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Money Drain: $5,000 Scammed Through Craigslist

Wate.com of Knoxville TN posts a news article of a husband that fell victim to the usual Craiglist scam, costing him $5,000. His wife knew better.

Both sellers wanted Matt to use a broker and to make the payments through Western Union. “I emailed her and said I’ve never done it this way before,” he said.

He also sent a note saying, “I can’t afford to lose that kind of money. My wife would kill me.”

Still confident he was doing the right thing, Matt sent two Western Union transactions totaling nearly $5,000.

“If I would have known it was Western Union, it would have been a red flag to me,” Amanda said.

Once the money was wired and Matt heard a few choice words from his wife, he fired off another email saying, “I was wondering when I would receive the skis. She said, ‘never.'”

The scammer even poked a joke at Matt. “You’re such a sweet cake for me. You should have listened to your wife.”

Matt admits he should have spotted the obvious warning signs, those two sob stories. One lady claimed she had lost her husband in the war, the other said her husband had divorced her.

Lesson Learned:
[Insert obligatory “Should have listened to his wife” comment]. But in all seriousness, never trust a Western Union request, especially through Craigslist. I’m surprised people still fall for this. Cash or money order are all I will take from any Craigslist purchase.

Amount Flushed Down the Money Drain: $5,000

About Crystal Groves, Google+

Crystal Groves is a farmer, web developer, musician, blogger, and personal finance enthusiast from the back hills of Maryland and Pennsylvania. She started Money Drain as a project to encourage people interested in fixing their financial situation to share their stories and learn from the stories of others. We all make mistakes, but in order to change we have to make changes.

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