I know this subject has been discussed before. At the moment there are 2 550's on CAR'S .com under $30,000. Low milage and they look very good. One even has an extra dash switch with with 2 red LED'S I've not seen before. What's going on ? Can somebody that lives nearby check them out.
Forgive the naivete (haven't lived in the US for more than a decade now), but how does an ebay or online car listing scam work? You either have the car for sale or you don't. Is it possible a buyer would actually put a deposit down without escrow or lawyer before inspecting/seeing it, if the car is not with a reputable and established dealer? Or is there another way the scammers get your money?
I see a few scams on ebay It is usually all about getting a deposit. a lot of times the car will state it is over seas etc.
You see $30,000 550s listed for sale on Cars.com and Autotrader too. Wonder if the scam works the same way there? What kind of buyer in their right mind would put down a deposit sight unseen for a car listed at less than half of market value and not being sold by a reputable dealer? That kind of situation has scam written all over it.
Apparently there are still people falling for it, thinking they're getting a super good deal on a car. And they are, just not on their part.
I like to report these scams to the advertising company (ie cars.com). They seem to appreciate the heads up and will often times pull the ads.
How does that old country song go...? "I've got oceanfront property in Arizona..." I'm surprised you don't see more scams based on a pissed-off wife selling her cheating husband's car.
If you belive the 550 for 30k how about a 430 for $40k? http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail.jsp?tracktype=usedcc&csDlId=&csDgId=&listingId=82678393&listingRecNum=0&criteria=sf1Dir%3DDESC%26mkId%3D20014%26stkTyp%3DU%26rd%3D10000%26crSrtFlds%3DstkTypId-feedSegId-mkId-prcId%26zc%3D90503%26prcId%3D28642%26rn%3D0%26PMmt%3D1-0-0%26stkTypId%3D28881%26sf2Dir%3DASC%26sf1Nm%3Dprice%26sf2Nm%3Dmiles%26isDealerGrouping%3Dfalse%26alMkId%3D20014%26rpp%3D50%26feedSegId%3D28705&aff=gogsema&listType=3
They've been on there, reposted in different cities for almost 2 years... Morons must be wiring deposits to this day. Gotta wonder why the webmasters over there don't whack him or at least monitor it.
I keep webpages for my car, and once someone snagged those pictures and posted an ad on AutoTrader for my car at 1/10th of its value. Apparently some were fooled by it. This was about a decade ago, though. Surprised to see it's still happening and apparently with some success rate . . .
I just went on cars.com out of curiosity and there was a 2001 with 17000 miles for sale in origan for 35000. The pictures were scammed off an add for a car I am familiar with it is a 2001 with 4000 miles and for sale in missouri, (for 98000) . different seller etc but the pictures are a rip off. So they are definitely out there . careful about responding to the emails of these cars. Larry
There is a newly listed 1999 550 with 7200 miles on Cars for 55k in Ca.Would this fall in the cheap category "too good to be true" or one to further investigate? Just trying to get a handle on values. Drake
If I see only a first name from a seller and feel it's priced too low it's a waist of time to call. If it's a business, it's not priced that way. The scams are so thick as to really hurt the cars site.
Scams on cars are usually pretty easy to spot, very common on CL but only recently I've seen them on cars.com and AT, which I find very odd considering you have to pay to be on those sites and they are somewhat controlled, apparently not so much I was in the market for a tractor last summer and stumbled across a John Deere for a really low price, it was just low enough to be possible. But the scam goes like this... Recently divorced, need to get rid of my ex's tractor, I don't care if it's less than its worth, I just want it gone. Give me your name and address and I will ship you the tractor at my expense, you have 7 days to inspect and if you don't like it I will arrange to ship it back at my expense. The transaction would all be handled by ebay,s safe harbor program, but that made no sence considering the tractor was not being sold on ebay... I played along for awhile, she was very persitant and somewhat convincing but The funny thing was, she claimed the tractor was in a town that just happened to me next to mine, I offered to just go see it and pay for it there, no need to ship.... Never heard from her again. I don't know how a thinking person could get burned by this scam, don't know exactly how it could work but I guess some do.
