A Salina business has started an effort to help a local teen who was scammed out of all of the money she had been saving to purchase her first car.

The 16-year-old girl was bilked out of $1,530. She had worked and saved the money to buy a car.

The teen found a 2003 Honda Accord for sale on Craigslist on March 1st. The seller told her the vehicle was in a shipping container and would be delivered after she used a money gram to send a cash payment. The vehicle never arrived.

The Central Mall in Salina has reached out to the teen to try and help her get some of the money back. The mall will be accepting donations from Thursday through Sunday.

In addition, the mall will also donate, and match, all money from the Easter Eggspress kiddie train. Money collected from train rides at the mall on Friday through Sunday will go to the teen. Rides on the train, which is located inside the mall, cost a dollar.

A Salina car dealership is also offering to help. Long McArthur has agreed to match the money raised by the mall. The dealership will also help the teen find a good deal on a used vehicle.

Central Mall General Manager Lisa McDowell tells KSAL News that the story moved her, because her entire life she has had to work hard for everything she has. “We just want to give her a good start on maybe recouping some of the money she worked so hard for, and saved” McDowell concluded.

Donations can be dropped off at the Central Mall customer center.