Fight The Scams

Here is the email I received after inquiring about a truck on Craigslist

I am emailing you regarding the 2004 Dodge Ram 1500 SLT 4wd V8 that i have for sale.
 
The truck is in perfect working condition, no need for additional repairs, never been raced or damaged, adult owned and garage kept. It has only 32,000 original miles and it comes with a CLEAR and CLEAN TITLE a great history and mechanically without any problems ever; safety check and pre-delivery inspection along with a fresh servicing included prior to shipping.
 
The truck is currently located in Rosamond, CA. The asking price is $2,980 (NOT negotiable!!).
I am MSgt, Recruiting and Retention NCO, in the U.S. Army currently stationed in Suffolk, United Kingdom – RAF Lakenheath. Will be moving to Germany for 2 years in the near future.. most of my time i m traveling around the world and back.. therefore, i ve decided sell this truck and get a new one later, when i ll return home..
 
Anyway, I will take in consideration only those buyers who are really interested in buying the car just to be sure that I don’t waste my time with endless discussions. This way i shall be assured of the serious intentions!
 
If you are still seriously interested in going further with the deal please let me know at your earliest convenience.
 
 
Regards,
 
 
 Ray R. Wegner, MSgt, CA ANG
  Recruiting and Retention NCO
  234th Intelligence Squadron
 
PS/  Here are some pictures of the truck . Just click on the weblink below:
 
http://s814.photobucket.com/albums/zz68/04RAM1500SLT/

Scam reported at FightTheScams.com

On Craigslist I saw a 2002 Honda Civic LX Sedan that was priced at 2,800. Right away I knew it was too good to be true, so I sent her an email for more information and she told me that this was her son’s car and he passed away so she wanted to sell it fast and for cheap just to get rid of it. Then she mentioned that she wanted to sell through ebay’s Vehicle Protection Program which sounded quite fishy. I would never buy a car without seeing and test driving it first. The add was in my area so I asked If I could come and see it. She and her husband our gone a lot for their business. However she failed to mention that the car is in Georgia, and she posted it in Washington. Apparently her husband thought it would be a good idea to post in several area’s to sell the car quicker. I didn’t fall for this scam, and I hope no one else does either. this is her e-mail and the link to her post on Craigslist janetandpeterwalter@hotmail.com

http://bellingham.craigslist.org/cto/1932366328.html

Scam reported at FightTheScams.com

This scam was from Julia her email address is serinal32@yahoo.com. Claims to be divorces mother without a driver license.
Hello,
Thanks for being interested in buying my 2002 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 4×4 LT Extended Cab. 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 CYLINDERS ,97,264 miles, clear
Title, a perfect car. The price is not negotiable , $4,650.00. 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 don`t
Have driver license)…we will use only eBay Vehicle Purchase Protection
To complete the sale. If you are interested and you have the funds
Available email me your full name and shipping address.
Thank you for your time

the car is already at the shipping company in Millington, TN ready for the shipping. I have a contract with eBay so this deal must go through them. The shipping will take 3-5 days. I will pay all the shipping fees and insurance for the transport.

This is how it works:
1. If you want to start with the deal i need this information from you:
- Full Name
- Full Shipping Address
2. After I receive the details from you, I will forward them to eBay.
3. After they process your info, they will send us both invoices. The invoice will give you all the details on how to make a refundable payment.
4. eBay will contact me and I will ship the car to you. After you receive the car you will have 7 days to test it, verify it and do whatever you need to do. If you decide to keep it I will receive the payment details from eBay in order to pick up the money.
5. If you decide not to buy the car, eBay will refund you the money and I will have the shipping company come pick up my car. If you wish to make the transaction, please send me the necessary info to proceed. I look forward to hear from you.

Thank you,

I sent her my name and address before I did my home work.

Scam reported at FightTheScams.com

This ad was on Craigslist (San Luis Obispo, CA); be wary when the actual vehicle is not in your local area!  In this instance they said it was in FL (note the registration has an AZ identificaion number on the hull).

