Hurricane Helene Scam Victim
from Hot Off - True Crime
Rod Ashby, a resident of Sanford, North Carolina, has been through a series of devastating events. During Hurricane Helene, which hit in September, his mountain home in Elk Park near Banner Elk was swept away by floodwaters while he and his wife, Kim, were inside. The couple was separated when they hit a tree, and Rod has not seen Kim since. Despite the ongoing search for his wife, Rod faced another setback when he was scammed out of nearly $40,000. He was trying to purchase a 2020 Ford F-350 from a website that claimed to be a Colorado car business selling repossessed cars. The scam involved a fake website mimicking a legitimate car dealership, where the scammer underpriced vehicles to lure victims. Rod wired the money but later discovered the scam when the truck was still listed for sale on the website. He has filed a police report and a fraud report, but the process to recover the money could take up to 90 days. This incident has further complicated Rod's efforts to continue searching for his wife in the mountains, as he needs a four-wheel drive vehicle to navigate the roads[1][3][5]
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