Newspaper Page Text
The True Citizen, Wednesday, January 27, 2021 — Page 7
^FOR THE RECORD
Selling used items online?
Beware of this overpayment scam
KELVIN COLLINS
If you are decluttering your
home by selling unwanted
items online, be on the lookout
for buyers wanting to pay you
more than the listed price. If
the offer seems “just too good
to be true,” it probably is.
How the Scam Works
You post an item for sale on
line (BBB is seeing a lot of re
cent scam reports that mention
Facebook Marketplace, but
this applies to other services,
as well). It might be clothes, a
vehicle, electronics, or another
item. You are contacted by a
buyer who seems trustworthy,
nice even. They offer you more
money than what you are ask
ing for. The reasons vary. The
scammer may claim they want
to cover shipping or other fees
for you “because you’ve been
so helpful.” Or they may over
pay through a digital wallet,
such as PayPal or Cash App,
claiming it’s a policy of the
service. Or they may mail a
check for more than the asking
price and then insist it was by
mistake.
In any case, once you are
overpaid, the buyer will ask
for their extra funds back. After
you’ve returned their money,
you’ll likely find the initial
payment was false - the check
will bounce, or the buyer’s
online payment will be denied.
You will have lost the money
you “returned” along with the
item you sold.
How to Avoid Online Selling
Scams
• Don’t ship an item before
you receive a payment. Make
sure any payments you receive
are legitimate before you ship
your item to the seller. If you
ship before they pay, you will
have no way to get your item
back.
• Don’t believe offers that are
too good to be true. Unless you
are selling a rare or highly de
sirable item that several people
are bidding on, you should not
expect anyone to offer to pay
more than what you are asking.
If someone tries to overpay
you, consider it a red flag.
• Look out for counterfeit
emails. Scammers are skilled
at imitating emails from popu
lar payment services, such as
Venmo or PayPal. Examine
all emails carefully. If an email
comes from a domain that isn’t
official or contains obvious
typos and grammatical errors,
it’s probably a scam.
• Report scams to the online
marketplace. Be sure to report
suspicious activity including
dishonest buyers or sellers to
whatever forum you happen
to be using.
You can report suspicious
activity to Facebook, see their
Tips for Buying and Selling
Responsibly on Marketplace,
and review their guidelines
when making sales in their
help section.
Read the BBB Tip: Selling
Used Items Online and get in
formed about fake check scams
on BBB.org. If you come
across a scam, report it at BBB.
org/ScamTracker. Even if you
didn’t fall for the scam, your
report can help protect others
from scams.
Kelvin Collins is president
& CEO of the Better Business
Bureau serving the Fall Line
Corridor.
BURKE COUNTY JAIL BOOKINGS JAN. 18-24
Victor Jonathan
Goodwin, 44
Wrightsboro Rd.,
Augusta
BCSO, Jan. 21
Probation violation
- felony.
Xavier Perry
Evans, 28
Deer Run Rd.,
Hephzibah
BCSO, Jan. 24
Simple battery -
family violence.
Amarahja Marylee
Hankerson, 23
Middleground Rd.,
Waynesboro
WPD.Jan.23
DUi - less safe -
alcohol.
ThristonTemar
Jenkins, 22
Clarks Place Rd.,
Waynesboro
BCSO, Jan. 19
Probation violation -
misdemeanor.
Jamie Randall
Weeks, 38
Morris Dr., Waynes
boro
BCSO, Jan. 23
Theft by receiving
stolen property -
felony.
Alfonzo
Williams, 24
DentAve.., Waynes
boro
BCSO, Jan. 18
Simple battery -
family violence.
William Henry
Gay, 46
Victory Dr., Waynes
boro
WPD.Jan.22
Probation violation
forfingerprintable
charge - misde
meanor.
Jamerikee Amir
Lewis, 22
Washington Dr,
Waynesboro
WPD, Jan. 20
Tag tight required;
headlight require
ments; driving in
violation of license
class restrictions;
DU I - driving under
the influence of
alcohol.
Miller Abrams, 35
Warren Dr,
Waynesboro
BCSO, Jan. 19
Safekeeping for
Emanuel County
SO - probation
violation (armed
robbery).
