Since the start of Craigslist, there have been horror stories of scam artists taking advantage of consumers looking for a good deal on an apartment, a stroller, or a car. It is impossible to know exactly what to expect when responding to a Craigslist ad. Sometimes, the poster is a perfectly normal human being who doesn’t want to pay to advertise their used furniture on another website. Other times, the poster is a predator looking for their next victim. Even with these warnings, though, people still use Craigslist in hopes of finding that one great deal, even when it comes to a major purchase like a car. If you needed another reason to stay away from Craigslist’s car ads, this story out of Belmont, CA will hopefully do the trick.
A family in Belmont responded to a Craigslist ad for a 2011 Nissan Altima. They wanted to be safe and make sure this ad was legitimate, so they met the seller Christopher John Prew in person to check out the car. Everything seemed to be in order, and they handed over a $500 cash deposit. From here, the deal started to seem fishy. Prew didn’t have the car title with him, and he agreed to meet the family later to hand over the title and receive the rest of the payment for the car. He left with the money, and the family called the police. As it turns out, the car didn’t belong to Prew at all. The Nissan Altima was a rental from Hertz.
Fortunately, Prew didn’t get away with it. The police set up a meeting with Prew, posing as another potential car buyer. When Prew showed up, he was taken into custody. He is being charged with one count of theft by false pretense, though the police believe that there might be other victims that have not yet come forward.
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