I am in the middle of "negotiations" right now to purchase a beautiful Ferrari 348 1990 for $5,700, I am sure there are a lot of angry wives who want to get rid of their ex husbands toys, so it goes like this (from older to newer) SCAMMER Hi , The car is still for sale. Thanks for being interested in buying my 1990 Ferrari 348 TS . It is in a good condition, no scratches, no damages, never been implicated in any accidents, no problems at the engine, runs very well. It has an 8 Cylinder 3.4L engine, 29,125 miles, clear title, a perfect car. The price is $5,700.00 . The only thing because I am selling it, because I divorced with my husband and after the divorce I own this car, now as a woman I don`t need it... I can provide vin # to check on your own.Just let me know if you are still interested. Here are more pictures : '' http://imageshack.us/g/10/kgrhqiokiie5cljsw6rbogm.jpg/ Thank you, Doreen Gospodarek ME That sounds like a very nice deal, how can we make it happen? SCAMMER Hi again , Here is the VIN : ZFFFG36A2L0086425. The car is located in Richardson, Texas, we will use eBay Vehicle Purchase Protection, so we can both be protected and insured. I just need your full name and full address so eBay can send you the invoice in which you'll see how to make this transaction. I supposed to ship the car to another buyer, then he told me that he found another vehicle so is no longer interested. He already paid the shipping charges, the shipping is paid I will send the car with all the papers ( vehicle registration, warranty papers,transfer papers etc ) I am just waiting your full name and address to complete the shipping papers and start the delivery process. Thank you , Doreen ME Perfect my address is 501 w broadway San Diego CA 92101 (real address but not my address obviously) my name is F..... A... So you will ship the car (at no cost) to San Diego with all the papers and everything right? And Ebay will send me an invoice so we can both be insured, perfect. END So I am waiting for my "invoice" so I can receive my beautiful car soon, I do not understand at what time they ask for money, I am sure it will be when the car is already in the "truck", anyways I am bored so I will just go with it and keep you posted.
Isn't that the stuff you put on blisters and burns? Has NNO checked the vin in his database? I'm sure the owner would like to know his car is being used in a scam.
Good news everybody I am closer to get my new car, I just received this email from "Ebay", by the way the address is "[email protected]" so it could be easy to see who has this online-motors-support.com domain registered and see if its the same Melvin Bunce mentioned below, anybody from Denver CO who can alert the police?? eBay Motors Payment Invoice #27752256 Dear F...... A......, This mail is confirmation that you were successfully registered as buyer in transaction # 27752256. Your transaction manager is Melvin Bunce. You are about to participate in a fast, efficient and secure transaction. eBay Purchase Protection Program is the independent third party that will be overseeing the inspection, ownership transfer, and securing and disbursing the funds. Please follow our instructions in order to complete the transaction safely. Primary Vehicle Information (actual vehicle photo) * Item: 1990 Ferrari 348 TS * Overall condition: Excellent * Title: Clear * Mileage: 29,125 * Transmission: Manual * Inspection: Inspected Payment Information: * Invoice#: 27752256 * Subtotal: US $5,700.00 * Down Payment: US $2,850.00 * Sales Tax: US $0.00 * Total Due: US $5,700.00 Delivery Information: * Buyer: F........... A............. * Address: 501 W. Broadway * City/State/Zip Code: San Diego , CA 92101 * Country/: UNITED STATES (US) * Shipping Company: DAS AUTO SHIPPERS eBay Escrow Payment Details: *NOTE: Payment must be submitted via Western Union Transfer as "MONEY IN MINUTES" service to eBay Motors Agent in charge of this transaction. The eBay Motors Agent will secure the payment until the Buyer receives, inspects and accepts the vehicle. Or, if it will be the case, the Agent will refund the payment to the Buyer. * eBay Agent's Name: Melvin Bunce (use this as beneficiary) * Address: 901 Alcott Street * City/State/Zip: Denver , CO 80219 * Country: UNITED STATES (US) Locate the nearest Western Union Agent location by clicking here. You have to go at any Western Union office with cash and send the payment to our agent, using his name and address. This transaction is 100% legit and all your funds are fully insured by our company. After the payment is made send us the receipt from Wester Union by FAX or send a scanned copy (e-Mail). Fax us the payment