In a previous post, I mentioned that I was buying and selling used golf carts as a part time way to make some extra money. I have been flipping carts, as they say, for about eighteen months now and have had a few disappointments and costly repairs that I had not anticipated on carts I have purchased for resale.
Just ten days ago I saw an ad for a cart advertised to be in Green Valley, Arizona. It had several photos of the cart and a list of upgrades made to the cart. The cart included a full enclosure, and a battery charger. I called and spoke to a guy supposedly named Chase Hatton who said he was in Texas but if I would transfer $2000 to him via Paypal , he would give me his garage code in Green Valley and I could pick up the 2006 Club Car golf cart , charger, and enclosure. Chase warned neither me nor my hauler were to touch anything else in his garage. He had several photos on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and Offerup of the cart. He had a list that said: 2006 Club Car Electric golf cart STREET LEGAL. Have the title, the following new parts: $1400 enclosure, $1100 new batteries, $1500 high speed torque motor, $500 on board computer system, $300 rims and tires, $100 dash tray, $100 dash cover.
He explained at the end of the list I quote: I am currently in Texas , but the cart is in Green Valley, AZ at my winter home. Need gone before I return.
He insisted I send the money by Paypal. I initiated a transfer using my bank account as the source, everything was going through fine until they ask me to answer two of my secret questions. One was what was the college you attended and the other was my dog’s name? I graduated from Brigham Young University and my dogs name is Cha Cha. Apparently I left a space for Cha Cha and it should have been ChaCha so they locked me out of my account. The only solution to that is to call the bank and ask if you can set up new questions, they do not know the answers to your questions. So, I used my American Express card as the funding source and it went through right away. I called Chase and told him I had made the transfer and it went through and ask what is the garage code. He said it is on hold by Paypal they have not released the money to me yet, it may be a day or two before I get the money. I called the next day and he still said the money was on hold. I called the third day and he said the money was on hold. I ask him to give me the code, I said you will get your money it is with Paypal, let me have the code. He said, “No, I want to wait one more day and I will probably have the money before I release the code.
If you look on the internet at the many comments about Paypal and their holds which may be as long as 21 days, many four days, and some as long as 60 days before they credit the money to the account of the person receiving the money. So, I bought Chase’s story about the delay.
I called Paypal and ask what was going on with the $2000, the guy said what do you mean, it was given to him the day you transferred it he is lying about it being on hold. RIGHT THEN AND THERE I KNEW I HAD BEEN SCAMMED. I CALLED THE NUMBER I HAD BEEN SPEAKING TO CHASE ON AND NO ANSWER. I TEXTED HIM AND ASK WHERE THE CODE WAS AND TOLD HIM I THINK THIS IS A SCAM. I HAVE MADE REPEATED CALLS AND LEFT MULTIPLE TEXTS WITH NO RESPONSE FROM CHASE.
I contacted Paypal and they said since I sent the funds as a friends and family transaction which I paid $58 for, that I had no recourse and they would not help me get it back. He said if you had sent it as a business transaction then we might be able to do some investigation.
I contacted American Express and they said that I had to wait until the transaction posted which was six days from the original date, they said they could not refuse to give the money to Paypal. So I waited until it posted and filed a fraud complaint with American Express. They took the charge off of my account temporarily while they investigate which they say may take up to 60 days. I am hoping since this Chase guy is using his phone number as his Paypal user name that they can track him down and get my money back. Paypal told me and American express that they will not assist in trying to collect the $2000.
I wrote a letter to the Casa Grande, Arizona police department explaining the scam. They had a member of the police force non-emergency unit contact me and I am to send documentation to them also.
Every time I list an EZGO, Club Car, or Yamaha golf cart I get several scam responses with almost the same description on each one. They said let me text you a code to see if you’re real, well the one not real is them. They start by saying “I want to buy your cart can I pick it up later today?” Then they start asking to send a code to get you to email your personal information. I just respond no legitimate buyer says without looking I want to buy your cart today and they do not ask for codes and that you not call them but email them with the information. I also say I only sell to buyers that come in person with cash.
Then there is the one my husband and I are so busy, our daughter is getting married soon and we do not have time to look at the cart, but we will take it. I will send you a cashiers check with a little extra like $100 until our agent can pick it up. If you give them your name and address, they send you a big check like $5000 for a $3900 cart. Their instructions are go ahead and cash the Cashiers check for $5000 keep the $100 I promised and give my agent the $1000 difference. The agent needs the money to pay for shipping the cart. This scenario is used frequently. Cashier’s checks are not bullet proof they can be refused by a bank just like a regular check. If you take the check to the bank, chances are they will accept the check and credit to your account. A week later the paying bank on the check is either fraudulent or the person did not have that much money in the bank when it cleared and they bounce the check. So, the person gets the check back, has lost the cart to the agent, and $1000 to the agent and the $100 that you were to get is not there.
There are so many scams on Craigslist, Offerup, and Facebook Marketplace, that it is like a minefield. BE CAREFUL IF IT SOUNDS TOO GOOD IT IS DEFINITELY NOT GOOD, I CAN ATTEST TO THATFiling Status
2024 Standard Deduction Amounts Announced
Filing Status 2024 Standard Deduction
Single $14,600
Married Filing Jointly $29,200
Married Filing Separately $14,600
Head of Household $21,900
Qualifying Surviving Spouse $29,200