Scammed
Posting Guru
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 1,010
Likes: 0
From: SW Arizona
Haven't had the pleasure of being scammed through the Internet in that manner....yet.
But have been given bad checks a couple of times for merchandise sold at events in past years and through the mail. Most get resolved because of the people whom we generally sell to (members of reenactment groups or collectors) But there have been a bare handful. One we never did get resolved. I remember one was taken care of by a friendly "barbarian" in a reenactment organization that held the event we were selling at. The perp was in the same reenactment group our friend was a member of.
Why we insist that postal money orders are preferred to be sent to prevent from being taken by bad check writers. Personal checks are held for awhile in the past. Nowadays, these can be checked out much more quickly. We have never taken (and still do not take) credit cards. Largely because of the hassle you go through getting it set up. Although we have thought about setting up a PayPal account at one time.
But bad check passing is nothing new, just the Internet will make it easier to get "rooked" and shows the laws need to catch up with the technology....and be enforced.
But have been given bad checks a couple of times for merchandise sold at events in past years and through the mail. Most get resolved because of the people whom we generally sell to (members of reenactment groups or collectors) But there have been a bare handful. One we never did get resolved. I remember one was taken care of by a friendly "barbarian" in a reenactment organization that held the event we were selling at. The perp was in the same reenactment group our friend was a member of.
Why we insist that postal money orders are preferred to be sent to prevent from being taken by bad check writers. Personal checks are held for awhile in the past. Nowadays, these can be checked out much more quickly. We have never taken (and still do not take) credit cards. Largely because of the hassle you go through getting it set up. Although we have thought about setting up a PayPal account at one time.
But bad check passing is nothing new, just the Internet will make it easier to get "rooked" and shows the laws need to catch up with the technology....and be enforced.
Last edited by VikingBabe; Sep 26, 2007 at 06:04 AM.
Hotshot
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 12,170
Likes: 5
From: The hills of No. Calif.
The Nigerian scammers just keep getting worse...of course, they're not the only ones doing it, just the most prolific. Ken has had the IP address range of Nigeria blocked from the site for quite some time, which is of course a shame for the honest Nigerians (both of them
) who might wish to access the site. Recently they seem to have added more IP adresses so more blocking has been in order.
It's a sad rule of thumb that you have to be very careful when making any kind of financial transactions over the Internet, the scammers are definitely out there. I had a set of 427 headers listed on Craigslist and the first response I got on them was very strangely worded and got my hackles up...
And Dennis, having lived in Sweden I can state that the message you posted wasn't out of line for a typical Swede writing in English...but I'd still be wary, it's also not out of line for a typical Nigerian scammer trying to pass themselves off as a Swede...
) who might wish to access the site. Recently they seem to have added more IP adresses so more blocking has been in order.It's a sad rule of thumb that you have to be very careful when making any kind of financial transactions over the Internet, the scammers are definitely out there. I had a set of 427 headers listed on Craigslist and the first response I got on them was very strangely worded and got my hackles up...
And Dennis, having lived in Sweden I can state that the message you posted wasn't out of line for a typical Swede writing in English...but I'd still be wary, it's also not out of line for a typical Nigerian scammer trying to pass themselves off as a Swede...
Posting Guru
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,292
Likes: 0
not to hijack the thread or anything but ya know there are alot of people on here tht list things in the classified section and forget they have an ad and dont respond..ive tried to buy four trucks in the NJ PA area and you dont get a response so there are some bad sellers on here too PS i leave negative feedback for them anyone ive talked to about buying something i follow through but them again im Bob from NY not Blanck from Nigeria
New User
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 0
Likes: 24
Originally Posted by TigerDan
And Dennis, having lived in Sweden I can state that the message you posted wasn't out of line for a typical Swede writing in English...but I'd still be wary, it's also not out of line for a typical Nigerian scammer trying to pass themselves off as a Swede...
2 different people... 3 e-mails
Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 1997
Posts: 23,165
Likes: 18
From: Enjoying the real world.
Originally Posted by VikingBabe
Why we insist that postal money orders are preferred to be sent to prevent from being taken by bad check writers.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 1997
Posts: 23,165
Likes: 18
From: Enjoying the real world.
