Thread: Current scams

Absolutely, ignore them.

If they are real buyers they will call.

Sounds like the good ol "buyers agent" or "oil rig worker" scammers at work.

Very common... We had 3 within 5 hours of posting an advert on Tradingpost...

Had the same when I had my Traymate camper advertised on line. Just ignore them. Edit your ad to say, "Texts will not be responded to - ring to talk first! Scammers, FO". The txt's will stop when you sell your item and you delist the ad. (I wonder whether the website actually send the txts to encourage the seller to remove their ad as soon as the item is sold - or even before if you prepaid).

Same story when i advertised a car on one of the free classifieds sites. Within hours of the ad going live I had 4 offers to buy the car from "overseas buyers" or "oil rig workers" who all offered up to and more than double what the asking price was. You know it is a scam when a UK buyer wants to buy a 90's model Peugeot convertible for $8000 when it has a market value of $3000 in Australia and then ship it to the UK where they are as common as anything and where a really good late model one will fetch only 1200 to 1500 pounds!

Then they hit you with the "we will transfer the money but need you to pay the shipping agent fees through Western Union" and they send you a very convincing fake paypal payment receipt (definitely a fake when you supply an email address not even registered with paypal and it tells you the funds are in your account)

Definitely sounds sus, give out your email if you like spam, if not stay away.

I was targeted by one of these scumbags in the days prior to email- overseas buyer offering way more than asking price wanting me to pay agent etc. I replied that I'd be happy to do so once cash was in my hand. Heard nothing more. The mongrels prey on people who are desperate for money.
Agree with others, a genuine buyer will call you. Perhaps you could arrange a face-to-face meeting and take a few mates along!

When I received one of these emails, I played along, and asked them to give me the details of where the payment could be sent to.

Once I had all of that, I sent them a fake Western Union receipt number (Google is our friend). About an hour later, get an email back from them saying the payment hadn't gone thru. Told them I would check with WU.

Got back to them a bit later, telling them that WU had advised that the payment hadn't gone thru, and that I had contacted my brother who was only a couple of miles away from the address they had given, and he would drop around the cash. Never heard another thing from them.

BTW - I usually set up a different email address that I supply knowing that these scams will come thru. If someone is a genuine buyer, I send them an email from my normal account, and ask them to use that one.

I'm glad that the bloke who wrote this reckons that I'm an honest and relaible person - but is 45% the going rate for lawyers these days ?

....seems a bit expensive

I would have thought that he should only get the usual 33% - does anyone think I should shop around - or call the Law Society?

BTW - anyone else is welcome to write to him


Dear Friend,



First, I must solicit your confidence in this transaction,this is by virtue of it's nature as being confidential am assuring you that all will be well at the end of this profitable transaction.I am Barrister Dan Agbor, a legal practitioner and the personal Attorney to Mr. Frederick M. Wong, a foreigner who used to work with Shell International died in an air crash along With his wife Mrs. Lilla C. Wong on his business trip to North America in aircraft with other passengers on board (May their gentle soul rest in perfect peace in the name of Almighty God Amen).I strongly believe that my client has no living kin to inherit all his properties,but I went ahead and made several research to their embassy in other to locate any of my clients extended relatives but all my effort proved unsuccessfully.



As it may interest you to know,I got Your contact over the internet as I was searching for a reliable and honest person who I can trust to carry out this business with,I decided to contact you in order to champion such a business magnitude with out any problem.Since then, I have made several inquiries to their embassy to locate any of their extended relatives and this has also proved unsuccessful. I am contacting you to assist in repatriating the fund valued at US$25,(Twenty Five Million United States Dollars),left behind by my client before it gets confiscated or declared unserviceable by the bank where this huge amount were deposited.


The said Bank has issued me a notice to provide the next of kin or have his account confiscated within the next twenty one official working days. Since I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for over 2 years now, I seek your consent to present as the next of kin to the deceased so that the proceeds of this account can be paid to you.


Therefore, I will not fail to inform you that this transaction is 100% risk free. On smooth conclusion of this transaction, you will be entitled to 45% of the total sum as gratification, while 10% will be set aside to take care of expenses that may arise during the time of transfer and also telephone bills,while 45% will be for me. All I require from you is your honest co-operation to enable us see this transaction through. I guarantee that this will be executed under legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law.


Upon your acceptance to this proposal,for the confidentiality of this business I expect your urgent response indicating your full interest in this great business transaction to our both mutual trust by forwarding to me your below personal data.Kindly gets in touch with me on this my private email address (danagboresq@yahoo.co.jp) with your below personal data;
1). Full Names:.............
2). Contact Address:............
3). Age & Sex :........
4). Telephone & Fax Number:...........
5). Occupation:..............
6). Your Personal/private Email Address:.............
Awaiting for the above information to enable us proceed further.


Best Regards,
Barrister Dan Agbor
Email: danagboresq@yahoo.co.jp

I've been offered some pills guaranteed to enlarge my penis by 40% if I send a deposit to them. Do you think this is a scam?