Does this seem suspicious to anyone?

Post by **Omar** » Fri Jan 16, 2004 5:46 am

Hey everyone,

I put my van (Previa) on Autotrader for $750 about 2 1/2 weeks ago. I get the following e-mail:

Quote »I am interested in buying your (car) and i have a client who live in WesterAfriaand he will like to know the cost of the (car) and the present conditions,So donot worry about the shipment i will take care of that myself. Thanks..[/quote] I replied back with the vehicle condition and price. He replied back with the following:

Quote »Thanks for the phone conversation,am okay with the last price which is $750 and the condition at present.Dont worry about the shipment,i have arrange with a shipping company that will come for the pickup in your destination location.I want you to render this help to me concerning this sale, i have an associate in the united states that is owing me the amount of $4,500 and he has promise me that he can only send a cashier's check to an associate in the united states and that is why i have decided to buy the item from you.So once you have the check of $4,500,i will want you to deduct your funds for the purchase and send the excess funds through western union money transfer to my shipping company that will come for the pickup in your location.If my terms is okay ,i will want you to provide me with the necessary information below:FULL NAME THAT WILL BE ON THE CHECK.......FULL ADDRESS(NOT P.0.BOX)........CELL AND HOME PHONE NUMBER. Expecting your quick responsde back.Thanks.[/quote] Note that I never had a phone conversation with him. I dont know why he said that. Does this seem suspicious to anyone or is it just me?

I probably wont reply back until I believe its worth doing so.

Thanks for your help everyone.

Later,

Omar

Post by **aaronsnocker1** » Fri Jan 16, 2004 5:46 am

its a scam. plain and simple. i heard about the same thing just through email addresses and much larger amounts of money. if they do send you a check just keep the check and call the cops about it. sounds illegal anyways,

Post by **fiznat** » Fri Jan 16, 2004 5:46 am

I wouldnt deal with it, it sounds too fishy. Seriously you're selling a car for $750, you'll find another buyer. Dont bother with these kind of people who make you risk things just to get what you deserve.

Good luck sellin the car!

Post by **-HyJynX-** » Fri Jan 16, 2004 5:46 am

Dont go threw with it! Scam scam scam, and if its not a scam i still wouldnt go threw it, to fishy

Post by **Megaseth** » Fri Jan 16, 2004 5:46 am

i've recieved those emails, the ones that said our name came up on a list in some african kings house or something and that all we have to do is open a large account so they could send the money, they just need our account number. dont go through with it, its a joke. they just want the ****, err, i mean money. besides, what happens when the truck is used in a terrorlst attack and they trace the title back to you. we didnt sell our blazer to some chums from mexico cause if they had a wreck in it or something, and they didnt change the title, we'd get in trouble for it.

Post by **Cold_Zero** » Fri Jan 16, 2004 5:46 am

Last time I checked, the legal limit for exporting cash out of the United States with out having to declare the money was $20k. Although shipping the money out of the country is not a crime, you do not know where this money came from. And you don’t need the US Customs Office investigating you for money laundering or fraud. Agreed this sounds fishy. You may want to report this to the US Customs Office so that they can investigate this ring. 1-800-BE-ALERT

Post by **Cold_Zero** » Fri Jan 16, 2004 5:46 am

Megaseth wrote:i've recieved those emails, the ones that said our name came up on a list in some african kings house or something and that all we have to do is open a large account so they could send the money, they just need our account number. dont go through with it, its a joke. they just want the ****, err, i mean money. besides, what happens when the truck is used in a terrorlst attack and they trace the title back to you. we didnt sell our blazer to some chums from mexico cause if they had a wreck in it or something, and they didnt change the title, we'd get in trouble for it.

Listen to Megaseth. Very timely advice.

Post by **krazy skwerel** » Fri Jan 16, 2004 5:46 am

I thought it was when they sign the title it is leagally theirs, though I do suppose if they say they lost the title then it wouldn't matter. oi making my head hurt. need sleep.

Post by **Supafly** » Fri Jan 16, 2004 5:46 am

scam and more scam written all over it. tell him bring $750 CASH or let him warm up his nikes.

Post by **Megaseth** » Fri Jan 16, 2004 5:46 am

yeah, when they sign the title over, its theirs, but there is nothing that says they have to. they could just "forget" and never sign it over

Post by **YRUSOSLO** » Fri Jan 16, 2004 5:46 am

Here's the lowdown on this REAL scam people.

First- don't get it confused with the whole Africa money laundering scheme

Second- they don't want or car about your car at all

third- they simply want your money so it could have been someplace inside the U.S it has nothing to do with leaving the country

fourth- They simply want your money the cashiers check is COUNTERFEIT. Once you find out you are out of your cash and the bank will demand the money from YOU.

fifth- Very good Scam radar you have there!!!

sixth- Even if someone comes to your house and has a cashiers check it could still be a fake. to be TRULY safe go cash

peace

Post by **Megaseth** » Fri Jan 16, 2004 5:46 am

uh, we all told him it was a scam. i think we all knew it was. and we didnt confuse it with the money laundering scam, just said it was similar.

