Someone tried to scam me....and it almost worked, Sellers beware!!
Someone tried to scam me....and it almost worked, Sellers beware!!
I just wanted to let everyone know that scams are happening. Someone sent me a fake cashiers check and I would have fallen for it if a local buyer wasn't so persistant.
What happend:
I posted my car on Autotrader.com. A buyer from another country said he wanted to buy it, It took a really long time to get here, 3 weeks longer then he said. I kept saying I was going to sell it to someone else if I didnt get a tracking number, and I never got one, this raised my initial suspescion. He also said that the check was going to be for 4K over what I was asking, and the over payment was to pay for shipping and he would instruct me what to do w/ the remander after the car was shipped, 2nd raised suspiscion. I decide im going to sell it locally since he has not meet his arrival date and I suspect fraud.
I then get the check and am going to return it but there is no return address!! I hold the envelope up to a bright light and see the check. In small print on the bottom it says that the check is not valid over $10,000. Well the check was made out for well over that. Who would send a cashiers check worth this much overseas w/ no return address and no tracking number? Someone who dosent want to get caught if the deal goes bad, like it did. I talked to our legal department, then I tell him I've spoken to the legal department and they informed me it was a foriegn scam. I have not heard from him since.
If I would have tried to cash the check, it would have cleared, then I would have shipped my car off overseas. Then the cops would have come for me, I would have lost my car, gone to jail, and had to repay the amount.......
This is just a FYI for anyone selling, or buying anything/ BEWARE!!
Trevor
What happend:
I posted my car on Autotrader.com. A buyer from another country said he wanted to buy it, It took a really long time to get here, 3 weeks longer then he said. I kept saying I was going to sell it to someone else if I didnt get a tracking number, and I never got one, this raised my initial suspescion. He also said that the check was going to be for 4K over what I was asking, and the over payment was to pay for shipping and he would instruct me what to do w/ the remander after the car was shipped, 2nd raised suspiscion. I decide im going to sell it locally since he has not meet his arrival date and I suspect fraud.
I then get the check and am going to return it but there is no return address!! I hold the envelope up to a bright light and see the check. In small print on the bottom it says that the check is not valid over $10,000. Well the check was made out for well over that. Who would send a cashiers check worth this much overseas w/ no return address and no tracking number? Someone who dosent want to get caught if the deal goes bad, like it did. I talked to our legal department, then I tell him I've spoken to the legal department and they informed me it was a foriegn scam. I have not heard from him since.
If I would have tried to cash the check, it would have cleared, then I would have shipped my car off overseas. Then the cops would have come for me, I would have lost my car, gone to jail, and had to repay the amount.......
This is just a FYI for anyone selling, or buying anything/ BEWARE!!
Trevor
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 2,835
Originally Posted by ohannon7
I just wanted to let everyone know that scams are happening. Someone sent me a fake cashiers check and I would have fallen for it if a local buyer wasn't so persistant.
What happend:
I posted my car on Autotrader.com. A buyer from another country said he wanted to buy it, It took a really long time to get here, 3 weeks longer then he said. I kept saying I was going to sell it to someone else if I didnt get a tracking number, and I never got one, this raised my initial suspescion. He also said that the check was going to be for 4K over what I was asking, and the over payment was to pay for shipping and he would instruct me what to do w/ the remander after the car was shipped, 2nd raised suspiscion. I decide im going to sell it locally since he has not meet his arrival date and I suspect fraud.
I then get the check and am going to return it but there is no return address!! I hold the envelope up to a bright light and see the check. In small print on the bottom it says that the check is not valid over $10,000. Well the check was made out for well over that. Who would send a cashiers check worth this much overseas w/ no return address and no tracking number? Someone who dosent want to get caught if the deal goes bad, like it did. I talked to our legal department, then I tell him I've spoken to the legal department and they informed me it was a foriegn scam. I have not heard from him since.
If I would have tried to cash the check, it would have cleared, then I would have shipped my car off overseas. Then the cops would have come for me, I would have lost my car, gone to jail, and had to repay the amount.......
This is just a FYI for anyone selling, or buying anything/ BEWARE!!
Trevor
What happend:
I posted my car on Autotrader.com. A buyer from another country said he wanted to buy it, It took a really long time to get here, 3 weeks longer then he said. I kept saying I was going to sell it to someone else if I didnt get a tracking number, and I never got one, this raised my initial suspescion. He also said that the check was going to be for 4K over what I was asking, and the over payment was to pay for shipping and he would instruct me what to do w/ the remander after the car was shipped, 2nd raised suspiscion. I decide im going to sell it locally since he has not meet his arrival date and I suspect fraud.
I then get the check and am going to return it but there is no return address!! I hold the envelope up to a bright light and see the check. In small print on the bottom it says that the check is not valid over $10,000. Well the check was made out for well over that. Who would send a cashiers check worth this much overseas w/ no return address and no tracking number? Someone who dosent want to get caught if the deal goes bad, like it did. I talked to our legal department, then I tell him I've spoken to the legal department and they informed me it was a foriegn scam. I have not heard from him since.
