Seller Beware

I listed this SVX for sale on Cars.com and unfortunately said it was "rare," in the description. This seems to have gotten me into some rare/antique car trader scam artists' email list because I've gotten FOUR cons in a week. I'm new here, so maybe many of you already know about this. The scam is that a check "clearing," when you deposit it doesn't mean it won't be found to be a forgery one or two weeks later by the bank. In the meantime, you've just sent real money to some "third party," like a "debtor," or the "shipping company," and it's gone.

The first guy, that offered me $3,000 for this '92 with bad tranny, was very insistent on this arrangement that he give me extra money for me to pay the shipping company. It just creeped me out so I looked up scams. Plus, he had a "client," interested in the car. The second guy, same shipping arrangement, didn't even ask for more pictures. I told him the price went up to $4,500 and he just agreed. I told him how about $10,000, and HE AGREED! I'm waiting on a reply to my $1 Million request because forging a check for that much takes balls.

The last two either had a "client," or wanted to ship the freaking car to London. All of them basically agree on the list price, since they don't care. They just don't sound normal. They sound like Nigerian email scams or spammers. Anyway, seller beware, especially if you ever mention in an ad that you're selling a "rare" car.

[Seraph]

In my case I am having issues with non paying bidders on ebay. I hope the guy that won the auction is truely busy. He contacted me twice and have not since wed. He is supposed to pick up the car tomorrow. If I don't see him by tomorrow, I am going to relist the car and see how it goes. I my just do buy it now and be down with it and the buyer pay via paypal rightaway.

[Electrophil]

There was another guy talking about this check clearing scam up in Canada. They must have a lot of success for this to be making the rounds. A lot of people out there not thinking obviously. Greed.... It gives results of such wonderful messes.

[Noir]

Originally Posted by cobas

I listed this SVX for sale on Cars.com and unfortunately said it was "rare," in the description. This seems to have gotten me into some rare/antique car trader scam artists' email list because I've gotten FOUR cons in a week. I'm new here, so maybe many of you already know about this. The scam is that a check "clearing," when you deposit it doesn't mean it won't be found to be a forgery one or two weeks later by the bank. In the meantime, you've just sent real money to some "third party," like a "debtor," or the "shipping company," and it's gone.

The first guy, that offered me $3,000 for this '92 with bad tranny, was very insistent on this arrangement that he give me extra money for me to pay the shipping company. It just creeped me out so I looked up scams. Plus, he had a "client," interested in the car. The second guy, same shipping arrangement, didn't even ask for more pictures. I told him the price went up to $4,500 and he just agreed. I told him how about $10,000, and HE AGREED! I'm waiting on a reply to my $1 Million request because forging a check for that much takes balls.

The last two either had a "client," or wanted to ship the freaking car to London. All of them basically agree on the list price, since they don't care. They just don't sound normal. They sound like Nigerian email scams or spammers. Anyway, seller beware, especially if you ever mention in an ad that you're selling a "rare" car.

You should try scamming the scammer. Get like a PO Box and have them send the check for $75k to your PO Box. Then tell them that you never got their check and have them send it to you again. You'll knock off $2k for their troubles.

[SVXObsessed]

i have my car on auotrader, and i have had two of these sent to me so far. Both paying me like 6 grand over and then i was suppose to give it to a shipper. luckily i already knew about people doing these scams.

[ensteele]

If you do a search, you will find that this was discussed about a year ago. There was another surge of these guys doing this back then. Nothing has changed. They are always looking and hope someone is dumb enough to take them up on it.

[SVXdc]

I've had these scammers e-mail me with the same scheme to buy my $15 wiring harnesses! I always laugh when they send similar, obviously canned messages asking 'tell me the present condition' and 'what is the lowest price you'll accept?'.

[WGJ]

Try checking out some of the deals you can find in the autotrader. Acura NSX and Toyota Supra TT's are two of the scammer's favorites. You know something's wrong when someone's trying to sell you a $35-40K low milleage, (spent $20K in performance upgrades alone) collectible for less than $10K! Usually the second clue is the bogus phone number. The third clue is their email response is "I moved to Ireland (or Germany or the country of your choice) and didn't realize the steering wheel's on the wrong side of the car" or they "can't afford to pay to register the car in this country!" Fourth clue, (if you haven't run screaming from the room yet), the English in the email is always poor. You send them a "deposit" so they can "ship you the car", and "before you've payed the balance, you can road test it, have your mechanic look it over and if you're not completely happy, you can ship back to me on my dime!"...never to hear from them again. If it seems too good to be true, it probably isn't.
These guys are playing a numbers game...like PT Barnum said, "There's one born every minute." They're looking for that one in a thousand sucker, like the Chinese Harvard prof.
The Chinese Harvard professor is one of my favorites, only a short time from retirement, he got sucked in so bad by the Nigerian scam, he ended up getting busted and sent to prison for the rest of his life for scamming fellow Harvard professors, so he could keep sending money to Nigeria!!! All that education and still a chump!
"Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public."- H.L. Mencken
Be careful out there,
WGJ

[Tim]

What if you open up a temporary checking account... deposit the scammers check and then close your account and withdraw the money from it?

I would get the check then when the shipper comes give them a shell or a car out of the junkyard and tape the check to the windpw

[Noir]

Originally Posted by pnyklr

I would get the check then when the shipper comes give them a shell or a car out of the junkyard and tape the check to the windpw

The shipper never comes. However, what would be funny is having them send you the fake check. Then you go get the amount to send back in a money order. Go back to the place the next day and report that the money order was stolen and cancel it with the retained stub. Get your money back. Then send him the stolen money order that's cancelled.

[mohrds]

Originally Posted by TE1221

What if you open up a temporary checking account... deposit the scammers check and then close your account and withdraw the money from it?

The checks are always counterfeit.

Ask them to fax you a copy of the check and see how fast they run

I always insist on meeting them in person

Doug

Well, after the third I got tired of even replying and wasting my time. The second one though, I agreed to sell him the car and gave him a false address to send the fake check to. You think he'll really send the fake check directly to the FBI office in Baltimore?