What the...??? ..This has *GOT* to be a scam!

[whywhyzed]

Re: What the...??? ..This has *GOT* to be a scam!

....

 

[jsfinn]

Re: What the...??? ..This has *GOT* to be a scam!

I actually got one of these scammers to start to confide in me about how they learned the "trade" (they were basically getting scammed themselves) and how he was trying to feed his family.

....Sad. Get a job.

 

[magster65]

Re: What the...??? ..This has *GOT* to be a scam!

I had a boat for sale and got an email from Sweden one day. I thought it was a scam too... right up until the money was in my account!
There's still honest folks around... just be careful.

 

[orion25]

Re: What the...??? ..This has *GOT* to be a scam!

Yep, scam. Whenever I sell anything on the internet I plainly state that will be shipped using a carrier of my choice after verifiable funds have cleared my bank.

Had someone reply to a craigslist post I made. Said they wanted the item and would send over their carrier to pick it up. This was a $125 item. I said OK but your carrier MUST bring $10,000 in cash (US Currency) with him. When I have all $10,000 I will release the item to him and there will be no refunds, returns nor cash back. Never heard from the buyer again...............

 

[JCF350]

Re: What the...??? ..This has *GOT* to be a scam!

SgtMaj, I thought of that but I'm not sure who the proper authorities are. If this guy is over seas (and I bet he is), there probably aren't any authorities.

Interpol is the name and the authority. The info will go into a database and be assimilated. Nothing will get done however unless it's a big buck scam.

 

[bayman]

Re: What the...??? ..This has *GOT* to be a scam!

I've seen many scams with almost the same exact wording as what this person is using.

They send you a fake check....The bank might put money in your account but that doesn't mean it really cleared.

Someone who really wants your boat is going to at least look at it unless you are just giving it away.

 

[dave11]

Re: What the...??? ..This has *GOT* to be a scam!

One of the things you can do is to get his check. Take it to your bank and have the bank hold it for collection. Do not give him the boat or title until your banker has the money in his hot little hand. Let the banker be liable for collection. Then who cares what the guy does with the boat. You have the $$$$

 

[SgtMaj]

Re: What the...??? ..This has *GOT* to be a scam!

One of the things you can do is to get his check. Take it to your bank and have the bank hold it for collection. Do not give him the boat or title until your banker has the money in his hot little hand. Let the banker be liable for collection. Then who cares what the guy does with the boat. You have the $$$$

Not quite. Just because you have the money, doesn't mean they're not going to come after you when the check turns out to be a fraud.

 

[v1_0]

Re: What the...??? ..This has *GOT* to be a scam!

set up paypal account, have him transfer money that way. it will cost you a small fee but well worth it. i've sold several boats that were shipped overseas. once paypal has confirmed the deposit. good to go. keep every email in a file.

Paypal will cancel a transaction even after it has gone through if they want to. That exact thing happened to me - fortunately the lesson was less constly than selling a boat (I think it was in the range of a 5-6 dollar item that I sold on ebay).

There are some transactions that they certify (sellers protection, or something - haven't done much on ebay in a while), and some transactions that they don't. I guess I wasn't under the 'sellers protection' blanket.

I'm not sure why paypal did it - some sort of fraud on the other end. I had requested them to respond with a written reason (something that they say that they do in their fine print) but they never did. I emailed paypal a few times, even emailed the person that bought the thing (said there wasn't a problem on their end ... yeah). No joy - it was never explained to me by paypal.

Bottom line - Don't trust Paypal to make sure the transaction is OK. (Unless you have that sellers protection - but read the fine print).

-V

 

[Nos4r2]

Re: What the...??? ..This has *GOT* to be a scam!

Right, here goes...

Whatever you do, DON'T give them ANY details. If you give them your current name/address and cellphone number they can find enough out about you to start identity theft.

They already know you've probably got a good credit rating... you're selling an expensive leisure toy.

 

[masterge]

Re: What the...??? ..This has *GOT* to be a scam!

I put a small boat up for sale on Craigslist the other day. Yesterday, I got an email:

From Craigslist person (2:31 AM):
I'm interested in your Add and i'll like to know it's availability. Get back asap.
Thanks.

I respond with:
Yep. It's still available. Do you want to come see it?

This morning, I get an email from the guy (5:06 AM):
Hello,
Glad to read from you.... I'm really interested in the boat but i'm so sorry as i won't be able to come for a look as i'm the busy type. Well, i'll keep in touch with my financier to mail a check for the amount you're requesting for the boat and will have a shipping company to come for the pick up as soon as you confirm to me that you receive the check and it clears your bank. If this arrangement is acceptable, pls get back to me with your name as it will appear on the check and your contact address that the check will be mail to along with your cell #. Get back as soon as possible.
Thanks.

....I'm not responding.

This almost sounds like the e-mails that you get from those Nigerian Princes and the UK Lotto folks. It sounds quite fishy to me!

 

[fishmen111]

Re: What the...??? ..This has *GOT* to be a scam!

You have to be even more careful today. We think a check clears in 3 to 5 days and normally it does. Apparently the checks these guys are making are so good that in many cases the fake check is not caught for two weeks much farther down the paper trail. Anytime cash is not offered to me, the person is told a check is fine, but the item will be held for 2 weeks. This either results in magically appearing cash or the disappearance of the person.

 

[Kiwi Phil]

Re: What the...??? ..This has *GOT* to be a scam!

Maybe this is appropriate to you blokes, maybe not.
When I sell a boat, I ask for a Bank Cheque or for purchaser to transfer the funds into my account (which I check is 'cleared').
In Aussie, a Bank Cheque is one the purchaser buys from the Bank, and to do this, he must either have the funds in his account, or buy the Bank Cheque for cash.
I give the purchaser my name etc, which the Bank enters on the cheque.
When the boat sale completes, I present this Bank Cheque at my Bank, and I sign for it.
I will never accept a cheque from an overseas Bank......because my Bank will not accept an overseas cheque.
When I buy a boat from your country, I send the money by wire to my agent, to his Escrow account. Trust is still needed, but when he has the money, he has the money. I can't reverse it.
Cheers
Phillip

 

[orion25]

Re: What the...??? ..This has *GOT* to be a scam!

Here a Bank Cheque is called a Cashiers Check. The problem is that they can still be forged. You should go to his bank with him and have him buy the check in your presence. Or take the check to His bank and have it cashed. You can then get another cashiers check at the same bank if you do not want to carry around a large amount of cash.