a day ago
Scam victim ‘blessed' by free wood delivery
A Dunedin woman left in the cold after falling victim to a firewood scam is thanking an "angel" who came out of nowhere and saved the day.
When Wakari resident Visha Webster was left desperate early this month after discovering all her stored firewood was soaked, she messaged a man advertising 4cum of firewood for $300.
However, after about a week of back and forth, she was left empty-handed and realised she had been scammed.
The scammer, who claimed he was Balclutha-based, kept promising to deliver the wood, but also kept coming up with excuses.
"I told him $300 is a lot of money for me, you know, and this is not a very warm house."
However, after missing another delivery, the scammer blocked her on Facebook.
It was her last hope, and she was "crying her eyes out" at work over the situation, when she arrived home to find an "angel" had stepped in to save the day.
Affordable Firewood Mosgiel owner Pete Thompson had delivered 4cum of firewood to her house.
She cried again, but this time it was tears of relief and happiness.
A tearful Visha Webster (right) hugs Affordable Firewood owner Pete Thompson and colleague Stacey Morton, for delivering free firewood to her house after she was scammed. PHOTO: STEPHEN JAQUIERY
Mr Thompson said he and colleague Stacey Morton decided to help Mrs Webster after they saw a post on Facebook about the scam.
"I hate that, because it gives us guys that do firewood a bad name."
He even went as far as providing her with a tarpaulin to keep the wood dry.
"Pete just said, 'this is not right, this time of the year for that', and dropped it off.
"My husband asked me, 'why are you looking at the firewood and crying?'
"I said, 'this is miracle'," Mrs Webster said.
She said she forgot all about the scammer, and her feeling of loss.
"The sadness from my heart was gone — I know I am being watched and cared for. I am very blessed."
She said retelling the story still gave her "goose bumps".
"We have these kind of people who rip you off, and then you have these kind of people who just came up from nowhere and tell you, I will help you.
"Until I die, I'm going to buy firewood from them — I wished that cremation on wood was allowed in New Zealand, I would have bought from them for that too."