receipt to the following fax number: +(1) (512) 298-1409 Additional Instructions:1) Western Union Money Transfer is designed mainly for sending cash to friends and family in need,so telling them you are sending the money for an auction you will pay a higher fees. 2) When making the payment tell them you are sending money to a relative so you can get a lower service fee. NOTE: Once we receive the payment confirmation, we will instruct the seller to start the shipping process. We will secure the funds for you until you receive the vehicle and we will release the funds only with your approval. If the vehicle will not be as described, you will have to send it back on the seller's expense and we will give you a full refund. Help ! If you need answers to your questions, please contact us using the Live Support button. ________________________________________ Copyright © 1995-2011 eBay Inc. All Rights Reserved. Designated trademarks and brands are the property of their respective owners. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of the eBay User Agreement and Privacy Policy. AND THEN I RECEIVED THIS EMAIL eBay Motors Customer Support Center Message Dear F......... a........., Please tell us if You received the invoice for your transaction. Once we will receive the fax from you with the payment details as explained above, we will instruct the seller to start the shipping process. We will hold the payment until you send us your confirmation that you are satisfied with the item received. As soon we have your confirmation we will release the payment to the seller. You will receive further details regarding the shipping process (courier information, tracking method, expected delivery date) after the payment confirmation. *NOTE: It may occur that your e-mail doesn't support HTML language and that is why you haven't received the invoice from us. Please check your bulk/junk/spam/ messages, the invoice may end there because of increased filters of the e-mails providers. Thank you for using our services ! Sincerely, eBay Help If you're looking for more help or have a question to ask, please : Contact Us ! THE CONTACT US LINK IS REGISTERED TO [email protected] AND THEN I RECEIVED THIS COUPLE OF EMAILS FROM THE "LADY" BRUCE Good news ! I just received an email from eBay and our transaction is started please try to check your email ( spam or bulk folder also ),you should get the invoice soon . I have made already the shipping reservation for your address and the car will be at your door in max 3 days after the payment will be confirmed by eBay . When you`ll receive the car you`ll have 7 days of inspection like i told you before and in case you won`t like it you can send it back on my cost and eBay will send all your money back . I will also send all the paperwork and a bill of sale which will be already signed and notarized onto your name . If you decide to keep it all your have to do is to sign the transfer papers and announce eBay to release the funds to me ! AND F.............. If you can make a down payment of $2850 to eBay , I will start the shipping process and send the car at your place , after you receive the car , you will send the remaining balance $2850 . Let me know if you have the $2850 available and if you want to go forward .. SO I REPLIED THIS Doreen, thank you very much that was pretty fast, I will go to western union today to deposit the funds to Ebay, usually western union charges a fee for transaction, do you have a problem if I deposit the whole amount right now instead of the 50%, then I can take care of everything through Ebay with Melvin Bunce, what do you think?? Usually Western Union asks for more information than just the name of the beneficiary, do you have anything else I can give them? I know because I use Western Union all the time. Thanks SCAMMER You have to deposit first the down payment $2850 and the you will send the remaining balance. As far as I know from the ebay department you will need only the name and address of the agent. Oh..and i want to ask you for a favour,when you go to complete the transaction please inform the Western Union agent that you are sending the money to a relative or a friend because they will charge me 10% and since i handle the shipping it will be a nice thing for you to do, it will help me a lot . AT LEAST "SHE" IS NOT THAT GREEDY, BUT STILL WANTS TO SAVE A FEW BUCKS ANYWAYS I FILED A REPORT WITH THE FBI AT Http://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx IF YOU KNOW SOMEBODY AT THE COLORADO POLICE DEPARTMENT MIGHT BE A GOOD IDEA TO LET THEM KNOW, I AM SURE HE HAS TRIED TO DO IT SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE.