Hi again,
Right now I’m on a military base, getting ready for Afghanistan. So I am not able to talk on the phone for now. The boat is already at the shipping company warehouse in Tampa, FL, ready to be shipped. The boat is enlisted in the eBay VPP program so this deal must go through them. In accordance with eBay Vehicle Purchase Program  terms, you have 3 days from the time you receive the boat to inspect it and decide whether you want to keep it or not. The boat will be shipped free of charge, along with all documents, clean FL title with my signature on it, owner’s manual and keys. It has never been involved in any accident, there’s no body damage or mechanical problems. Here is how it will work:
 
1. First of all, I will need your details: Full name, shipping address and phone #.
2. Once I receive the details from you, I will forward them to Ebay VPP for processing.
3. After they process your information, they will send you an invoice with all the details on how to make a refundable payment. Basically, you will have to issue a Western Union payment to a verified eBay VPP Agent and the payment will be secured with them. Only you will have access to the payment.
4. Ebay will contact me and I will ship the boat. After you receive it you will have 3 days to test and verify the boat. If you decide to buy it, I will receive the payment from Ebay. Otherwise, the nike will be shipped back free of charge on your side and you will be fully refunded. If you wish to make the transaction, please send me the necessary information so we can proceed.
I’ll wait your response.
 Thanks

Here is the link to some pictures of the boat:

http://s927.photobucket.com/albums/ad117/customer74837625683/

Greg Wilson

Scam reported at FightTheScams.com

After looking at a link on Craigs List for a pontoon boat (http://albany.craigslist.org/for/1911433641.html), I received 2 emails, both about the boat being shipped by Ebay and how it’s at Ebay’s “shipping centre in Las Vegas”. Very sketchy.

Email #1:

Hi I’m Kevin Purdy,
I am sorry for the delay in my answer but I have been very busy these days.
First of all this beautiful 2007 Leisure Meridian 2223 is my personal pontoon boat and NOT a repo. I’m selling it along with the 2010 model tandem axle trailer. This is a top of the line model. It has a custom bimini top, full gauges with speedometer, power tilt/trim, tilt steering wheel and ample seating and storage. It also has a pop-up full dressing room enclosure, as well as a tanning deck. The interior upholstery is perfect with no rips, tears, or cuts. Stitching is perfect. This boat has a recessed lighting feature throughout for a beautiful evening ambience. Carpet is like new as well. The engine is a 50HP Yamaha four cylinder, fuel injected, four stroke. I am forced to sell my pontoon ASAP because I need money to pay the mortgage on my house. As you know in these times many people confront with the financial crisis so I’ve decided to let this beautiful boat go. As I promised you will find more pics on my photobuket account: http://s947.photobucket.com/albums/ad311/mypontonphotos/LEISURE_MERIDIAN/
If you decide to buy it, you’ll receive all the papers, owner manuals, keys, trailer, a buy-sell contract already signed by me and the clear title. For this transaction I want to use ebay because I want to provide you a fast and very secure way. They will handle the transaction for me. You will make the payment to ebay and they will hold the money until you receive and inspect the pontoon. ONLY AFTER you receive and inspect it (you have 5 days for inspection) ebay will release the payment to me. The inspection time period will begin as soon as you receive the pontoon at your address. Meanwhile eBay will hold the money into a trust account. So, this is not a blind transaction, you can see the boat before you decide to buy it. This way we are both protected : I will know that I have a serious buyer who has the money to pay me and you will be able to see and inspect the boat before buying it .
The boat is priced to sell quickly and the final price that I’m asking for it is $4,900 including shipping and handling costs. I can’t afford to take days off my work for this sale so I’m trying to sell it online. If you are really interested in purchasing the boat with trailer please reply to this email and I will provide further instructions regarding payment and delivery.

After this I was fairly certain it was a scam and wrote that I wanted to see the boat in person. Then I received email 2.

