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Scam buyers ?

Started by Hammerhead, November 09, 2004, 10:13:39 PM

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Hammerhead

I recently listed a chipper for sale in the classifieds. And I have received emails from someone out of country [Britian] who says he will send me a bank check for it . Am I missing something here?  ???This smells like a scam  :-/. Shipping would make this an expensive chipper I would think. Or am I just being paranoid :o. Ebay is full of foreign scammers trying to sell tractors, 4 wheelers and motorcycles, etc. Is this a new scam where they are sending you money ? I told him the check must clear before the equipment leaves. Anything else I should do to protect myself? Anybody else had a similar experience? Sorry for all the questions . Thanks for any feedback .  :)
Trying to make a living and doing the best I can.

DanG

I think I would just ignore him. I doubt that chippers are so scarce in Britain that they have to import used ones via the internet.  ::)  I wouldn't give him my mailing address, but if he has it and sends you a check, turn it over to the authorities, especially if it for a grossly large amount.
"I don't feel like an old man.  I feel like a young man who has something wrong with him."  Dick Cavett
"Beat not thy sword into a plowshare, rather beat the sword of thine enemy into a plowshare."

Ianab

Sounds suspicious alright.... >:(

There are variations on the scam, but the general idea is that the cheque will be a good looking fake drawn on an obscure foreign bank. Your bank will probably accept it and tells you it will clear in 5 working days... you wait the 5 days.. the bank says it's cleared.. you ship the goods. 3 weeks later the bank finds out the cheque is rubber, they reverse the deposit, and you loose out  >:(

I believe you are safer if you insist on electronic transfers. Much harder for fake / reverse.
If you email them back and say you require electronic funds, and never hear from them again.. then it was a scam  ::)

Ian
Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

shopteacher

If you only accept Western Union they have to pay the agent on their end and you pick it up from a WU agent on your end. I'm in agreement with the others as to it being a scam.  I had a car for sale where they tried the same thing.  Went like I'm an agent for a buyer and will be sending a larger amount for the car you take you amount for the car and send the remaining back to me.  Not in this life time.
Proud owner of a LT40HDSE25, Corley Circle mill, JD 450C, JD 8875, MF 1240E
Tilt Bed Truck  and well equipted wood shop.

Hammerhead

Shopteacher , I like the idea of the Western Union funds transfer. I would be worried about the wire transfer to my bank account that Lanab mentioned though. Couldn't they reverse that once they got your account # ? Anyway thanks for verifing what I had thought. Too bad these guys can't be stopped. They keep coming up with new ideas and it must work some of the time otherwise you would think they would quit. Hey, maybe they are out of work Enron executives !  >:(
Trying to make a living and doing the best I can.

Murf

Most crooks aren't stupid, just too lazy to work for their money.

The latest scams are two slight twists on the buyer's agent line.

In the first one they ask you to do them a favour, they will send you a bank draft for the entire amount of the purchase up front, plus the cost of crating and shipping the purchase to them, and they ask you to deposit the cheque and send the shipper their money by Western Union who will then send a truck to pick up the purchase and ship it to them.

There is no shipper, the money you send goes back to the scammer and the bank draft you got is worthless.

The second one is where they sell a popular item on eBay for a very low price, and then volunteer to let you send the money to them through an escrow agent. The scammer IS the escrow agent and you will never see your bargain or the money again.

It all comes back to the old saying, "If it sounds too goood to be true it likely is.".
If you're going to break a law..... make sure it's Murphy's Law.

etat

Also be aware that Cashiers Checks, which used to be good as gold are no longer.  I knew a guy that supposedly sold a roof gravel vac, a really high dollar thingamajig and accepted and deposited a cashiers check.  His bank took it, and at first said it was good.  It was one a them scams where they send you way too much money, and then want you to forward some of it, to their agent in the states.  They paid him a couple of grand more than it was worth, plus wanted him to forward a few  grand to their agent 'in the states'.  He did so, the next week the cashiers check bounced, and boom, he was out a few thou.  He received NO help from the bank, the FBI, or local authorities.  I'm pretty sure he's still got the gravel vac for sale if anybody is interested. Believe me, this guy received a lot of flack from people telling him he oughta to have know better.

