The scam involves the sale of electronic home theater good from the back of an SUV or van.
The con typically involves individuals selling "expensive high-end" home theater equipment (speakers, projectors, etc.) out of their vehicle at a significantly discounted price. The equipment is typically cheap, because, generally, it is poor-quality imitations of name-brand items.
Police say the scammers often target moderately trafficked areas such as shopping centers, gas stations, and bank parking lots.
They typically approach inviduals using a fictitious backstory indicating they are selling expensive high-end equipment becaus they have too much inventory or have extra units from a recent job they need to get rid of quickly.
In an attempt to mislead the buyer, the equipment's brand name is often similar to well-known manufacturers. The merchandise is normally in original packaging with professional looking imagery and marketing materials including an MSRP price tag and buzzwords such as "4K", "High-Resolution Audio", and "High Wattage Numbers".
The white van scam has also infiltrated the internet with scammers presenting online store-fronts, "official" Facebook pages, Craiglists ads, and eBay accounts to advertise and peddle their goods. Be aware that the online store-fronts are meant to help legitimize the shoddy products and high MSRP prices when customers look them up online. For example, a storefront or eBay listing may display a "high-end" MSRP price of $2,500 for one item but another listing will drastically mark it down to around $300.
Recommendations to avoid the White Van Scam
- Remain hypervigilant if approached by an individual selling merchandize out of their vehicle
- Google or internet search the company name or description of the situation, and add the word "scam" at the end before searching
- Be aware that brand names may sound similar to well-known and regarded manufacturers
- Ask the seller very specific questions about the product, origin, brand
- Do not fell pressured to succumb to the seller's urgency to purchase immediately
- Closely inspect the merchandize before buying
- If it seems too good to be true, it probably is
- When shopping online, use a credit card rather than a debit card, credit cards give you much greater consumer protection if your information is stolen
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