scam ?

[200tdi ayre]

So im trying o sell my disco here, got it on gumtree, in the hostel on aulro and on ebay to try and sell.

I recieved an email 2 days ago asking if it was still for sale which I replied yes, any more info you'd like.

Got a reply back today saying they are willing to buy for the buy it now price they are overseas currently and they'll arrange a courier to come pick it up. Awesome I think and do a little dance

Then he asks if he can pay via paypal. Of course I said as its safe and well known.

Then he says that he is having trouble sending the money to his pick up agent from where he is overseas .. ok fair enough money transfers can sometimes be a pita so he says he'll transfer me $950 and asked if I could transfer it then to the pick up agent. Im not worried about getting more money but this is when suspicions started to arise fully as I started thinking $950 transport for a $3800 car, is that worth it ? But australia is big so I can see how it can be alot

But then I said ok.

The next message I got was this.

" I have just make the payment of $4,850.,i have decided to add the amount of $1,050 which i paid through paypal,you can now send $950 to my pick up agent via western union so he can be able to come for the pick up and also PayPal said they won't release the funds until they get the western union information from you due to the fact that i emailed them about the excess payment i made.I will need you to send the $950 to my pick up agent Headquarters where they normally confirm any commission payment to via western union money transfer(this can be done from the post office or western union online, as they usually have a western union agent there) , i added extra $100 to cover the western union charges which shouldn't be more that $60-85 but just to be sure i added $100, Here is my pick up agent Headquarter info needed to get the money sent through western union money transfer:Agent's Info:

First Name: Hongmei

Surname: Jia
Address:Gong ti bei lu
City: Beijing
State:Beijing
Zip:100024
State: Beijing
Country:china"

So this is when it really threw me, he wants me to send money from his pay pal account to mine, to then transfer 950 through western union (I looked it up it is another money transfer service like paypal) but to a pick up agent in china for a car in Australia ????

Seems way to complicated to be reasonable ? Why doesnt he just pay the pick up agent through paypal or choose one in australia that doesnt have a branch in china?

Also the money hasnt appeared in my paypal account yet and im not going to send $950 without recieving the money first ...

So what do you think. Dodgy or just a lot of unfavorable circumstances.

[steveG]

Standard Gumtree scam. Ignore any further contact.

Have a search on Google about it, and try searching on the phone number, and the text of the message.

BTW - paypal only protects the buyer. Standard routine goes like you've already found, until you transfer the money to western union then he effectively reverses the transaction, and you're out of pocket.

Steve

[p38arover]

As Steve said, it's a well known scam but not just on Gumtree. Also on CarSales. One member here lost money in such a scam.

[landy]

Seriously, this is a joke right? What was your gut feeling on this? If it sounds like a duck, it's probably a duck!

But well done for asking the question to be sure.

Nino.

[200tdi ayre]

Standard Gumtree scam. Ignore any further contact.

Have a search on Google about it, and try searching on the phone number, and the text of the message.

BTW - paypal only protects the buyer. Standard routine goes like you've already found, until you transfer the money to western union then he effec7tively reverses the transaction, and you're out of pocket.

Steve


Thanks for backing up my suspicions.

On a lighter note the disco os still for sale ;)


Sooo seeing as weve sussed it as a scam shall I play with him for abit ? Mabie get some incriminating evidence ? Give him abit of his own medicine ? ;)

[87County]

Thanks for backing up my suspicions.

On a lighter note the disco os still for sale ;)


Sooo seeing as weve sussed it as a scam shall I play with him for abit ? Mabie get some incriminating evidence ? Give him abit of his own medicine ? ;)


Common sense would indicate that you should just get out while you can, the "buyer" already has more info about you than you will ever have about him.

[200tdi ayre]

Common sense would indicate that you should just get out while you can, the "buyer" already has more info about you than you will ever have about him.

Yes I was just thinking this through probabaly best to just not reply and not dig myself into something.


Would be fun to give him some abuse though :D

[laney]

Scam big time

[Toxic_Avenger]

There was a US based TV show that did a piece called "to catch a con man". They baited a nigerian scammer and ended up meeting him to give him the 'what for'.
Part 1 of 6 is below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--RfZoqOHDo

[p38arover]

Read this: http://www.aulro.com/afvb/general-chat/99396-e-bay-scam.html

[Ausfree]

Read this: http://www.aulro.com/afvb/general-chat/99396-e-bay-scam.html

Yeah, I thought this scam had been discussed on the Forum before!!!

[chopper]

Still for sale? I'll buy it , BUT I need you to send $100 to my term account so as I can get the funds released ,,,,, then ,,,,, and ,,,,,

[rangietragic]

Trying to sell my p38 a few years ago and some one from the uk was interested.Really?I never replied.

[Modelsp]

I hope the Chinese Gent comes up with your money quickly.
and then we can discuss me delivering to you a freshly painted harbour bridge only 1 owner..
:wasntme::wasntme::twisted:

[Sitec]

Trying to sell my p38 a few years ago and some one from the uk was interested.Really?I never replied.