I agree with Murf, with a twist. Remember this rule, if it sounds too good to be true, unless you know em personally, you're gonna get stuck.  
Old Age and Treachery will outperform Youth and Inexperence. The thing is, getting older is starting to be painful.

GF

Also watch out for the ones that write you a check for more than the amount you ask, and then you return them the amount of money they over paid you.  Not only is the check no good but you lost additional money on top of that.  

iain

Good big chippers can be stupidly expensive here, but not that expensive, dont give out any details of accounts for transfer of cash. Cqs can bounce anytime here even years down the line. >:(




        iain

rebocardo

Yea, I received a scam buyer that wanted my 1995 Aerostar with 189k miles, too bad he/she lived in Britian. I asked him why he wanted to buy a van where the shipping would be worth more then the van and why he could not find one just as nice in the U.K.. Never heard back from him.

Ianab

What some people do for the electronic transfer is open a seperate bank accont just for recieving the transfers. Dont keep any money in it. Once the money appears in there, tranfer it out to your 'real' account. Just another level of protection in case a scammer tries to impersonate you and withdraw your funds.

Ian
Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

Norm

Do not give out your regular checking account number to anyone you don't know. Ianab has a good point about setting up one for just that purpose if your doing a lot of wire transfers. We use a small bank that knows us well enough to not let any funds go out that we didn't authorize but you never know if someone new would allow it. Over the years I just expect every foreign inquiry to be a scam until I check them out very carefully. Even then if I'm doubtful I require a certified check that has to clear before I'll do anything, to be honest we have almost quit shipping anything overseas because of all the scams. Not worth the risks.

Ron Wenrich

I really don't have anything to offer this thread, but I would like to know if that's Iain in that Swan Lake death scene.   :D :D :D
Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

iain

It sure is, i also had seven signets in the back ground all over 6 foot, if you look close you'll see its a fairy outfit without the wing's.
I will try and (aquire) the pic of the rest off us if you would like, there's also a vidieo same where's.



    iain

Jeff

Well, um, that O.K., you probably got some trees to chop down or bears to wrestle instead aintcha?
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

jtmccallum

John M.        '97 WM LT40Super Manual 40HP Lombardini,  XP372,   CASE 1210 W/ Loader

Furby

I'm with Jeff, go cut some logs or something, forget about the pic! ;)

iain

You guys are just like my wife she dont understand either,
you know a mans got certain needs, things he like's to do.
I thought the people on this forum were more broadminded and understanding. But your all just like the rest of them, i've a good mind to go and see if the "doc" is of a more tolerant nature.



          Mr/Ms Swanson

TN_man

Sorry Iain :-[
Don't be offended, its just that pink is not your color. Or maybe it just that the armpits and outfit just don't match. ;D
Dance on 8)
WM LT-20 solar-kiln Case 885 4x4 w/ front end loader  80 acre farm  little time or money

Fla._Deadheader

  Maybe the "Doc" has a matchin outfit ??? ???  :D :D :D :D
All truth passes through three stages:
   First, it is ridiculed;
   Second, it is violently opposed; and
   Third, it is accepted as self-evident.

-- Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860)

Grawulf

Outfit would go well with a pink cant hook............... :D :D :D

shopteacher

Hey Now, let's watch them cracks about the pink cant hooks.  :D  I'm partial to them pink hools.
Proud owner of a LT40HDSE25, Corley Circle mill, JD 450C, JD 8875, MF 1240E
Tilt Bed Truck  and well equipted wood shop.

fabrik

It happens all the time. Don't even reply to the email. I've listed machinery for sale on all the wood machinery websites and every single time one of these jokers pops up. It's a real problem. Seller beware.  I even got a call one time on the phone from Sweden and the operator was translating. Man, that was a wild one. And it always happens when I really need the money. Catch my drift? That means it happens all the time! They will go to just about any length. Good luck.

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