Johns Creek man warns of fake stereo salesman

A Johns Creek man says he leaed the hard way that if a deal is "too good to be true," it most likely is.

Jordan Page told Channel 2's Mike Petchenik he was approached by a man in a parking lot off Haynes Bridge Road in Johns Creek last week, with an offer to buy a high-definition surround sound system.

"He starts giving me details, like they're for the Falcons players, he works for his boss and gets to do all of this stuff," Page said.

Page told Petchenik he was skeptical of the man's offer because he was asking for about $500 for a product that listed for about $2,000.

"Eventually he coerces me into buying it," Page said, who said he spent his entire tax retu on the system.

A few hours later, Page said he went online and leaed he'd fallen victim to a scam commonly referred to as the "white van scam," named after the mode of transportation frequently used by the fly-by-night salesmen who sell the bogus electronics.

Fake Stereo equipment

In Page's case, the suspect was driving a Jeep Cherokee.

"I felt upset I was played for a fool," Page said. "I thought I was smarter to be scammed like that."

Page said he became even angrier when he opened the box and removed the speakers from their plastic. The speakers were filled with dirt.

"We started shaking the speakers and started hearing that chit, chit, chit sound," Page said.

Alpharetta-based home theater specialist Tom Holmberg said he's heard of similar cases involving people selling high-end stereo casings with low-end parts.

"If it's out of the back of someone's trunk, chances are, it's probably not a good deal," he told Petchenik.

Holmberg cautioned buyers to do their homework before buying electronics by checking with manufacturers online.

"They list companies online that are not legit," Holmberg said.