Oklahoma Charges Two with Ebay Fraud

May 12, 2005
Oklahoma has filed charges against two people in separate cases of alleged Internet fraud involving phone Ebay auctions, a problem Attorney General Drew Edmondson says is increasingly common in his state.

Samantha Daye Covey, also known as Samantha Daye Vaughn, was charged in Cleveland County District Court with one felony count and three misdemeanor counts of violating the Oklahoma Consumer Protection Act.

Covey, 28, allegedly sold computer software to customers on Ebay, an Internet auction site. All four charges against Covey stem from allegations that she accepted payment for the products she sold, but failed to provide the items to consumers.

A second person, Michael Moshopoulos, is facing similar charges in an unrelated case filed in Tulsa County District Court.

Moshopoulos, 44, is facing two felony counts and one misdemeanor count of violating the Consumer Protection Act after he allegedly collected money for electronic organizer/phones on Ebay and then failed to provide either the phones or refund the customers' money.

"In both of these cases, the alleged customers paid for items they never received," Edmondson said. "The Internet should not be a safe harbor for criminals."

Scamming in Oklahoma....what is the world coming too?