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Beware of scamers trying to buy on this site!

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Old Sep 12, 2005 | 03:21 PM
  #1  
bigthumper's Avatar
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From: Warr Acres, Oklahoma
Exclamation Beware of scamers trying to buy on this site!

hi guys i have a banshee for sale that is posted in the classifieds, and i got this e-mail, and it sounded fishy so i did some checking.. and it is a total scam.

here is the frist e-mail

HELLO,
PLEASE I LIKE TO KNOW THE CONDITION OF THIS ITEM 97 409cc banshee WITH PRICE OF $4,000.00, I HAVE A CLIENT WHO IS INTERESTED IN BUYING IT, SHE IS IN EUROP. SHE HANDED OVER THE TRANSASCTION TO ME TO HANDLE. SO IF INTERESTED PLEASE GET BACK TO ME WITH YOUR MAILING ADDRESS SO THAT A MONEY ORDER OR CASHIER'S CHECK COULD BE ISSUED TO YOU ASAP.
THANKS,
FRANK..
---------------------------------------------------------------------
so i sent this back

Hi,
Well as stated in the ad it needs new plastics, and it needs to be tuned
for the new set up on it. I bought the bike last year in August for my
birthday and road it then brought it home and started rebuilding it. At the
time it ran great, but I put new air filters and some other stuff on it
which changed the air fuel ratio, so that is why it needs to be jetted. The
bike is almost like new. I have put allot of time and money in to it, but
with a new baby on the way I just don't have the time or the money anymore.
If you would like more pics I can send them to you.I have them from when I
bought it to what it is like now.

My address is
Shelby Field
4704 N. Stanley Ave.
Warr Acres, Oklahoma 73122

thanks Shelby
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
then he wrote back

Hello,
thanks for your response, the check will be mail out by wednessday, i will let you know as soon as that is done.
please am not in the states now am in UK, i want to let you know the status of this transaction.
My client will be including some extra money on the check which is meant for the shipping of this item. Please you will help transfer this money to the shipping company incharge of the shippment as soon as you cashed and deduct your item fee so they could come for the pick up.
Please let me know if the condition is ok by you so that i could contact my client about it.
Thanks,
Frank..
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

then i wrote back

so do you have a shipping company that is going to come pick it up? and if
so you sending me the extra money to give them to pay for the shipping
charges..
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
then he wrote back

SURE,
WE HAVE A SHIPPING COMPANY TO TAKE CARE OF THAT. YOU WILL SE ND THE DIFFERENCE TO THEM SO THEY COULD COME FOR PICK UP.
THANKS

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
then this is when i thought it seemed fishy
i wrote

Frank,
Can you tell me a little about who is buying the Banshee, and what part
you play in all this. Am just asking because there has been allot of scams
here lately on the internet. If you are sending a money order or cashiers
check I want to wait till it clears my bank to ship the bike and parts, and
is the bike going over sea's or is it staying here in the US? I would take
paypal if you would like but I would have to have the fee's also. Which is
about $125.00 on $4,000.00, but it would have to be done in two
transactions, because my incoming limit is $3,000.00. Just let me know what
you want to do.

thanks Shelby Field
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

and he would not respond so thats when i did some checking and found tons of people have had this happend to them..

i hope no one else falls for this crap...
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Old Sep 12, 2005 | 03:55 PM
  #2  
P.J's Avatar
P.J
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From: Port Deposit, MD
Classic new style scammer.

I'd like to round these people up and use them for target practice. Tens of thousands have been taken for a ride with the old send you a cashiers check job.

Just like E-Bay scammers, you can see that it is a standardized form that they have simply filled in the blanks on. (note lower case words). These jerks aren't much on grammer either. I have gotten the beloved "your E-bay account will be suspended if you don't ____". The thing is super believable with E-Bay logos and all, but then after you read over it a few times it's eady to see that there are very basica grammatical errors in it.
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Old Sep 12, 2005 | 06:12 PM
  #3  
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From: northwestern PA
dead giveaway, who on earth has other people to buy stuff for them?

my client is wondering about silencer ring removal...
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Old Sep 12, 2005 | 10:46 PM
  #4  
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From: San Diego, CA/Seabee Wife
Good idea looking into it and saying wait until the check or money order clears. A few years ago I worked for a check cashing company and we had a few times where people would come in with a fake or stolen check/money order then get upset when we would not cash it and kept it.

