Beware of SCAMs directed at Classified Ads
(original article appeared in March/April 2005)
My name is Marty, I have a current advertisement in your magazine and on your
web site for my 1981 MacGregor 36 catamaran.
Twice now, I have received inquiries on my boat from dubious sources attempting
to play a scam on me.
This is how the scam works:
A person, claiming to be from overseas, is interested in my boat. They do NOT
haggle over the price and obviously are NOT interested in the boat. They accept
the price immediately and wish to set up plans for sending a cashiers check for
the price of the boat. But, they wish to send additional funds to cover
shipping… relying on me to forward funds to their shipping company, which is
never really disclosed. The scam comes into play when the cashier’s check is a
fraud, and you send them your real money in return. A variation is just after
you receive their fake cashier’s check, they contact you about some urgent
family business and they need a portion of the extra funds returned to them
immediately, obviously trying to get you to send them your real money.
Fortunately for me, I was able to contact someone who already happened to be
aware of this scam when I received the first inquiry - it was too good to be
true, so I checked into it.
Please warn all your advertisers to be on the look-out for this kind of hoax.
Below are copies of the correspondence I received from several people.
Beware of this e-mail address:
_lawrence_pearse02@yahoo.com_ (mailto:lawrence_pearse02@yahoo.com), who wrote
this...
Thanks for the mail I am ok with the price and I will love to buy the I wil
instruct my client whom is owing me in the US to be sending you USPS Money Order
checks or a Cashier’s Check of $28,950 as mode of payment on my behalf, which
you will have cashed and have your own money deducted from it and have the rest
of the funds wired to my ship-per via Western Union Money Transfer this is the
funds he will be using to come over to your location for the pickup. The
Shipping Agent will be handing the Shipping and Pickup Arrangements at your
location or the nearest Airport closest to you, ok.
So if you are ok with this i will need the following details.
Your Name to be on the check. -- Your Contact Address where payment would be
sent too. -- Your cell/Home/Work to get in touch with you as we close up a deal.
Thanks regards to your Family.
Lawrence...
Beware of this e-mail address:
_macphlp@yahoo.com_
(mailto:macphlp@yahoo.com), who wrote...
Hello,
I quite appreciate your response thank you very much for the pics I base in uk
my address is as follows
PHILIP MAC -- 15 The Quadrant, -- St Ives, -- Cambridgeshire -- PE27 5PE UK.
Please right now am not in uk, am in russia for some bussiness activities which
will last a little while and also am seeking a loan from one of the financial
institutions, they will issue out the payment as cer-tified check to you which
will include excess funds for the insu-r-ance, clearing and shipment.
When the check is cash in your bank you remit the excess funds to the shipping
company for the clearing and shipment process right there in america, please i
await your mailing information where the check will be send to thank you very
much.
Mac.
...Mac later wrote this reply as I played with him to see if he was actually
serious or not....
Hello Marty,
Thanks for your response there is no way the financial institution can separate
the funds into two different accounts okay, and again you are not the one that
would be responsible for the shipment all you need to do is when the funds are
cleared in your account you will remit the excess funds which be for the
insurance, clearing and shipment to the shipping company which i will give you
their details later on, so if this is acceptable to you then you give me your
account details thank you.Mac.
If you need any further information to post a warning, or if you need anything
from me to forward to the authorities, I will be happy to help.
- Marty
Scam Savvy (as appeared in J/F 06)
I applaud your J/A '05 article warning about Internet scams
directed at Classified Ads. Two years ago I, too, advertised a sailboat on an
internet site. I soon got an offer by e-mail, supposedly from Nigeria, for close
to the offering price. I am usually aware of things that are too good to be
true, so I was ready for the problem.
The 'buyer' sent me a cashier's check for more than the agreed price. I quickly
checked with the supposed issuing US bank and learned it was bogus. The scam was
quickly revealed. The 'buyer' soon e-mailed me to explain the difference was a
'mistake' and represented the money owed to him by his US agent. He asked me to
quickly send him a check for the difference, hoping I would send some money
before I learned his check was no good.
Bill Beery, Connecticut