Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
You are about to hear a feature that was created
to expose the scammers, thieves, and con artists among us.
The dialogue and temperament about to be used by Hollywood
Hamilton does not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of iHeartMedia.
This is Fraud Friday this.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Week, Marie, something that's very near and dear to my heart,
because you know, I love electronics.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
What man doesn't, right.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
This particular scam, this piece of fraud this week is
called the New York City Electronics store scam. It's so
inviting when you walk by one of these electronics stores
and you see all these electronics in the storefront window.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
Yeah, you're like little puppies to you, guys dogs. Oh
look at.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
You, hard drive computers and binoculars and so many gadgets,
gadgets exactly birdwatching.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
What are using monoculars for the telescopes? Useless electronics stuff.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
And it's just so inviting to a lot of guys
like myself, a lot of people in general.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
They just love their electronics.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
And this particular scam is just running rampant right now. This,
like we said, the New York City Electronics store scam.
And I've got somebody by the name of Jasmine.
Speaker 4 (01:15):
Are you there, Uh, hello, I'm here, Jasmine.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Why don't you take our audience through this particular scam
that you were involved with and how we can help
you get your money back?
Speaker 4 (01:25):
Okay, pretty much as you described, saw the laptop in
the storefront window, and I was like, all right, they
have HP laptop. This guy showed me the laptop. I
was like, all right, let me get this one paid
for it. He showed it to me when I was
in the store. He turned it on. I didn't really
unwrap it, observe it and everything, and I didn't realize
(01:46):
until I got home that it had a bunch of
scuffs on at the bottom. So it was actually a
refurbished laptop. And you could tell from the way the
bottom was looking. But I can tell that from the
store right, right right, it.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
Had scratches on the bottom. Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
So you did not take the laptop out of the box,
but he turned it on for you.
Speaker 4 (02:06):
From what we again, it was so performative, like he
turned it on for me. I was like, all right, good,
it looked like it was new from what I was
seeing on the screen. And then I got home it
was a total different story, right, So.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
You don't even really know if it's refurbished or not.
Not only refurbished, it could be just basically a used laptop.
Now that's happening a lot in some of these electronics
stores that you don't realize, ladies and gentlemen. And by
the way, this is not the only part of the
story here, Marie tell her the other thing, Jasmine, about
the warranty when.
Speaker 4 (02:35):
I called HP about the warranty that they had, because
they told me they had an extended warranty on it,
and the laptop was registered in somebody else's name, so
it was confirmed that it.
Speaker 5 (02:47):
Was Oh my god, and you paid for this extended warranty.
Speaker 4 (02:53):
Not only did I pay for extended warranty, I wanted
a new laptop and it obviously wasn't new.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
Yeah, yeah, there you go.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
So there you go.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Now, like we talked about at the top of the show,
right here, Maria, as a lot of people know out there,
a lot of people were taken by this New York
electronics store scam and this piece of fraud. And by
the way, I understand you called this guy up. What's
his name here, says Bittoo. Bitto yeah, and you called
him up and he said, what, yeah, I would say
to you.
Speaker 4 (03:21):
Well, he offered me an exchange and told me that
they have a no refund policy, which I probably should
have checked before I took a laptop from that store.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
Okay, okay, So here's the last question. Then we're going
to get on with business. We're going to get on
with the reason why you called. We're going to take
care of this for you. We're going to try to
take care of us. We're gonna we're going to threaten
this guy every which way possible, and we're going to
try to get your money back. How much did you
pay for everything, including the extended warranty? We need to
know how.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
Much I paid a little over a one thousand dollars
including the warranty and everything.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
Okay, and what type of HP was it?
Speaker 4 (03:56):
I was a seventeen inch hpnz lap hi.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
Okay, all right, very good, here we go.
Speaker 4 (04:02):
I want my money back.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
You're listening to Fraud Friday with the KTU Morning Crew.
We'll be right back with part two when Hollywood and
Marie make the call. Buckle up because things are about
to get rough. Welcome back for part two for this
week's fraud Friday is it?
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Can I speak to bit to please?
Speaker 6 (04:44):
Hello?
