# Internet Scams



## tdvffjohn (Mar 10, 2005)

Short version story

Soon after I put my trailer for sale on 3 different web sites (including this one) I received a reply by e mail from someone who was interested. I sent him all the info including my phone number. He asked all the right questions and requested pictures which I sent. The first flag was he never called me on the phone. We discussed price thru e mails and arrived at a deal.

I had the trailer priced high so a low offer would not seem like a low offer to me, but would be in the area of value. The second flag was when the price he was happy with was what I felt more than it was worth.

He asked for the address to send the check and was arranging for a 'shipping agent' to pick it up. he lived in Boston. The police said that also should have been a flag but as we all know these trailers can only be shipped on their own wheels so someone picking it up for him I thought was normal.

The final flag was when he e mailed me to tell me that ownwer of a trailer in Maryland ( a deal that fell thru ) who now had to return the money. He would send the check directly to me. The problem was that that trailer was for 11,000 and mine was selling for 8100. Would I have a problem cashing the certified check and give the shipping agent the difference. Seemed wierd but I since I would have my money, told him ok. I then went to the police. (Whom I know well being on the FD) to see their opinion.

He informed me that this was indeed a scam and that it is usually the Nigerians doing it. If the bank does not pick up on the check being NG and you have available cash for the difference, they usually ask you to wire the 'extra' money and then its GONE.

He showed me several checks from these types of scams, usually from real estate or car deals. The most obvious thing to notice on the check is that instead of signed in the lower right of the check, the signature is typed.

They never did send me the check.

I used Y guy as a friend to confide in during this process and he has seen all the e mails ( I had to talk to someone). For that I thank him for advice and second opinion. Now that it is finished and I did not get taken, it was time to warn evryone else.

You can at first say it was obvious but the excitement of selling the item can blind you for a time.


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## Parker Outbacker (Dec 17, 2004)

Wow!! You just can't be careful enough these days. I have heard of these types of scams, and a lot of people seem to fall for them. Smart thinking in checking with the police.

Hate to say it, but you can't trust many people these days









Best of luck in getting it sold.


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## Thor (Apr 7, 2004)

John

1st of all Thank-you for being so open and honest. I know this type of info will help alot of people.

I am glad that you did talk to people to ensure your interests were protected.

Thanks
Thor


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## NDJollyMon (Aug 22, 2003)

Good call heading to the police for info! Glad you didn't get clipped.
Y is a good man.


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## Castle Rock Outbackers (Jan 18, 2004)

I get these emails all the time (really...weekly) on my website, mostly from people in Nigeria, who want to purchase a laptop. They are willing to pay more than full price usually, and want to know if I can ship the unit within a few days to their "agent" in Nigeria as soon as "payment confirmation" is received from BidPay. Note the keywords here, "Payment Confirmation." Not when the money is received, but as soon as they send me a fake, but official looking email that says funds are "pending" but practically guarateed to be in my account after a few "processing days."

Since I do not even put a PC or laptop into assembly until payment is received (the actual payment, not the payment confirmation), I have not been a victim. But you guys are right. Be careful out there. They strike on EBay too. They come across very nice, very desperate to get your item, and just want you to send it upon "payment confirmation" because they need the unit very quickly.

All a bunch of crap.

Randy


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## Ghosty (Jan 17, 2005)

While we are on the subject, what you are talking about is called the 4-1-9 scam (see http://www.secretservice.gov/alert419.shtml )

---

another big scam that is out there and getting more popular everyday is done using EBay and paying via PayPal which PayPal themselves become the bad guys..

(see www.paypalwarning.com)

Currently there is a little over 117,200 FTC complaints against PayPal. The bad part is that there is nothing FTC or SEC can do -- PayPal is NOT a bank and thus not regualted by any of the commerce rules and regulations. Basically the bad guys pay via Paypal, you send the product, the bad guys gets it and then tells PayPal you never sent it, and PayPal takes the money back out of your account and gives back their money. Its that simple. The bad guys get a free item and you lose not only the item but the shipping cost and most time PayPal freezes the bank account associated with the transaction (which could be your main home bank account if you were foolish enough to list that one on your PayPal form)


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## campntn (Feb 20, 2005)

And I bought an OUtback thinking this forum was only about campers.








Thanks for the info guys. Good to have detectives on our side.
Mark


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## vdub (Jun 19, 2004)

I think internet scams are part of the Nigerian's national economic growth policy. Unfortunately, they are getting more sneaky about things. I don't even do e-bay.


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## johnp (Mar 15, 2004)

I am going though this sort of thing with the guy buying my trailer I don't think he is trying to scam me but I'm not taking any chances.He did come to look at it but the rest has been threw email. I want to do the deal at his bank to confirm funds its sad that you can't even trust a cashier's check anymore. We are both are laughing at the fact that we can't trust each other.

I also heard about a guy in Boston that lost 20k on a car deal gone bad. This scam was done using a bad cashier's check and while he was waiting for it to clear the scammer told him he had a death in the family and could he get a refund. Not waiting for the check to clear he agrees and sent him a Western Union check and guess what the cashier's check was bad and the guy cashed the Western Union check in out of the US. He is now out 20k and they can't trace it.

I"m not taking any chances with this one.

John


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## NDJollyMon (Aug 22, 2003)

I've had 2 PayPal complaints. One was recently settled, and one is still pending. The one settled, was actually something I purchased on Ebay, and the seller was booted for non-payment to Ebay...right in the middle of our transaction. I had paid thru PayPal, and never received the goods. Six months later, I received my money back.

The other is still out there. I purchased something on the web, and it also was never sent. (found out this guy did this regularly) I filed complaint with Ebay, PayPal, Internet Fraud Agency, and the Attorney General. Still waiting for my money on that one.

I like the convienience of PayPal, and internet shopping...but you gotta wonder!


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## Bull Elk (Feb 28, 2005)

Is it not amazing how creative these people are when is comes to these scams. The hard work and creativity of these people needs to be bottled up and used for something productive. I guess it was Henry Ford that said something along the lines of the laziest workers, work the hardest of anyone, trying to find an easy way out.


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

tdvffjohn said:


> Short version story
> 
> Soon after I put my trailer for sale
> ...snip...
> ...


Oh great...and to think I took Y-Guy a REAL check for his Outback!!









We did all of our transaction without ever seeing each other. Of course, I could see from this site that Y-Guy was the kind of guy I wanted to buy from.


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## vdub (Jun 19, 2004)

LOL!







Yeah, Y is a guy to be feared!


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## NDJollyMon (Aug 22, 2003)

Do we really know anyone on the internet?


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