BEWARE OF POSSIBLE INTERNET FRAUD/SCAM HERE

nealpar · Joined: 25 Oct 1998 Posts: 624

I recently placed an ad here to sell windsurf equipment. Within 12 hours, I received an e-mail from someone with a yahoo adress making the following inquiries:

1. Can their chosen shipping Co. pick up from my house?
2. Can they send me a money order/cashier's check which may be more than my asking price so as to be sure to cover the shipping costs?
3. CAN I, ON THE SAME DAY THAT I RECEIVE THE MONEY ORDER OR CASHIER'S CHECK, SEND BACK, VIA WESTERN UNION, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE AMOUNT OF THE MONEY ORDER AND THE COST OF THE SHIPPING?

HA!

Smells like the Nigerian scam I read/heard about: They send you a bogus money order, which you deposit in the bank. 7-10 days later, you find out from your bank that it's bogus, but by then (based on the scam artist's demand) you have sent the western union payment for the "difference" which cannot be reversed.

I JUST CANNOT BELIEVE THAT I WAS APPROACHED BY SUCH A SCAM WITHIN HOURS OF PLACING AN AD ON THE IWINDSURF FORUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am curious if anybody else has been approached this way in response to an ad they placed here!

johnl · Joined: 05 Jun 1994 Posts: 1330 Location: Hood River OR

Oh yeah, got the exact same thing. I had to re-read the message to see it was legimate, but it never addresses what you are selling by name or description, just a generic form letter. I advised Iwindsurf, but there isn't anything they can do about it.

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

Guys, this is the norm for internet classifieds. It's a, perhaps the, major source of income for Nigerians and Nigeria. We windsurf, they scam. It shouldn't surprise anyone.

\m/

nealpar · Joined: 25 Oct 1998 Posts: 624

Well, I'm a newbie to SELLING stuff on the internet and have only purchased from reputable established companies and never from private parties, so I'm not "used to" what is allegedly the "norm" now on the internet.

gahedlund · Joined: 20 May 2000 Posts: 1

Unfortunately I have had more scam inquiries (2) than real inquiries (1) for the equipment I posted on iwindsurf. Shocked

jp5 · Joined: 19 May 1998 Posts: 3394 Location: OnUr6

I get these all the time when I post an ad on Recycler.com and have never gotten one from a posting on Craigs list. Never had any problems with Ebay either.

johnnycrash · Joined: 23 May 2000 Posts: 39

NP,
Me too - good thing they are too convoluted to pay any attention to. I bet this thread goes pages and pages with similarly rec'd responses to ads.
JO

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

Or not ... it's been discussed often and at length before.

\m/

allen · Joined: 13 Aug 1996 Posts: 237

Right, the only thing more tedious than the scam is the subsequent postings about the scam.........Although I do like those new ones coming thru my email about how there's someone in Europe looking for me to do them a favor and take a couple million $ off their hands..........

jp5 · Joined: 19 May 1998 Posts: 3394 Location: OnUr6

yeah they usually go something like this;

Greetings;
My name is Mr. Smith and I am very interested in your [sporting goods item]. If you still have it for sale please tell me your last price and I will pay you by certified bank check. I am in the Uk but do not worry about the shipping as I will arrange for that and pay for it in the certified check. Kindly refund the difference to me as soon as you ship the [sporting goods item].

Thank you most kindly;

Mr. Smith.