Speaker 5 (04:46):
Hi, I am calling about a laptop. I'm hoping you
can answer some questions for me. Well, I'm looking for
an HP computer.
Speaker 6 (04:57):
Do you know which space change you're looking in?
Speaker 3 (05:00):
Uh?
Speaker 2 (05:01):
You know.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
I don't want to go too high.
Speaker 6 (05:03):
This is I have the best one for you. It's
a very cheap one very good price. Actually I should
say it's Windows eleven. It has the Intel Court processor.
Of course, it's got this high speed Ultra seven one
five five, ah, and I also have age. What on?
Speaker 3 (05:20):
You're going a little too fast? Confused? What does the
processor do? Exactly?
Speaker 6 (05:24):
This one moves this internet like your brain. Okay, make
you fash.
Speaker 5 (05:28):
How many gigabytes does this have? I don't know what
a gigabyte is.
Speaker 6 (05:32):
The gigabyte is amount of space. Okay, so just have
an eighty gigabyte memory and then total storage is five
twelve and then you have eight everywhere.
Speaker 5 (05:41):
That you could just slow down just just a bit.
How big is the screen is? Is it a big?
Seventy seventy is too big? I mean that's a massive
I don't need that.
Speaker 3 (05:52):
Thing of a screen.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
No, I said one seven seven TV.
Speaker 5 (05:57):
Oh oh, seventeen, okay, seventeen. I was very like seventy.
That's a big screen. And last question I have do
you have a warranty? Because this is a lot of
money I'm spending and I you know, I didn't.
Speaker 6 (06:15):
Have warranty, but it's is additional because you don't wanted
to cost extra money. But this is Friday warranty, best
in industry.
Speaker 3 (06:24):
All right.
Speaker 5 (06:24):
And and if anything happens, if I change my mind,
or will.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
You give me my money?
Speaker 6 (06:30):
We fixed it, saved.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
It, You'll give me my money back. This is no problem,
no problem saying.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
No problem, I asked him, you're getting my money back.
You know what it sounds like, Murray, It sounds like
you're getting the same deal jasmine.
Speaker 6 (06:43):
Guy.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
Right, I'm so big upfront face. Everything is good, everything
is perfect. And then you know, five year warranty. Then
he's not even available.
Speaker 3 (06:51):
There you go, yeah, he's got the best to top
of the line. Excuse you, you excuse no, you excuse us?
Speaker 5 (06:58):
Are you?
Speaker 3 (06:59):
I want you to listen to me very carefully. Okay.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
I'm a private investigator here in New York City. I
work very closely with the New York Police department. I've
got one of your customers on the phone with me
right now. Her name is Jasmine. She was in two
weeks ago and she purchased an HP laptop Envy, the
same one you were just trying to sell Marie.
Speaker 3 (07:16):
Marie works with us here at the agency.
Speaker 5 (07:19):
Listen, Jasmine, are you there?
Speaker 2 (07:22):
Well, I'm here all right, Jasmine, I want you to
tell bit two again.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
What was your problem?
Speaker 4 (07:28):
Yeah? I thought I came into your store. I bought
a computer. You turned it on for me and everything
put on a good show, and I took it back home.
When I took it home, I looked it on the
underside and a results screwed up. I called the HP
store in the warranty that you gave me isn't even legitimate.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
I don't do this.
Speaker 6 (07:49):
Is store watering D, not not the HP Matt you
tout you No, I said, store water D.
Speaker 4 (07:54):
Yeah. But she told me that you were going to
sell me a new laptop, and it obviously wasn't new.
Many scuffs. There's so many scratches on the underside that
is not in your computer.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
Hold on, bittoo, hold on a minute, bit tooo. She
actually called HP.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
The warranty that you sold her for two hundred and
something dollars. She called it and they said it was
registered in somebody else's name.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
Explain that that.
Speaker 6 (08:23):
Hello, so sometimes when we when we buy the laptop,
it's going to get a different, different company in the name. Okay, look,
even I.
Speaker 3 (08:35):
Don't even know what the hell you just said.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
I have no idea. That didn't even register at all.
Speaker 3 (08:39):
Now, it didn't even make sense.