Originally Posted by TigerDan
The Nigerian scammers just keep getting worse...of course, they're not the only ones doing it, just the most prolific. Ken has had the IP address range of Nigeria blocked from the site for quite some time, which is of course a shame for the honest Nigerians (both of them ) who might wish to access the site. Recently they seem to have added more IP adresses so more blocking has been in order.
) who might wish to access the site. Recently they seem to have added more IP adresses so more blocking has been in order.This does not mean that purchases from merchants on the Internet are riskier than offline (most identify theft and credit card fraud comes from offline sources) --- however the same cannot always be said about purchases from individuals online.
Unfortunately calling the FBI and local police are completely worthless pursuits. This scam happens so often the FBI doesn't have the resources to handle it, and the locals don't have the authority to handle it.
If this scam happens to you and you spent the money from the bad check, or sent money to the criminal there is also nothing the bank can do. You got ripped off according to the law, not the bank. If you deposited the check, spent the funds and the check bounces... guess who's on the hook for the funds: you are! Not the criminal in Nigeria. Sorry, in the end it basically means you've been ripped, there's not much you can do about it and it needs to be chaulked up as a valuable life-experience not to be repeated.
In the case of this poster and the bad check, he's trying to get you to send him money. Ignore him. Rip up the check and stop responding to any contact he sends you. He feels he's got a sucker on the hook and will try to reel you in any way he can. Ignore him and he'll give up rather quickly and will move on to his next target. Don't provide him any further contact or information under any circumstance.
What I find difficult to understand is how people are still falling for this scam after the nearly 10 years its been widely reported. How can one read the news, listen to the radio, pay attention to forum posts about it and/or watch tv news and not know about this scam by now?
Please folks, if you ever get a suspicious email from something you listed in our classifieds forward it to us so we can ban the user id.
Last edited by FTE Ken; Sep 27, 2007 at 03:47 AM.
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 471
Likes: 0
From: eastern nc
My younger brother was intent on selling a car he had on e-bay to a scammer (he was 48 then). He was telling me and another brother about the deal and he had the certified check in his hand, it looked real so it had to be real. He was ready to send the excess to the shipper and deposit the "certified check". He didn't want to hear he was being scammed. We finally convinced him to cash the check first (2x4 in hand to get his attention), he couldn't believe the check was a fake, the guy was so nice in his e-mails and it looked real. He would have been one of the people that keep these guys scamming if we hadn't pushed him in the right direction.
Hotshot
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 12,170
Likes: 5
From: The hills of No. Calif.
I got an email just yesterday from a person representing himself as a Barrister for a family killed in a bomb blast in Nigeria who left behind 15 million. This supposed Barrister has been looking unsucessfully for any next-of-kin to claim the estate for over three years now and the Nigerian gov't. is about to claim the money so the Barrister would like to present me as the next-of-kin and claim the money. He says he has all the neccessary documents to make this happen and I'm at no risk. I have to hurry, there's only 21 days left...I'm gonna be rich! Just think of all the Ford trucks I can buy... 
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Postmaster
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 3,162
Likes: 0
From: Fergusonville, Pa
Hey Tiger, I got that same message. We must be Nigerian cousins. Let's see if they will send us plane fare to go visit our Nigerian relatives, think they will spring for the hotel and meals? I'm sure they are honest and know that when we come over to pick up our cash that we will reimburse them and share the wealth.
Maybe we could go to England and claim our special e-mail prize that BMW is holding for us. They do know we are poor *** Americans and need them to forward the funds to us so we can get there to claim our prizes.
Maybe we could go to England and claim our special e-mail prize that BMW is holding for us. They do know we are poor *** Americans and need them to forward the funds to us so we can get there to claim our prizes.
Senior User
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 363
Likes: 0
From: Home of FDR, NY
I received one of these gem "deals" last week, I have to admit, they are getting even more sneaky. The guy sent me a pic of his "government picture ID" and even 2 pics of a setamer trunk loaded with money! Sure looked real....
I don't even open anything when I don't know the sender. Same with ans the phone. In fact the first thing I tell people who get these and the ones from Paypal is to CHANGE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS every year or so.
