Eric Hodnett is a scammer.

Scam details

I was looking to buy a used Apple Watch Ultra. On eBay, they were selling for between $500-$650. I looked on Facebook marketplace and saw a listing for a used Apple Watch Ultra recently marked down from $475 to $425, so I contacted the seller. The listing photos showed the watch on the authentic Apple Watch box.

The seller was Eric Hodnett (He made a new "alternate" profile here), from Lynchburg Virginia. I offered to pay for the watch via Paypal, which offers buyer protection in the case that the seller ships a fake item. He said that he "stopped using" Paypal, and suggested using Zelle. Knowing that Zelle does not have buyer protection, I refused and suggested finding another option that would protect me as a buyer. We determined that Venmo would offer buyer protection, so I offered to pay via Venmo. Eric was unable to accept payments on his own Venmo account (he said something about switching the account from his old phone number to his new phone number), so he said he'd request the money from his dad, Kurt Hodnett's, account. I paid the agreed-upon price via Venmo, with buyer protection, to his dad's account.

However, the next day Eric had second thoughts and canceled/refunded the payment. Venmo was going to hold the money in escrow until I received the item I purchased, in case of a dispute. He said he could not wait for the escrow because he desperately needed money to pay for his "son's summer camp". We discussed alternate payment methods, tried CashApp (which failed), and ultimately agreed that I'd pay HALF now via Zelle, then once I receive the watch, I'd pay the other half. I paid $215 via Zelle, and shortly afterward, he provided a shipping receipt with tracking number.

Once the item had shipped, Eric began hounding me for more money. He told me how he needed to pay for his son's camp and how the price was higher than he thought. He fleeced an additional $50 out of me, and then continued to hound me for another $100 - trying to get all of his money before the watch arrived. Ultimately I refused further payments until I got the watch.

Two days later, the package arrived and contained a fake, counterfeit Apple Watch Ultra. Not even a good fake. The box and packaging say "Microwear 9", which based on my research is a $20 Chinese AliExpress Apple Watch knockoff. It was obvious at this time that I'd been scammed. Eric had blocked me on Facebook, and the watch was still listed for sale on Facebook marketplace.

You can read the whole, unedited transcript of our conversation here in 8 screenshots: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Q&A

• What is the purpose of this website? Very simply, I want to ensure that from now on anyone such as myself who is considering doing any kind of business with Eric Hodnett who searches online for his name will find this webpage and learn about his scamming before sending him any money. Unfortunately, that may also extend to future potential employers. However, Eric is currently "employed at entrepreneur", so maybe this isn't a concern for him.
• What actions have you already taken after being scammed? I immediately reported the scam to Facebook, Zelle, my bank, and the FBI Cybercrime division. Understanding that I'm not guaranteed to get my money back, I then purchased this domain name EricHodnett.com, specifically for this reason. It only costs me about $10 a year to run this website, so it's well worth the expense to get the word out.
• What do you want? I feel like this goes without saying, but I want my $265 back. Eric, if you're reading this - you obviously have my Zelle account! Just send it back. You have my mailing address - just mail me a check if you want!
• I talked to Eric and he said none of this is true and YOU are trying to scam HIM! He says he totally shipped you a real Apple Watch. Thankfully, the evidence is very clear. Firstly, he shipped the fake watch at the post office. If he had printed a shipping label at HOME, he could have entered any weight he wanted. But by shipping at the post office, the weight printed on the label is the ACTUAL weight - 0 lbs, 8.6oz. An actual Apple Watch Ultra in the box weighs over 1 pound - would be even more considering all the extras he said he was including. So what he shipped me weighs about half what a legit item would. Furthermore, a week after scamming me, he still has the apple watch listed for sale on Facebook marketplace. If he sold and shipped it to me, why is it still listed for sale and price being dropped?
• Is Eric's dad Kurt Hodnett involved with the scam? I don't know. Unsurprisingly, Eric was unable to accept payment on his own Venmo account, so he requested payment from his dad's account - Kurt Hodnett. Ultimately, he refunded the payment because it was sent with buyer protection. Is Kurt in on the scam? Or is he an innocent family member? I don't know. I reached out to Kurt via his business email address (kurt.insurance@gmail.com) for "Kurt Hodnett Insurance" in Lynchburg, VA - but he did not respond.
• What's next? I will be sending a copy of all of this evidence and information to Eric's local police department, sheriff's office, newspapers, and TV news stations in Lynchburg, Virginia. They may or may not take any action, but at least then there will be a record/file in Eric's name that this has occurred. So if it happens again, next time he's reported it'll add up until action is taken.

Contact Me

Want to contact me about this website? No problem! Email scammer@EricHodnett.com and I'll get back to you as soon as possible.