Fraud alert! - Ferrari 812 Competizione build slot scam

nigerians upping their hustle!

 

in america Nigerian email scams are rampant

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/18/nigerian-prince-scams-still-rake-in-over-700000-dollars-a-year.html

 

He has been at it for years!

He also looks for high value private addverts and sends them a text saying a friend of his recommended you to him and then the same story.

I know of someone that was taken for 25k a few years back, he sent him, Ferrari dealer headed paper at the time with what looked like the order on, he was convinced it was genuine.
I rang him this time to make sure it was him, his story did not stack up with regard to the order details, so reported him to Piston Heads who removed his add. straight away, I did not disclose what was wrong with his story.

 

Thank you! In a moment of “I want it badly”, I don’t think clearly and can use all the help I can get.

 

Yep I’ve been scammed by him re the peloton bike. I have since put a mirror advert on eBay warning potential peloton buyer - same for high end Canon camera. I’ve had many people message me saying they’ve also been scammed or thanking me for the warning as they were just about to pay him. Utter scum. He needs to be caught… so any info you have would be great. Assume the police has all of your information though??

 

We’ll no offense but I would never buy anything from someone named Alexander John Charles Duce. Maybe it’s an American thing but that name has fraud written all over it.


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But Alexander John Charles Duce exists here in the U.K.… I checked him and his company out on companies house before sending payment… a multimillion of age 41 - all very credible when you talk to him. And many many intelligent and savvy people have also been scammed by him. But shocking that he’s been at it for years - why can’t the police do anything?

 

I did not see an advert. Knowing I will likely have bouts of desperate search to see if I can get my hands on an 812C allocation, I appreciate the heads up.

 

The latest "too good to be true" products being offered...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/114918365342?_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20160811114145%26meid%3Dbca93c7001394f648c7f09dc4dc4fc4f%26pid%3D100667%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D8%26sd%3D174272338656%26itm%3D114918365342%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2334524%26brand%3DApple&_trksid=p2334524.c100667.m2042

 

I’ve been listing warnings on eBay but have been told off and not allowed to list… yet the scammer is free to scam… maybe he works for eBay?
Anyway, here are the numbers he’s used/ is using… hopefully whoever is tempted will search the phone number and find this warning

07553695152
07387819319
07389881001

 

Here's another:
07500 436615

Very telling that yesterday he had bids on the 2 MacBooks up to £500 and £300 respectively, but both items were ended early and then re-listed (this seems to be a pattern so no item is won, but enough people see the number and call). There were 2 Peletons at the time but now back to one, and he's added a Canon 5D and an iPad Pro.

I contacted him but it didn't feel right so I searched his name and found this thread. So glad I did!

 

I have just fell foul of this scam. I feel like a dumb ass as im more than aware of these type of scams.

It was for the MacBook air he has for sale (https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/114920494260?hash=item1ac1cb94b4:g:HdoAAOSwqe5hBdjV) with ebay username naddia11 (https://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/naddia11?_trksid=p2047675.l2559)

I initially messaged him to see if he would take an offer, I got a reply saying to call the partner on number in the advert (07500 436 615), which I did.

Phoned and got through to a nice british sounding guy, whose name is Alexander Duce. He explained that he purchased 3 x MacBook Air and 3 x MacBook Pro for his staff to use during lockdown, but due to the fact that everybody is coming back to the office he was selling them on.

He advised that as they where purchased through the business he wanted to sell them through the business to be able to claim tax for the items, and therefore he would send me an invoice and end the item once fund received. (I know... in hindsight the alarm bells should be ringing LOUD).

I did do some due diligence such as checking that the serial numbers for the MacBook where valid etc... Looking up his name (missed this thread unfortunately) and also looking at the company account for the business where the invoice where coming from... all seemed legit, including the "from" email address was from the domain of the company.

So... I transferred the money (I know!) and text him to say so. He confirmed that the money was received and he would get his partner to send it out and text me the tracking number and the item should be with me the next day.

