Am I being targeted by a scammer?

**headlesschicken** · 8th July 2008, 12:22

I'm selling my car and got this rather suss email...
no mention of nigeria yet though

Hello,
Thanks for your mail. Please i will like to know
questions below for onward transaction immediately.
How many times has the vehicle been re-painted?
How many miles are on it?
Hope the oil is changed.
Has the car been in any accidents?
How many people have owned the vehicle?
Why are you selling the Vehicle?
Hope the title papers is ready.
Has the Vehicle ever been flooded or declared a loss
by an insurance company
Finally please state your bottom-line price.
This communication implies our willingness and
commitment in purchasing the vehicle.
send a copy of the reply to my client private email
box gregory_williams984@yahoo.com and also to me
Thanks
Regards
Brett.

**ManDownUnder** · 8th July 2008, 12:25

"happy to help - can you let me know your phone number and I'll ring to discuss"

**cs363** · 8th July 2008, 12:25

Certainly has a bit of a dodgy stench that's for sure.
I'd always be very careful when dealing with anyone using an untraceable email address such as yahoo or hotmail etc.

**jrandom** · 8th July 2008, 12:26

If you follow through, they'll overpay you for some obscure reason, and then get you to transfer the additional funds back to them, at which point the overpayment transaction will fail to clear.

You'll then be left several grand in the red, making new best friends at your bank's anti-fraud department.

**Pumba** · 8th July 2008, 12:26

Probally more likley a spammer, dont respond to the email or send a response to the yahoo address

**slofox** · 8th July 2008, 15:00

Had a very similar email to my wine store recently from an "American living in Japan" who could not use English properly....funnily enough - followed it through for a bit until I got in touch with his "shipping company" supposedly based in the UK....their reply to my email contained all the same layout, spelling and grammatical errors as the original..."funny how english companies cannot use english correctly" I thought to myself. At which point I terminated the correspondence...and had no further contact from the dude.....wonder why not? They were gonna have ME "pay" their shipping co from their credit card payment.....yeah. right.

**nodrog:Me** · 8th July 2008, 15:22

Originally Posted by jrandom

If you follow through, they'll overpay you for some obscure reason, and then get you to transfer the additional funds back to them, at which point the overpayment transaction will fail to clear.

You'll then be left several grand in the red, making new best friends at your bank's anti-fraud department.

what he said.
this happened to a mate off mine a few years ago selling one of his motoguzzi's, long story short he cracked on it was a scam, so went along with it, went as far as receiving the money into his account from international money transfer (or whatever its called), and as mentioned it was twice the amount required, got the email asking for money to be credited back, did nothing, left the money in the bank to see if it would clear, it didnt.

**Mikkel** · 8th July 2008, 15:33

Originally Posted by headlesschicken

send a copy of the reply to my client private email
box gregory_williams984@yahoo.com and also to me
Thanks
Regards
Brett.

If Brett is that good at literacy I would really like to see what Greg has to say about the matter

Originally Posted by jrandom

If you follow through, they'll overpay you for some obscure reason, and then get you to transfer the additional funds back to them, at which point the overpayment transaction will fail to clear.

What happens if you don't transfer the additional funds back and just tell them to get stuffed?

**ManDownUnder** · 8th July 2008, 15:37

Originally Posted by Mikkel

What happens if you don't transfer the additional funds back and just tell them to get stuffed?

Their "payment" was never going to clear anyway so you get nothing...

There must be a fun way to give them a run around and or find out who they are. Maybe report the money "you transferred" back to them but transpose 2 digits in the account number and see what they do?

It's be nice to actually lead bad guys and law enforcement along the same paths though.

**WarlockNZ** · 8th July 2008, 19:43

I note that no where is a payment method mentioned.

I does sound dodgy, but until you get some more info, i'd say follow up on it .. you never know ... and even if it turns out to be a scam, you could jerk them round for ages, aka scam baiters

bottom line is if anyone is willing to pay to ship a vehicle oversea's (no mention in the email, but i'm sure it will happen) it's a 95% scam.

Accept a money transfer only, (Western Union) and NEVER refund any money EVER.

