Spam the Scammer?

**paturoa** · 24th April 2006, 14:06

I've got a bike for sale at the moment,
( http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/tr...&postid=561162 )

anyway got an email from a John Ranti email rantiluv213@yahoo.com about 1 minute after I advertised it on T&E.

Well the scam goes that he sends a fake cheque for more than its worth and you send back the balance to him. He sent a 12000 euro cheque, looks genuine.

Here are some of the texts....

Hi I am very much interested in making the purchasment of your (Motorcycles ),i would like you to mail me about the condition of the Horse and if possible some pictures for me to know how it's doing .Also i will like to know if you accept Bank cheque for the payment?get back to me ASAP...Thanks. Ranti

The GS is a good steed but a horse?

I am very much intrested in purcasing your Suzuki GS1000ST ,i need you to email me with your asking price you willing to sell the Suzuki GS1000ST for me and for the shipping ?As soon as the payment cleared your bank ,i will instrust my assistance to contact you for the pick up at your destination and also sign for all the necessary document before the shipping .

and

Thanx for the mail, I really wanna buy the Suzuki GS1000ST and will be making perfect arrangements for the payment and shipping for the Suzuki GS1000ST on my behalf, I will also be making a kind offer of $6,000.00 for you to declare the Suzuki GS1000ST sold out to me and remove it from the advert and for the shipping as soon as the payment cleared into your account,i will instrust my personal assistance to contact you at your destination for the pick up at your destination . . .. .

My P.a is out of town and due to a depth i need to settle with him, I will inform my bank to mail out a Bank cheque of 10,000euro which you are to deduct my offer from and get the balance transfered to my P.a as soon as the bank cheque cash into your bank account which will enable him come over to your residence for all necessary arrangements and pickups on my own behalf.

To complet payment, I will need the complete Name and address you want the Bank checkt to be made out to with a valid phone number so payment can be done Asap cos i never want to forward the payment to the wrong address.you are to watch out for the payment in the mail by next week .

I also want you to make sure the Suzuki GS1000ST is clean and ready for pick up as soon as you have the fund in hand .

and

Why do you have to art these way i got a mail from my client that the cheque must have been recieved by you ,i will like to know the reason why you refuse to get intouch with me after all the trust i have in you and the delay of the payment is bcos of my daughter she very seek of Cancer and i no by now you must have sign for the payment in the mail while i want you to keep me posted for me to instrust you on the pick up . ...

if so keep me posted and as soon as the payment cleared into your bank account ,i want you to keep me posted for me to instrust you on how my personal assistance will contact you for the shipping at your destination ..

I want you to Cashed the bank cheque into your account and Keep me posted with the situation report from your bank today .

Anyway I've been having a bunch of laughs with my friends at work cos I found his scam by just googleing his email address.

Does anyone know how I get his email address loaded into some spam sites?

**Hitcher** · 24th April 2006, 14:14

Just bank the cheque and await further instructions. If it bounces, no harm done. If it clears, email him and tell him where the bike is. Reimburse the balance by Western Union. Surely the only risk is agreeing to part with goods before the cheque clears, or passing on to another person details of your bank account, or have I missed something here?

**paturoa** · 24th April 2006, 14:21

yeah agree.

And I also got the same scam from

"Laura REMOND" rlaura4ever@yahoo.com

and

"charles done" zockman_invest@yahoo.com

The last 2 had the same text and spelling mistakes.

**limbimtimwim** · 24th April 2006, 14:46

If cheque did clear, and you sent back the excess, you could be laundering money for them.

But it is a woefully over complicated way of doing it.

Kinda like the prn captcha attack: http://www.boingboing.net/2004/01/27..._creating.html

**Lazy7** · 24th April 2006, 14:50

just make sure you dont send him any of your bank details. thats what he's really after. he will try and suck money out of your account.

**paturoa** · 24th April 2006, 15:01

Ahh, all 3 asked for my bank details up front.

I thought the scam was that it was a bad cheque and that he wanted me to send him the balance before his cheque bounced.

**Jonty** · 24th April 2006, 15:03

Originally Posted by Hitcher

Just bank the cheque and await further instructions. If it bounces, no harm done. If it clears, email him and tell him where the bike is. Reimburse the balance by Western Union. Surely the only risk is agreeing to part with goods before the cheque clears, or passing on to another person details of your bank account, or have I missed something here?

DON'T DO THAT - accepting money from someone you suspect is involved in a scam is more than enough grounds to have you on the hook for handling stolen money or laundering. Just ignore it and don't respond.

**Jeremy** · 24th April 2006, 15:07

http://www.snopes.com/crime/fraud/cashier.asp

Just because the funds have been cleared in your account doesn't mean the cheque has completely cleared.

**Blairos** · 24th April 2006, 15:08

Better still, tear up the cheque, and send a digital pic of it back to him

**bugjuice** · 24th April 2006, 15:17

Streethawk is selling his Katana, and had the exact same story.
I was sus when he first told me, but pretty much told him what Hitcher has said.

I'd be real careful on it..

**froggyfrenchman** · 24th April 2006, 15:24

christ! good thing i have never trusred anything on this intermaweb thingie

**Sniper** · 24th April 2006, 15:36

Reply with an email saying that it is not enough and you want more, when he says no, turn him down.

**Colapop** · 24th April 2006, 15:37

Perhaps very kind sirs or madams the lack of gramre, speelings and otherwise such wonderous uses of the uses of the Engrish wranguage mayhap suggestions of inproprietrees upon the house of your fathers. This gentleman fo honerous intentions should be trusted to engage services upon your person such that trusting and unprotestations hsould not be held against him.....

Did he not asking for his sister's hand to be your for the marrying thereof?

**paturoa** · 24th April 2006, 15:40

Originally Posted by Sniper

Reply with an email saying that it is not enough and you want more, when he says no, turn him down.

lol

Why don't I say I've had a much better offer (from one of the other scammers), send them each others email and get them to haggle amongst themselves....