How does this scam work.

[POINTER94]

I was looking for a new car and found one of those crazy deals on auto trader. When I contacted the seller I got this back.

Hi,
If you are interested in my car you should know that it has never been wrecked or damaged,the car is in excelent condition. All the manuals,clear title and the original documentation come along with the car. The total price that I 'm asking for the car including shipping and insurance fees will be $ 9400 I am right now located in Edinburgh ,United Kingdom with my work for some time but we can work this out since the car is located in United States. Because it is a large transaction we will complete the deal only through Securetrading (www.securetrading.com ).
If you are still interested just send me your full name and shipping address , phone number and I will open a case at SecureTrading and they will contact you with all the information about our deal.

Thank you and if you need more info's about the car feel free to contact me.

Regards

Then I asked for the vin number and low and behold they sent it. wvgcm77l84d076084

Then they sent this:

Hi again,
The car is right now at the shipping company in Sacramento, California and i would not be able to come over there to show you the car but i have a better method for you .Now if you are still interested buy my car
Here are the transaction steps:
1- You will send me your full name and shipping address.
2- You will be contacted by SecureTrading with all the details about the transaction.
3-You will make a deposit of 1.500 USD in to an SecureTrading agent name.
4-I will send you the car for inspection along with all the documents( title, a bill of sale).
5-If you want to keep the car, you will pay me the remaining balance. If you don't want to keep it, you will send it back to me and i will support the shipping back fees.
I will wait your full name and shipping address so i can open a case with SecureTrading regarding this deal.

Regards

This has to be a scam as this is a 30K auto for 9400.

Anyone able to tell me what they are doing?

 

[Boomyal]

Re: How does this scam work.

I think you should look over this link.

http://www.securetrading.com/

I don't see where they involve themselves in this kind of transaction. The Secure Trading Agent that he refers to is probably the key. It is, undeniably, a scam.

Apply the old adage here. "if it is too good to be true, it's probably not".

 

[POINTER94]

Re: How does this scam work.

No way I would buy this car under these conditions, but I did run a check on the name of the seller and the name checks out in Zeeland MI. The vin number looks stange to me. They don't typically use the letter "I" as it can be confused with the number "1". I have seen this exact scam several times in the past few months. Just need some clarification.

 

[jimlad]

Re: How does this scam work.

HI pointer i not heard of this scam but sounds to me like if you dont like the car after putting a deposit on it that they make off with the deposit money even when you send the car back
i agree with boomyal if its to good to be true its not.

 

[Docknocker]

Re: How does this scam work.

IMHO, I wouldn't touch that "deal" with a 10 ft pole. I keep this Internet thing on a very, VERY short leash.

 

[roscoe]

Re: How does this scam work.

The "securetrading agent" that he "opens an account" with, is just a front, to get your $1,500.

They never ship a car, and probably don't even own one.

The real SecureTrading company, is not an escrow company and doesn't deal with these types of transactions. They provide business' with transaction services.

The scammers are just looking for people that don't know any better, and fall for "the deal."

Hey POINTER, you have a P/M.

 

[Coors]

Re: How does this scam work.

that is one stupid scammer, to offer to send the car for $1500, lol; a see right through deal...

 

[bjcsc]

Re: How does this scam work.

Hey Pointer, send him an email back and tell him your brother lives just outside of Sacremento and you are going to send him with the $9400 to pick up the car. Ask him what day is good for him, who the shipping company is (and where they are located) and who the contact person there is. See what you get back...

 

[POINTER94]

Re: How does this scam work.

Roscoe, I don't see where I recieved one.

 

[QC]

Re: How does this scam work.

I played one of these through kinda like bjcsc noted. This "boat" was supposedly in Canada and I told him that I was going to be up there for business, so I'd come by and see it. He let me get all of the way to an appointment time and an address. I didn't show up and he never emailed about what happened etc. They'll let you go all of the way. All they want is for somebody to send the deposit. I am guessing the secure trading address is somehow changed when you get down to sending the deposit. Some simple variation to the link similar to the scam Aldo mentions over in Non-boating Tech . . . I play these through just to make life harder for them.

 

[POINTER94]

Re: How does this scam work.

QC, you are speaking to what I have been doing. I don't believe in something for nothing, but to be honest I get a little PO'd when I look and I get what I know is a scam back. 9K for a 30K+ car, come on...........

I guess the above comments are right, and it has to do with the deposit. What kind of an idiot would ship a car cross country for me to evaluate. Like you couldn't sell it in Sacto at that giveaway price. You could sell it to a dealer for twice or three times that.