Post by **YRUSOSLO** » Fri Jan 16, 2004 5:46 am

Okay chill there Mr. Man. I don't post on this board often cuz of people like you jumpin down my throat. I felt like throwin in my 2 cents. You don't like it ignore it.

Post by **Megaseth** » Fri Jan 16, 2004 5:46 am

wasnt jumping down your throat, just letting you know that we went confused.

Post by **BoostFab** » Fri Jan 16, 2004 5:46 am

i agree, that is straight-up scam by the way he stated. so basically; some anonymous person will send you a piece of paper "so called cashiers check"; and in turn; you give him real cash. damn--that's madness.

edit: give his email or other info to authority and let them delt with it. in some way you can help stop this criminal

Post by **Omar** » Fri Jan 16, 2004 5:46 am

Hey everyone,

Thanks for all the input. You guys saved me some trouble...or a lot of trouble I should say. I saw the red flag go up as soon as I read that e-mail. However, I was still tempted to go through it. Its a good thing I didnt and came here for advice.

Now the real question is, do I go ahead and report to the local police or any other law enforcement agency like many have stated? Can anyone give me some tips on this?

I really hate to see some one get screwed over by this punk.

Thanks for all your help everyone. Much appreciated.

Take care. Later...

Omar

Post by **Megaseth** » Fri Jan 16, 2004 5:46 am

report it to the customs office like Cold_Zero said, they'd be able to help you or at least tell you where to go.

Post by **BadMojo** » Fri Jan 16, 2004 5:46 am

YRUSOSLO wrote:fourth- They simply want your money the cashiers check is COUNTERFEIT. Once you find out you are out of your cash and the bank will demand the money from YOU.

Some people have had some fun leading these scammers on. As I recall, the scammers are counting on the fact that it will take some time for the other bank to tell *your* bank that the check is bogus. Sometimes this takes a long time, sometimes it doesn't.

The scammers start to get nervous when it takes too long for you to send them money. They're thinking that you'll hear from your bank that the check is bogus before you can ever send the money.

So...people will lead them on with stupid excuses just to make 'em sweat. Stuff like "I just got a higher bid from another buyer. Would you be willing to pay more for the car?" or waiting a few days while the scammer send frantic emails and then reply with "Sorry, had to make an unexpected business trip."

Anyway, the checks are bogus. Even though the money might show up in your account, the bank will eventually be looking to *you* to make good on the funds from the bogus cashiers check.

Post by **BuudWeizErr** » Fri Jan 16, 2004 5:46 am

NO, JESUS CHRIST NO!!!!!

my dad is a detective, his job is to handle identity theft cases and he comes across things like this all the time, the notes will all be fake, then you deposit it, and send the rest of the money back, then you will get a chargeback and be out a LOT of money. And it is ALWAYS from another country. if you have ANY contact information for this guy, give it to me, I will have my dad follow up on it.

[email protected]

Post by **BadMojo** » Fri Jan 16, 2004 5:46 am

Here's one of several news stories concerning this scam.

http://www.mailtribune.com/arc...l.htm

A Google search turns up a ton of stuff like the above.

Post by **Cold_Zero** » Fri Jan 16, 2004 5:46 am

The Treasury Department would investigate conterfiting of money and check fraud. Like Bud said, go to your local police and start there.

Post by **C-Kwik** » Fri Jan 16, 2004 5:46 am

This scam is done both ways as well. I ran into one that was for an M3 that was for sale. For $25,000. Low mileage. I was drooling. The location stated it was in Colorado, so nothing seemed suspicious at first. So email the guy since there is no tel#.

Here's what I got:

---------------------------------------Hello Sir! Thank you for your interest in purchasing my car. First of all I must inform you that currently I'm in Amsterdam, Holland and I have to let you know that the BMW car is here with me and it is in a perfect condition. I am the first owner of the car. I bought it directly from BMW factory from Germany. The car it has a clear title which you will receive it with the car. It can be registered into your name, so stay cool about this.

I have to tell you that I have other serious offers that I have to consider and I will make a decision regarding this sale function or time of payment and price. I want to tell you that I've choosed this type of sale to escpape by the non-paying possible bidders. The car is as new, with no scratches and it was never involved in an accident. The paint looks just as new, the car was always garaged. I sell this amazing car because I want to buy in 2 weeks the new BMW 6 Series. As options, the car has all premium packages, premium sound, bixenon headlights etc. I bought the car with the intention to bring it back with me in the US, but I will stay a longer time here and it is time to make a change for my car. I ordered the car set up especially for the US market. The car is US street legal, does not need any conversion and it meets all DOT and EPA regulations. It has a miles odometer, etc. This is the reason that I want to sell the car in USA because German people do not like it prepared this way. The other offers that I have are also from the US. The warranty is valid in USA and it is extended international warranty for 5 years, from bumper to bumper.

