If it sounds too good to be true.

It usually is. To me it sounds like Mr. Hoose's greed over took his good judgment. We all want a good deal when buying something. It's just if a price is too low, it normally for me will set off an alarm bell. Especially if I don't know the people selling it.

Once in Boca Raton, I was approached by someone in a parking lot who wanted to sell me a television. Out of their car. I said no thanks. The first thing I thought was the television was probably stolen, if it wasn't it was probably junk.

Mr. Hoose learned his lesson. He tried to save $20 and it cost him almost $500.

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All Daniel Van Hoose wanted was a few golf balls.

All the part-time south Fort Myers resident got was money stolen from his bank account.

Van Hoose, 66, called an 800 number on an advertisement in the sports section of The News-Press that ran Jan. 8, offering Titleist Pro V1 golf balls for $22 a dozen.

The balls used by a number of professional golfers usually retail between $40 and $50 a dozen.

The ad doesn't list the company, only that a major wholesaler is offering the deal.

When Van Hoose called, a voice mail message instructed him to leave his name and phone number and said someone would get in touch.

"It said all representatives were busy and they'll get back to you," he said.

Someone called back, and Van Hoose ordered four dozen golf balls on his Visa debit card, which came to $97 with shipping and handling. He waited about a week, but the balls never came.

His wife then spotted a $482 charge on the account, a money transfer from Western Union.

When Van Hoose called Western Union officials, he said, he was told the money was transferred to someone in Costa Rica. They told him they blocked a second transfer attempt for $493.

"It made me feel stupid," Van Hoose said. "But maybe the newspaper can see who is putting the ad in to make sure it's reputable. These guys are smart."

The ad, which was submitted by Advantage Marketing, ran only Jan. 8, said Kathy Fragassi, The News-Press national account executive.

Fragassi said the newspaper is no longer accepting ads from Advantage Marketing after learning of the alleged fraud. A call to the phone number of the the person who placed the ad went unanswered this morning.

"We do business on good faith. We don't screen our customers," she said.

A reporter who called the 800 number today heard a voice mail message from Advantage Marketing, saying all representatives are busy taking calls and to leave a name and number.

Lee County sheriff's deputies are investigating the theft and phone scam, sheriff's officials said.

Western Union officials told Van Hoose the transfer requests came from a number with a 239 area code, possibly from a south Fort Myers restaurant, according to sheriff's reports. Van Hoose said he got the debit card recently and hadn't given the number to any restaurants.