Phony iPad Hoax

This week, Jalonta Freeman, a woman in Arlington, Texas, pulled into a gas station where a man was selling iPads and similar items at incredible bargain prices.  He offered to sell her an $800 iPad for the ridiculously low price of $200.  It seemed too good a deal to pass up, so Ms. Freeman paid him cash on the spot.  Unfortunately, she should not have been so hasty to part with her money.

Remember the old adage that "if it seems too good to be true, it probably is?"  This case was no exception.

When the woman opened the box containing her new iPad, it was sealed in packaging that looked exactly the way it should.  Then, she began to peel away the wrapper.  Inside she discovered that all she had purchased was a plain mirror that was about the same size and shape as an iPad.

Of course, the seller was long gone by the time the woman had unwrapped her new purchase.  

This should be a good lesson to all of us who are tempted to purchase something from the trunk of a stranger's car or anywhere else other than from a legitimate business, especially if that item is being sold at an unreasonably good price.  The product that is being purchased is almost certain to be illegal, stolen, counterfeit or completely phony.

As much as we all like a good deal, we are much safer going to reliable sellers, either a store or a legitimate online company, and paying more.  At least buyers will get the product that they actually want and not have to suffer the embarrassment and financial loss that can occur when we try to get too good a deal.

You may also want to read about other potential scams:

Online Dating Scams
Computer Virus Scams
Credit Fraud and Identity Theft During your Vacation
Stopping Lottery Scams and Cheaters

You are reading from the blog:  http://baby-boomer-retirement.blogspot.com

Photo of iPad courtesy of www.morguefile.com