Citizens, we urge the public to exercise extreme caution when making online purchases, especially from individuals you do not know or trust. Unfortunately, another person has become a victim of a common scam involving the purchase of a vehicle advertised on Facebook.
On June 1st, a black Honda CR-V was listed for sale by a user identifying himself as “Akeem Harris” for the price of $17,000 ECD. The interested buyer made a down payment of $4,000 ECD via mobile banking and was promised delivery of the vehicle that same day. When the vehicle was not delivered, the seller claimed he missed the boat and later requested an additional $6,000 ECD for ownership transfer fees. After receiving a total of $10,000 ECD, the seller became unresponsive and eventually claimed to be out of the country. Since then, he has ceased all communication.
Let this serve as a serious warning: do not send money to individuals online without verifying their identity or legitimacy. If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. You should always try to meet in person, verify ownership documents, and involve a trusted third party or legal authority when making high-value purchases.
The Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force is actively investigating this matter. If you have any information about online scams or believe you may have been targeted, please report it to the nearest police station or call Crime Stoppers at 707. Let us work together to protect our community from fraud.
