Early Nominees for "Dumbass of the Year" Award

From today's South Bend Tribune:

At least two people have been scammed by a man selling sheets of plywood wrapped to look like flat-panel television sets, police say.

According to Mishawaka police, twice last week, a man in a dented white mini-van approached customers in parking lots at businesses along Grape Road and sold them what he claimed were flat-panel televisions.

Police said the man offered two stories. In one, they said, he needed the money to support his family. In the other, he couldn't return the sets because he had lost the receipts.

A man paid $300 for two sets, police said, and a woman paid $600 for one.

Not until they returned home and unwrapped the sets did they realize they were plywood.

Police said it's likely more people have been scammed but are too embarrassed to file a report.

Just like the people who got taken by Bernie Madoff--remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.