Laptops For Sale: Parking Lot Traps

Beware of Macbooks Sold in Parking Lots: Boxes Filled with Mirrors or Liquids

Imagine this scenario: You are at the supermarket. You're filling your trunk with the groceries you've just bought and you're thinking of what you'll be doing next today. While you're finishing up, another customer passing by you politely says hi. You respond, so there is a quick chit-chat going on. After referring to the gas price, he shows you a brand new shiny laptop that he has for sale.

You're still not very interested in the offer, but he continues. “I ordered for my company eight Macbooks and they sent me and charged me for 10. I have them in my trunk. I would sell you one of the two extra ones for the face value, $400, instead of sending them back”.

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The laptop trully looks good and the price seems right. “Here, he says, they are all sealed, in mint condition”, while he opens his car trunk. It seems true. The trunk has a bunch of FedEx boxes wrapped in protective plastic, as they were just being shipped.

This happened to a couple of victims in Arlington and Charlotte, US, who both paid scammers a couple of hundred dollars after negotiations that made them feel victorious about their glorious discount. As soon as they paid, the crooks took off, leaving them opening the box and finding a mirror with the silver back that resembled an iPad (in the first case) and a cord and two clipboards wrapped in a bubble wrap (in the second case).

The scammers parked their cars outside the video surveillance area, as well as made sure were leaving in the opposite way from the victims, so they wouldn't see the license plate.

In an alternative scam that just happened in the UK, a few victims received ‘unopened' laptop boxes filled with lemonade. That is no joke, see HERE.

 

Laptops For Sale in Parking Lots: How To Avoid

Never buy things in a parking lot or outside of a gas station. Crooks not only trick victims with electronic devices but also with fake leather jackets for sale, such as Armani or Versace.

 

How To Report a Scammer

Warn your family and friends about the Laptops for Sale Scam by sharing it on social media using the buttons provided. You can also officially report the scammers to the Federal Trade Commission using the link below:

Report To The FTC Here

 

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