A Louisiana fire chief got scammed out of $3K while trying to buy a boat on eBay, audit says

A fire chief in St. Helena Parish got scammed out of $3,200 while trying to buy a boat on eBay, according to the Louisiana Legislative Auditor's Office.

In July 2021, St. Helena Parish Fire District No. 4 Chief Brad Graves began searching for a boat to use during floods and other rescue operations, the audit says. Graves found a boat on eBay for $1,200, and was instructed by the seller to pay for the equipment in eBay gift cards.

Graves bought $1,200 of gift cards on July 24, 2021 and gave them to the seller. The next day, the seller told Graves he needed to send another $1,000 in eBay cards to cover insurance costs for transportation, which he bought and sent. Graves sent another $800 later after the seller made another request, according to auditors.

The chief failed to notify the District Attorney and the Legislative Auditor's Office of the fraud as required by law, the audit said.

"A legitimate transaction online would have required the use of a debit or credit card," the audit states. "Such purchases [using eBay cards] should raise awareness this type of purchase is rife with fraud. The District does not have policies and procedures in place to prohibit these types of purchases."

The 2021 audit, which was only filed in January and released this month, also found the district lacked proper documentation and policies for expenditures and failed to keep minutes for its public meetings.

The fire district said in the audit they'd implement policies to review and approve purchases as recommended by the audit.

Graves said in an email Tuesday that the audit's findings "have been rectified with the proper authorities."