By about 17:30... no text message so gave him a ring to see if he could tell me the tracking number... the phone just rang out. About 2 minutes later received a text saying "All sent"... but no tracking number. Sent a text asking for tracking number... no reply.

Next day rang him and he answered (prob forgot my number and thinking he could scam someone else), and asked if he could forward tracking number, he replied "i'll get that forwarded to you now" and hung up before completely finishing his sentence. I was already suspicious and this just added to my fears.

Nothing has arrived today (paid Monday, its now Wednesday, should of been here Tuesday)... he not answering his phone or replying to text's.

The Invoice is from Abbey Investment Holdings, Devonshire House, 1 Devonshire Street, London W1W 5DR.

In his text he confirm his name as Alexander Duce, and Michael Downie is the accountant. Sort Code 77-29-18, Account 48786368.



Hope this helps someone in the future avoid this scam.

 

Thank you for posting above, it took guts to do it and you very well may have saved someone else a lot of money.
I don’t understand how police/investigative agencies are unable to track these very public transactions down and prosecute.

 

I just wish I seen this thread when I searched for his name on google...Unlikely to get my £550 refunded due to it being a bank transfer

 

I too fell for his scam. so I will below provide all of the information that I have and what people should look out for. Unfortunately this also serves to help him better his act. Someone as throrough as he is is bound to be googling this stuff.

I found him via the eBay links selling Macbook's offering a better price for cash, so I called to speak to him on 07500 436 615. Same story as above that he was selling unsued Macbooks purchased for his staff in lockdown and that they were not needed now everyone could be back in the office. I think I did more duediligence than most people would but I still decided to go ahead with the purchase.

As disclosed above he is a well spoken chap, that has his script locked down. Push his buttons a bit and quesiton him and he does get short though - This is a common trait of scammers when they think it is going to fail. He will pretentd to be in meeting to seem legit, his partner does not exist.

I would not be surprised if he is actually an office worker somewhere, as I heard him talking in a busy place and people were going home for the end of the day.

Examples of red flags:

1. The invoices were sent as .JPEG files. Clearly he is editing in Photoshop. Note that the invoices do not include Business or VAT registration numbers, nor any business contact information.
2. Asked why there was no website linked to his abbeyinvestmentholdings.co.uk - His response was that his comapny does not deal with the public as they managed high value retail investments - This is obviously BS, everyone has a website now.
3. Got him chatting and he said that his comapany were buidling a 680 apartment building in Dubai - I checked all of the comapny accounts and between all of the companies he is a Director of there is no way that they could be financing this.
4. As proof of him being a genuine person he sent me copies of his driving licence and a Utility bill - Again, the address he supposedly lives at (a 7 Bedroom Mansion in Kent with a swimming pool) had a gas and electricity bill only slight more than mine and I am by no means wealthy.
5. BANKS KNOW BEST - put his bank details into my your banking app and ask him for the company that corresponds to this. Nothing he states ever works because what Multimillion £ business banks with Nationwide - It is his personal account.
6. I paid by Credit Card and what he did was get me to link my Credit Card to his Apply Pay on his iPhone, this is especially bad as simply cancelling a credit card and getting a new one does not stop the fraud, as Apple Pay linked devices automatical get new card details pushed to them. If you fall foul of this please contact your bank and ask them to remove the Apple Pay Token. Never share any code with any vendor - Ligitimate or not.
7. He sent through a picture of his Bank accounts showing just enough of the values to make you look and think it is real.

Like I said, I picked up on a huge amount of red flags and I am the least trusting person on the planet. Clearly I am still capable of falling for a deal too good to miss.

I hope that I will salvage my funds back as I paid via credit card, but I am just assuming they are gone and I will just move on wiser. If anyone ever tracks this person down I'd love to hear about it. He is not as clever as he thinks he is.

Best of luck to othre victims!




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To add, I do not know what the real Alexander John Charles Duce looks like, so that picture may be the real conman.

 

If not done so already, I suggest reporting each of his for sale items to eBay, as well as filing a separate report on the seller himself as fraudulent.