Beware of buying off sites like Craigslist this Christmas

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LOWER MAINLAND (NEWS1130) – A recent rip-off of a Best Buy Warehouse could mean there is a larger inventory of stolen goods on the market, just in time for Christmas.

The electronics have likely ended up on places like Craigslist. So, what happens if you get one as a gift?

Constable Ian MacDonald with Abbotsford Police says you’d be out the present; the person who bought it for you would be out the cash, if the serial numbers match up.

The problem is that many of the items look new from the store, and is still in their original packaging.

“You want to be very careful about buying anything that appears to be too good to be true, because if does end up being stolen, it will be rendered into a paperweight and not the $200 phone you were hoping for.”

“Often, these discounted items are going to come from nefarious sources… not always stolen in the first instance, but sometimes the items are actually acquired with fraudulent or stolen credit cards,” he adds.

He notes counterfeit goods are also a big problem leading up to Christmas, with thieves looking to profit off of the gifts you want to give.

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