[extropy-chat] internet car sale scam

Spike spike66 at comcast.net
Sat Dec 13 06:10:55 UTC 2003


Guys, we hear about scams all the time, but this is
one that hit close to home, or is about to.  My good
friend and colleague advertised his 91 BMW for 8300 bucks.
A buyer who claimed to be an international dealer acting
as an intermediary for a buyer in Dubai UAI contacted
him four weeks ago.  They negotiated for a while and
settled on a price of 8000.

Wednesday he gets a cashier's check in the FedEx, for
11500.  The instructions are to cash the check, then
to wire 3300 to a shipping company right away.  The
shipping company will then pick up the car Saturday
(tomorrow).  He agreed and did so.  Western Union
charged him 155 bucks, so he is still holding 8000
and some change, along with the car.  The understanding
on Thursday afternoon was to have the shipping company
pick up on Saturday.  So far so good.

This afternoon, (Friday, 12:47pm) he gets this email, 
which I quote exactly including spelling and capitalization:

"Hello Johnson,

how are you doing/weekend?  I have very serious problem right now,
my Wife is terribly ill with a surgery operation and i need money
to take care of her (although she has been admitted) and the hospital
bills are really a huge payment to take care of.  Please i would want
you to wire the funds($7,000 less western union fee) today to my
shipper for the car is not suitable for me at this point in time cuz
my hubby is in dying situation.

You can still reserve the car for me but right now i need to take
proper care of my family problem so please do me a favour of wiring
the funds today, this is very urgent and i will appreciate it if you
move as fast as possible to help me.  I am sorry for the stress and
any inconveniences.
Thanks, i hope to hear from you with the western union details used
in wiring the funds today.

Sincerely,
Lucky...."


OK extropians, what is the scam here?  "Lucky" sent 11,500 by money
order, Johnson wired 3300 to a shipping company.  I suggested
we google the shipping company with their street address in
Essex London.  There is no such street as the one given in
Essex, and the name of the company gave no hits on google,
nor the name of the person who picked up the 3300 from Western
Union.  There was no phone number with the company.  He was 
asking for 7000, which leaves 1000 unaccounted for.  

We went to scambusters, who say that almost all international
car sales are bogus.  

http://www.scambusters.org/russian-scams.html

I advised him not to wire the 7k, because as soon as they 
do, some yahoo will show up with a receipt showing
he signed for the 11500 check, and demand the car.  As it is, I
suppose they will show up tomorrow wanting the car plus 3300
bucks for shipping, claiming to have never heard of this guy
who picked up the 3300.  So Johnson might already be out $3455, 
and we mighta caught the deal before his loss turned into $10455.
Of course he still has the car, so I suppose they could show up
and declare the deal off and demand the $11500?  Some of you 
cluey sorts, what is the scam here?

spike  




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