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21 May 2023
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — A jewelry store in Virginia Beach, Virginia, says they are seeing a scam more and more often — and it’s becoming common elsewhere, too.
It plays on the sympathies of a good Samaritan.
“We’ve seen a dozen people that have fallen victim to the same thing,” said Mister Jewelry owner Jason Mister. “Some of them bought large quantities of this stuff.”
The story he hears involves a couple who claims they have car trouble or need help for another reason. They don’t have money, but they tell those willing to help they have something else – jewelry.
“Some of the people just genuinely want to help the folks, you know they are being taken advantage of,” Mister said.
It goes downhill from there.
The good Samaritans then show up at Mister’s business with their new pieces.
“It’s like it’s yellow gold. It’s usually marked 18-carat, Cuban chain. … That’s almost always one of the pieces,” he said. “There is usually a big men’s ring that looks like a signet ring or something like that. Occasionally there has been a fake Rolex involved.”
Mister looks at the jewelry. A simple scrape of the metal and he can tell it’s fake.
“They all seem very disappointed they found out it wasn’t real,” he said.
It’s a scam that’s picking up traction across the country.
That’s why Mister wants you to keep yourself safe and think twice before trading cash for something else. If you think you’ve been a victim of a scam, report it to the police and the Better Business Bureau.