The price I hope to obtain is 25.000 USD (this price includes the shipping and insurance) and if you agree with this price we can start to complete the transaction. The payment must be done using a money order service. I prefer money order because in this way I will ship the BMW in the same day you make the payment. During the time I learned that the best deals are closed when the risk involved is minimum. You will arrange payment through Western Union (http://www.WesternUnion.com). In case you want to ship you the car right now you have to make me a confirmation for 20% of the amount of money (USD 5000) and after you receive and inspect the BMW you have to send me the rest of the money.The inspection period for it is 10 days.

I have something safe for you because I want you to be sure that you will receive the car and I hope we will collaborate in future too. Look what I can do for you:

- You will make the transfer to my location but not to my name (you will use your best friends name for example as receiver's name) so you can be sure that I will not pick up the money until you get the car. So you make a deposit at Western Union and you will give me the transfer's details (MTCN, SENDER'S NAME, RECEIVER'S NAME) so I can check that the deposit was made. After I verify I will send you the car immediately.

- Only after you will receive the car and check it if it ok you will have to change the receiver's name of the transfer to my name so I can collect my money. So until you will have the car in your hands the money will be deposited on your best friend's name at Western Union agent.

I think it is better to not inform Western Union that you will change the receiver's name in a few days because it is possible they ask you to pay the fees twice (fees that are quite big for such an amount). When you will go to the Western Union office to wire the money sometimes they ask you why are you doing that. If you will tell them that they are for something you have bought, I will have to pay when I pick up the money a very expensive tax for making commerce. Please say you send the money to your friends or to your partner. Also, I can accept 2000$ through from the amount prior and in this case I will take you as a serious and possible buyer and arrange a further deal but in this case you have to come in person to the car's location to see the car and take it back with you or you can send a friend or agent that lives near by to inspect the car and pay the rest of the money.

If you are agree with this method you can transfer the 2000$ from your home using your credit card via phone calling 1-800 CALL CASH service of Western Union that is a free of charge phone number and is available 24 H a day.

After you've completed the transfer you will receive a confirmation that will allow me to track the transfer. Here are the details that I need:

- Sender's Name and address - Receiver's name will be me - Exact amount wired - MTCN # (10 digits) - If it is possible a scanned copy of the receipt format .JPEG for me to add to the files

As soon as the payment will be confirmed and the money properly sent, I will IMMEDIATELY proceed with shipping if you sent me the 20% of the amount or I will hold the car for you if you've deposited only 2000$. In case you've payed the 20% of money I will ship the car via Lufthansa Airplane Cargo insured and it will take 72 hours until you will have it at your door. The shipping is free. The shipping taxes will cost arround USD 2600, but of course that I will cover them.

The 20% of payment are fully refundable if for any reason you do not accept the car or if the car has scratches, hidden defects, or it is not as advertised. I will even pay for the shipping back to my location if you reject the car but since it is a state of the art BMW and works and looks perfectly I think it would get to this. Here is my name and address you need for the Western Union transfer:

First Name: Edward Last Name: Cleveland Address: Postbus 3350 City: Amsterdam Postal Code(ZIP): 1094 XK Country: Holland (The Netherlands) If you agree with these terms,let me know and I will be more than glad to start to complete the transaction with you.

Thank you and I hope that you will have the pleasure to drive this car. Kind regards.

--------------------------------

What's sad is, this may actually work on someone. Just stick to common sense and the rule of, "if it sounds too good to be true, it is."

Post by **Omar** » Fri Jan 16, 2004 5:46 am

Thanks everyone for the replies. So basically quite of few of you have said that I should hand it over to the local Police. So far, I have his name (Jimmy Prince and I wonder if its real) and thats about it.

So do you guys think I should give him my full name, my address and my phone number like he asked? How should I go about this? I really want to get this dude for trying to scam people. In order for him to send the "check" over, he will need my info. However, I dont know if he can pull off other scams using my name and number.

Thanks guys.

Later... Omar

Post by **BoostFab** » Fri Jan 16, 2004 5:46 am

Omar wrote:Thanks everyone for the replies. So basically quite of few of you have said that I should hand it over to the local Police. So far, I have his name (Jimmy Prince and I wonder if its real) and thats about it.

So do you guys think I should give him my full name, my address and my phone number like he asked? How should I go about this? I really want to get this dude for trying to scam people. In order for him to send the "check" over, he will need my info. However, I dont know if he can pull off other scams using my name and number.

Thanks guys.

Later... Omar

no way, don't give him your real demographic info--why would you want to do that? unless you want him to continue to do scam on people with your name. you hand that over to authority and let them do the investigation.

come-on man, it's all common sense. the best thing to do is protect yourself at all times.

Does this seem suspicious to anyone?

Does this seem suspicious to anyone?

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