As you head online to do your holiday shopping this Cyber Monday, beware of a Craigslist scam going on in Western Washington that turned a couple looking for a bargain into victims of a crime instead.

Joseph Pineda and Rowena DelCastillo thought an offer on Craigslist would be a better way to get a 40-inch TV than standing in a Black Friday line.

They agreed to meet a seller in a Federal Way apartment parking lot Thanksgiving afternoon. The seller claimed to have fallen on hard times. The couple gave the man $300 in cash; he gave them two bank cards and an ID as collateral and went to get the TV – or so he said.

“He went up these stairs and we were just waiting, and I gave him the benefit of the doubt. That’s why I gave him the money,” Pineda said. “And he just texted back, quote unquote, ‘Sorry I just pulled out, Christmas is here.’”

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Asked what that was supposed to mean, Pineda said, “I think maybe he’s the Grinch or something.”

The couple called Federal Way police and gave an officer all the information from the bank cards and ID, including a possible name, address and phone number. That investigation is ongoing.

“He’s probably thinking he got lucky,” DelCastillo said. “But there’s no luck in this world. You did something wrong and something wrong will happen to you.”

KIRO 7 Consumer Investigator Amy Clancy wanted to see if she could talk to the alleged thief, so she called the number that texted Pineda. She didn’t get any answer.

Meanwhile, Pineda and DelCastillo said they want other Craigslist shoppers to be more careful than they were.

“You’ve got to check the merchandise before handing our your money,” DelCastillo said.

“I know it’s kind of embarrassing, but I never thought it would happen to me,” Pineda said.