Speaker 6 (08:40):
Because you don't have different subsidiary about company. Okay, different name.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
Hey, jackass, the laptop was in somebody else's name that
you sold her, the used laptop or refurbished laptop that
you sold jasmine. Was it new and it was registered
under the warranty of somebody else's name?
Speaker 5 (09:00):
Is it a stolen laptop? I mean, at this point,
whose laptop is it?
Speaker 2 (09:05):
Okay, okay, stop stop, stop, stop stop. You're up against
the wall right now, bittoo. It's not looking good for
you whatsoever. Right now. Bit two, we're getting ready to
call the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker
Protection Agency. I'm getting ready to call Thomas Dolan, New
York City Police Commission to the Better Business Bureau, Consumer
Financial Protection Bureau, the FBI, were. We're getting ready to
(09:27):
shut you down. Bito, we're shutting you down.
Speaker 4 (09:32):
Okay. And I called the store the other day. I
got you on the phone. Bitu, you are so dismissive,
so rude.
Speaker 6 (09:38):
Okay, what do you What do you want? Okay? Do
you want new computer?
Speaker 4 (09:42):
I don't anything else?
Speaker 5 (09:44):
Give you.
Speaker 4 (09:47):
She doesn't want that.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
She wants her money, she doesn't, she wants her money back.
Give her her.
Speaker 2 (09:53):
Let's just forget this whole thing, forget it and just
and just don't forget.
Speaker 6 (09:56):
No, no, no, no, no, okay, listen catch okay, gosh, I
heard gosh.
Speaker 3 (10:04):
Okay, I mean let me ask you something bit too hot.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
I mean, let me ask you something really quickly before
we end this call. Is this something that you do
often to customers? Do you take advantage? And I understand
it's really bad with tourists, It's really really bad, really
bad because you guys and not all electronics stores in
Manhattan are like this, obviously, And we know who you are,
we know the store, we know where you're located, We've
(10:29):
already cased your place, we know everything about you. Okay,
We're gonna keep an eye on you.
Speaker 5 (10:34):
Why don't you try something different and actually be legit
and honest.
Speaker 4 (10:38):
I want my money back. I don't want to replacement.
I don't want anything else. I would like my money back.
And if he gives me my money back, I won't
report it. We don't have to build this up. I
just want my money back and I'll walk away.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
Yeah, but we're gonna be watching this guy every step
of the way. Yeah, you know.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
Do the right thing, bitdo do the right thing.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
When are you going to be able to do this?
Speaker 4 (11:00):
I think I'll be able to go down there tomorrow.
Speaker 3 (11:03):
Do you have someone to go with you? Don't go
by yourself.
Speaker 4 (11:06):
I definitely won't go by myself. He's very shady.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
And what time tomorrow?
Speaker 2 (11:10):
I want to narrow this down to the time, Marie,
and I want to know one o'clock. Okay, Bit two,
she's going to show up at your your place there,
your scam place, and she's going to show up at
one o'clock and she wants her money back, which is
I think of roughly twelve thirteen dollars.
Speaker 3 (11:25):
Don't be at lunch, bitchoo.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
Do you understand what I'm saying?
Speaker 3 (11:28):
Bit too?
Speaker 2 (11:28):
I want you I'm not hearing you.
Speaker 3 (11:31):
No, you listen, you listen, I'm not hearing you full.
Speaker 4 (11:35):
Full yes, exactly exactly. If it gives me my money back,
I'm good and bit two.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
Let me leave with this. You know all your New
York City electronics store scam buddies that you probably are
in cohoots with and you communicate with, tell them all
that it's fraud Friday on KTU.
Speaker 3 (11:53):
Okay, will you do that for me?
Speaker 2 (11:55):
It's actually kt radioud yet Yeah, well, yes, exactly whatever
you just said, exactly, Very good, Kat.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
Have you been a victim of fraud? Have you been
taken by a scam? The Hollywood Hamilton Show and the
KTU Morning crew would love to hear from you. Text
us at six nine nine three five. That is six
nine nine three five. This is fraud Friday.
Speaker 2 (12:19):
Easy come