Don't write off requests from the UK... Yes, be wary, but there are a lot who want Land Rovers, Cars, Trucks and Tractors from Oz as they're clean and rust free. If I hadn't migrated I'd have shipped a lot over, and have actually talked with a fellow member about shipping LR's out, and classic unloved but rust free cars back!! Back to topic, yes, the original subject is defo a scam. Here's a pic of of another I recently found. I've been looking to import a European Case 1455xl as they have a kind of cult status among tractor lovers (a bit like 101's here!!). This advert turned up on Dinkos.com, a site I'd never heard of before. The price was the first bit that made me wary.. $5000. Its worth $40000 here. I approached with the line 'I'm in Darwin next week, can I come and view?' That's when the random named Gmail emails started.. He's in France, tractors in Austria, he has his own shipper.. Rah rah.. So... Long story short, I've bombarded him with guff, and have about ten mates doing the same!!! :D its ****ed him off so I'm happy. Here's a screen shot of said advert, so if anyone else wants to do the same, go for it.... (and if by some miracle the tractor ends up here and one of you buys it, there'll b $15000waiting!!!! ) :p

[sashadidi]

Yes I was just thinking this through probabaly best to just not reply and not dig myself into something.


Would be fun to give him some abuse though :D

Read this for a laugh about 'anti scamming '
419 Eater - The largest scambaiting community on the planet! (http://www.419eater.com/)
http://www.419eater.com/html/baiting.htm

[Lionelgee]

Hello All,

This morning, for the second time in under two weeks, I have been lucky enough to get a telephone call by a robot offering me Qantas points; a free holiday. I could have received $999 towards my next flight...

A quick flick on the internet over to Scamwatch and here are the details Automated scam calls claiming to be from Qantas with bogus holiday win (http://www.scamwatch.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/1139946)

There is no point telling a robot to :censored: off so I just hang up the phone. :angel:

Kind Regards
Lionel

[SLOWBOAT]

Had the same for my onsite caravan add on Gumnuts. He only wanted to communicate via email and he said he would put the money into my paypal account. Then his agent would pick it up. Never saw the money and I thing he realised it is a permanent van. Hahaha

[Meken]

Don't write off requests from the UK... Yes, be wary, but there are a lot who want Land Rovers, Cars, Trucks and Tractors from Oz as they're clean and rust free. If I hadn't migrated I'd have shipped a lot over, and have actually talked with a fellow member about shipping LR's out, and classic unloved but rust free cars back!! Back to topic, yes, the original subject is defo a scam. Here's a pic of of another I recently found. I've been looking to import a European Case 1455xl as they have a kind of cult status among tractor lovers (a bit like 101's here!!). This advert turned up on Dinkos.com, a site I'd never heard of before. The price was the first bit that made me wary.. $5000. Its worth $40000 here. I approached with the line 'I'm in Darwin next week, can I come and view?' That's when the random named Gmail emails started.. He's in France, tractors in Austria, he has his own shipper.. Rah rah.. So... Long story short, I've bombarded him with guff, and have about ten mates doing the same!!! :D its ****ed him off so I'm happy. Here's a screen shot of said advert, so if anyone else wants to do the same, go for it.... (and if by some miracle the tractor ends up here and one of you buys it, there'll b $15000waiting!!!! ) :p


Pretty sure I used to drive one of those on a farm I worked on as a kid ;)

Oh and you can send the email details to an aus gov website - don't recall it exactly now - google reporting scams aus gov

[Basil135]

My boss had this exact scam when he was selling a car.

Lucky for him, he was away, and asked me to look after it for him, and arrange the transfers :eek:

I set up a fake email address, replied to the "buyer" and started to have some fun.

He also gave a London address, so I did a bit of Google Earth work, and found a suburb about 10 mins away.

I then faked a Western Union transfer number, and sent him that. Took about 20 mins to get an email back saying it didnt work. :angel:

So, I told him that there must have been a problem at my end, and I would check. Bit later, sent another fake Western Union number. True to form, 20 mins & I get an email that it didn't work either.

I apoligised and said I could make it easy. My brother was working in London at the moment, and he would drop around right now with the cash. :twisted:

Funny enough, I never heard anything from that guy again. :cool:

So, the moral of the story is:

Google their name, phone number, address... anything to get an id on them.

If your going to play with them, fake everything - email address, your phone number, Western Union numbers etc.

You can even Google "how to scam the scammers" :angel:

[p38arover]

Hello All,

This morning, for the second time in under two weeks, I have been lucky enough to get a telephone call by a robot offering me Qantas points; a free holiday. I could have received $999 towards my next flight...

Only twice? Pfft! Get with a good airline.

Virgin are ringing me about my win every couple of days even though I haven't flown Virgin in the last 5-6 years. :D

[olbod]

If I dont recognise the number I dont answer the phone.
The Oricom thingy I have on my landline does not record messages so I had a win when I purchased it.

[pjw]

Hello All,

This morning, for the second time in under two weeks, I have been lucky enough to get a telephone call by a robot offering me Qantas points; a free holiday. I could have received $999 towards my next flight...

A quick flick on the internet over to Scamwatch and here are the details Automated scam calls claiming to be from Qantas with bogus holiday win (http://www.scamwatch.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/1139946)

There is no point telling a robot to :censored: off so I just hang up the phone. :angel:

Kind Regards
Lionel

I received one earlier last week but it was from Virgin and not Qantas.

[Lionelgee]

Only twice? Pfft! Get with a good airline.

Virgin are ringing me about my win every couple of days even though I haven't flown Virgin in the last 5-6 years. :D

G'day P38A Rover,

Make that three times within the past fortnight. I had the same robotic voice supposedly from Qantas. They seem to like programming their little automated response for 12:30 in the afternoon.

Kind Regards
Lionel

[Sitec]

Pretty sure I used to drive one of those on a farm I worked on as a kid ;)

Oh and you can send the email details to an aus gov website - don't recall it exactly now - google reporting scams aus gov

Cheers. Will look it up. Re the tractor, were u in Europe as a kid? These things were never imported here.. The smaller 956xl and 1056xl were tho. :)

[Meken]

Must have been the smaller one - my grandad had one I think - it was definitely IH