy to verify that we exist, and people want to trust military people," Gibson said.
It's also easy to search for a name and get results, even phone numbers, which makes potential victims think it's legitimate. For example, even Chief Master Sgt. Lisa Kuehnl, the 673rd Air Base Wing senior enlisted advisor here, was shocked to get a call on her duty phone about a vehicle she was allegedly selling.
Car Mechanics Scams - News
Alaska seems to be a good place for the scammers to claim as the car's location, since it's remote, Gibson said. Often, people don't realize it's a scam until they offer to make a trip to take a look at the car, which is almost always somewhere remote.
The "mechanic" will then pull the "O2" sensor or another small component that will disable the vehicle, not allowing it to start. The "mechanic" will now ask the victim to start their car. The "mechanic" will offer to fix the car for less money than a
The cars were removed from the house by a recycling company on the instructions of Phelim Byrne, 8 Crowe Abbey, Greystones. Byrne had no contact with the elderly owner of the vehicles. Motor mechanic John Mcmullan said that he found out that Leon
I WISH to warn motorcar owners to be wary of a scam by a conman mechanic. This mechanic will ride his motorcycle beside your car, and if he catches your eye will point to the front wheel and say that the brake is leaking and will fail in five minutes.
Avoid roadside mechanics. Sy said you would be running head-on into a potential scam “if your car breaks down on the side of the road and accept help from 'roadside mechanics.' If they fix your problem, they will ask for a big 'fee.
