New ebay scam coming to your town via Nigeria. (vanity)

me | 08/21/04 | me

[hoosierboy]

I work in a check cashing store in Indiana and we also do Western union money transfers. Twice this week people were scammed by people buying their cars. One off ebay and one through the newspaper.

First case happend this week where a lady put an ad in the local paper to sell her car. A man from nigeria called and said he would send a money order to pay for it. The price was 3,000 dollars but he sent a cashiers check for 6 thousand. The man from nigeria said he made a mistake and that she should send back the difference, minus the fee, through western union. She said that a gentleman would contact her to make shipping arrangements after she returned the feethru Western Union. When she wanted to cash the check I called the bank in texas to verify it, and after a few minutes on hold they told me its fake and not to cash it. I shared this with her and I sent her to the police station, although I dont think they can really do anything, but she was quite embarrassed and thanked me for saving her some money.

The second case happened where a young couple sold their car on ebay for 300 and another guy from Nigeria sent them a cashiers check for 2,000. They deposited the check a few days ago and it cleared. They were then told to send western union the difference to him in Nigeria. After questioning them if they knew the guy, they told me the whole scheme and I suggested they not send it. I called western unions fraud dept and they told me about the scams going around where people prey on them with these fake cashier checks. They also told me that the checks will at first clear and that the bank will make the funds availible. It is only after 2-3 weeks that they find out the checks are fake and then go after the account holder that deposited. Also this isn't just from Nigeria, but from all countries in europe and around the world.

[hoosierboy]

I just wanted to share this info with my fellow freepers to let them know to be on the lookout for this kind of scam and make sure the check clears before you do anything.

[Boundless]

> ... be on the lookout for this kind of scam ...

It's not new. I was reading about in usenet over a year
ago. But it doesn't hurt to remind people.

> ... and make sure the check clears before you do anything.

Which can take up to 9 months in degenerate cases.

Some of these scammers even set up fake banks, with
phones and web sites, so you can "verify" the check.

As an eBay seller, I simply refuse to sell outside
the US, unless the buyer agrees to lots of conditions,
including using a form of payment I trust (like
PayPal, in two such sales last year).

[Numbers Guy]

Thanks for the info. I really have to wonder about the common sense of someone who would think that someone from 5,000 miles away would desperately want to purchase their car.

[fabriclady]

Wow, thank you for posting this. I have a 2002 Mercedes for sale, a friend suggested I try selling it on eBay. I would never post a car for sale on eBay. It is on the internet on Auto-Trader. After reading this article, I think I need to ask for cash and have the bank check the cash before I release my title.

[formercalifornian]

Yes. I heard about this scam on Tom Martino's Troubleshooter.com radio show. The scammers make clever copies of cashier's checks and the original is good. They overpay by whatever the amount that matches the original. So when the banks check sometimes THEY even think everything's cool. Martino said not to accept cashiers checks as payment from strangers. The scam is spreading.

[Scutter]

A good rule is to never take a "cashier's check" unless you go with the buyer to the bank and witness the bank give them the check. Frequently, your bank will not be able to tell it is a bad check until it goes through the Fed and is returned.

[dawn53]

Happened here locally with a couple who sold their RV, but the buyer was just "out of state", not "out of the country".

He sent a cashiers check for $10,000 more than the purchase amount,and asked for a refund of the difference when the check cleared.

The bank said the check cleared, but a week or so later the bank came after them for the money because the check was a fake.

My question is this: If a bank tells you a check has cleared, do they not have some liability in the issue?

My husband and I were thinking of selling one of our vehicles through the paper and I mentioned this particular story and others I had heard about fake cashier's check.

I guess you have to do a wire transfer to make sure you're actually getting a valid payment.

[steplock]

If a bank "CLEARS" a bad check - that should be THEIR problem for not following proper security procedures.

At the very least, they should waive any and all fees that I'm sure they charged the innocent party due to their own incopetence - and offer an interest free loan to attempt to collect for their error.

But then - most national banks are as honorable as a lawyer - politician - activist judge - homosexual-pedophile.

[blurb]

Why do all these scams come out of Nigeria? Is that their #1 national industry?

