View Full Version : Scam Meter is active
This is a copy and paste of a series of email concerning a car I was interested in...is the respondant a bit bi-polar, or am I jaded?
Me: Sharon can you please confirm the mileage on your car and the price you are asking? Tx, df
Sharon: Hello and sorry for the delay,
I want to thank you for your interest in buying my 2003 Audi A4 Sedan 3.0L Quattro AWD which has only 74,000 actual miles. I hope I will not bother with this story. Because of my disability(I am deaf-mute) internet is the only place where I can try to sell the car. I hope I will be able to answer all the questions you might have by email as any other type of communication will be impossible. Unfortunately my son passed away in Kandahar last year. Now as I have no family left, the car will be my gift, my gift in the memory of my son. Money is not a problem! All I want is to find the right person who will love and take care of this car. The price I am after is $2,700. You may wonder why I'm asking this small amount for this car. Well, the truth is that I decided to do this only as form of protest. This is exactly what I have received as compensation after my son died serving his country. Nothing more, nothing less!!! It is very clean, garaged all the time, and in case it gets sold I will take care of shipping. This is already arranged as I had it listed elsewhere and I had it prepared for shipping. Let me know if you are interested, email back.
Here are some words about the car:
To see the pics click on the link:
http://s830.photobucket.com/albums/zz227/2003AudiA4Sedan30L/
Engine: 3.0L L6 Exterior color: White Interior color: Tan Transmission: Automatic Fuel type: Gasoline
I am selling this 2003 AUDI A4, Quattro package, Non-Smoker, No Mechanical Problems, has 74,000 miles and runs like it has 1,000 on it. It has always been garage kept and adult owned and cared for. This car has never been smoked in. Clean title in hand- NO ACCIDENTS and nothing to worry about. The exterior of the car is in great condition. The tires have about 75% of tread remaining on them. The breaks stop on a dime and will not need replacing anytime soon. The engine runs perfectly and has many years left for someone to enjoy. The interior is in fantastic condition. The leather is just a supple as it was the day it rolled off of the showroom floor and the inside even still has that "Audi" smell. This Audi A4 is equipped with Bose Sound, The AC blows ice cold and the heat works perfectly too. The timing belt service was just done, so you will not need to worry about that. City 18/hwy 26
Regards,
Sharon Harris
ME: Sharon< I am so sorry to hear of your lost, You can consider the car sold, Please forward your address and I'll be there this Friday.
On a more personal note; How old was your son when he enlisted; and what unit was your son serving with? Again my sincere condolences for his sacrifice on behalf of our freedom.
Sincerely and respectfully,
Sharon: Hello again,
Because of my disability (I am deaf-mute) internet is the only place where I can try to sell the car. I hope I will be able to answer all the questions you might have by email as any other type of communication will be impossible.
I`m located in Great Falls, MT (the car is here with me) right now because i got a new job here,the thing is i`m very busy and i don`t have time to stay and meet with all my potential buyers, that is why i gave to a shipping company that will ship it to the next owner(on my cost). I will make the deal only to eBay. I am a member of the eBay buyer protection program and using this service you will get a 7 days testing period after delivery. During that 7 days testing period I will not be getting any money. I need to know if you are interested in buying it so I can ask eBay to send you the details on how this works. If interested please include in your next email your contact info for eBay ( full name, full address ) so we can get things started.
Thanks and have a great day!
ME: Sharon, Great Falls, well I'm only a few hours from you no need to ship; where are you in Great Falls?
am wondering what the reply will be????
Leozinho
04-20-2010, 16:55
It's a scam. That she is only willing to ship is the give-away.
Deaf-mute is just an excuse to not have to talk on the phone (because you'd probably recognize his Nigerian accent.). Low price as a war protest is an attempt to explain the irrationally low price.
If you follow through, she/he will probably say she/he found out going through Ebay won't work and ask you to wire the money to a bank account.
On second reading, I bet there's a spoof email, seemingly from Ebay, prepared already that will tell you how to send the money. I don't think Ebay facilitates sales outside of it's auction site. Either way, it's a scam.
