The Eureka Police are investigating the use of a fake credit card to purchase a green 2021 John Deere stand-on lawn mower from Scoreboard Automotive Sales and Leasing, 1375 W. Fifth St. It was discovered that the credit card was fraudulent about three weeks after the sale was completed, police reported.
Officers were called Nov. 11 to the auto dealership when the business was notified that the $6,750.91 charge was disputed and canceled. The company’s owner and a salesman had previously contacted the police Oct. 22 after the lawn mower was picked up by a man driving a rented U-Haul box truck that was towing a trailer, both of which were rented in Tennessee, because they felt the deal was suspicious, the report said.
The salesman told police the sale was mostly conducted through Facebook after a man claiming to be from Springfield, Ill., contacted the business about the lawn mower. The salesman said the price was negotiated through Facebook, and the man signed online documents and provided a credit number through an online link to complete the sale, according to the report.
The man who purchased the lawn mower said someone else would pick it up. Employees on Oct. 22 helped the man who came to the business load the lawn mower onto the rented trailer because at that time the online credit card transaction appeared to be approved, the report said.
After discovering the transaction was not approved, contact could not be made with the man who arranged the purchase with the employee. Also, investigators discovered the man did not work for Baker’s Construction Services of Bluff City, Tenn., as listed on his profile. When the Tennessee company was contacted, investigators were told the business had received several phone calls about the man who claimed to work for it, according to the report.
As of Nov. 21, neither the lawn mower nor money had been recovered, and no suspects had been arrested, Lt. Brett Grittini said. He asked anyone who may have been contacted or been victim of a similar scam to call the Eureka Police at 636-938-6600.