[Freedom of Speech Wins]

They hit someone I know with this scam when the relative advertised to sell a car online. This person found the check was a fake and didn't lose the car or money.

However a paper in Jersey , The Asbury Park Press ran a story about a man who lived in Lakewood who was taken in by the scam and had it succeed against him.

Nigerian scammers are hitting online shopping with stuff that bounces like you wouldn't believe. In a business capacity, I have knowledge of other instances where they order products from major websites with payment that bounces.

[I still care]

I have bought a car off ebay, without a problem. But I went and met the owner and saw the car before I bid.

There are a lot of scams selling cars, even with people on the street. Years ago, I was in the bank next to someone who got scammed out of $8000, and trying to straighten out the bank check with the teller. I can't tell you what his face looked like when he realized he was robbed.

And years ago, a relative of my friend sold to an unsuspecting person a car he had rented while staying with her. He created a fake title. The relative took off in the middle of the night, and left my friend to pick up the pieces. You can imagine how upset she was when she realized her home had been used to scam this poor guy.

Peoples lives get ruined by crooks like this. $8000 is a fortune to some. I don't think the law can be too tough with people like this.

[I still care]

So what should you accept for payment for your vehicle? Only cash?

[Sunnyvale CA Eng.]

"Why do all these scams come out of Nigeria? Is that their #1 national industry?"

It appears so. I routinely get urgent requests for my company's products from Nigerian scammers. They usually offer an extra few hundred dollars as a gift for expediting the order. I jerk them around for a few emails then send them links to Nigerian scam websites and tell them to go to hell.

I demand prepayment for all international orders and give a 30 day or more lead time on the order. Orders to friendly foreign governments and foreign universities that wire transfer the money are OK. I keep a separate account for wire transfers to eliminate any funny business.

[EvaClement]

hadn't heard this one before bump

[phroebe]

It's not only Nigeria; scams like this have been reported from countries such as Indonesia, Hong Kong and even Great Britain. Usually a no-feedback new eBay userID is a big clue.

Another scam these people love to pull is to look on the net for good photos of rare and/or expensive items with detailed descriptions (since they often don't write well in English), which they then pretend to auction on eBay. The big tip-off, besides no feedback, is when they require up-front payment via Western Union. I frequent a message board (music-oriented) where this routinely happens with valuable instruments. Several members there police eBay for such scum; some even like to e-mail the "sellers", feigning interest, and then play "stupid question games" with them for several days and push the bidding on the item up to ridiculous levels, all the while warning susceptible newbies of the scam, before finally "lowering the boom" on the vermin. They've posted some of their exchanges, and it's really funny, in a sick kind of way. ;-)

Click on pic!

[Route66]

"Why do all these scams come out of Nigeria? Is that their #1 national industry?"

There is certainly enough corruption to go around among many of these third world nations, but the northern provinces of Nigeria have come under Muslim domination in recent years. Some of them are now functioning under Islamic law. You may have even read recently about Christian slayings there. Some other countries out of which such scams are based are also under heavy Muslin influence.

While I know of no definitive connection, I would be very interested in the results of any research which has examined the possibility of such a connection.

[quietolong]

Dear Seller,

I am Mr Marise,a sale agent located in Nigeria,I will like to purchase your i.e...........Hay,I saw the advert and forwarded you advert information to a client who became interested,i will like to know if it is still available.If it is,please be sure to provide us with the following informations.

:Quanty available now
:Seller's full name and location
:If a cashier check is acceptable as mode of payment




We will be very hapy if you can provide us with the above requested informations.We will also like to state here that you do not have to bother about the shipping,that would be handled by an appointed shipper.
Thank you very much feel free to call at any time.
Regards
Marise
E-mail:marise_layemi@yahoo.com
Tel:+2348023823181



I receved this email the other day:
I placed some ads on the internet to sell some hay.
And got this in reply to it.


Think it's for real??

[Hank Rearden]

Why do all these scams come out of Nigeria? Is that their #1 national industry?

Yes. The #2 industry in Nigeria is pushing dirt around with sticks.

Not as profitable as #1.