Chef--
IMO, this sounds too good to be true.
According to kbb.com, the vehicle described in poor condition should command a significantly higher price.
Add the cut and paste nature of Sharon Harris's replies, and my gut feeling is that you're talking to a bot.
The Reaper
04-20-2010, 17:13
Bullshit.
The SGLI is around $500,000 last I checked. There would be other payouts as well. The only way it could be true would be if he cut her out of his will and designated other people as beneficiaries.
Watch for the ripoff, as others stated above.
TR
Definitely a scam in my opinion.
Definitely a scam, I used to know how the whole thing worked (I think the money's in the shipping) but don't remember now. That being said Definitely a Scam.
No doubt a scam it is, but the whole son thing caused me to continue the dialouge, I wanted to see the replies. There were none to the direct questions of enlistment date and unit.
I knew the game was on with shipping and being within driving distance to their location...
wandering_idiot
04-20-2010, 19:00
Tell her to take a picture with her holding a local Great Falls, MT newspaper.
See what happens.
I actually had a very similar run in when looking for used cars. Same kind of thing except the seller said he was deployed with the Air Force and would ship it to me over AF cargo plane.
It was a lot of fun messing with the guy. :munchin
I have a seperate email account just to reply/screw with adds like this. Here are some of the great buys I have found. If you are shopping on craigs list, use www.craiglook.com to search. You will find the false adds posted in multiple cities with slightly different discriptions.
I can ship it for $400. It will be delivered in four days and you will have to pay the shipping fees when you will receive it.
The truck vin is as follows 1FTSW21R28EB54322, and is equipped with Heated seats, Reverse vehicle aid sensor, 20" custom chrome wheels, Diamo 16 karat 8 lug, 26782 miles, Wrapped in Nitto tires, Tailgate step, Adjustable gas/brake pedal, Chrome tubular cab steps, 6.4L V-8 twin-turbo Diesel engine, Towing package, Low mileage, Ice cold A/C, No accidents, Non-smoker, One owner, Power everything, Runs & drives great, Still under factory warranty, Very clean interior, Sirius-Satellite radio, short bed is 6 3/4 long, It is 20ft 8 inches long and is 6ft 8 inches tall, Driver Air Bag, Anti-Lock Brakes, Air Conditioning, Cruise Control, CD Changer, CD Player, Passenger Air Bag, AM/FM Stereo Cassette, Leather Seats, Power Door Locks, Power Mirrors, Power Windows, Power Steering, Power Seats, Tinted Glass, Tilt Wheel. You can see all the pictures here: http://s756.photobucket.com/albums/xx203/forf250/
2 Months ago I found out my mother has cancer and for this reason I need sell it at this price. For making this fast and easy for both of us and because I wasted a lot of time on the phone and with appointments with several 'serious buyers' that never arrived, I've decided to use an escrow service. This will allow us to complete the sale in a manner that is quick and safe for both of us. If you want to know more, get back to me and I'll tell you how it works.
Hello ,
My name is Tanya Anderson I am emailing you regarding the 2001 BMW Z3 2.5 ROADSTER that I have for sale.
My car is in perfect condition , with no need for additional repairs, no scratches, dings, special marks whatsoever, never been involved in any accidents. The interior looks great (NO SMOKING). It has 76,513 miles , automatic transmission , 6 Cylinder 2.5 L engine size , gasoline , white exterior and tan interior . I have a clear and clean title for it , no liens or loans ready to be signed and notarized on your name ...
I'm selling my son's car , who died in Iraq four months ago and I want to get rid of it asap because the sight of it makes me think of him often and often and the pain is too great .
Put yourself in my shoes and you'll do the same (selling the car of your dead son, no offence) !!!
As you probably noticed , the final price that i want for this car is $2400 if you will buy it today or tomorrow .
Here are the pictures with my car:
http://s750.photobucket.com/albums/xx146/2001_bmw_z3photos/2001%20Bmw%20Z3/
Let me know where are you located and any other details you need about it.
