Online scammers use listed sale properties as business locations

Credit: Greg Hirst /

CASPER, Wyo. — A man was annoyed yesterday after making a drive to Casper to buy a horse trailer only to find an empty building where he’d agreed to meet the seller.

“This is a common scam that our deputies have seen recently,” said Natrona County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Kiera Hett in a meeting with Oil City News on Thursday.

Hett said that scammers have been using properties listed for sale on realtor websites to add an appearance of legitimacy to their online seller profiles when fraudulently listing vehicles and trailers for sale.

The man in this case did not lose any money but was annoyed that he’d made the trip and wanted to report the situation to warn others, Hett said. It is unknown how far he drove.

People can report fraud on technology platforms on the Federal Trade Commission’s government website. A Google search would likely reveal if an online seller’s listed address is actually a sale property, Hett added.

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Gallery Credit: Kolby Fedore, TSM

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Categories: Casper News