A Darien resident trying to buy a Ford Explorer on Craigslist got scammed out of $1,600 after the buyer agreed to pay the anonymous seller with gift cards, police said.
Darien police gave this account of what happened:
When the victim contacted the purported seller, the victim was told that payment would be made through an eBay system. The victim was emailed an invoice which said to buy eBay gift cards. The victim bought eight of them for $200 apiece, sending the card numbers to the scammer.
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After the card numbers were sent, the victim was told that the SUV had been moved to Omaha, Nebraska, and the victim would need to pay an additional $1,000 for shipping insurance.
At this point the victim became aware that the victim was a victim and declined to be revictimized. The vehicle never was delivered and no further contact could be made with the scammer.
The victim contacted police on Thursday.
