A beauty salon owner has lost her $2,500 Louis Vuitton handbag after she was scammed by a 'buyer' with fake money when she tried to sell it on a social media platform.
Courtney Granville was waiting for a potential buyer at Bundall on the Gold Coast on Thursday, before a man tattooed from 'head to toe' allegedly handed her a wad of fake cash and grabbed the bag before taking off.
The 24-year-old warned about the dangers of buying and selling through online messaging services, calling on internet shoppers to 'trust your gut'.
Courtney Granville, 24, thought she had found a woman interested in the $2,500 Louis Vuitton bag (pictured), who she met after advertising the pricey item on Facebook Marketplace
Ms Granville thought she had found a woman interested in the bag, who she met after advertising the pricey item on Facebook Marketplace, the Gold Coast Bulletin reported.
The beauty salon owner then arranged to meet the potential buyer's partner but was left in shock after a man took the bag from her.
'The guy rocked up and handed me fake money and grabbed my bag,' Ms Granville said.
'I knew it was fake straight away and spoke up. But he kept walking straight to his car ... and he quickly got in the car and drove off.'
She took a video of the man as he drove off and reported it to police, with authorities confirming officers were investigating the alleged incident.
Ms Granville described the man as wearing a black hat, a black with red and white basketball jersey and a gold chain.
Ms Granville (pictured) was financially impacted by the incident and advised others who attempt to sell items via social media to be careful
The beauty salon owner added he wore shorts and had sunglasses.
Ms Granville was financially impacted by the incident and advised others who do transactions via social media to be careful.
She said she had a gut feeling before meeting up with the alleged thief and should have listened to it.
The businesswoman added she had even brought a friend along with her at the time and was struggling to comprehend how quick the incident happened.
She advised those doing transactions via social media to meet in a public place, where CCTV cameras can potentially capture the exchange.
'Trust your gut if it doesn’t feel right,' she said. 'Be wary. This is happening more and more online.'
'The guy rocked up and handed me fake money (pictured) and grabbed my bag,' Ms Granville said
The 24-year-old warned others of the dangers of selling and buying through online messaging services, calling on internet shoppers to 'trust your gut'
English (United States) ·