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|| SportsShooter.com: Member Message Board
Scam or Legit
Phil Adair, Photographer
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Arnold | MD | USA | Posted: 1:57 PM on 01.12.05 |
->> This is the second Email I have recieved from this fellow.
How should I reply.
1. Get lost?
2. Go ahead and send me the bogus cashiers check for double the asking price and I'll be sure to send the overage to Mr. Blue?
about a year ago someone in Great Britain really played one of these nigerian scammers good but I don't think I have the time to do the same.
"Hello Phil,
Its nice to hear from you so quickly.
In regard to your response, I have contacted my colleague immediately in U.S who will be making out the payment, but he said he will be making out the payment through U.S postal money order.
So quote me the total price of the Kirk Photo L bracket and give me the name and the address where the payment will be sent to immediately, your phone number will also be needed.
I will arrange for the pick-up as soon as you receive the payment.
Waiting to hear from you asap.
Thanks, Mat." |
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John Riddell, Photographer
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Toronto | ON | Canada | Posted: 2:09 PM on 01.12.05 |
->> I'd avoid it. Anybody dealing through a 3rd party really shouldn't be trusted.
With today's convenient methods of communication, this 'colleague' can deal with you directly in the U.S. instead of someone negotiating and passing it off.
It's just me but I prefer to know who I'm dealing with just in case something happens. Too many scammers out there today.
John |
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Eric Lian, Photographer
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Sebastopol | CA | USA | Posted: 2:19 PM on 01.12.05 |
->> Very high probability it's a scam...
I posted something under "Here's how the scam works..." just a couple days ago. Reprinted here for your convenience.
*****
This is a version of how the cashier's check/money order scam works. Your version may vary...
You get an email from a buyer outside the U.S. Their English is questionable and they use words like “asap” and “immediately” to create a sense of urgency. They usually have a friend/relative/contact in the U.S. who has their money or will act as their shipper for your item. After several emails back and forth you agree to sell the your camera equipment for $5000.
*You get a great price for your equipment, almost what you paid, and you want to unload it fast because you want to get that new 400 2.8 asap.*
When you receive the cashier's check/money order it will be from their contact in the U.S., but instead of $5000 it's $10,000. You write the buyer telling them they made a mistake and sent too much. The buyer comes up with a story for the mistake, blames it on an associate who mixed up the orders and asks you to wire the money back the extra $5000 asap - OR they tell you that the extra $5000 was suppose to go to their contact in the U.S. to cover their shipping services and they sent you the whole amount by mistake - please wire back the extra $5000 asap. If they're really slick, they'll tell you to keep an additional $500 for your trouble and wire the extra $4500.
Most banks will make funds available from cashier's checks and money orders available on the first business day after a deposit. So you're looking at your statement and, sure enough, there's the extra $10,000. A bank would "NEVER" post money to my account if that cashier’s check/money order was fake! It must have been legit.
*Now you're really sitting pretty. You get an extra $500 on top of the $5000 you already received for your equipment and all you have to do is wire $4500 straight from your account (where the real money is) to the buyer. Western Union is a kind of a hassle and I've never done it before, but what the hell, the buyer is such a great guy, I'll go the extra mile...*
On the way to the nearest Western Union/"Other Institution", you drop off your equipment at FedEx/UPS/USPS. The camera equipment is on its way. You get to Western Union/"Other Institution" and wire $4500 back to the buyer or the buyer's associate in the U.S. Transaction completed.
The only problem is, 7 days later (let's say you were pretty on-the-ball and completed your end of the deal in three days) you get a letter/phone call from the bank telling you the cashier's check/money order went through the system and it turned out to be fraudulent. They take the $10,000 out of your account.
You are now out your camera equipment and $4500 of your real money and there is nothing you can do or anything anyone can do for you. You are hosed...
It's hard to believe that this actually happens, but it happens every day. Most people don't even report it because they are too embarrassed to come forward. |
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Phil Adair, Photographer
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Arnold | MD | USA | Posted: 2:32 PM on 01.12.05 |
->> You are right I shouldn't have posted.
I'm just really frustrated I have posted 4 or 5 items over the last year both here an other venues. I have at least 20 of these types of emails all originated from sportshooters and my boiling point had been reached.
Seems like the best thing to do is to simply reafrain from posting classifieds here. |
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Bob Ford, Photographer
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Lehighton | Pa | USA | Posted: 2:34 PM on 01.12.05 |
| ->> Or you could use the new feature and make the item only available to Sportsshooters members. I doubt if it's members that are responding to you ads, but more likely visitors. |
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Phil Adair, Photographer
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Arnold | MD | USA | Posted: 2:37 PM on 01.12.05 |
->> Bob
Thanks for the tip. Will do so in the future as this has been a good venue for selling gear Nigerian scammers aside.
Phil |
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Micah Miller, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Murfreesboro | TN | USA | Posted: 2:41 PM on 01.12.05 |
| ->> My 2 cents.......Why not make your classifieds only open to ss.com members. Then if someone sends you an email like this then Big Brother could contact the member that had sent the email...not that i think a sportsshooter would scam another. |
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