ME That is fine I can do that, since you have already taken care of everything else, hey Doreen I just hope the divorce was not painful, what happened? I am sorry I do not want to cross the line but I am divorcee as well. SCAMMER Sorry but I don't want to talk about this. (hahahahahahahahahahahahaha) THEN I DID NOT REPLY FOR A WHILE SCAMMER Any good news ? ME Yes I sent it today you should ask Ebay to see if they have it already, this is completely legit right? SCAMMER OK, in this case, I will prepare the shipping and then I'll wait for eBay to notify me about your payment confirmation. Please don't forget to confirm the payment at eBay so I'll begin the shipping process immediately. I'm a honest person and I don't risk my career and my freedom for any amount of money. I want to take this opportunity to assure you that this deal is 100% LEGIT because eBay will be the third party between us and I think that we can make the deal by using them. ME How can I get in touch with Ebay to let them know I already sent the money? SCAMMER You have to fax the receipt at the number that you have in the invoice or by email using : [email protected] ME I do not have a fax machine nor a scanner but I will do so as soon as I go to a KinkosN can you please send me a copy of your drivers license or any identification so I can prepare the bill of sale. SCAMMER I work at American Airlines and I have all my documents at the office, I can't send you any copy until i get back home. ME Well please do so and I will send you a copy of the western union receipt when I receive it. AND THEN I RECEIVED AN EMAIL FROM "EBAY" eBay Motors Customer Support Center Message : Please confirm your payment ! Dear f......... a........., If you made the payment we need you to confirm us the following information : - MTCN ( 10 digits number found on the payment receipt ) - Sender's Name and Address - Receiver's Name and Address - Total Amount Sent As soon we validate your payment we shall instruct seller to start the shipping immediately. Thank you for using our services ! Sincerely, eBay Help For any questions please contact us at : [email protected] SCAMMER I'm out of states right know i will get back home in a couple of days, I don't know for sure. ME How did you get out of the country without ID, and that is weird because the IP address from where you are sending emails shows you are sending from CO.
Love the back and forth on the scammer. Reminds me of the following thread (caution: super long!). I was on the floor laughing when I first read this... http://www.thescambaiter.com/forum/showthread.php?t=109 Enjoy! Sorry for hijacking this thread.
This thread is kind of old but I need to post this, back in March I posted the "negotiations" I was getting with the scammer, around May I received an email from the Ohio's attorney general regarding the complaint I filed with the FBI regarding this scammer, he asked what happenned and if I lost any money during this scam, I said no that I knew all was a scam since the beginning and I just played along to get as much info as possible, I reported the IP address from where this "woman" was sending me emails and that's it, TODAY I received a letter from the Justice Department letting me know that these guy was tried and found guilty (it does not state the charges but the case number) this guy is going to the can for almost SIX YEARS!!!!!!! and he was sentenced by the court to restitute me some money (even though I did not send him anything) maybe just because he tried to scam me, so anyways I am shocked that they did not just close the file and actually pursue this, I feel good (not for sending a poor bastard to jail I would never feel good about that) but that the justice department actually did their job and remove a scammer from the streets, but now that I think about it, it is not the scammer's fault, if somebody is that STUPID to fall for these kind of "too good to be true" deals, they deserve to lose money. If you have seen the American greed show on TV you would understand me, these people putting all their money into these "business opportunities" giving them 10% return per month, and at the end when they realize it was a scam they go "I can't believe they did this to me, I just wanted to have a better return than the banks"