Heres how it works - the scam

[imported_admin]

Ok you get an enquiry like below

From: xxxx_xxxx@outblaze.net
To: xxxxx@xxxxxx.net
Sent Monday, March 16, 2003 9:49 am
Subject Used Car Mart - Reply to AD#1360 (Quick sale! - Citroen Xsara VTR)
Message:
Hello,
My name is XXXX I’m interested in purchasing your advertised
Car and the price £4,500 is okay with me, and I will like you not to
worry about the shipping, an agent of mine in the UK will pick up the
car and I will like you to know that my mode of payment is by
cashier's cheque drawn from an American bank .
It is a very good car. I look forward to hear from you soon. Respond
ASAP if this is ok by you.
Thanks
>>> Email Message Ends Here

I was told that this scam works as follows:

After seller responds to the email above, he/she gets an email stating
that a cashiers check was already made for the amount that exceeds the
asking price for the vehicle. Seller is then asked to write a
check /cash /wire for the difference.
As a result, the seller gets a counterfeit cashiers check from a
potential buyer (this check worth 0); and a scammer drives away with a
check from the seller (this check worth £££).

If you are contacted with a message similar to the one above, please
use your common sense.

Be warned

[Anonymous]

Although not a car, a posted a drum set for sale online and received e-mails from several people, but I settled on Tolu Williams...He instructed that his client in the US owed him 5,000 and would send me a cashiers check from Bank of America for 5,500 and I would wire him the balance and he would negotiate with his shipper. He later e-mailed and said his client sent him the check to avoid problems with the mail system??? I received the check today and Bank of America caught it before handing over the dough. Upon closer inspection, the hand writing on the check (supposedly from his client in the US) and his writing on the envelope from Europe are exactly the same. I'm glad I didn't just go in 5 grand.

Is there anything that can be done about this?

The email he was using for this was equip_mart@yahoo.com

I also saw in a previous post that Tolu Williams had corresponded with someone else with the e-mail transbike_ltd@yahoo.com (i think thats right).


I can be reached at studio@thegreenband.com

Sincerely,

Chris Hockaday

[pootypees]

Hello,
I'm trying to sell my lowly Rover 200 214i 16v for just £550 and i have recieved a couple of e-mails from a guy in northern ireland(note his spelling of Ireland). This is the last mail i recieved from him......


Hello Peter,
Thanks for the mail,i am so glad the car is still available for sale,also thanks for the pictures sent.Well i am located in the nothern island and that cant stop me from purchasing the car and i am ok with ur asking price.So please advice on how to make payments for the car becuase i will like to get the car purchased as soon as possible,but i will prefer the payment to be made directly to your account.So please let me know if you are ok with and that and send me your banking details including your bank name and address,also with your full name and address also with your phone number.I will arrange for the shipping myself.so please get back to me as soon as possible.
Thanks.

Obviously i've told him i dont give details out over the net and it does sound ok in parts but i'm unsure that this car is worth the trouble of shipping....
Any insights would be greatly appreciated....
Thanks Pooty

[admin]

Trust your suspicions, and tell him where to go! This is without a doubt a scam!
Hello,
I'm trying to sell my lowly Rover 200 214i 16v for just £550 and i have recieved a couple of e-mails from a guy in northern ireland(note his spelling of Ireland). This is the last mail i recieved from him......


Hello Peter,
Thanks for the mail,i am so glad the car is still available for sale,also thanks for the pictures sent.Well i am located in the nothern island and that cant stop me from purchasing the car and i am ok with ur asking price.So please advice on how to make payments for the car becuase i will like to get the car purchased as soon as possible,but i will prefer the payment to be made directly to your account.So please let me know if you are ok with and that and send me your banking details including your bank name and address,also with your full name and address also with your phone number.I will arrange for the shipping myself.so please get back to me as soon as possible.
Thanks.

Obviously i've told him i dont give details out over the net and it does sound ok in parts but i'm unsure that this car is worth the trouble of shipping....
Any insights would be greatly appreciated....
Thanks Pooty

[alister]

remember not to give out any personal information this may satisfy the DPA (data protection act) when calling ur bank... so they may pretend to be you.