SportsShooter.com - suspicious inquiry to my classified ad

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suspicious inquiry to my classified ad

Justin Hayworth, Photographer

Duluth | MN | USA | Posted: 9:50 PM on 08.06.03

->> I recieved a response to the F3T I currently have on a classified that seemed odd to me and wondered if anyone else had recieved similar messages.
Here is the first message I recieved.

Good day,

I am w/afrca dealer i will like purchase your P4 machine (800FSB)
& 17" Monitor $1500)and i will like to know the last price you are
willing to sell it.also it's condition, and the picture of it. i
will like to know that paymet will be made in cashier check if this
is pls with you kindly get to me ASAP

That was followed one minute later by this message.

Good day,

I am w/afrca dealer i will like purchase your Nikon F3T w/MD4:
$550.00 )and i will like to know the last price you are willing to
sell it.also it's condition, and the picture of it. i will like to
know that paymet will be made in cashier check if this is pls with
you kindly get to me ASAP

I have sent a reply to the person but have yet to hear anything back, and just thought I see if anyone else selling things on this site has got these same messages.

thanks,

Justin

Jim Cummings, Photographer

	Dover \| Oh \| USA \| Posted: 9:59 PM on 08.06.03
	->> Yes I did recieved the same E-Mail about a medium format camera now I get a E-Mail that he is out of state and will send me 5,ooo.oo and some odd dollars and I send him back the def a e-mail address of murphy alode@ yahoo.com its a scam for sure who do we contact to let sportsshooter people know. This really sucks!! fellow shooter Jim Cummings

Jay Gonzalez, Photographer

Manchester | CT | USA | Posted: 10:05 PM on 08.06.03

->> I too got the same e-mail for my nikon equipment...lol

below is part of the e-mail...
Thanks for the e-mail,i'm ok with the price $1750, i will like you to know that payment will be made via cashier check.
I will like you to understand that payment will be made out to you by my client in the state who is owing me $6,000,he will send you the check of $6,000 and the moment you receive the check the rest of the money on the check should be sent to my shipping agent in west africa via money gram.
ASAP my shipping agent received the payment he will take off to your location to pick up of the Sportsshooter.com classified inquiry,I will like you to have trust in you that the moment you received the payment from my client you will send the rest of the money immediately to my shipping agent in west africa, i will look forward to your reply ASAP with your adress and phone number including the name you want on the check.
Best Regard,
Murphy

Justin Hayworth, Photographer

Duluth | MN | USA | Posted: 10:11 PM on 08.06.03

->> I just got a reply from him

Thanks for your reply and i'm ok with the price ($1000) ,as now i'm not in the state ,
I will issue $6540 to you, so when you get this payment you have to send the rest of the
money to my shipping agent via money gram money transfer who will come for the pick up,i
want you to e-mail me your full address and the name you want on the check including your
phone number so that i can send the check to you asap...
Best Regards.
Murphy.

It has to be a scam.

Jim Cummings, Photographer

	Dover \| Oh \| USA \| Posted: 10:23 PM on 08.06.03
	->> Justin, I'm glad I paid the $25.00 to join this site it has paid off so many times not just great photographers but great people. If you find out anything about this Murphy please let us know whats the deal. I almost hate to answer the adds on this site or put adds here in fear of being taken to the cleaners. I hope everything works out for you and thanks agin for the heads up. Jim Cummings

Jim Owens, Photographer

	Cincinnati \| OH \| usa \| Posted: 10:33 PM on 08.06.03
	->> Send an e mail or message to Grover, Brad, or Bert. concerning this

Preston Mack, Photographer

	Orlando \| FL \| USA \| Posted: 10:45 PM on 08.06.03
	->> Maybe he is laundering money? How would he benefit from this? Obviously , the seller would wait till the check clears before sending the difference to the buyer. So, when it bounces, no one would send the difference to the scammer. And yes, I already sent a copy of this to Brad...

Mike McLaughlin, Photographer

	Neptune City \| NJ \| USA \| Posted: 11:16 PM on 08.06.03
	->> This definately sounds like money laundering to me. for the low price of $1000, they get approximately $5000 laundered. Check probably won't bounce. Too late now, but this isn't the 1st time this has happened here. In the future, do not post this on the boards, they are public. Email Brad, Bert, Grover, or Jason Immediately, they have and will handle this appropriately.

Zack Uribe, Photographer

Santa Clara | CA | USA | Posted: 11:31 PM on 08.06.03

->> I do not believe it is money laundering. The check does bounce, and it is taken out of your account, and you have lost your equipment.
I believe that the bank will put through the check since it is a "cashiers check", yet when they try to claim it, it comes back as fraudulent...so you pay twice.
This happens alot nowadays on the net..

