Fake ad tricks resident into taking St. Cloud snow blower
St. Cloud police are investigating a fraudulent ad after someone claimed a snow blower was free for grabs Wednesday.
Philip and Stacie Lansing reported their Toro 825 8-horsepower snow blower missing around 7:20 p.m. after someone responded to the Craigslist ad and picked it up while they were away.
The Lansings left the snow blower at the end of their driveway after it broke down earlier in the day.
The couple told police the snow blower was waiting to be taken to a repair shop where it would be fixed, and that they left home for less than an hour. When they returned, it was gone.
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The couple posted a response on Craigslist Thursday morning, explaining they were going to give the snow blower to their son and daughter-in-law once it was fixed.
Stacie Lansing wrote that the person who picked up the snow blower did it in "good faith" without realizing it wasn't free for the taking. She called the initial ad "a vicious listing."
The couple hopes the person who took the snow blower will contact them within the next few days.
"We know you did nothing wrong," Lansing wrote.
Police Sgt. Marty Sayre said the department is working to identify the person who posted the Craigslist ad.
Sayre said there's no state law that deals directly with this type of offense. But he said the individual could be charged with misdemeanor theft, which comes with a fine of up to $500.