Daniel Donnell
Hughes, 29
Short St., Waynes
boro
WPD, Jan. 23
Battery - family
violence; cruelty to
children in the 3rd
degree - family vio
lence; obstruction
of law enforcement
officers - misde
meanor; safekeep
ing for Ga. Depart
ment of Community
Supervision.
Erika Lynette
Brookins, 50
Eider St., Sander-
sville
Sardis PD, Jan. 19
Safekeeping for
Washington County
SO; FTA - danger
ous drugs.
Sharon Lee
Pitt, 38
Bobcat Court,
Augusta
BCSO, Jan. 23
Windshield/window/
wiper requirements;
driving without
a valid license
- misdemeanor;
possession ofmeth-
amphetamine.
Ladarrell Andre
Richard, 32
Summerset Lane,
Sunset, Ala.
BCSO. Jan. 24
DU I - driving under
the influence of
alcohol; reckless
driving; speeding
101/55 mph zone.
Carey Angle
Kinker, 61
Ponce B/vd, Jack
sonville, Fla.
BCSO, Jan. 21
Possession of meth-
amphetamine with
intent to distribute;
marijuana -pos
session of less than
one ounce; speeding
73/55 mph zone.
MarnezTrevon
Cooper, 23
Center St., Swains-
boro
WPD, Jan. 24
No license on
person (housing
for WPD); know
ingly driving motor
vehicle on sus
pended, canceled
or revoked registra
tion; driving while
license suspended
or revoked - misde
meanor; safekeep
ing for Laurens
County SO -
probation violation
(burglary).
Ronald Kevin
Newman, 42
Fenwick St., Au
gusta
BCSO, Jan. 22
Obstruction of law
enforcement officers
- misdemeanor;
knowingly driving
motor vehicle on
suspended, can
celed or revoked
registration; driving
while license sus
pended or revoked
- misdemeanor.
DISCLAIMER NOTICE: ALL ARE
PRESUMED INNOCENT UNTIL
PROVEN GUILTY IN A COURT
OF LAW
1022 N. Liberty St v Waynesboro - 706-551-0876
BURKE EMA REPORT
The Burke County management Agency answered 20 fire
calls during the week ending Jan. 17. They included seven
brush/grass fires, 10 rescues, two vehicle fires and one public
service call.
The agency also responded to 89 patients’ calls during
the week. Of those, 55 resulted in transports, including 20
to Augusta hospitals and one to another out-of-county hos
pital. Twenty five of the transports were determined to be
emergencies and 30 were non-emergent.
Judicial
to the Middle or Ogeechee
judicial circuits.
The Middle Circuit includes
the neighboring counties
of Jefferson, Emanuel,
Washington, Candler and
Toombs while the Ogeechee
is made up of Jenkins, Screven,
Bulloch and Effingham
counties.
Based on the current expense
rates for those two counties,
Waldrop estimates Burke’s cost
would be close to $422,000 in
the Middle Circuit and just shy
of $400,000 if joined with the
Ogeechee Circuit.
The State Judicial Council
has determined that Burke
cannot be a standalone circuit
due its population and caseload.
In an informational
work session last week,
Commissioners got an
explanation of how the process
could move forward and its
varying outcomes but little in
the way of concrete answers to
their questions.
“Put some true numbers
together, come back and we can
make an intelligent decision,”
District 1 Commissioner
Lucious Abrams told his fellow
commissioners and several
court officials in attendance.
“We will be in the Augusta
Circuit for at least one more
Continued from front
year,” Waldrop said at that
meeting.
Burke County State Court
Judge Jackson E. Cox, whose
office would not be affected
by the outcome, attended
that work session and is
disappointed by the timing of
the legislation and concerned
with the population disparity if
Richmond and Burke counties
are all that remain of the
Augusta Circuit.
“The timing of the plans
to withdraw leaves the
impression that Burke County
is simply an afterthought,” he
said. “We cannot control what
other counties do, but it leaves
very little time for Burke and
Richmond Counties to respond
and make their corresponding
plans.”
“With Columbia gone,
the influence of Burke on
decisions within the circuit
would diminish long term,”
Cox added. “There is no
other judicial district in the
entire state with one rural
county and one urban county
with anywhere near such a
population imbalance. I believe
the best outcome would be for
the legislation to be tabled
or delayed until the Judicial
Council can study what is best
for all three counties.”
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