My best wishes,
Tanya
Sierra Bravo
04-20-2010, 23:59
Professional scam ring. Its been going on nation wide for a few years.
sharon.har33@comcast.net to me
show details 9:19 PM (7 hours ago)
Hello,
If you want to come for pick up you need to pay a deposit of $1500 and after this you are welcome to come for pick up and hand me the rest. I wait your e-mail to let me know your status in this deal.
Dominus_Potior
04-21-2010, 04:28
What no more statements about being a deaf mute?? :confused:
You should say "Okay, just give me the bank account and routing information and you'll have the money."
Then report the person here:
http://www.consumerfraudreporting.org/feedback.htm
:munchin
Sharon,
I assumed you would need some type of deposit. Also you never told me what unit your brave son served in, thats really important to me and the prime motivator for completing this deal; so if you can forward that information along with your bank account and routing information and you'll have the money promply. By the way, what part of Great Falls do you live in?
Tx,
Sharon, I had wanted to send this earlier, but was nervous...I have been wondering, as I am so aroused by our deal, if you are seeing anyone at the moment, or involved in a serious relationship? The reason I ask, is that I have this Idea of you, being a deaf mute as not having had sex in sometime, if at all, except of course when you became pregnant with your son.
At any rate, with your inability to speak or hear, it troubles me, but I have good news for you:
I’ve been involved in some basic research and encourage to you read “The Colon Report” by Dr. Sphincter, the creator of the Artificial sphincter and the Artificial sphincter insertion surgery, which is the implantation of an artificial valve in the genitourinary tract or in the anal canal to restore continence and psychological well being to individuals with urinary or anal sphincter insufficiency that leads to severe urinary or fecal incontinence, whereas those with severe hearing and or speech lost, can be restore to full hearing and speech function.
One of the preliminary procedures which can determine if you are a candidate for the artificial sphincter insertion procedure is your response to anal penetration. In this regard, I would be most interested in the charitable contribution to assist those like yourself, who suffer with hearing and speech impairment and who also have unfilled sexual needs, I would be willing to see you, or rather, enjoy having you annually penetrated over the hood of your car while assigning the title documents to me. The thought of possibly witnessing your first scream of joy would be…amazing!!!
So, are you interested in the procedure I can forward with my deposit the address and an additional deposit to the clinic for the artificial sphincter exam and response to the penetration procedure, I look forward to your reply.
Tx,
sharon.har33@comcast.net to me
show details 9:19 PM (7 hours ago)
Hello,
If you want to come for pick up you need to pay a deposit of $1500 and after this you are welcome to come for pick up and hand me the rest. I wait your e-mail to let me know your status in this deal.
At this point I would excommunicate.
Absolute scam - heres how it works from the DAS Auto Shippers own website. Multiple car shippers have been hit with this as well:
At DAS Auto Shippers, we've identified a used car scam that's run by fraudsters using eBay to advertise used cars, trucks, and SUVs at sharply discounted prices. Buyers think they're getting a great deal: "Wow! A used Lexus SUV worth over $12k for just $4800? What a deal!" And that would be a great deal – if the seller actually had a vehicle for sale.
Here's how the scam works.
Buy It and We'll Have It Shipped
First, the scammer lists a car on eBay, Craigslist, Yahoo Motors or another sales/auction site. He provides what seems to be all the information a car buyer could possibly want: VIN, photos, mileage information, etc. The scammer has this information because he's copied it from a previous, legitimate online listing for a vehicle. It's probably a car that sold six months to a year before.
Even with all that information, most buyers are careful. The contact the "seller" and either want to see the vehicle themselves or have someone inspect it for them.
Of course, the person perpetrating the fraud doesn't have a vehicle to show, so he tells the buyer that Dependable Auto Shippers (DAS) or another auto shipper already has the vehicle crated for shipping. But, the fraudster adds, the buyer shouldn't worry because the vehicle is covered by the DAS (or another company's) Vehicle Protection Program. If the buyer doesn't like the vehicle when it arrives, he gets his money refunded.
