The victim of an online scam discovered a vehicle deal was too good to be true and ended up losing $17,000 when masked gunmen accosted him.
The unidentified victim recounted his experience during Police Insight, aired Thursday night on Choice Television.
In an interview with programme Host Inspector Shervon Matthieu, the unidentified Saltibus resident said he saw a 2013 Terios for sale on Facebook a few months ago.
“I’m like ‘2013 for seventeen grand. Wow! Now, that’s a giveaway,” the victim recalled.
He said he had sold his vehicle and was looking to buy another.
The Saltibus resident said he acted quickly to close the deal because he did not want anyone to beat him to it.
As a result, he went to meet the seller near Caribbean Cinemas at Choc.
When questioned by Inspector Matthieu, the victim disclosed that it was not the first time he had bought a vehicle.
He had previously summoned his mechanic, gone to the seller, and test-driven the vehicle before buying it.
But he threw caution to the winds because the Facebook sale was such a good offer that he could not let it pass.
So with $17,000 in his pocket, he informed two family members that he would close the deal.
Asked by Inspector Matthieu if he did not see it fit to request documents from the seller or deposit the money in the bank, the victim responded in the negative.
At Caribbean Cinemas, the Saltibus resident said he eventually met two individuals wearing respiratory masks and caps.
He said he confirmed to one of the men that he was there to buy the vehicle.
One of the men said the vehicle was on its way.
When the programme Host asked whether the situation did not raise any red flags, the victim replied that it did not at the time.
Eventually, one of the men pulled out a firearm.
“The gun was aimed at my head, asking me, ‘Where’s the cash? Where’s the cash?'” The victim recalled.
“The best thing to do was hand the guys the cash. My life was more important,” he explained.
He said the men grabbed the cash and fled, after which he summoned the police using a telephone borrowed from an employee of a nearby business place since the bandits had taken his mobile phone.
The victim commended the police for their quick response but explained that although the officers patrolled the area, the men who robbed him had disappeared.
In retrospect, he acknowledged that he should have had his mechanic with him and test-drive the vehicle.
“Have a police officer friend. Probably take them with me or meet with the persons somewhere where law enforcement would be present or more persons would be present,” the victim stated.
Headline photo: Inspector Shervon Matthieu interviews unidentified online scam victim
those fellas from Barre st joseph that doing that worm grand children. Yall remember some time this year a police officer killed a suspect in a robbery at goodlands in that area and the sister of the deceased want to give her brother right for his wrong doing? that those same guys. i cant wait for the police to get rid of all of them
i wonder if the cameras around got them. its not wise to do any cash transaction at night. the CID department should really look into these face book deals and act like they want to buy a vehicle and when to do the transaction bam police on them
worm grand children from barre st joseph that doing that
Was the handover done in the night? And was it in some corner? It would have been more prudent to have a cheque instead of cash with a transaction as much as that
Woi look it case solved. Hope the police see your mese give their names in a mixed up way. The dirty boogs
A STOLEN MOBILE PHONE AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN! Why police Digicel flow lime cant come together and fight crime? WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY? These bandits could have been caught within 1 hr.
A fool and his money are easily parted. If it looks too good to be true, it usually is stupid.
Lucian Highgrade, are you referring to Ryan and his older brother?
I am just asking
The victim hasn’t watched enough television.
i dont know their names but if you know where i am referring to then its them. they that have these dirty crimes doing around the area. you remember the guy from vieux fort that came Castries to buy a car and they jumped him and killed him? they were part of it to. now they know they are being looked for by the police they recruiting little boys in the area to do their dirty works thats why Dale got arrested. They used to have a blue suzuki swift but i believe police took that in the last robbery but they have a gold nissan tida driving now
Why do people insist on going to buy vehicles with cash!? What proof do you have that you actually paid the individual? Man come on y’all way too gullible! Matter of fact of y’all stupid enough to do that ask the person to meet you at a police station and have an officer help you because awa for y’all! Buying vehicles y’all never test drive, your trusted mechanic never look at! That’s crazy!!!
This shouldn’t even make “news.” No common sense at all! Purchasing a vehicle in cash?! Leaving Choiseul to go to Castries for the vehicle?! Why didn’t they drive to Choiseul to do the exchange?!
Worse place to seek a vehicle (Facebook), some of them may be stolen, sometimes there’s really and truly no vehicle….
Man, you’re naturally stupid. (Sad to say).
Receive sense!
actually it should make news. i believe the moral; of the story here of it being on the news is to let people know of what is going on and who are doing it. Now that it is on the news people will know to be skeptical in buying vehicles displayed on face book so others should take example. So if there is a rapist at large preying on young women that walk alone in dark areas late night dont you think this should make the news? do you think someone would say to these girls that they have no common sense as well for walking alone late at night?
so if i drive to choiseul in my vehicle to pretend it’s the vehicle for purchase and i still wana do a cash robbery, is that making any sense??? give them some sense and make your sense make sense…
man like *worm* in the building lol.
ALL smart phones now have “find my mobile” located in their phone “SETTINGS” which a lot of people do not activate. The Mobile Phone companies here DO NOT advise or encourage the general populace to use it – in order to locate their phone in the event of it being stolen. Again – St Lucians “advertise” with impunity that they “do not read”!
Thankfully, only a couple of friends have had their phones retrieved using this method, and the perpetrators arrested and fined. The police were quite impressed, and lamented that phone theft could be lessened if only people ACTIVATED “Find My Mobile” on their phones.
Yrll have nun to say cuz yrll so called officers that’s behind all the scams vehicle thieves so y they are the ones to be bashing weh are they getting the guns all man like yrll dirty darvid aka gold teeth so yrll can run yrll ass how yrll want all da belta, yarris an da list goes on ask him questions an yrll will soon no whose doing da scamming soon he wil be out of da force wait an c