CT BBB Alert About Con Artists Using CT Convention Ctr Address for Scam

CROMWELL, Conn. — The Connecticut Convention Center hosts plenty of events, but a fake moving company wants you think it shares the same address. Since the start of 2023, Better Business Bureau has received over 60 reports (80 in the last year) from all over the country of a person giving away their piano. These ads were placed primarily on Facebook Marketplace. In one common version of this scam, a woman claims the piano was her late husband's. The supposed owner has told interested parties that he wouldn’t want her to sell it. Instead, he’d just want the piano to find a new home with someone who would appreciate and take care of it. Interested parties only need to pay for shipping. In several of these reports we see the name Ascot Movers in Hartford as the moving company. One of the victims wired $420 to them after being told they didn’t take credit cards. 

“One of the points that sucked me into this scam was the thought that most people do not have room for one in their home. I unfortunately do,” that victim told Better Business Bureau Serving Connecticut.

The movers then asked for another $445 in storage fees and that’s when the victim grew suspicious. He asked for proof that the piano existed and called Better Business Bureau Serving Connecticut. We looked up the address the scammer used and discovered it is the CT Convention Center.

“They sent me an impressive invoice from the supposed location of the piano. This scam was very skillfully done,” the victim added. “I actually spotted the scam just after I started the wire transfer, but the banks involved including the local bank I used refused to give me any help at all to stop payment.”

Ascotmovers.com is riddled with grammatical errors, as shown below. 

BBB Serving Connecticut is conducting an ongoing investigation. Versions of this scam, which often requires the interested party to pay via wire transfer or a peer-to-peer app, continue to target consumers. New reports popped up on BBB Scam Tracker as recently as August 2nd. 

Victims of social media ad scams, even those who don't lose money, should share their experience at BBB Scam Tracker. That report could help other consumers spot a scam before it’s too late, as it did for one man who reported being targeted by this scam.

"Once she mentioned the specific moving company (ascot), I went to check out their website and it seemed highly suspicious to me. That's when I searched here at bbb.org and came across the scam report," he told us, adding that once he mentioned this to the scammer they cut off all communication.

How to avoid this scam

• Never wire funds or complete bank-to-bank transactions. Scammers love this kind of transaction because there is no way for you to get your money back once it is completed. Instead, make legitimate purchases by check or credit-card.

• Be wary of a moving company that won’t take payment on delivery. Reputable movers will not require you to pay until your items are delivered.

• Don’t pay a stranger with a peer-to-peer app. Only use these apps the way they were intended, with people you personally know. Unlike more traditional banking systems, many payment apps will not shoulder the cost of fraud.

• Avoid deals that involve third-party shipping. It’s best to purchase items directly from the seller. Asking for payment for escrow services or shipping is a common scam tactic when it comes to buying items online.

• Always report scams. If you spot a scam like this on Facebook Marketplace, report it to Facebook.