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Ad scam makes its way to the Tri-State

Reporter: Alex Shabad
Web Producer: Mike Mardis

Several local businesses claim an advertising scam has cost them hundreds of dollars and it looks like the scam started in Louisville and is making its way around the Tri-State.

It sounded like a great deal at first, Missy Mosby was offered the front page of an advertisement book for her real estate company.

"We were going to have a full page ad with our houses," Mosby said, "

Mosby said the Louisville salesman came to her in December and told her the book would be at every Walmart in town and all Mosby had to do was sign a contract and make three payments of $285, or so she thought.

"He expected final payment from this and he hadn't changed any of the houses I asked him to change," Mosby said. 

And Mosby never made it to the third payment.

"I did some research, some others in this book did some research, and we realized we have a big problem," Mosby said. 

That's when Mosby said she realized the book was fake, the man's business was fake and the advertisements were never published. Then upon contacting some of the other companies listed, several of them, like Shelter Insurance and Allied Home Mortgage, claimed they were scammed as well, some for more than $800

"It was obviously too good to be true," Holly Wildt of Allied Home Mortgages said.

Wildt said she got the same deal from the same man, in fact, she said she spoke to him less than two weeks ago, but can no longer reach him.

"Now, you call from a cell phone, it's someone else's name, someone else's voicemail he's non-existent," Wildt said. 

The same man these Evansville companies said scammed them is facing similar complaints in Louisville.

"It's very frustrating," Mosby said, "Not only has he done this to me, but so many others and keeps getting away with it."

Both women said the man promised he'd have their prints by mid April. But, so far, nothing.

"It was definitely an expensive mistake," Mosby said, "I will definitely learn from it."

Mosby said she's not counting on getting the money back, but she hopes justice is served to the man responsible.

The name of the salesman involved or the company is not being released because no criminal charges have been filed. The Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Office said the case is under investigation.