Email #2: Hi again,
The pontoon boat is at eBay’s shipping center in Las Vegas, Nevada and from there it will be shipped to my buyer’s address. The boat have been listed for sale in an auction on eBay but I have removed the add because of some ’serious’ buyers . They promised they will buy the boat from me but they proved not to have the money to pay for it. I have registered the boat with eBay’s Vehicle Protection Program and they work only with das auto shippers, so a local pick-up is not an option.This transaction is covered by eBay’s purchase protection program up to $50,000 and if something goes wrong in this transaction you will be fully refunded. In the invoice you will have the details on how to make a refundable payment and shipping back the pontoon boat will be my concern. I strongly assure you it will not be the case for a refund. I have used the eBay Vehicle Purchase Protection in the past and all my transaction ended successfully. You pay to eBay and they will transfer the funds to me only after you get the boat.
The financial part of our transaction is going through eBay’s Purchase Protection Program and here are the steps:
- Bellow you will find the link to the private auction on eBay.

View eBay Auction (click)

- You need to complete your full name, shipping address and email address in order to commit to buy;
- Then eBay will sends you the invoice with payment details for our transaction;
- You will receive all the details that you need to complete this transaction safe and easy;
- After eBay secure the payment, they will notify me and I will start shipping. Shipping will take no more than 3 to 5 days (depending on your location).
- When the shipping process starts you will receive a tracking number so you can track the package whenever you want.
- After you receive the pontoon you will have another 5 days to inspect it.
- When the inspection period ends, eBay contacts you and if there are any issues with the boat, they will fully refund you within 3 business days and the boat will be shipped back on my expense. If all is good with the package, which I’m sure it will be, they will assist you with the title transfer and release the payment to me.
I apologize if it seems like I’m pushing on this deal but I really want to be sure that everything is clarified.
I am looking forward to hearing from you.
Kevin

After this I emailed him and told him what I thought of his career choice. SO happy there is a website like this to share experiences on.

Bmama

Scam reported at FightTheScams.com

Hi again,

I’m temporarily stationed in a small U.S. Army Facility located approximately five miles of NAF. Key West, FL. for the pre-deployment training program. The JD Gator is here with me if you can come to pick it up in the next 3 days will be great. If you can’t manage to come here before I’ll be moved to my next duty station, the gator can be delivered free of charge by military carrier, right at your location (Estimated Shipping Time: 2-3 business days). The unit will be delivered with the necessary paperwork to complete the transfer of ownership.

The acquisition process will be conducted by eBay’s Buyer Protection Program they basically provide a secure platform designed to facilitate the payment transfer between buyer and seller. To eliminate any concerns you will have a 10 day inspection period before jumping into any financial commitment. If you want to proceed and you have sufficient funds to complete the transaction, please email me back with the following informations and eBay will contact you with simple, easy to follow step by step guidelines.
- Full Name and Shipping Address (Home Address, City, State, zip/Postal Code)
- Phone Number: (Home,Mobile,Office) – Info. required by the shipping company, they will call you with delivery/pickup instructions 1 day ahead so you can communicate what time schedule work best for your to receive the unit.

Thanks, hope to do business with you soon!
Terry Crone

Scam reported at FightTheScams.com

Currently 7 ads are up, all over the US:

http://craiglook.com/rvs.html?q=2003+ROADTREK+170+POPULAR

They are all using the same pictures.

FYI, NADA gives the value of this model from $15,320-$18,460 – and those values are probably low.

I sent two inquiry emails off. I’ll post the responses here.

Scam reported at FightTheScams.com

Hello Diana,

Thank you for your interest in buying our boat. I’m selling it for $2,600. I wanted to keep the boat but me and my husband left the city for a better job in L.A., so we decided to sell it. The boat is in showroom condition, no mechanical problems, never been in salt water, always winterized and it has 94 hours.It has a clear title and it will come with covers, trailer and 8 life jackets.We will use eBay Vehicle Purchase protection to secure this transaction.

