The Griffith man went to Deniliquin to buy the iPhone. Photo: Kārlis Dambrāns/Flickr/File photo only.
A Griffith man who bought a phone he saw advertised on the Internet that ended up belonging to a rental company has reported the alleged scam to police.
Murrumbidgee Police District Inspector Glenn Smith told Region the alleged victim was looking for a new mobile phone and began messaging a seller on Facebook Marketplace, after he saw an iPhone Pro Max advertised online for $1000.
At around 9 am on Sunday (3 August), the victim met the seller near a supermarket in Deniliquin and purchased the iPhone phone for $1000.
When trying to set up the phone after he returned to Griffith, the victim realised the device was locked and was registered to a rental company.
The buyer then attended Griffith Police Station to report the matter.
District Inspector Smith said this is a timely reminder to buyers on Facebook Marketplace and other similar sites to be scam aware when purchasing items, and make sure the items works before purchase. He also recommends getting the sellers details, as in a name and address, when purchasing items.
If you come across a scam, police say you can help protect everybody by reporting it to the Government website Scamwatch.
Your report helps to:
- Take down scam websites, scam ads and contact details.
- Warn the community
- Stop scammers in their tracks.
