OfferUp scam: Mom sends warning after man allegedly steals ATV during meet-up
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A single mother is sending out a warning to anyone who uses the popular app OfferUp.
Karin said she's out thousands of dollars after she arranged a meeting to sell her ATV. Karin said a teenager rode off with the 4-wheeler Wednesday afternoon.
She's still upset by the theft and asked we not use her last name.
Karin said a man, by the name of Fred, messaged her on the site. He asked to buy her blue Yamaha Raptor for $6,500. He said it was a late Christmas gift for his son.
The man told Karin he worked as a truck driver out of town. He asked Karen to meet his teenage son and his mother at a house in Missouri City. The man said the boy was visiting his grandmother's home.
Karin told ABC13 and Houston police officers she arrived around 12:30 p.m. She knocked on the door. No one answered. She waited and called the man. He said his son would be right there. Karin said a young boy arrived about 30 minutes later. They two spoke about the ATV. He tried on the gear and asked for a test drive.
At first, Karin said he acted like he didn't know how to drive the vehicle. He then rode off into a nearby field.
"I was so upset. It's beyond me that something like that can even happen. That people can take something that you've worked hard to pay for. It wasn't free," said Karin. "I want to warn people. It's a real life scam. Don't ever take something to someone unless you're going to the police station."
Karin said she planned to put a big red bow on the ATV to celebrate the dad's gift to his son. She purchased the boy shoes to throw in the deal.
She even snapped a photo of the man on the 4-wheeler just moments before he drove off.
HPD told Eyewitness News they're investigating the crime. They ask anyone with information to call Crime Stoppers at 713-222-8477.