A note to anyone accepting checks or money orders for any type of business:
Most money orders can have a number on them to check status. However, if it is a fake money order that copies have been made you can get caught with a fraud. If you accept a check for something, a certified check or cashier's check is the best way to go. These checks have that specific amount set aside for them and you can usually call the bank to confirm that everything is legite.
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Old Sep 13, 2005 | 12:30 AM
  #5  
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From: Sacramento CA
Pretty simple solution is to not sell anything on DTR classifieds to anyone but a DTR member.

That way we all know where they live.

Rick
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Old Sep 13, 2005 | 04:25 AM
  #6  
Jim Lane's Avatar
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From: Southern California
Scam

Lately everything that I put for sale in the Recycler, within 24 hours I now get about 2 or 3 of these scams a day for each item now.
Most of them all sound removed, what I mean is "enter your product name here" and the wording is all the same, and "please take $100.00 to remove the add".
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Old Sep 13, 2005 | 08:19 AM
  #7  
Hoss's Avatar
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From: Central Texas
Originally Posted by runamuk
Pretty simple solution is to not sell anything on DTR classifieds to anyone but a DTR member.

That way we all know where they live.

Rick
Good advise. Also, anytime someone who claims to be living overseas wants to buy something for you then a big red flag should go up automatically. I wouldn't sell to ANYONE overseas unless I knew who that person was (for instance, I sold some model railroading supplies to a gentleman in Australia because I knew he was a long time member of the model railroading forum that I was a part of).
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Old Sep 14, 2005 | 09:20 AM
  #8  
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From: Jeffersonville, Ohio
I just got done dealing with this guy...except I got his check, deposited it, and then had the bank do some checking. About 10 days later, it came back counterfeit (sp?).

Good thing I never wired him the money . Would have got me for about $16K, but after the third different name, and second bank account I was REAAALLY suspicious. I had no intetions of sending him the money until I was sure I had mine.

I even called him on it, and have bugged him every day since then about when I will get my money (mainly because he did the same to me when he was waiting ). I have actually talked to him a couple times since then, and he swears the check was good, and is coming to see me when he gets back from the UK in about 10 days.

I kinda hope he shows up, just cause I want to see his face when I surprise him .

Just got lucky, I guess,
Chris
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Old Sep 14, 2005 | 09:22 AM
  #9  
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From: Jeffersonville, Ohio
BTW, it WAS a cashier's check that he sent me...so now we even have to be suspicious of those, too.

Chris
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Old Sep 14, 2005 | 09:31 AM
  #10  
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P.J
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From: Port Deposit, MD
Thumbs up

Originally Posted by signature600
BTW, it WAS a cashier's check that he sent me...so now we even have to be suspicious of those, too.

Chris
You'll never see or hear from him again. He's already chalked you up to wasted time and moved on to the next victim.

Chasiers Check! Is nothing sacred? I guess it's more and more common as laundering paper money has got to be tough these days with all the new crap they have on the big face bills.......?

Good for you, you didn't loose any $, just wasted time.
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Old Sep 14, 2005 | 10:11 AM
  #11  
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From: San Diego, CA/Seabee Wife
For them to counterfeit a Cashier's Check it had to be really good. When it is legite you have to give the bank that amount plus what ever their fee is. Usually the issuing bank can tell you if it is good or not.
I agree with PJ, since this guy tried to pull one over on you once, most likely he won't try and contact you again. If he does you can always file a police report and let the cops know that this guy will be at such place at such time.
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Old Sep 14, 2005 | 03:45 PM
  #12  
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From: Jeffersonville, Ohio
Hence the "surprise!" Now SHHHHH!!

Chris
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Old Sep 14, 2005 | 04:12 PM
  #13  
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From: Central VA
They usually either just print a fake/duplicate check, or get a real check for a couple of dollars then "wash" the ink and reprint it for a much larger amount.
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Old Sep 14, 2005 | 05:53 PM
  #14  
signature600's Avatar
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From: Jeffersonville, Ohio
The check I was sent cleared the issuing bank in April, for a different amount. So some foul play happened between now and then.

Chris
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Old Sep 15, 2005 | 11:43 PM
  #15  
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Originally Posted by hovisimo
dead giveaway, who on earth has other people to buy stuff for them?
Well its not as uncommon as you may think but usually a personal shopper is for clothing or furniture for people with way too much money. ( i think researching and the buying process is part of the fun!) My ex G/F 's dad sends cars and stuff back to his original home, germany and austria, a lot too so there is some legitamcy there... however i dont think a quad would be an item worth the shipping if you know what i mean.
yeah wait till the check clears and look for the broken grammer. Its sad and pathetic what people will do. If they would just spend their time and energy on legitamate ways they would do ok.
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