For all the perceived safety and security measures built into many websites, the Internet can still be a scary place to buy or sell anything, especially when it’s something expensive like a Corvette.
From stories of people simply getting ripped off, to far worse, it’s natural to be seriously wary before moving any metal over the Web.
Very rarely do fraudsters get what’s coming to them. But that’s exactly what happened when Michael and Christy Childers of Hardin County, Ky, unwittingly sold their 2010 C6 convertible to a sham artist on Craigslist.
As an added safety precaution, the sellers decided the safe bet would be to let the buyer deal directly with their bank.
“We thought getting a cashiers cheque and having them send it directly to our financial institution…was going to be the best way to go,” Christy tells Kentucky’s WAVE 3 News.
The cashier’s check cleared and the buyer told Michael they would pick up the car overnight and to leave the keys under the back tire. A few days later, the Childers spotted their car on Chicago’s Craigslist and they knew something was up. They got a copy of the check and went to the bank. As it turns out, the check used a fake routing number and a bad check number. Which meant their car was essentially stolen from their driveway.
Luckily, it all has a happy ending. The couple contacted the Kentucky State Police, who then contacted investigators in Illinois.
A sting was setup outside Chicago and they arrested two people who were in the couple’s grey Corvette.
The investigators believe the arrests could be the first step in stopping a major vehicle theft ring, though they know there’s still much work to be done to crack the case.
As for the Corvette? It’s safely back in the Childers’ driveway and they have no plans to part with it anytime soon. Amen to that.
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