This smells like a scam
#1
Pro
Thread Starter
This smells like a scam
I am selling my 2008 VY Coupe and in addition to posting it here in the forums, I placed an ad in the Want Ad digest.
I had someone contact me yesterday via email saying they were interested in the car and asking what my final asking price was. I followed up to let him know the price was still what I was asking for in the ad and got an reply today that they wanted to buy the car for my asking price. Problem is, it smells fishy - almost text book like the car buying scams I've read about.
Here's the guys first email to me:
After replying confirming my asking price and pointing him to a web site I put up with more info and pictures, I got the following email this morning from the same email address:
A few things about this make me really suspicious - the fact that he's buying for a client instead of himself, didn't ask any questions about the car or for a VIN number to run a Carfax check, he signed the second email with a different name than the first, the broken English and bad grammar, and the real tipoff, that he wants to include the shipping fees with payment. From what I've read, that's how the scam works. They send more than the asking price via cashier's check, ask you to send the extra to a transport company, and then a couple weeks later you find out the check was counterfeit and you're out the extra money you sent.
Anybody else ever have a similar communication when selling a car online?
Any suggestions as to how I should handle this? I have my doubts, but there could be a remote possibility that it could be legit. Any suggestions on how to respond to find out for sure?
Thanks,
Ray
I had someone contact me yesterday via email saying they were interested in the car and asking what my final asking price was. I followed up to let him know the price was still what I was asking for in the ad and got an reply today that they wanted to buy the car for my asking price. Problem is, it smells fishy - almost text book like the car buying scams I've read about.
Here's the guys first email to me:
From: jleverett28@yahoo.com [mailto:jleverett28@yahoo.com]
Sent: Wednesday, March 18, 2009 7:37 PM
To: rayrankins@earthlink.net
Subject: Want Ad Digest - 2008 CORVETTE VY 3LT COUPE
Message sent from: jleverett28@yahoo.com
Message date: 3/18/2009 6:37:14 PM
Message: Message to seller:Good evening, how was your day ? am interested in the Car you placed for sale or wantaddigest, pls let me know if its still up for sale ? thanks and get back to me with your final asking price and more pics if possible. thanks and await your email, regards James.
Sent: Wednesday, March 18, 2009 7:37 PM
To: rayrankins@earthlink.net
Subject: Want Ad Digest - 2008 CORVETTE VY 3LT COUPE
Message sent from: jleverett28@yahoo.com
Message date: 3/18/2009 6:37:14 PM
Message: Message to seller:Good evening, how was your day ? am interested in the Car you placed for sale or wantaddigest, pls let me know if its still up for sale ? thanks and get back to me with your final asking price and more pics if possible. thanks and await your email, regards James.
Good morning,
how was your night ? Pls consider the Item sold...because, am okay with the price and pics ,right now i want you to consider it sold and get back to me with your full information for the payment so that, i can instruct my client to make out the payment foryou including the shipping fees.
Information requested are as follow;
Your full name:
contact address:
zip code:
state:
phone number:
thanks and i will be waiting to read from you today, so that i can instruct my client to make out the payment tomorrow.
regards,
Stephen.
how was your night ? Pls consider the Item sold...because, am okay with the price and pics ,right now i want you to consider it sold and get back to me with your full information for the payment so that, i can instruct my client to make out the payment foryou including the shipping fees.
Information requested are as follow;
Your full name:
contact address:
zip code:
state:
phone number:
thanks and i will be waiting to read from you today, so that i can instruct my client to make out the payment tomorrow.
regards,
Stephen.
Anybody else ever have a similar communication when selling a car online?
Any suggestions as to how I should handle this? I have my doubts, but there could be a remote possibility that it could be legit. Any suggestions on how to respond to find out for sure?
Thanks,
Ray
#6
just tell them you can make the check out to your middle name "cash". or seriously, tell them you are not sure why that information would be required to complete the sale, if they have cash, then they just need your name, if they have outside financing, ask whom it is and you can contact them..
