CROSSVILLE WOMAN REPORTS FACEBOOK SCAM AFTER LOSING $300, AND ALMOST MUCH MORE
On February 11, 2026, around 2:00 PM, A Crossville woman noticed a dog listed for sale on Facebook and began communicating via email with someone she believed was a female seller. She agreed to buy the dog for $300 and transferred that amount through her Chime account to the recipient’s Chime account, $Stacie-Wilson, on February 12, 2026, at approximately 9:57 AM.
After the payment was sent, the supposed seller connected her with a delivery company via text messages. The company told her she would need to rent a dog crate for $700 or purchase one to keep for $1,200. She chose the rental option and tried multiple times to send the payment via Chime as requested, but the transactions failed.
When she asked about using a debit card or Cash App instead, they insisted on Chime only before eventually instructing her to buy gift cards at a store and provide those for payment. While browsing gift cards in the store, she discussed the situation with another person there, who recognized the signs of a scam and persuaded her to stop.
The responding officer advised her to immediately cancel and update all her banking and Chime account information for protection, though she said she would close her Chime account later.