I don't even open anything when I don't know the sender. Same with ans the phone. In fact the first thing I tell people who get these and the ones from Paypal is to CHANGE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS every year or so.
Hotshot
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 12,170
Likes: 5
From: The hills of No. Calif.
I get all that crap on my free Yahoo mail account, probably on the order of 500 spams a week...that's a heckuva lot of lunchmeat! I don't look at them closely since most of them come into my bulk folder, I just empty it every once in a while. But now there are a lot of scammers and such using personal names as the sender to get around the spam filters, so I get all those cool adverts. My mom told me yesterday she gets the same crap, kinda ticks me off. I really don't think my 74-yr-old mother needs to be solicited for...ahem...member enlargement pumps!
Mountain Pass
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 192
Likes: 0
From: Marietta GA
I have one on the hook right now that I am having fun with. He wants me to fly to England to help him collect $10M. Sent him 2 sets of flight information. I'd love to have seen him at the airport with a sign looking for Mr Fabeetz
Hotshot
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 12,170
Likes: 5
From: The hills of No. Calif.
For your entertainment...
I'm selling some 427 headers on Craiglist and got this response to my ad last night:
Hmm, interesting spelling and syntax, especially considering it's from a U.K. email adress...got my hackles up now. Let's reply...
This morning I got this:
Well, I hardly know what to think. I...I think I'm, maybe, being scammed...
What to do, what to do...
I sent this:
Of course I won't bother with trying to notify any authorities who couldn't care less anyway, but what the heck, it might give him a momentary start...though I doubt it. I wonder if he'll let it drop right there or reply to me in righteous indignation...
Hello there.
I am very much interested in the item you post on craigslist and i am urgently in need of it, i just wanna know wether its still up for sale. Moreover, I like to know wether thats the final prize wether they are negociable or not and also like to know wether they are in very good condition. I will like to read from you soon so as to know the next step to be taken.
Thanks
Hillary
I am very much interested in the item you post on craigslist and i am urgently in need of it, i just wanna know wether its still up for sale. Moreover, I like to know wether thats the final prize wether they are negociable or not and also like to know wether they are in very good condition. I will like to read from you soon so as to know the next step to be taken.
Thanks
Hillary
Thank you for your interest. As you can see from the
pics they are in excellent condition and yes, they are
still available as the ad was only posted a few hours
ago. I am not willing to negotiate the price at this
point as I feel that it is a fair price for such a
rare item.
-Dan
pics they are in excellent condition and yes, they are
still available as the ad was only posted a few hours
ago. I am not willing to negotiate the price at this
point as I feel that it is a fair price for such a
rare item.
-Dan
Hello Dan,
Thanks very much for your response if you care to drop me a line you could call me on my number and if you didnt get to reach me please drop a message and I would get back to you 425-906-3556, I would want to tell you that I accept your offer for $1250 but I am willing to pay you that price and the reason I am sending you this email is to make final reconfirmation for the purchase of the goods, also to let you know that payment will be in certified cashier's check. In view of this I need you to email me any information that may be required to send the payment as I do not want to send the check to a wrong location or they get into the wrong hands and I hope you would understand that and I also want you to know that I am very much in need of the item and I would do everything to get the check sent to you as soon as possible and I hope you wouldnt take that for granted . Regarding the shipping, I have a company that takes care of the pickup of my consignments for me and ship to my destination in the U.S.A, you do not have to worry a dine about shipping, the company will send down a representative very lose to your region to arrange the sales documentation and the pick up from your end for onward transfer to my destination.
I also want to alert you on the fact that you will be receiving an overdraft check, which will cover the money for the pickup (pickup and shipping to the final destination) which is meant to be paid to the company that will take care of the pickup and the documentation with you. So please, as soon as you receive the payment, just take it to your bank immediately for processing, deduct the money that accrues to you, and send the balance to the Head Office of the company that handles the shipment I shall get you their contact information as soon as you get the payment.The check will be in your name to make it easier for you to receive payment, please reconfirm your details one more time.I will give you the details of the company that will be shipping the Item as soon as we seal this deal. Once the money is received by the agent ,the shipping agent will contact you immediately to arrange the documentation as well as the pick up immediately.So in view of the above, here are some of the details I will need for final issuance of the check to you.
