JOHNSTON COUNTY - As the saying goes, if a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
A Johnston County man learned the hard way recently when he was shopping on Facebook Marketplace for a used pickup. The victim thought he had found a deal on a used pickup for $9,000.
The victim contacted the seller and agreed to buy the truck without seeing it in person. The seller requested, and the victim agreed to use a payment app to send money for the vehicle in increments of $250 and $500.
After the victim had sent a total of $4,500, the next payment failed to go through. They attempted to contact the seller without success.
A friend later told the victim they had been scammed. The 45-year-old victim then notified law enforcement.
Authorities urge car buyers to inspect the vehicle in person before handing over any money, and be cautious if the vehicle is priced thousands of dollars less than the average cost.