So I just got a buyer lead email from Autotrader.com....Scam??? UPDATE - GOT A RESPONSE! ROFL! THEY EMAILED ME AGAIN!!

[Hector13]

dude, do you have a different address you can use (ie, like a PO box, your work/school, and abandoned house)?
If so, have him send the "check" there (which is 99.999% a fake) cash it and never reply to this guy's email again. Find out from your bank if they will charge you a fee for a fake cashier's check, though. I would hope they won't as the "buyer" is basically committing fraud, so you shouldn't be punished for it.

 

[ReiAyanami]

Ask him if he knows the Prince of Nigeria and tell him you will only trade with royalty.

 

[xaigi]

Originally posted by: ReiAyanami
Ask him if he knows the Prince of Nigeria and tell him you will only trade with royalty.

lol

 

[styrafoam]

It's called check kiteing, but they are just trying to get a third party involved to keep their hands clean. Maybe contact the postmaster to see if this qualifys as mail fraud, or see if Western Union is interested in it. Tell him to send the check, and when it arrives try to contact the person who's name/address appears on it and see if they have anything to say about your car, or if they even exist. If it's fake info Western Union him back $1.00 and tell him that they don't drive cars in west Africa, you'll track down a zebra and get back to him.

 

[JEDI]

hehe..or string the guy along. pretend to go for it. and post his email addr so we have the AT effect.

(just like the laptop scam. hm..btw..anyone know how that turned out?)

 

[codeyf]

To late to string him along. Already told him no on the foreign MO, and no on being a go between for the $6000 his "client" owed him.

Also sent him this link

 

[xirtam]

Originally posted by: codeyf
Just got this:

I want you to know that if i have the cash with me i will have send you but currently i am out of cash and not in the state all i want you to do for is to accept the check and send me the balance that i can used the balance to settle my shipper that we come to your location to pick up your car Thank you and remain blessed in the lord.

Mind you, every email has shown up with a different font. How wierd. This guy is persistent!

Tell him to come to America so that you can bless him in the lord. And he can even hang onto his $6000, no need to overwrite the check.

 

[ndee]

put his email address in some spam crap.

 

[ThaGrandCow]

tell him you'll accept the check, but you will need a 1 months clearing time for the cashiers check

 

[prodigy]

Post the e-mail address here.

 

[codeyf]

I will post it when I head home for lunch. It was just a yahoo address though.

 

[Elbryn]

tell him to send it, then wait for the check to clear before sending it on.. or get the check and send him a fake check for 6000 with the same info on the check that he sent you.

 

[911paramedic]

What scares me are all the responses in this thread telling you how to do this transaction, and sound serious about it. I guess why there are so many scams like this around.

 

[LordJezo]

Who was the guy who tricked the Nigerain guys into showing up on a webcam in Holland?

It was the same sort of thing.. he followed it all the way through, said he was going to mee them in person and ended up getting them on a webcam and sending them the pictures..

 

[narzy]

contact the police or FBI and see if their up for a little sting operation, arrange to have their "guy" come pick up the car, when he shows up (if he shows up) BUSTED!.

 

[codeyf]

Well guess what. My last email, sending them the link to that story about Melvin Christmas, got BOUNCED! Their yahoo email account is apparently over it's quota!!!

 

[Hector13]

Originally posted by: 911paramedic
What scares me are all the responses in this thread telling you how to do this transaction, and sound serious about it. I guess why there are so many scams like this around.

uh... what responses are those? Everyone in here pretty much agrees that it is a scam...

 

[conjur]

Watching the morning news today there was a 'Consumer Watch' segment where a guy was interviewed. He'd sold a Sebring LXi to someone in Nigeria who wanted an extra amount wired back to them (as the cashier's check sent was for more than the price of the car). The bank was fooled by the cashier's check and this guy had to take out an $8000 loan to cover the loss.