A handful of local people have been the victims of Internet scams the past two weeks, according to Lt. Melissa Dunn of the Texas County Sheriff’s Department.
Dunn said a few citizens have lost money on eBay. After securing a bid, the seller asks that the money be wired directly to a bank account instead of using Paypal. Some of the items fictitiously sold included a jeep and tractor.
One seller told the buy he was in the military and needed the money immediately. It was a scam. Dunn said losses have been as much as $10,000-$14,000.
In other instances, citizens have received checks and been asked to cash them, keep a portion of the money and mail or wire it to a location.
“If it’s too good to be true, it is,” Dunn said. “Be careful. There’s nothing we can do to get your money back.”