January 11th, 2023, FCSO responded to a victim who had been scammed earlier in the day at a RacTrac gas station at Seminole Woods and SR100. The victim told deputies he was fueling his vehicle when he was approached by a man claiming to be out of town, from Colorado, with his family on vacation in Florida.
The suspect then supposedly told the victim he left his wallet and money in his hotel, and him and his family were visiting Disney World. The suspect said they needed money and offered to sell the victim some gold jewelry in exchange for $1,000. The suspect claimed the jewelry was authentic.
The victim went to the bank to withdraw the one thousand dollars to purchase the jewelry. After purchasing the jewelry the victim went to a pawn shop, where the victim was informed the jewelry was not real.
FCSO is attempting to gather evidence, video footage and other information in an effort to identify the suspect. “Remember, if something seems too good to be true, it probably is” said Sheriff Staly. “Only buy jewelry from a reputable jeweler or business. Hopefully we will be able to identify and arrest the suspect and prevent them from continuing this scam.”
Remember – Only buy jewelry from reputable businesses or jewelers;
– say no to random people walking up to sell you items unexpectedly;
– call a friend or family to ask if it is a good idea;
– if buying jewelry from an unknown source have it appraised by a reputable source before purchasing.