Once the buyer agrees to the deal, the fraudulent seller explains that someone from the "Vehicle Protection Program" will contact them to arrange payment. The fake email, which contains payment information and a tracking number, directs the buyer to a bogus Web site that looks legitimate. We've had several scammers make complete copies of the DAS Web site and host them at different domain names.
Often, the buyer isn't aware he's been scammed until he contacts DAS to ask about delivery dates or request additional information. For the past several years, we've received about 3 calls per week like this; about 1/3 of the people calling have already paid.
Stopping the Scammers Isn't Easy
The scam is extremely difficult to prosecute. The perpetrators are smart enough to keep the vehicle cost below $5,000 because the FBI doesn't investigate and prosecute fraud schemes under that amount. Local law enforcement can't do anything because the fraudsters are usually located in Eastern Europe or Asia.
At DAS, we ask the would-be buyer to play along with the scam until the fraudulent seller sends the email with payment information. Then, our team goes to work tracing the IP addresses and tracking down the hosting companies to get the bogus Web sites shut down.
Unfortunately, the scammers just keep moving the sites around and defrauding consumers.
How to Recognize an Online Used Car Scam
Although each scammer uses a slightly different sales pitch, there are common warning signs. If the seller uses even one of these techniques, think very carefully before buying:
1. The seller is a soldier deployed overseas or is working overseas. That's why he has to sell the vehicle quickly (and at a loss) and/or why it's crated up and not available for inspection.
2. The vehicle costs less than $5,000 – but not much less. The scammers lure buyers with prices that are a fraction of the vehicle's book price. So they'll offer a $15,000 SUV for just $4900. Deals that seem "too good to be true" usually are.
3. Send your payment to a third party. In an effort to appear legitimate, the seller tells you that the third party, whether eBay, DAS, or an escrow service, will immediately refund your money if you don't like the vehicle.
4. You have to send payment by wire transfer. Scammers don't take payment by personal check, cashier's check, PayPal, credit card, or any other traceable method. Anyone requesting payment by anonymous wire transfer is probably engaged in some sort of fraud.
greenberetTFS
04-21-2010, 12:04
LMAO!!!
In a handbasket, Penn!
She's right!....................;)
Big Teddy :munchin
Boomer-61
04-21-2010, 13:23
Excellent information, thank you for posting. I hope it keeps people here from getting scammed.
Boomer
you funny petersan....
fromsharon.har33@comcast.net
to me
dateWed, Apr 21, 2010 at 6:14 PM
subjectRe: your car
mailed-bycomcast.net
hide details 6:14 PM (2 hours ago)
you are a idiot ok? why don't you make a hand job? you are a freak out!
Mississippi10
04-23-2010, 10:54
Who knew you could turn an old joke into an internet scam? I heard this years ago as:
Brand new corvette for sale, $250; deceased husband's will instructed widow to sell corvette, give all proceeds to girlfriend.
Smokin Joe
04-24-2010, 19:21
you funny petersan....
fromsharon.har33@comcast.net
to me
dateWed, Apr 21, 2010 at 6:14 PM
subjectRe: your car
mailed-bycomcast.net
hide details 6:14 PM (2 hours ago)
you are a idiot ok? why don't you make a hand job? you are a freak out!
Excellent Grammar!!!!
Sharon, I had wanted to send this earlier, but was nervous...Tx,
Hot damn! Haha! :lifter
Sharon's language structure sounds more Russian than Nigerian to me - both groups are leading sources of e-scams, though.
Richard
Oh man, this thread is priceless...:D
Broadsword2004 - Depending on the level of programming involved yes bots can answers questions from emails. Basically one method is to pass the email text into a variable, parse for question marks (or advanced ones for language keys) to determine what part is a question and have canned answers based on the words that make up that question.
For an example go to goarmy.com and ask Sgt. Star a question
http://sgtstar.goarmy.com/ActiveAgentUI/agent.aspx