Home / Crime and Justice / Fake Gold Scam: $15,800 Lost in Parking Lot Deal
Fake Gold Scam: $15,800 Lost in Parking Lot Deal
3 Aug
Summary
- Two men received probation for a fake gold scam costing a victim $15,800.
- The scam began with a stranger asking for gas money in a Costco parking lot.
- The fake jewelry was offered as a discounted deal in a grocery store parking lot.
Two men, Florin Ghiocel and Alexandru Trandafir, have received probation sentences for a scam that cost a victim $15,800. The deception began in a Costco parking lot when Ghiocel approached the victim, initially asking for gas money to reach the airport. This encounter evolved into a jewelry sale.
The following day, Ghiocel offered jewelry he claimed was worth $16,000 at a discounted cash price in a grocery store parking lot. After the victim paid $15,800, the jewelry was evaluated and found to be fake. Subsequently, a second offer for more fake gold jewelry was made, this time linked to Trandafir.
When police intervened during the second supposed transaction at the same Costco, the vehicle occupied by Ghiocel, Trandafir, and two juveniles attempted to flee, hitting an undercover police car. Trandafir admitted knowing the jewelry was fake and stated they needed money. The men, reportedly Romanian nationals, were also suspects in similar offenses in California.