Once site that has other examples..
http://ocala4sale.com/information/nigerian-scam.htm

Jerry Laizure, Photographer, Assistant

	Norman \| OK \| USA \| Posted: 11:33 PM on 08.06.03
	->> It's a scam. Do a Google search for "cashier's check scam." Practically every state attorneys general office web site has a warning about it. Here's one: http://www.ago.state.mo.us/newsrls/2003/022403.htm

Craig Mitchelldyer, Photographer, Assistant

	Milwaukie (Portland) \| OR \| USA \| Posted: 11:39 PM on 08.06.03
	->> HA! I got the same e-mail for my 300 2.8. The guy said he was buying it for a "client" and would send me a cashiers check for 5000, take my part and send him back the rest. Sent him a nice e-mail saying thanks but no thanks.

G.J. McCarthy, Photographer

	Paris \| TX \| USA \| Posted: 11:44 PM on 08.06.03
	->> maybe be works for "the terrorists." - g -

Darryl Dyck, Photographer

Edmonton | AB | Canada | Posted: 1:47 AM on 08.07.03

->> I also received a similar email regarding a teleconverter I was selling.

Message from: Murphy
Murphy's email address: murphy_alade@yahoo.com
Message from Murphy:

Good day,

I am w/afrca dealer i will like purchase your Canon EF 2x Teleconverter $200)and i will like to know the last price you are willing to sell it.also it's condition, and the picture of it. i will like to know that paymet will be made in cashier check if this is pls with you kindly get to me ASAP

Thanks.

Murphy

-------------------------------------------------------
Sent from IP Address: 216.139.180.2

Brad Mangin, Photographer

Pleasanton | CA | USA | Posted: 3:30 AM on 08.07.03

->> Folks,

This is an ongoing scam. We have received numerous private emails from members out there the last few days. There is nothing you can do, except be smart and be glad you didn't fall for it. If it sounds to good to be true- it usually is a scam.

Several earlier posts have been over and over this scam. Check them out here:

http://www.sportsshooter.com/message_display.html?tid=1758
http://www.sportsshooter.com/message_display.html?tid=1014

Be careful out there. It's pretty basic stuff. The Internet is a nutty place. Use common sense.

Brian Light, Photographer

Pennsville | NJ | USA | Posted: 7:52 AM on 08.07.03

->> This works two ways... you will get a cashier's check that is real sometimes and one that is fake.

When you get a real one, it is from some person that they are also scamming around one of the "cash" scams where they are trying to move 30,000,000 from some falling govt. yada yada yada... The check they have sent you will usually be for much more then what you are selling and you will have to forward them the difference through Western Union or some other untrackable way. Soon the FBI will be knocking on your door since the scammed person who was instructed to send the cashier's check to you has your address.

Othertimes the checks are stolen, washed, or plain old fakes. Even fakes can take a couple of weeks or more to come back as unpaid and you will have lost the funds, your gear and at times the difference if they fake check was higher then the amount your charged and you had to forward some cash.

Ian Elliott, Photographer

Junction City | OR | USA | Posted: 8:03 AM on 08.07.03

->> I got the same email:

Good day,

I am w/afrca dealer i will like purchase your Nikon AF-S 600/4)and i will like to know the last price you are willing to sell it.also it's condition, and the picture of it. i will like to know that paymet will be made in cashier check if this is pls with you kindly get to me ASAP

Thanks.

Murphy.

My response was quick and to the point:

Your email has been forwarded to the authorities (FBI).

Thank You

Tony Rawlings, Photographer

Foothill Ranch (Irvine) | CA | US | Posted: 9:42 AM on 08.07.03

->> I just sold my equipment to sportsshooter members.

I always request a wire transfer first. Once I receive the funds in my account, then I would send the equipment.

Some buyers are hesitant with this, but, this is where references from past transactions and being honest would help creditability.

I would prefer to sell my equipment to sportsshooter members. 99.9% of the members here are honest. The key is being a member of this forum. Don't get picked off by scam artists who scan this forum to rip you off.

Neal Vaughan, Photographer

	St. Joseph \| MI \| USA \| Posted: 9:45 AM on 08.07.03
	->> Brad, is there any way to post a "sticky" thread at the top of classifieds with a listing of current names, aliases, and scams to be on the lookout for? I don't know if your listing software has this capability but it would be greatly appreciated if you are able to do this.

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