Is This A Scam?

bristolflyer · Mon Jul 16, 2007 7:28 am

I advertised a trailer for sale on Craig's List and got this email back. It looks mighty fishy to me, no refernce to the sale within the text (ie just a block of text that he/she could send to the seller of any item):

Hey,

Sounds good, i would like to purchase it from you as soon as possible. I am
moving out in about 3 months. (I am intrested and ready to buy it now) The
easiest way for me to pay is probably E-Check from my Bank(Bank Of
America).I know there are a lot of scams so I have no problem with you
waiting for the E-Check to go through at your bank or anything, Im in no
rush. Oh, here is a thing from the E-Check:
You will probably need to buy Business Check Paper, at any store below in
your area,

(1) Shopping Mall
(2) Stationery Store
(3) Office Depot
(4)Office max

For $20.Once you purchase the business check paper.I will email you the
check and you will have it printed.then proceed to your bank and deposit the
check.I will wait for your bank to verify and clear the Echeck before we
proceed with shipment.As my Bank Operator informed me that it will take
probably 2 business days to clear at your bank as it was from my global
account with Bank Of America.Which is Conforms to All American Banking
Association rules and standards this is to stop C.O.D.

Please Email me back and let me know if this helps

Best Regards

What do you all reckon?

EWS · Mon Jul 16, 2007 7:30 am

Certainly doesnt sound very promising... I'd put money on your having your time wasted.

Lew

jafa39 · Mon Jul 16, 2007 7:42 am

Quoting BristolFlyer (Thread starter):
As my Bank Operator informed me that it will take
probably 2 business days to clear at your bank as it was from my global
account with Bank Of America.Which is Conforms to All American Banking
Association rules and standards this is to stop C.O.D.

This looks like standard "scam speak", why don't they just send you a cheque in the post, wait for it to clear and be done with it?

If it was me I would tell them you have the business cheque paper and see what happens next, if they ask for "transfer fees" or other such BS you can pull out...keep us posted!

raffik · Mon Jul 16, 2007 7:42 am

Scam! Don't go anywhere near this peson!

sv2008 · Mon Jul 16, 2007 7:45 am

Quoting Jafa39 (Reply 2):
This looks like standard "scam speak", why don't they just send you a cheque in the post, wait for it to clear and be done with it?

If it was me I would tell them you have the business cheque paper and see what happens next, if they ask for "transfer fees" or other such BS you can pull out...keep us posted!

Agreed, never seen that before, but the (weird) phrasing of it and the needless complexity would make me think it was a scam. Avoid.

AeroWesty · Mon Jul 16, 2007 7:54 am

An e-check involves no paper at all, so I don't know what he's referring to by having you buy "Business Check Paper".

http://www.echeck.org/overview/what.html

HPLASOps · Mon Jul 16, 2007 7:55 am

If you have a Bank of America account as well, I don't see a reason why the e-check should have to be printed out. I would think an e-check would just allow funds to be transferred from one account to another with no paper involved, period.

Of course, I have a Bank of America account and I've never heard of an e-check. Something does reek of tuna here.

FlyingTexan · Mon Jul 16, 2007 7:59 am

Its a scam.

.
.
.

srbmod · Mon Jul 16, 2007 7:59 am

As the old saying goes, "if you looks like a duck and sounds like a duck, it's a duck."

To me, it sounds like a scam.

First off, this person's trying to scam you by making you buy "business check paper". Then, once he sends the "check" and you print it. Said check will probably be over the amount of purchase and they'll want you to wire transfer said overpayment. You send them said amount and then a few days later, you get a message from your bank that the "check" you deposited was written on a closed account or on an account with insufficient funds. You're now out whatever the amount of money you wired this person and this person for the most part cannot be found.

National757 · Mon Jul 16, 2007 10:54 am

Quoting BristolFlyer (Thread starter):
For $20.Once you purchase the business check paper.I will email you the
check

Big red flag! Why should you have to buy anything? The other party is the one doing the buying! You are doing the selling. Try responding with a message to have him PayPal you the money and see where it goes from there.

bristolflyer · Mon Jul 16, 2007 12:02 pm

Ok, so I emailed him:

Hi,
>
>I am unsure as to how this works, and would rather accept payment in
>the traditional way. Perhaps you can send a check for the advertised
>amount and then we will take it from there.

And he responds...

Hello,

The me the amouth of the Bobcat Trailer then i will add $50 for you purchase
the Business check paper at store below..

(1) Shopping Mall
(2) Stationery Store
(3) Office Depot
(4)Office max

Let me know when you purchase the item,so we can proceed.

Thanks

Funny, at no point has he negotiated/asked for any details of the trailer etc.

MDorBust · Mon Jul 16, 2007 12:14 pm

Ask him to send you the money Western Union. Wink

jamesjimlb · Mon Jul 16, 2007 12:57 pm

hes doing the same thing but different. AKA its a HUGE scam.

ShannoninAMA · Mon Jul 16, 2007 1:23 pm

Quoting MDorBust (Reply 11):
Ask him to send you the money Western Union. Wink

Exactly what i was going to say Wink

Texans think alike eh? Big grin

jafa39 · Mon Jul 16, 2007 1:29 pm

Quoting BristolFlyer (Reply 10):
Let me know when you purchase the item,so we can proceed.

Tell him you got it...I'm gagging to hear what happens next!!

jamesjimlb · Mon Jul 16, 2007 9:00 pm

you're "gagging"??????? Yeah sure

its a scam alright!

jafa39 · Tue Jul 17, 2007 6:06 am

Quoting JamesJimlb (Reply 15):
"gagging"???????

Olde Englishe worde....means "Most Keen"...

bristolflyer · Tue Jul 17, 2007 6:42 am

Quoting Jafa39 (Reply 14):
Tell him you got it...I'm gagging to hear what happens next!!

I just emailed him...

/Start msg

Hi,

The amount of the trailer is $8,100. I think there may have been a
typo on the advert, but this is the price I want. So I guess the total
amount is $8,150.

When can you get a check to me?

/End msg

The advertised price was $1,800 which is market value for the item. I said there was a typo and it should have been $8,100 not $1,800. He should either send a response back saying 'you must be flippin' kidding me' or (more likely) he'll send one back saying 'I wish to proceed'.

Let's see shall we...

ba747yyz · Tue Jul 17, 2007 7:10 am

There trying to steal your money! They'll take the cheque and run.

SJCRRPAX · Tue Jul 17, 2007 7:16 am

I researched it on the internet because I was curious how this scam worked exactly. Here is the almost identical scam:

http://www.terrificpets.com/scams/scam.asp?bad=2265

I love the way you play with them. Their are some great websites where they play games with scammers. You would enjoy them. Check out the letters in this website where they scam the scammers! Its some of the funniest reading you'll ever read.

http://www.419eater.com/

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