Scam??

[Chieflongtee]

Just be careful out there. Recently received this and somehow feel it is not ligit.

------ by name,I came across your golf clubs which i am interested in,and i am ready to purchase it immediately.But i would like to know the present status and it's cost price so that i will poceed with the payments.
Awaiting your favourable reply.

Regards..

.............

[Big Johnny69]

Thanks for the head's up Chief.

[Chieflongtee]

I posted my email on different forums and got hit twice by the first email.
After I replied to the first email I got this:

Thanks for your recent mail.The price is okay by me, and i am ready to purchase it immediately,but concerning the shipping,like i told you that my international shipping agent will take care of that.

So please if this is okay by you provide me with your contact address and phone number where the payment will be sent to.So that i will contact my client immediately that owes me $5,500 and i will instruct him to pay you on my behalf ok,and as soon as the payment get to you i would like you to cash it immediately and deduct your money,and send the remaining balance to my shipping agent so that he can be able to pay and make an arrangement for the pick-up ok.And as soon as you provide me with your contact address payment will be made out to you immediately.Hope to see your urgent reply soonest.
My best regards to your family

[golferboy]

That looks a little suspicious....

[lgrankin]

I had the same message... thanks for the heads-up!

LR

[jhazelton]

I believe the Ottawa Police Service and CrimeStoppers (PhoneBusters) recently put out a public notice that described a scam sounding very similiar to the emails you described. At the time, I recall they appeared to be targetting sellers of high ticket items in print classifieds.

[nice_lag]

I posted my email on different forums and got hit twice by the first email.
After I replied to the first email I got this:

Thanks for your recent mail.The price is okay by me, and i am ready to purchase it immediately,but concerning the shipping,like i told you that my international shipping agent will take care of that.

So please if this is okay by you provide me with your contact address and phone number where the payment will be sent to.So that i will contact my client immediately that owes me $5,500 and i will instruct him to pay you on my behalf ok,and as soon as the payment get to you i would like you to cash it immediately and deduct your money,and send the remaining balance to my shipping agent so that he can be able to pay and make an arrangement for the pick-up ok.And as soon as you provide me with your contact address payment will be made out to you immediately.Hope to see your urgent reply soonest.
My best regards to your family

Well if you've been around EBay and the likes for the past few years, this is what is commonly referred as the «Nigerian Scam». I'm not trying to be racist here, far from that. It just comes from the fact that this type of scam first started from Nigeria. Basically, you will receive a payment ($5500), only to have to reimburse parts ($5500 minus the cost of the item) of it. When you try to collect your money, there won't be any. So the person gets the goods without paying. This is fairly widespread and you should NEVER sell to this kind of offer. You were wise in not following through.

[jhazelton]

Here is a link to the notice:

http://www.phonebusters.com/english/...fraudover.html

[PinHigh]

Most people who have posted on various "classifieds" sites have received some kind of scam mail reply.
Just Remember. ...... It only takes you 30 seconds to make up a fake name and address and reply to the scam mail with it.
It takes the scam mail guy a hell of a long time to forge a fake bank draft enter all that info and go to the post office in nigeria or wherever and mail it.

Pinhigh

[dbleber]

While we are talking security, I notice and cringe evertime someone posts there home phone number and address. This is not a smart practice and maybe something the moderators would like to add to the rules and delete these posts to help protect people. You would be surprised by the amount of times I have found links to this site while using google and to see someone home address and phone number sitting there for the world to see. All your private info should be left to PM's when wheeling and dealing IMO.

[Chieflongtee]

Totally agree Denny.

[zinger]

Do not respond to any type of message like that. I just verified it with the Ottawa Police fraud section!!

[Kilroy]

You would be surprised by the amount of times I have found links to this site while using google

Yup, Google loves us!

[powerlefty]

Well if you've been around EBay and the likes for the past few years, this is what is commonly referred as the «Nigerian Scam». I'm not trying to be racist here, far from that. It just comes from the fact that this type of scam first started from Nigeria. Basically, you will receive a payment ($5500), only to have to reimburse parts ($5500 minus the cost of the item) of it. When you try to collect your money, there won't be any. So the person gets the goods without paying. This is fairly widespread and you should NEVER sell to this kind of offer. You were wise in not following through.

