My name is Briana. I work in Chattanooga, TN, and while sitting in my car on September 10 on my lunch break, a teenage girl with bucked teeth walked up to my car and asked me to roll down my window. Startled, I cracked my window and she began to explain to me how she saw the sticker on the back of my car that says "I love my soldier" (I'm engaged to a soldier in the U.S. Army) and wanted to let me know about a competition she was in to sell as many magazines to send to our troops in Iraq as she can to win a free trip to Europe. Immediately I kind of thought it might be a scam, but then she started telling me how she is from Kansas and came all the way to Chattanooga, TN to do this, how she lost her oldest brother in the war last year and how her other brother is in the military as well, and how she wants to make her life career out of supporting our troops and supposedly starting a nation-wide radio talk show specifically directed towards supporting our troops, etc., etc., etc. And made me feel guilty for even assuming that this little girl could be scamming me. She also picked the best day to be out soliciting, with it being the day before 9/11! I then allowed her to sit in my car because it was exremely hot outside for her to be standing outside of my car talking. Once in the car, she keeps explaining to me about the magazines, tells me I can pick 2 different magazines to send over to the troops, and never even once mentions how much it will cost me. She only told me about a $15 shipping fee... Nothing else. Of course, being a soon-to-be military wife, and having a friend over in Iraq right now, I felt obligated to do this. She then tells me that it is tax-deductible, except for the $15 dollar shipping fee, and she had legit looking forms and everything, so I fell for it. She told me that if I gave my name and address, then the soldiers could write me thank you letters... So of course I gave my mailing address too... Which I regret. She then proceeds to tell me my total will be $95.00! I nearly had a stroke, but I would've felt wrong for not doing it... Because I thought it was for our troops. I then regretfully wrote her a check for $95. She wrote out my reciet and left. After she left, I started thinking "uh-oh, i think I just screwed up." Sure enough, I start investigating on the internet, and from what I have found, it is all just a hoax. They pretty much take your money and run. People like this need to burn in the "bad place" for what they are doing! How dare they make innocent citizens believe that they are supporting our troops over in Iraq giving their lives up for us, and then take our hard earned money all for themselves!?!?!? I am absolutely infuriated! Don't believe any door to door scam... Or in my case car-to-car scam. I'm going to call my bank tomorrow and cancel my check hoping that it hasn't gone through yet and praying to God that she doesn't steal every bit of money out of my account!: (
Briana T.
Chattanooga, TN
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