2 Suspected of Web Fraud
Irvine police are investigating two people for allegedly bilking thousands of dollars from customers who bid on items listed with the eBay online auction site.
The suspects, whose names were not released, allegedly used the seller name “Charles Butler” to offer items online, including a $1,100 Beanie Baby and $5,000 worth of photographic equipment, Lt. Sam Allevato said Thursday.
At least four people in Hawaii, Virginia, Florida and Texas wired money directly to the “Butler” bank account but failed to receive the items, Allevato said.
“I think they were lulled into a false sense of security,” he said. “They thought because they were doing the transaction with a reputable online auction house, they were safe.”
Police believe the two suspects--one lives in Irvine, the other in Lake Forest--bilked the victims out of at least $10,000.
The case was brought to investigators’ attention three months ago when one of the victims notified police.
One suspect has been charged with a traffic violation, but neither has been charged with fraud. Police are still contacting other potential victims and examining the suspects’ bank records.
“It appears this has been going on for some time. We suspect there may be many more victims we are unaware of,” Allevato said.
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Times Correspondent Thuy-Doan Le contributed to this report.
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