Exactly. This scam has been around for almost 15 years that I am aware of. I can remember receiving letters at my office that basically said the writer had just come into a lot of money - usually $20M or so - through fees charged through his Nigerian government office (usually in the Oil Ministry) and just needed some help in transferring the funds offshore. If you would be so kind as to send your bank info on company letterhead, he would arrange to deposit the funds in your account and then you could keep 10% for your troubles and transfer the remainder to another account that he provides details for.

Apparently some people actually sent the info and had funds removed from their account without ever seeing any of teh $20M. Back in the early 90s it was amazing what bank transfers, etc could be done with a fax copy of a signature and lettehead. You would think the part about skimming a huge amount of money from the official goevernment agency would scare people of, but knooooow, lots of folks wanted to get a piece of the action.

[Kilroy]

If it looks like a duck...

[1972Apex]

While we are talking security, I notice and cringe evertime someone posts there home phone number and address. This is not a smart practice and maybe something the moderators would like to add to the rules and delete these posts to help protect people. You would be surprised by the amount of times I have found links to this site while using google and to see someone home address and phone number sitting there for the world to see. All your private info should be left to PM's when wheeling and dealing IMO.

I cringe too. But I leave it up to the person. If they want to post that info that is up to them. Personally I think everyone should use common sense and save that info for the PMs. As for deleting those posts, there's plenty of stuff to keep an eye on already IMHO

[Kilroy]

Agreed. The moderators cannot be babysitters, so please practice safe hex.

[dbleber]

I just think people fall into a false state of trust on here. Since this is a local site and many of the members are local and most of us seem to be good guys, people forget that this is on the internet and anyone can see this info. Hopefully this thread will help!

[shankenstein]

I agree. There are some pretty good scams that have been cooked up on the Internet and you can never be too safe.
You are much better sending all you money to me so I can keep it safe for you. I will be taking it out of town for awhile, but you can trust me....really.

[Powerdraw]

i got this message and sent all info except account numbers, he said he would have a check sent to me wich never came, so i did not do anything with it. the user name on e-mail is 'BJ'

says hes a journalist-reporter...screw you MF!!!! i lost 2 sales cause of this and now my ad has expired. i'm such an ass.

[hli]

was it from "John sworski"
cause I go similar messages ?

[Powerdraw]

was it from "John sworski"
cause I go similar messages ?

i must say it rings a bell...

[mo0nhaze]

I know someone who met up with this John Sworski on the internet also, I can't believe this.

[Gofish2]

Actually received a money order for old books that we listed on kijiji. The money order is a damn good forgery and is for 2500 even though the selling price was 900. I will frame it as a reminder. A dead giveaway is the poor english and the fact that they were willing to buy without even seeing pictures of the goods. Caveat emptor

[Chambokl]

This is interesting. The worst thing about this scam is that you receive the cheque. You go to your bank and cash the cheque. You wait about 2 weeks to make sure the cheque has cleared. The bank gives you the $5500 dollars. You return the balance to the buyer only to receive a notice about 2 weeks later from the bank saying that the cheque is a fraud. Usually the cheque is for about $5.50 or something like that but has been tampered with.

What is interesting is that the bank will take NO responsability and that YOU are the only one responsible for the lost.

Shouldn't the bank have some responsabilities. They cleared the cheque after all.

I know they say in the small prints that it is not their problems but...

Damn banks, that is why their profits are so high....

Chambo

[AlMan42]

I've always thought this one was a great story. One man's attempt to get back on the scammer. Read it if you have the time.

http://www.zug.com/pranks/powerbook/

[jonf]

I've always thought this one was a great story. One man's attempt to get back on the scammer. Read it if you have the time.

http://www.zug.com/pranks/powerbook/

That is pure genius.
That man should be nominated for the nobel prize in awesome

[LobWedge]

Absolutely f-ing brilliant!! One of the funniest things I have read in years!! My new ebay hero!!!

[Chieflongtee]

This just in. funny thing is I never owned or sold one:

Dear Sir,

My name Zulian! I am customer from Indonesia
I'm really want to buy that item from you.
Can you shipping to Singapore for exceptable ?
If you can arrange that, I'll see how much you will offering to me for this item.
I'll use credit card direct charge as payment.
If you accept my offer you can email me here.
Looking good news from you.
Best Regards.

Received: from web37906.mail.mud.yahoo.com

[dH]

Not only that; but what happens is they send you the 5500$ in a money order and ask you to reimubrst the rest to agent.

So your out the goods AND cash because 2 weeks later you get contacted from the bank saying the 5500 you deposited .... Was COUNTERFEIT....

Thats the real catch they dont' care about your product they want your $