(1) Full Name of the beneficiary
(2) Mailing address, no P.O Box please
(3) Your direct telephone number both home and cell.
{4} Accept my offer ?
I shall instruct my Lawyer to mail you this payment once you get back to me with all the above information I need to have the check mailed to you and the check would be made payable to the beneficiary right away and I would let you have the tracking to the shipment and bear in mind it's going to be the next day air delivery so you are going to have it as fast as you could ever expect, the check will be issued out immediately and it will be sent to you .Hope to hear from you immediately.Looking forward to your swift response.I will also be offering you extra $25 for keeping the Item for me till the shipper comes for the pick up and I would be sending the heck through an express courier service which would not deliver to a P.O Box that's why I said you should provide your residential address. I would want to hope this be an itch free transaction and I would be very grateful if you could comply to my mail.
Regards
Hillary
Thanks very much for your response if you care to drop me a line you could call me on my number and if you didnt get to reach me please drop a message and I would get back to you 425-906-3556, I would want to tell you that I accept your offer for $1250 but I am willing to pay you that price and the reason I am sending you this email is to make final reconfirmation for the purchase of the goods, also to let you know that payment will be in certified cashier's check. In view of this I need you to email me any information that may be required to send the payment as I do not want to send the check to a wrong location or they get into the wrong hands and I hope you would understand that and I also want you to know that I am very much in need of the item and I would do everything to get the check sent to you as soon as possible and I hope you wouldnt take that for granted . Regarding the shipping, I have a company that takes care of the pickup of my consignments for me and ship to my destination in the U.S.A, you do not have to worry a dine about shipping, the company will send down a representative very lose to your region to arrange the sales documentation and the pick up from your end for onward transfer to my destination.
I also want to alert you on the fact that you will be receiving an overdraft check, which will cover the money for the pickup (pickup and shipping to the final destination) which is meant to be paid to the company that will take care of the pickup and the documentation with you. So please, as soon as you receive the payment, just take it to your bank immediately for processing, deduct the money that accrues to you, and send the balance to the Head Office of the company that handles the shipment I shall get you their contact information as soon as you get the payment.The check will be in your name to make it easier for you to receive payment, please reconfirm your details one more time.I will give you the details of the company that will be shipping the Item as soon as we seal this deal. Once the money is received by the agent ,the shipping agent will contact you immediately to arrange the documentation as well as the pick up immediately.So in view of the above, here are some of the details I will need for final issuance of the check to you.
(1) Full Name of the beneficiary
(2) Mailing address, no P.O Box please
(3) Your direct telephone number both home and cell.
{4} Accept my offer ?
I shall instruct my Lawyer to mail you this payment once you get back to me with all the above information I need to have the check mailed to you and the check would be made payable to the beneficiary right away and I would let you have the tracking to the shipment and bear in mind it's going to be the next day air delivery so you are going to have it as fast as you could ever expect, the check will be issued out immediately and it will be sent to you .Hope to hear from you immediately.Looking forward to your swift response.I will also be offering you extra $25 for keeping the Item for me till the shipper comes for the pick up and I would be sending the heck through an express courier service which would not deliver to a P.O Box that's why I said you should provide your residential address. I would want to hope this be an itch free transaction and I would be very grateful if you could comply to my mail.
Regards
Hillary
What to do, what to do...I sent this:
Thank you so much for your very wordy response, I
really was in need some entertainment this morning.
However, you should know that I am well aware of the
scam you are offering to perpetrate on me and while
it's tempting just to string you along and waste your
time, I believe I'll instead simply turn your
correspondence over to proper authorities for
investigation and move on, I have better things to do
with my time. So kindly **** off.
really was in need some entertainment this morning.
However, you should know that I am well aware of the
scam you are offering to perpetrate on me and while
it's tempting just to string you along and waste your
time, I believe I'll instead simply turn your
correspondence over to proper authorities for
investigation and move on, I have better things to do
with my time. So kindly **** off.