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Whistler residents show hearts of gold to scammed parents of U.S. bobsledder

VANCOUVER, B.C. - A New York couple scammed out of thousands of dollars in a rental fraud in Whistler will get to see their son compete at the upcoming Olympic Games.

Lois Mesler confirms her family has accepted an offer of accommodation at a Whistler home - one of several offers made after the Mesler's plight became known.

A large contingent of the Mesler clan planned to travel to Whistler to see U.S. bobsled team member Steve Mesler go for gold.

RCMP say the family paid $8,000 to rent a home in the resort town, but just weeks before the Games they learned they had nowhere to stay because the man who took their money didn't own the condo.

Staff Sgt. Steve LeClair says a fraud investigation has been launched but no arrests have been made.

The Meslers placed a classified ad online and a man named Jason responded, asking the Meslers to wire cash, but the suspect wasn't registered with the site, making him difficult to track down.

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/100127/national/oly_rental_scam

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@JTT,

It's amazing how people can be so trusting. Or even better yet not be able to tell when they are getting scammed out of their own shoes.

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@Seed,

Quote:

The Meslers placed a classified ad online and a man named Jason responded, asking the Meslers to wire cash, but the suspect wasn't registered with the site, making him difficult to track down.

Ma Mesler: "Did you get his last name, Dear?"

Pa Mesler: "No, Honey, we didn't need his last name remember, he said to just send cash, that way we wouldn't have to worry about spelling his last name correctly on the check."

Ma Mesler: Ah, that's right. In retrospect, it might have been a good idea if we had gotten both his first and last name.

Pa Mesler: Yes, good point, Dear, we'll have to remember that.

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@JTT,

And more, but again, how could it happen?

Quote:

Vanoc sold roughly 70 to 75 per cent of all Olympic tickets to the public in three phases, starting with a lottery phase followed by two first-come, first-served phases.

The remaining 25 to 30 per cent were distributed to Olympic sponsors who can get a set number of tickets for each day of the Games, Olympic families and national Olympic committees in other countries for distribution to their athletes and families and to their general public.

That adds up to all of the tickets, 100% of them in fact, so how could these other "legitimate" brokers even exist?

Rest of the story:

Quote:

U.S. broker gives Games ticket buyers the shaft

BY YVONNE ZACHARIAS, VANCOUVER SUNFEBRUARY 4, 2010

Olympic Games ticket purchasers who bought through a complex web of international brokers have been informed they will be getting neither their tickets nor a refund.

Arizona-based ticket broker eSeats has sent e-mails to 176 customers telling them they won't be getting the roughly 1,200 tickets purchased on their behalf through another broker, Action Seating, which is based in Georgia.

http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/2010wintergames/broker+gives+Games+ticket+buyers+shaft/2519734/story.html

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