If I would have tried to cash the check, it would have cleared, then I would have shipped my car off overseas. Then the cops would have come for me, I would have lost my car, gone to jail, and had to repay the amount.......
This is just a FYI for anyone selling, or buying anything/ BEWARE!!
Trevor
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 1,551
dont' trust foreign buyers from outside the US....it gets risky....and if your making large transactions.....wait til the check/mo/etc to clear before u spend your stuff....sometimes ppl can't get a paypal account, i.e. like me, freaking wamu screwed me over and now i can't open one anywhere, unless i pay like 1000+.... my check card was stolen and they charged it up, i filed report and etc....and they investigated it and said that they don't believe me and shiet....sucks...but anyways, just wait for the money to clear before u send.
This almost happend to me when i was selling my bimmer, a friend from DSm trader warned me, exept the guy that wanted my car said he was from cali, and he told me he would give me a check for 18k and what ever extra is left from the shipping i have to give him cash or he wanted to send me half now and half when he recieved the car.
I at first asked my bank and they said the type of check he mentions takes weks to clear and it is untracalbe....??
There is a big article on it on dsmtrader.com.
Its pritty crazy!!
I at first asked my bank and they said the type of check he mentions takes weks to clear and it is untracalbe....??
There is a big article on it on dsmtrader.com.
Its pritty crazy!!
Originally Posted by Zero Deuce SE
I believe you had a thread about this earlier and people on here told you that it was a scam from the start. Forgive me if you are a different poster.
nope, not me
Originally Posted by Brukaz
Hey, I've noticed that some of you guys have 99 maximas. Do any of you guys have reverse glow gauges in your cars by any chance?
have you checked ebay??? if not th ydont make um, best bet is blue leds...
thanks for the headsup. Just use common sense and if something is too good to be true or sounds fishy, it usually is. Another tip is even when buying from people on the org, make sure to check the feedback forum for any negatives feedbacks, it's a good habit and the stories there are usually pretty interesting 
when ever you get someone saying they will send you the payment plus a few grand more for shipping and then just have you send the remainder back to them, thats a deffinate scam.
also when buyers want to use western union or money gram, also scam.
good job catching that.
also when buyers want to use western union or money gram, also scam.
good job catching that.
Originally Posted by tmnismo91
My girl's friend had the same thing happen to her. The feds knocked on her door one day and told her the whole situation. Crazy!
-Sean
-Sean
really, what happend to the friend? Had they already sold the car?
Trevor
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 2,177
From: NM
That's very scary. hell, i don't know why those foreginer think we're some dumb ole USA schmuck. At least we're better educated with a lot of common sense. Good call Ohannon7! at least you didn't get too caught up with the figure on the check at least you used your common sense on their behavior.
Man this scam is as old as the internet. They have had stories about it on Dateline NBC or 60 Minutes or one of those news shows. It originates from Nigeria typically I believe they said.
^^ yep, its been going on for years
a buddy of mine almost got wrapped up in it, but the other way around
he was looking to buy a car off ebay(and eventually did) but he found a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited V8 quadra-drive, loaded and it was listed on ebay for some crazy amount like 9K-10K.....and my buddy was flipping out he wanted the car so bad but we told him too good to be true
so he connected the seller, who was in the Czech Republic and said he had just moved there and brought the car and that it wasn't emissions legal so he has to sell quick, which explained the low price
but it got down to the seller wanted a western union check sent to the chek rep. and he would send the car........so basically bs and my buddy finally noticed it
a buddy of mine almost got wrapped up in it, but the other way around
he was looking to buy a car off ebay(and eventually did) but he found a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited V8 quadra-drive, loaded and it was listed on ebay for some crazy amount like 9K-10K.....and my buddy was flipping out he wanted the car so bad but we told him too good to be true
so he connected the seller, who was in the Czech Republic and said he had just moved there and brought the car and that it wasn't emissions legal so he has to sell quick, which explained the low price
but it got down to the seller wanted a western union check sent to the chek rep. and he would send the car........so basically bs and my buddy finally noticed it
i had the exact experience.....i saw a 2002 wrx sti for 8k...and i was ready to buy....the seller was in england, and he sent me pics...the car was right side drive...a little weird...and wanted me to give the tracking number of a wester union wire tranfer...yea right..the tracking number is all you need to get the money from western union.
good thing i caught it in time...because i would be taking the bus instead of driving my max.
good thing i caught it in time...because i would be taking the bus instead of driving my max.
Originally Posted by tavarish
i had the exact experience.....i saw a 2002 wrx sti for 8k...and i was ready to buy....the seller was in england, and he sent me pics...the car was right side drive...a little weird...and wanted me to give the tracking number of a wester union wire tranfer...yea right..the tracking number is all you need to get the money from western union.
good thing i caught it in time...because i would be taking the bus instead of driving my max.
good thing i caught it in time...because i would be taking the bus instead of driving my max.
Was it one with a kit and lots of parts like fornt mount with a IC sprayer and tons of parts? cause a freind of mine was interested in that car to!!
The guy said to send a western union check in someones elses name so he doest get taxed to!!!
my friend got all pumped up and then he found reality.....it almost sounde belivable!!
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