#7
Good for you for being sensitive to the peculiarities in the communication you received. Take a look at this:
http://www.swapmeetdave.com/Scam/index.htm
If I were you I'd ask for complete information without providing any of my own. Explain that you want to send pictures and the "official disclosure document" (or something like that) about the car and ask where to send it. If the transaction is outside of the US or Canada, I'd walk. It may not be a scam but the groundwork for a scam is there in the communication you received. Good luck!
http://www.swapmeetdave.com/Scam/index.htm
If I were you I'd ask for complete information without providing any of my own. Explain that you want to send pictures and the "official disclosure document" (or something like that) about the car and ask where to send it. If the transaction is outside of the US or Canada, I'd walk. It may not be a scam but the groundwork for a scam is there in the communication you received. Good luck!
#8
Team Owner
Member Since: Aug 2007
Location: I live my life by 2 rules. 1) Never share everything you know. 2)
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St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13, '16-'17-'18
Absolute scam....known as the "Nigerian Scam".
Run don't walk, away.......
Run don't walk, away.......
#9
Instructor
Member Since: Oct 2008
Location: Fairless Hills PA
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SCAM - run away!
This is a classic scam from ye' olden days. It has been revamped for the electronic age. I got the same exact message when I sold off one of my cars recently. They will offer you 5-6 grand over your asking price with a "certified" check then ask you to send back like 5-6 grand for processing fees and other BS. Then the check is suddenly bad and your out $$$ wondering how this could happen...
It use to be a called con job - but these scambags impart no confidence, just expoiting naivness and greed.
This is a classic scam from ye' olden days. It has been revamped for the electronic age. I got the same exact message when I sold off one of my cars recently. They will offer you 5-6 grand over your asking price with a "certified" check then ask you to send back like 5-6 grand for processing fees and other BS. Then the check is suddenly bad and your out $$$ wondering how this could happen...
It use to be a called con job - but these scambags impart no confidence, just expoiting naivness and greed.
#11
Race Director
Member Since: Oct 2004
Location: Home of the VOLS ! Knoxville, TN. Tennessee
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St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13, '15, '16-'17-'18-'19
Scam for sure......
counterfeit cashier's checks are all over the place and they look authentic .
procede with care, and always remember : If you have a bad feeling about something , it almost always is bad.
good luck with your sale
counterfeit cashier's checks are all over the place and they look authentic .
procede with care, and always remember : If you have a bad feeling about something , it almost always is bad.
good luck with your sale
#12
Buyer
I'm not sure about what security concerns might be attendant to the information the "buyer" requested but would not have a problem receiving funds sent via a cashier's check if it was clearly understood that no transfers of either title or car would take place until the check was properly cleared.
I knew a person that one time did indeed take a cashier's check on a non existent bank.
I knew a person that one time did indeed take a cashier's check on a non existent bank.
#14
Instructor
Member Since: Jan 2009
Location: Venice Florida
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I had my racecar for sale on a world wide website within the last 6 months and was contacted two times with emails just like yours. The spelling and and punctuation was horrible like they didn't speak much English. Both times I told them to call me if they were serious and they wouldn't call. They just emailed again. I was then notified by the website administrator that they were scammers and they were in the process of blocking them from the website but that they would be back with another name so to beware. It isn't worth taking a chance in my opinion. Bye the way, I ended up selling my racecar to someone in Sweden and they came to Fl., paid me in american money, and arranged to have it shipped to Sweden out of Miami themselves.
#16
Team Owner
I'm not sure about what security concerns might be attendant to the information the "buyer" requested but would not have a problem receiving funds sent via a cashier's check if it was clearly understood that no transfers of either title or car would take place until the check was properly cleared.
#18
Melting Slicks
I vote SCAM.
Just the wording makes me suspicious. If you still want to go through with it, open up a PO box and use that as the address - don't tell them where the car is. Open up a 2nd bank account somewhere and deposit their check...and then wait for it to actually clear before signing over anything. If they don't agree to the terms..tough.
Just the wording makes me suspicious. If you still want to go through with it, open up a PO box and use that as the address - don't tell them where the car is. Open up a 2nd bank account somewhere and deposit their check...and then wait for it to actually clear before signing over anything. If they don't agree to the terms..tough.
#20
Team Owner
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St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13, '16-'17-'18
I just need to sell some items to get the required $1000 to cover expenses and they want that first.