KSHB 41 reporter Elyse Schoenig covers the cities of Shawnee and Mission. She also focuses on issues surrounding the cost of health care, saving for retirement and personal debt. Share your story idea with Elyse.
Recent data from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) shows consumers lost $2.7 billion through social media scams over a two-year period. But in De Soto, Kansas, one consumer's loss is becoming his own gain. Thirteen-year-old Noah Bradley had his sights set on a dirt bike of his own this summer.
"I was just mowing some lawns, getting some money, having fun with friends, riding dirt bikes," Bradley said.
Bradley saved up enough to buy that bike.
"He had a plan for how to make money in the winter, how to make money in the summer. It's very industrious," Noah's dad, Zack Bradley, said.
Noah then found a different bike for sale in Wichita on Facebook Marketplace. He traded bikes with the seller, not knowing until police showed up at his door that the bike he'd just bought was stolen.
"I was just like, bewildered. It was insane, like it was horrible," Bradley said.
The stolen bike belonged to Wichita native Glenn Timoteo, who is currently living in Florida. Police are still investigating, but Timoteo did get his bike back.
"I'm so happy to have my bike back, but I just could not get the fact that there was a 13-year-old boy in Kansas that had put his hard-earned money into this bike and was not getting anything back," Timoteo said.
Recent FTC data also studied the first half of 2023 and showed 44% of fraud reports were related to buying or selling products online.
"Facebook Marketplace is a great tool to get bargains and get great deals, but it also teaches you buyer beware," Timoteo said.
Timoteo said this experience gave them all a life lesson and a new friendship.
"Him and his dad, I consider friends for life. You know, we'll always have a special bond and connection," Timoteo said.
That's not all. Timoteo has been raising money and talking with a dirt bike dealership in Shawnee to buy Noah a brand-new dirt bike of his own. It's proof that good things come to those who work for it, like Noah this summer.
"Turns out better than I thought it was gonna be stolen to brand new dirt bike," Noah said.
You can learn more about the journey to Noah finally earning a dirt bike of his own, and make a donation, through this GoFundMe.
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