**megageoff76** · 8th July 2008, 22:20

Heres a great website where you can read all the emails back and forward from people who like to string these scammers along.

http://www.whatsthebloodypoint.com/

Being foreigners, they never click on that the person replyings name is bogus..like Rev.Wally Tightnuts for example.

**cs363** · 8th July 2008, 22:24

Originally Posted by megageoff76

Heres a great website where you can read all the emails back and forward from people who like to string these scammers along.

http://www.whatsthebloodypoint.com/

Being foreigners, they never click on that the person replyings name is bogus..like Rev.Wally Tightnuts for example.

Bloody brilliant!!!

[

**barty5** · 8th July 2008, 23:02

Wer just had the same thing at work guy emailed to get $$ on battery gave us all the details price up at $170.00. Then emails to say sweet as ill pick up but I need 16 of them $2720.00 can I pay by c/card sure gives us details card payment gose through says he'll get someone to pick up sweet.
Then get email that say change of plans can you email fr8 Co for cost to pick up (here is where it gets interesting) gives shipping address as ghana S/Africa quote comes back as $2880.00 I checked with local fr8 co they to would charge this amount $9.60perkg 300kg he then calls me to ask have you got quote not fused but shipping cost. Funny thing he is calling from same number as he has put down for fr8 Co(caller id gota love it). I said how bout you pay fr8 Co from therre no no cant thay need payment for your end you charge c/card sure right then you send money transfer to shiping co they pick up right. All this from a shipping co that is open at 2am in the morning their time likely. So i played along bit longer told him all payments would go through over night. Checked with eftpos anz they said c/card was master card from the US. Phoned master card USA (toll free) ended up being put through to cardholders bank card has been canceled some time ago. (still dont get how we were able to charge the $2720.00 to it if it was cancled a while ago ANZ eftpos is going to reverse charge money did show up in our account?????) Anyway guy rings back today (bout 10 time he has rung to check all going to plan) told him that payment didnt go through problem with card. He is all confused sayning but but but you said all was ok then told him we checked and card was cancled got a click as he hung up. Not heard from him since ans no more emails. Shit he gave us his address phone number 2 names a co name and all be good to pay him a vist.
All they want is you to charge c/ard for fr8 and parts then you send money order to their so called fr8 co and they do a runner with they money order parts never get picked up c/card company in then end takes money back from you your out of pocket for the shipping costs and parts if you cant resell or return. So watch out they are out there.

**Mikkel** · 8th July 2008, 23:09

Originally Posted by barty5

Wer just had the same thing at work guy emailed to get $$ on battery gave us all the details price up at $170.00. Then emails to say sweet as ill pick up but I need 16 of them $2720.00 can I pay by c/card sure gives us details card payment gose through says he'll get someone to pick up sweet.
Then get email that say change of plans can you email fr8 Co for cost to pick up (here is where it gets interesting) gives shipping address as ghana S/Africa quote comes back as $2880.00 I checked with local fr8 co they to would charge this amount $9.60perkg 300kg he then calls me to ask have you got quote not fused but shipping cost. Funny thing he is calling from same number as he has put down for fr8 Co(caller id gota love it). I said how bout you pay fr8 Co from therre no no cant thay need payment for your end you charge c/card sure right then you send money transfer to shiping co they pick up right. All this from a shipping co that is open at 2am in the morning their time likely. So i played along bit longer told him all payments would go through over night. Checked with eftpos anz they said c/card was master card from the US. Phoned master card USA (toll free) ended up being put through to cardholders bank card has been canceled some time ago. (still dont get how we were able to charge the $2720.00 to it if it was cancled a while ago ANZ eftpos is going to reverse charge money did show up in our account?????) Anyway guy rings back today (bout 10 time he has rung to check all going to plan) told him that payment didnt go through problem with card. He is all confused sayning but but but you said all was ok then told him we checked and card was cancled got a click as he hung up. Not heard from him since ans no more emails. Shit he gave us his address phone number 2 names a co name and all be good to pay him a vist.
All they want is you to charge c/ard for fr8 and parts then you send money order to their so called fr8 co and they do a runner with they money order parts never get picked up c/card company in then end takes money back from you your out of pocket for the shipping costs and parts if you cant resell or return. So watch out they are out there.

I got to fr8...