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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

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Warning - Scammers reading our Swap Meet postings?

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lcharlot
Master Marine Consultant

Member Avatar

Antigua and Barbuda
1301 Posts

Initially Posted - 02/20/2004 : 21:48:09

As many of you know, "Quiet Time I" is for sale, and I have posted a couple of ads in our Swap Meet. Let me make a point here - the swap meet on this forum is the ONLY place I have advertised the boat so far, although an ad will appear next week in "Latitude 38". A couple of days ago, I received an inquiry asking for pictures and an equipment list, which I duly sent off. I didn't recognise the e-mail service, but there are so many small ISP's around, that I didn't question it. Anyway, I got another e-mail today from the person making the inquiry:

*********************************************************

"Thanks for your quick response to my mail.Am ok with the conclusion
of your property as well as the price.
To make payment i have arranged for a client of mine in state
to make payment as soon as possible.and he will be sending you a US
check carring an amount of $8370 actually he is oweing me the said
amount in which as soon as you receive the check,cash it,deduct your
money and assist me in sending the remaning balance to my shipping
company in West Africa via western union money transfer .the shipping
are in charge of shipping the property.they will come for the pickup
3 days after the balance as been sent to them .Also,i believe i can
trust you with the sending of the balance.
To issue the check,i will need your details which i will send
to my client .
[1] name to be writing on the check
[2] address the check will be forwarded to ,
[3] your phone number.
You can also contact my shipper pavel shipping
incooperation.this is there email address pavelinc@totalmail.com
--
_______________________________________________
Get your free email from http://fastermail.com

**************************************************

Well, what am I supposed to make of this? West Africa?!?. And the dollar amount quoted above, $8370, isn't even approximately what I had specified as my selling price, which was $4000 firm. What kind of moron would offer to pay more than double the asking price? Something certainly stinks about this, but I can't make out what kind of scam they are trying to pull on me. Anyway, since I have only advertised the boat on this web site so far, I am left with the only possible conclusion, that a con artist has been trolling our Swap Meet. Anyone else heard of a scam like this?

Larry Charlot
Catalina 25WK/TR Mk. IV #5857 "Quiet Time"
Folsom Lake, CA

"You might get there faster in a powerboat, but in a sailboat, you're already there"

Edited by - on

Sea Trac
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Vanuatu
1357 Posts

Response Posted - 02/20/2004 : 22:07:14

The scam is to get your account number and, eventually, access to your account. These, like the Nigerian scams that have led to deaths, need to be reported to the [url="http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/fraud/Internet.htm"]Department of Justice[/url].

Edited by - on

ssteakley
Captain

Members Avatar

USA
467 Posts

Response Posted - 02/20/2004 : 22:10:48

lcharlot,
yep, there are several such scams. I have had my 250 up for sale and on several websites and I have had several such offers from different parts of the world, just delete them and report to the webservice you have the boat posted. Technology is great but it has it's own set of problems,
Steve Steakley

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 02/20/2004 : 23:04:59

The scary part is, there's so much energy going into these scams, they must be working! I'm surprised the scammers use the words "West Africa"--that seems like a red flag. But the grammar is another give-away... (I had a similar offer for the Honda O/B I sold a couple of years back.)

Edited by - Dave Bristle on 02/20/2004 23:06:42

eric.werkowitz
Captain

Members Avatar

USA
283 Posts

Response Posted - 02/20/2004 : 23:17:02

As I understand it, the scam works like this. They overpay for he boat with a stolen/forged cashier check. They ask you to send the balance somewhere. The check seems to clear, so you send the money. But, the banks realize the check is bad and then deduct the deposited amount from your account leaving you to absorb the loss on the "overpayment."

Eric Werkowitz
C25 #4969

Edited by - on

Mark Loyacano
Navigator

Members Avatar

USA
247 Posts

Response Posted - 02/20/2004 : 23:23:20

Eric is correct. I used to get these messages after advertising in Good Old Boat magazine. If you never respond, eventually they stop writing.

Edited by - on

coach
Navigator

Members Avatar

USA
231 Posts

Response Posted - 02/20/2004 : 23:25:31

You need to report it to your local police who can look up where the email is coming from and nail them to the wall.

When I had my Cat 22 for sale last fall, I received about 3 per day.

I learned that if you reply with, "email me one more time and I will call the FBI" they will stop emailing you.

