‘I feel like I let myself get taken’: Layton man scammed with fake money, urging sellers to be cautious
Aug 14, 2023, 6:06 PM | Updated: 6:23 pm
LAYTON, Utah — A Layton man said he was scammed out of several hundred dollars after the alleged suspects paid him with counterfeit money.
Mike Pilarczyk was trying to sell a generator for some extra cash, some of which he was hoping to use for his kids back to school shopping.
The alleged scammers reached out to Pilarczyk late Sunday night and pushed the sale to 1 a.m. Monday.
“Normally I wouldn’t, but they got a hold of me and [their generator] broke down a couple hours before. It’s hot [and] I can’t let them be without if that’s what cools their trailer.”
He said they tested out the generator, helped them load it up and he was given $440 cash.
“It wasn’t until I made it in the house where I noticed the color was off, it wasn’t quite right, and it was fake.”
While realistic, the fake money states throughout the bill it’s for use in motion pictures only. Pilarczyk called police immediately.
Counterfeit bill given to Mike Pilarczyk for the sale of a generator. (Courtesy: Mike Pilarczyk)
Pilarczyk said he hopes people don’t make the same mistake he did, despite trying to do the right thing.
“The signs were there. I was too tired to see them. I feel like let myself get taken,” he said.
Layton police is investigating. A spokesperson told KSL TV they see scams like these happen from time to time. Anyone with information on this investigation is asked to call police.
For more tips to be mindful of if someone tries to pay you with fake money, click here.
