WARNING: Scheme, fraud, and BS

[cjahn]

It appears that there is a "south american" scheme which is an on going issue. We have had it happen with one of our cars for sale. I honestly knew nothing about it. Then my father was getting somthing like 10 - 20 emails a week from interested parties in south america. We were thought it was a bit odd, so we never replied or sold the car to the gentlemen. Check out the story below. Here is the short of what happens with buyers from south american (NOT TRYING TO STEROTYPE, BUT I WANT TO BE SURE YOU ARE AWARE!)

This appears to be pretty common, but I never heard about it before.

Corky

(The information below was copied from a BMW site. IT is real and we have had experience with it)

*************************************************
This is an odd one that I was wondering if any of you had experienced.
Just before I moved to Hong Kong (land of the face mask) from the UK, I put my 1602 up for sale on the BMW UK Owners Club website. I didn't sell it in the end and it's being looked after by a friend ready for my return next year. Apart from some genuine interest at the time (2 years ago) I have had a fairly regular (about 2 per quarter) stream of emails from various people in Africa wanting to buy it and export it there. My bull$hit radar has been pinging away like an Iraqi air defence battery because I think they're only trying to get enough details to commit a fraud (either ID theft or worse - stealing my hard earned folding stuff). By the way, I've ignored every one of them. Would it really make sense to export a car with a value of 2.5 grand sterling to Africa or am I missing something?

Here's the latest email received today:
michael george on 10 Jul 2003 10:23
Memo
10 Jul 2003 10:23
From: michael george
Mail Size: 3643

To: Gilbert@soton.ac.uk
cc:

Our Ref: Your Ref:
Subject: interested buyer
**************************************************

hello,
i saw your advert via the internet and i am interested in the purchase of
the car and , i am a car dealer based in cotonou,The Republic of Benin in
West-Africa who is into importation, i have a local shipper that takes care
of my shipping so shipping is no problem, as soon as the transaction is
completed my shipper will come to pick it up.my only request is if you will
accept a cashier check drawn in United States Bank, so if this is ok by you,
kindly let me know your last price offer via email and forward me your phone
number. expecting your urgent response
Thanks

**************************************************
Step one: you receive the check and you make a deposit.

Step two: you ship the car.

Step three: your bank calls and tells you that the check is fraudulent and that you are now an accessory to a crime.

Step four: You go to jail and your car is in West Africa.

[PRS56]

My mechanic recently recounting a similar tale concerning a FC that a friend of his was trying to sell. The original offer came via the UK with the buyer having a shipper he wished to use out of Baltimore. Apparently there was enough wackiness in the transaction that his radar went up and he did some checking. Through a contact in the banking industry he was able to determine that the check was fraudulent and further investigation showed that the origin of the sender was Africa via the UK. Your advisory to the group was indeed warranted.

Best Wishes,


Greg Kokolus
NCF#56

[EYERACE]

Though no international business was involved, i thought to at least be complimentary to Exotic Car Transport based out of Orlando,,,, their driver from "somewhere out there on the road" pulls into a given truck stop to pick-up my Fed Ex'd to that truck stop cashier's check - he takes the check to the seller, picks up the car and delivers to my door - simple as pie

[TA Treat]

We deal in international deals on a regular basis from $100k to multi-million dollar deals. There is only one rule: NEVER lose possession of your asset until you have cash. I take checks, letter of credit, and wire transfers but never let go of the goods until it's converted to cash. The LOC is the best way to go - it's like an escrow account that automatically becomes perfected at an agreed to point like clearing customs or reaching a port.

Good luck and don't be afraid of international sales, just be smart. Common sense rules here.

[jattus]

I just got this... They are monitoring Apex Speed Beware

"Hello,

i saw your advert on netb and i am interested in buying your product for the price stapulated but i would apriciate if you give me discount on the price .

My name is Anthoney Banks ,i presently reside in London England at flat 4 165 crownwell rd earlis court, London SW5 0SQ, Where i have a number of bussiness investment as well as in us as well as in west africa . once we have agreed on the price of your product i will like to inform you about the mode of payment ,i have a number of investment in Blue Chip Company share in U .S.A of which once you have agree on the price i will instruct any of my brokers to sell my shares and send you the payment to cover the price of the product as well as the payment for the shipment to west Africa, as most of the am buying in us will be shiped to west Africa i.

Once the payment has being sent to you .you will deduct the price of your product and the rest will have to be sent to my shipper in london ,England to facilitate the pick up of the units from your end in US to the final destination in West Africa. If this transaction is acceptable by you ,please mail me back immidiately so that i can instruct my Broker to sell my share and make the money from the sale available to you in form of a personal check from his account to be sent to you or by you give me your full detail to enable him to credit your account with the monies .

Regard

Tony"

My company specialize in anti money laundering software for the financial community and this type of hoax is very common.

What happens is the contact will send an additional amount for shipping. You receive his check & deposit it, take the additional funds and wire it to his shipping agent (who has a bogus front end company). A couple days later your bank will call and inform you that the check fraudulent and guess who is stuck with tab for the money you wired to his shipping agent... You got it, your out a couple grand.

Similar info can be found at
http://www.secretservice.gov/alert419.shtml

[R. Pare]

The question is why would anyone not wait to make sure that the check doesn't bounce?

I guess that if you are THAT stupid, you deserve to be ripped off..... [img]graemlins/skull.gif[/img]