Topic: [2017-05-11]Maryland Man Gets Scammed Buying Car via a Bitcoin ATM (Read 7169 times)

He had no idea how to use Bitcoin, but used it without spending a minute to read how it works. He was all head in the clouds driving his dream car.
If it wasn't Bitcoin, but someone came to pick up the cash, he would have fallen for the scam all the same. I don't know how you guys do it in the US of A, but we usually drive there and take a look at the car before buying it, because the pictures usually don't show much.

While stupidity and making mistakes strikes those of all ages, the hard facts are that as people age, they tend to become less critical or less detail-oriented about interacting with people. So, older people tend to fall for scams that others do not. There's probably a surge of compassion and generosity mixed in there too, where the reflections of a life well-lived (hopefully at least) colors their perception of others. So much so, that they tend to trust people who they shouldn't.

It isn't unknown to see a lot of the common con-man scams like the "Pigeon Drop" (large monetary fake reward offered for up-front payment), the "Missing Relative" scam, where a purported member of their family is in trouble overseas and needs a nice fat wire of funds, succeed with older people than not.

So, it isn't a slight in the least, its just that humanity isn't that trustworthy.

Stupidity and greed know no upper or lower age limits imho.

An anecdote from my youth (I'm 73): a schoolmate got a summer job as a bank teller back in the cash era, c. 1962 - he amused himself by scamming customers. He'd give them extra coins up front, then short-change them on the bills. He said it worked every time. They'd notice the extra quarter and let their little secret blind them into not noticing that he withheld ten bucks from their payout.

Anyway, yes, I agree that this is a spin piece intended to make BTC look bad. Same old stuff, but no need to add ageist spin to the piece. Why do their work for them?         

Where to start.

First of all, this is an older gentlemen, probably pushing 70's. His "due diligence" consisted of believing a logo in an email and verifying a local Walmart had a Bitcoin ATM. He didn't ask for a VIN number to check, or anything like that. (Yes, they had VIN numbers even way back in 1955.)

The news article for NBC4 Washington states "Maryland Man Loses $4,400 in Bitcoin Trying to Buy ’55 Chevy Online". While technically accurate, notice it puts the onus on Bitcoin and not "US Dollars", which is really what he was using Bitcoin for as a medium of transfer. Nicely done NBC4, your corporate masters would be pleased you managed to spin it as a Bitcoin problem.

So this poor schmuck believes an email, sends the money sight unseen and wonders why he got scammed.

This is just one step removed from the "Pigeon Drop" scam where you give some money up front for a larger potential (but fake) reward later.

It preys upon someone's greed. In this case, it was the unbelievable price for a 1955 Chevy, which he paid $4,400 for. We're talking about a car (assuming it was a 2-door coupe) that runs anywhere from $29,000 to $100,000 depending on options and condition.

In short, people are stupid, and he lost his money believing someone without laying eyes on the car or the seller.

Maryland Man Gets Scammed Buying Car via a Bitcoin ATM

A Maryland man recently got scammed after paying for a used car with bitcoin, according to NBC4 Washington. The man, Jerome Harrell, was not familiar with bitcoin when he came across a 1955 Chevrolet advertised for sale online.

When Harrell, a retiree and Vietnam veteran saw the car advertised for $3,000, he jumped on it. He was assured everything was okay after learning from the seller that she got the car in a divorce. The seller told him the car would be delivered from West Virginia in three days after he paid using Google Wallet.

Harrell received what appeared to be an official invoice from Google Wallet. The invoice instructed him to pay using a bitcoin ATM located at a Walmart.


Invoice Required Bitcoin Payment

“Payment must be submitted via Bitcoin with cash at the recommended store provided below,” the invoice read. There was also text noting that Google Wallet would secure payment.

Seeing the bitcoin ATM in a Walmart further assured Harrell it had to be legitimate.

“Everything looked perfect,” he told the TV reporter.

Harrell sent the seller $4,400 using the bitcoin ATM. Three days later, when the car did not arrive as expected, he realized he’d been scammed. When he emailed the seller, he got no response. When he contacted Google Wallet, they told him they don’t use bitcoin and that he had been scammed.

TV Reporter Offers Advice

The NBC4 Washington reporter began the report with an explanation of bitcoin. At the end of the story, she told viewers to be wary of “too good to be true” offers.

Viewers were also advised that sellers who insist on communicating only via email should be alarmed.

Also, scrutinize emails closely since scammers can make emails look like they are from a legitimate source. Harrell received what appeared to be an official Google Wallet email since it carried the Google Wallet logo.

Viewers were also warned about making purchases with bitcoin online.

Harrell, for his part, has given up his search for a 1955 Chevy.

https://www.cryptocoinsnews.com/maryland-man-gets-scammed-buying-car-via-bitcoin-atm/