Has 2 different address
donna.flint28@gmail.com
donna.l.flint99@comcast.net
My number is 402 218 2470

Scam reported at FightTheScams.com

I’ve been searching for a used suv on craigslist for a few weeks now and have answered quite a few ads. I recently responded to an ad that did not have a craigslist email ID listed. Maybe that should have been a red flag. It directed to respond to a sara.parker@msn.com email ID. I then email her and received this ’sob story’ email response.
“Hi,

The car has 81,600 miles,automatic trans,1owner.It’s in perfect condition,no engine/electric problems,no accidents/liens/loans.Exterior no scratches,never been repainted,Interior no rips/tears/stains,never smoked inside.I have all the car’s manuals,2 spare of keys,title,documents.I’m selling the car because my child of only 24 died 4 months ago in a car accident,a drunk driver hit him and his fiancee.He was with his fiance’s car coming to our home at his little brother birthday of 10 years old.This 1999 Ford Explorer 4×4 XLS was his car and it brings me bad memories and that’s the reason I want to sell it.The last price is $2,000.
Me and my husband travel a lot with our business and we want to make this deal through eBay’s Buyer Protection Program.I just need your full name,full shipping address, home/cell # so I can open a case.(with no further obligation or fees).eBay will contact you with all the Transaction/shipping details you will need.We will take care of the shipping so don’t worry.
We hope to hear soon from you.

For more pictures here is a link to the car’s photo gallery:

http://s789.photobucket.com/albums/yy174/galery-photos/

Thank you for your interest!
Sara and Walter Parker

I would have actually believed the story except when she offered free shipping on a car. Who would do that? Besides, craigslist has a warning on their classified page that shipping can be fraudulent. I then googled ‘craigslist ebay buyer protection’ and found this site. Thank you – my suspicions were confirmed.

Scam reported at FightTheScams.com

i was browsing the montgomery alabama craigslist to try to help my sister find a new car because the engine blew up in her old one here is the BS story i got when i asked why this car was so cheap,

My name is Susan Gentner,
I am emailing you regarding the 2003 Volvo XC90 T6 that I have for sale.My suv is in perfect condition , with no need for additional repairs, no scratches, dings, special marks whatsoever, never been involved in any accidents. The interior looks great (NO SMOKING). It has 88,403 miles , automatic transmission , 2.9L I6 , Gray exterior and Black interior . I have a clear and clean title for it , no liens or loans ready to be signed and notarized on your name.I’m selling my son’s suv, who died in Iraq four months ago and I want to get rid of it asap because the sight of it makes me think of him often and often and the pain is too great .Put yourself in my shoes and you’ll do the same (selling the suv of your dead son, no offence)As you probably noticed , the final price that i want for this suv is $2,800.00 if you will buy it today or tomorrow .

Let me know where are you located and any other details you need about it.
My best wishes,

i am a dummy and felt bad for the woman so my response was condolences and interest in the vehicle. i asked when would be a good time for some one to go see the car and got this,

Hello again,
I`m located in Indianapolis,IN(the suv is here with me) right now because i got a new job here,the thing is i`m very busy and i don`t have time to stay and meet with all my potential buyers, that is why i gave to a shipping company that will ship it to the next owner(on my cost). I will make the deal only to eBay. I am a member of the eBay buyer protection program and using this service you will get a 5 days testing period after delivery. During that 5 days testing period I will not be getting any money. I need to know if you are interested in buying it so I can ask eBay to send you the details on how this works. If interested please include in your next email your contact info for eBay ( full name, full address and phone number ) so we can get things started.
Thank you,

after that i called my brother in law and said hey this sounds ok but not sure if its legit we need to talk to this person to be sure. then i happened to google ebay buyer protection scams, got your website and was like what the heck! called him back and said do not do this. What peeves me most about this is they are saying their son died in Iraq and its just a big joke to them when there are a whole lot of mothers out there who are truly grieving the loss of their sons!! i hope these people get caught and spend the rest of their lives in prison for this crap!

Scam reported at FightTheScams.com