With her relationship in Indiana over, Nikki Jones and her new boyfriend decided to sell her gold and diamond wedding rings on the classified ads Web site Craigslist.
Soon after putting up a listing offering the rings for $1,700 last month, somebody contacted them and arranged a meeting at a nearby Sweet Bay parking lot.
"Opened up his wallet, gave us 17, 100 dollar bills," said Jones' boyfriend, Brent Wood.
The bills looked genuine under the glare of the lights of the grocery store lot. But when the couple arrived at their bank to make a night deposit, the wad of cash took on a whole new look.
"The light from inside the car made those bills look a little different," Wood said.
He said the hundreds didn't look like they'd been through normal wear and tear. He took the bills to a local Amscot office where employees confirmed his suspicion that the bills were phony.
"I felt very deceived. I had counted on having that money to get a car," Jones said.
"I need a car. I'm out $1,700 and set of very nice rings.''
A Tampa Police spokesperson said the case was reported to them and turned over to the U.S. Secret Service, the federal agency that handles counterfeit claims.
Both Jones and Wood want to see whoever ripped them off prosecuted. In the meantime, they're hoping their story keeps others from being victimized by counterfeiting crooks.
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