Craigslist Counterfeit Scam Burns Two Victims In Stafford: SCSO

STAFFORD, VA—Two residents were victimized by Craigslist scams involving counterfeit money over the weekend, according to the Stafford County Sheriff's Office. One person was trying to sell an Apple watch; the other, a laptop computer with accessories.

On Sunday, police responded to a complaint in which a man had placed an ad on Craigslist to sell his laptop and accessories. He said he was contacted by an individual who agreed to pay $500, and they met in the area of 200 Dover Place.

He met two men there and completed the transaction. When they began walking away, the man began examining the money and realized it was phony. He yelled for the men to stop, after which one of them dropped the computer while running away. The other man ran, too—with the accessories.

Previously, on Friday, police responded to the aforementioned address for a reported larceny in progress. A man said he had placed an ad on Craigslist to sell his Apple watch for $300. A man who identified himself as "Phillip" asked the man to meet him so he could buy the watch.

After they met and the sale was completed, Phillip began walking away. But the victim then noticed that the bills felt "different than usual." On the back of the bills were the words "For Movie Use Only." He looked up and saw the man running away in the distance. A K-9 unit searched for the perpetrator to no avail.

From the SCSO: Anyone with information on these incidents in asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office at (540) 658-4400. The Sheriff’s Office would like to remind residents of the safe exchange zones in front of the Public Safety Building located at 1225 Courthouse Road. There are two parking spots available that provide a safe and well-lit place for the public to exchange goods or conduct custody exchanges in a law enforcement protected environment.

Images via Patch/SCSO