NORMAL - A 21-year-old man who borrowed $8,400 to buy a 2005 Dodge 4x4 pickup truck is stuck with a loan and no truck.

Both he and another Normal resident were victims of an Internet scam, police said. The victims believed they were buying vehicles on eBay, an online shopping site, said Normal Police Sgt. Dan Kelly.

But the victims actually were using a bogus site with a remarkable resemblance to eBay, using information lifted from the legitimate Web site.

Kelly cautioned anyone using a Web site to be very familiar with all safeguards to make sure they are not scammed.

Both victims wired money into fraudulent accounts, said Kelly, who suspects other victims both locally and nationally. "We had two people come to us in 10 days," he said.

The other victim was a 60-year-old woman who paid $12,340 for a 2007 Toyota Prius hybrid, said Kelly.

The man bought his truck June 17 but didn't talk to police until July 11. The woman bought her car Sunday, but got suspicious. "She thought it was too good to be true," Kelly said. She contacted eBay and called police Monday.

In both cases, the victims were pressured to send money immediately due to the seller's claimed hardship due to divorce. After initial contact on the bogus Web site, communication was by e-mail, with the alleged seller stringing along the young man with many excuses for the delay in the truck's arrival. "Finally, all contact ceased," Kelly said.

Kelly said the truck's owner lives in Texas and said the vehicle was not for sale. The Prius owner also lives in Texas, but could not be contacted.