White Van Speaker Scheme Hits Central Ohio

WESTERVILLE, Ohio —A Westerville man was forced to answer the question: is it a scheme or a good deal?

Don Roy said two men approached him in a parking lot near Polaris Fashion Place and tried to sell him stereo speakers out of their truck.

“Once they get you to pull over, then they start pitching you … they’re all excited,“ Roy said.

Roy said he wasn’t looking for stereo speakers when two guys selling them out of their truck stopped him as he drove through the Best Buy parking lot on Polaris Parkway.

“I just thought maybe a friend of mine might want a home theatre system, so I thought if I could pick up an expensive system for cheap, then maybe I’d get it for them,“ Roy said.

The pitch Roy heard next has earned a reputation around the country as the White Van Speaker Scam—though it doesn’t necessarily involve a white van.

In Roy’s case, the men in the truck claimed they worked for a home theater installation company and they had extra speakers to sell at a huge discount.

“They’ve got invoices, they’ve got receipts. The package looks legit and they’re trying to say they’ll sell you a $2,000 system for whatever you can pay,“ Roy said.

Not recognizing the brand name of the speakers, Roy grew suspicious and walked away. It was the right move and the Better Business Bureau said that selling speakers out of a truck in a parking lot is a red flag—as is a cash-only, limited-time offer.

“They’re taking advantage of people in this economy and I don’t want to see people getting hustled out of their money,“ Roy said.

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