Edited by - on

osmepneo
Past Commodore

Members Avatar

USA
1420 Posts

Response Posted - 02/21/2004 : 07:28:19

And, I was thinking of posting the #$%# Honda on the swap meet!

The motor would serve them right

but . . ..

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 02/21/2004 : 11:27:39

Don--then you be out the shipping costs!

Coach: These guys are in Nigeria, and the local cops there are in on it, as are government officials. Unfortunately, nobody's going to nail anybody to the wall...

Screwing Americans is now the world's number one sport.

Edited by - on

OJ
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
4382 Posts

Response Posted - 02/21/2004 : 14:50:21

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by lcharlot
 
I am left with the only possible conclusion, that a con artist has been trolling our Swap Meet.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

They're using "data mining" software which scours the internet for key words.

Which raises a question - does the forum server employ any type of "spyware" software?

Edited by - on

DrDre
1st Mate

Members Avatar

USA
68 Posts

Response Posted - 02/21/2004 : 15:01:12

In addition to not EVER responding to anything that involves personal info, not to mention money, you would be wise to clear your cache on your computer. This is an area in where your personal sign-in names, and sometimes passwords, are stored on your hard drive so that when you visit a website again the site recognizes you.

This is especially important clear cache after you do any transactions with your credit cards or do any banking online.

all my best,
dre'

Edited by - on

coach
Navigator

Members Avatar

USA
231 Posts

Response Posted - 02/21/2004 : 15:50:57

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Dave Bristle
 Don--then you be out the shipping costs!

Coach: These guys are in Nigeria, and the local cops there are in on it, as are government officials. Unfortunately, nobody's going to nail anybody to the wall...

Screwing Americans is now the world's number one sport.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

They say they are from Nigeria, but most of them are actually from here in the country. I spoke with the police about it once.

Edited by - on

RoofRoof
Navigator

Members Avatar

USA
186 Posts

Response Posted - 02/22/2004 : 16:08:44

Boat US magazine made notation of this exact scam. It was noted probably 3 or 4 months ago. I'm surprised this still goes on, and than everyone hasn't heard of it by now. Well, hopefully this forum will help pass the word.

Edited by - on

frank679
1st Mate

Members Avatar

USA
42 Posts

Response Posted - 02/22/2004 : 20:43:51

Believe it or not, this is a standard scam. If, in your response, you agree to give the information but state that you will put their check into an escrow account until it clears and you will then send the difference you will not be bothered again.

Edited by - on

frank679
1st Mate

Members Avatar

USA
42 Posts

Response Posted - 02/22/2004 : 20:44:03

Edited by - on

thacket3
Navigator

Members Avatar

USA
101 Posts

Response Posted - 02/23/2004 : 09:16:06

Have seen this on the local news quite frequently latley.

Edited by - on

John Mason
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
687 Posts

Response Posted - 02/23/2004 : 14:57:07

Here's what some are doing about these scammers. Scam baiting. Check the letters archive on this site.

http://www.419eater.com/

Edited by - on

CGood
Deckhand

Members Avatar

10 Posts

Response Posted - 02/23/2004 : 17:30:32

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Screwing Americans is now the world's number one sport.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
 <blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Brooke Willson
Well, after all these years, turnabout is fair play .
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by OJ 
Hear, hear
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I never though I'd see politics make it into this forum. But since these America Haters or Apologists decided to change the rules, I feel I have to comment. Jimmy Carter, Hillary Clinton, the Council for American Islamic Relations and Hamas would be proud of you to take this stand. I for one will continue to work as hard as I can to make my country as successful as possible. You may believe in the Marxist model and that we should all aspire an equal lowest common denominator, but I do not. Jealousy in other nations is sad, but I refuse to condemn my county because we are a nation of hard workers and achievers. Spin what you want about those less fortunate in the U.S, but it is a fact that our poorest of citizens not only have the highest standard of living of the world’s poor, but control their own destiny (deny it if you wish, but you’d be wrong) and have more resources at their disposal than anywhere and anytime in history.

I love my nation and countryman. It's sad so many others cannot.

Edited by - on

Sea Trac
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Vanuatu
1357 Posts

Response Posted - 02/24/2004 : 17:13:50

Mr. Goodman,

I respectfully request, in keeping with the nature of this forum, that you delete your reply to this topic.

Thank you for your cooperation. (Request also sent via email.)

Edited by - on

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