Derry Township man loses $1,000 in gift card scam
A Derry Township man is out $1,000 after state police said he fell victim to a gift card scam this month.
Troopers said the man believed he was buying an enclosed trailer from Montana for $1,000 with free shipping through an ad on Craigslist that was related to an eBay account.
The man provided $1,000 in eBay gift cards for the payment.
The purported seller requested more money to insure the trailer for shipping, police said. The man refused.
Anyone with information is asked to call state police in Kiski at 724-697-5780.
The Federal Trade Commission says any business or seller who insists on payment by gift card, and then asks for the code on the card, is a scammer. Gift cards for eBay should only be used to make payment on the eBay.com online checkout, not given to a person outside of that process, according to the auction site.
Renatta Signorini is a TribLive reporter covering breaking news, crime, courts and Jeannette. She has been working at the Trib since 2005. She can be reached at rsignorini@triblive.com.
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