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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

General Sailing Forum

Scam?

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lauvermd
Deckhand

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13 Posts

Initially Posted - 03/08/2007 : 09:27:43

I have posted my boat for sale on the Uncle Henry's webiste. It is a weekly publication in New England where you sell stuff. I recieved the below enail from someone who is "interested". I think I have heard of this before and it is some sort of scam where they want you to wire money for shipping before the payment goes though. Has anyone else ever heard of this?
Thanks
David Lauver

Hello ,

The price is okay by me,I will go ahead and Instruct a personal client in the states to issue you a certified cashier check which would cover all expenses for it. It is most likely you would get it sometime next week or even sooner.

He will be issueing you a cashiers check to the tune of $9,000.The reason being that after you deduct your $4,100 and other expenses emanating from all forms of charges. The rest could be wired by you to an international shipping agent via western union money transfer,who will be communicated to you in due time.

He will help in the shipping of the item to my location I would want it to be packaged and delivered in the safest and most proffesional way.

The shipper is likely to be reluctant to pick it up until he is mobilised, i.e the balance wired to him is his fees for his services,tranportation to and fro,clearing and all other charges involved in this transaction okay.

He would be advised to come to your house or the location that you give me for him to pick it up as soon as he is mobilized by the funds you send to him.

Also before I forget send me your full name and contact address as should appear on the check and to where it is going to be sent to and for shippers pick up point, and also your phone number so I can always contact you on to monitor proceeding of things.please do get back as soon as possible.
Thanks and Best Regard.

James.

Lauver
Maine
79 SR/FK

Edited by - on

John Russell
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3444 Posts

Response Posted - 03/08/2007 : 09:36:13

I'd send this info to the Attorney General's office in your state. Maybe to the publication as well. What a crock!

Edited by - on

Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 03/08/2007 : 09:45:04

Sending it to theAttorney general's office is about as worthless ***** on a bull. Since I've listed my boat I've gotten over 10 of these a month or more. There are thousands of these scammers out there, most if not all of which are foreign based. He has no jurisdiction.

Unless you are going through a broker do not sell your boat to anyone who is outside the US or the other soon to be states 51-59 (they can keep Quebec). Do not entertain any offer for more than the agreed price. Any check they send you certified or other is BS. You cash it, ship the boat 1 month later the check bounces and you are high and dry without the boat

For additional info take a look at 419eater.com - not usually the same scam, but it is the same concept.

Almost every online website has information when you list regarding these scams. One of them sends you a warning every time someone sends you an inquiry from their posting Website.

Edited by - on

John Russell
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3444 Posts

Response Posted - 03/08/2007 : 10:02:21

The only value to sending it to the AG is that they can add it to the pile in the event the scammer screws up enough to get caught. As a data collection point it might help show trends. You're right tho. It is a lot like p#$%#$ng in the ocean. Doesn't really have much effect on the water level.

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 03/08/2007 : 10:07:56

Yup, the deal is they send you a bad check and you send them back a good one (plus a boat--I don't know what becomes of that). People think "cashier's checks" are solid gold--they're not. When the "issuing bank" indicates they never cut that check (months later), your bank takes the money back from you, your check has already cleared, and your money is G-O-N-E.

Edited by - on

djn
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1561 Posts

Response Posted - 03/08/2007 : 10:34:04

It is a scam. Cheers.

Edited by - on

OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3477 Posts

Response Posted - 03/08/2007 : 11:37:26

This is a typical scam. I believe Craig's List (a similar website for selling things) has a section that describes these scams. Also discusses cashier checks.

Edited by - on

delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 03/08/2007 : 16:12:40

David,
I got a nearly identical letter from this same guy when I first posted my San Juan 21 for sale a few months ago on Craigslist. Same stilted English and misspellings. This is a typical scam as others have noted. I didn't realize it was a scam at first since I was glad to seemingly have someone ready to buy the boat. Unfortunately I'd responded to the guy, but when I told him that it was a cash only transaction I never heard from him again. I did some research after the fact and realized what I'd nearly gotten into.

Edited by - on

Turk
Admiral

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USA
736 Posts

Response Posted - 03/08/2007 : 18:34:58

Run!

Edited by - on

bmelchionda
1st Mate

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63 Posts

Response Posted - 03/09/2007 : 06:29:40

Hmm, maybe it’s not a scam. This is how I met my past wife. Actually she is no longer my wife; she said she kept having a headache and needed to go back to Europe to see her own Dr. Unfortunately, I haven’t seen her since. Nor has my accountant.

Lean on the safe side and do not sell to these types of folks.

Edited by - on

cat30
1st Mate

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73 Posts

Response Posted - 03/09/2007 : 07:22:46

Duane- they don't want the boat- they just want the money you send by western union.

Edited by - on

DaveR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2015 Posts

Response Posted - 03/09/2007 : 08:40:16

Boy this guy gets around! Same thing here with a trailer hitch I had posted on Craig's list. I also didn't realize what exactly was going on but told him I wouldn't forward his money to the deliverer. And from now on if it's a cashiers check it'll have to be drawn on a local bank (their bank wires money to my local bank where the check is then drawn).

Edited by - on

Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 03/09/2007 : 09:26:12

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by cat30
 Duane- they don't want the boat- they just want the money you send by western union.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
No but once you put it on a boat overseas do you think your getting it back?

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 03/09/2007 : 12:19:22

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by cat30
 ...they don't want the boat- they just want the money you send by western union.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
The hull becomes a fishing boat in Nigeria (where the generous offer came from). The sails go to Venezuala to become protest banners. The mast and boom go to Iran to become centrifuges... It all gets put to use.

Edited by - on

cat30
1st Mate

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73 Posts

Response Posted - 03/09/2007 : 15:10:42

the boat is never shipped overseas because there is no shipper- there is only one person standing at the western union counter waiting for his money before the certified check bounces.

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 03/09/2007 : 16:29:13

Actually, I encountered somebody who went through the whole scam some years ago... The boat (I think it was a boat) was indeed shipped to Africa and disappeared there forever. The seller paid the shipping from the "cashier's check" as specified by the buyer, and "returned" the "excess money" to the buyer. Months later, the bank in Africa notified the seller's bank in the US that they knew nothing about the "cashier's check" and would not cover it. The seller's bank thereupon deducted the money from the seller's account. No boat, and considerably less money than he started with (after paying for shipping and sending the buyer some of his money)! The length of time it takes for the Nigerian bank to decide there's a problem (?!) is what makes the scam work--that and sellers who lose their senses when somebody offers to buy at the asking price with no contingencies. I wonder if US banks still treat cashiers checks from Nigeria the way this one did then.

Edited by - Dave Bristle on 03/09/2007 16:30:30

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The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.