Crossville Man Reports $24,500 Fraud in Equipment Scam

A Crossville man reported being scammed out of $24,500 after attempting to purchase heavy equipment online. A resident of West Creek Drive told police he works in wholesale equipment resale and frequently finds deals through Facebook. In March, he contacted a company identifying itself as ICT Equipment LLC, based in Jonesville, North Carolina, about buying a 2004 Caterpillar 4200 backhoe. After wiring the full payment to an account at Bank of America, the victim arranged to pick up the equipment in April. He said a man identifying himself as David Luna, the manager, confirmed his arrival date by phone. However, when the victim arrived on April 14 at the listed address, he found only a concrete plant with no affiliation to ICT Equipment. The company’s website had vanished, and both phone numbers for his contacts were disconnected. The victim has since contacted his bank and filed a fraud report. The case is under investigation.