Author Topic: Man!!! Doess this sound like a scam? Please help!!!! (Read 492 times)

dean_m · « **on:** October 21, 2004, 04:43:31 AM »

Last week I had put an ad up for a MIDI Converter I'm selling. I also listed this on another public sale board called Craig's List.
Here are two responses that I received from apparantly two different people. You tell me....

Here's the first one.
Everything sounds fine to me both price and condition,i then instructed my client in{usa} to issue the cashiers cheque to you.meanwhlie i also instructed him to include $2000 on the payment so you should expect a cashiers cheque of $2700 the excess is for my
shipper that will be coming for pick up.the funds will be used for
the shipping of the {Yamaha MIDI Converter for Bass? } along side 3 other CARS i placed order for in
care of my shipper.i'll imploy you to wire the balance via western
union money transfer to my shipper as soon as you RECEIVE the
cheque.My SHIPPER will come for pick up on a specicified date that
will be convenient for you.i hope i can count on you for my balance I
ALSO WANT THIS TO BASE ON TRUST CAN

I TRUST YOU?...
P.S i will like you to give me ur contact info..also as soon as u get
the cheque,cashing store will given to you for by me for the fast
cashing of the cheque.Hope this is understandable by you.
Name in full.
Adresss. .
City...
State...
Country..
phone#..
Zipcode..
pls get all this done for me so that i can fax it down to my client
that will send u the cheque..
Ray

Here's the 2nd

Hello,
Like i said,i would not be in the position to come by to see it due to my absence from the states presently and my mums present state of health so since i am not in the states,what i am going to do is i will instruct a client of mine that owes me in the states to issue out a check of $3800 to you so that after the check clears you have deducted your money for the Yamaha MIDI Converter ,you will kindly send the balance to me so that i can forward payments to my shipping company who will handle the shipping at any location and time of your choice.The Yamaha MIDI Converter will be in custody of my shipping company pending the time i am away.
The reason why i am doing this is because i am not in the good financial state to spend out of the money i have with me due to my mums health condition which is really critical at the moment.
Please if this is okay with you kindly send me your name as you want it on the check,address and phone number so that i can instruct him to issue out the check.Hope to hear from you soon.
Thanks for understanding

Has anyone very seen anything as stupid as this???

Peace,
Dino

lowlife · « **Reply #1 on:** October 21, 2004, 04:59:34 AM »

Dino,

I've seen this. In fact if you inserted the product that I was selling in place of yours, the wording was almost identical. The worst part is that these scams exist because some buyers are so honest, they're unsuspecting, and will fall for it.

There's nothing like a good rant early in the morning !!

Ellery (Lowlife)

dean_m · « **Reply #2 on:** October 21, 2004, 05:35:37 AM »

RANT RANT RANT!!!!!
Thanks Ellery!!!!
Hey I'm in a feisty mood this morning especially now that the Red Sox have won the Pennant and are on the way to the World Series.
Being one to always try to make things right, is there any agency that these frauds can be reported to?

lowlife · « **Reply #3 on:** October 21, 2004, 05:42:25 AM »

In Canada, the RCMP would take your call and there's a good change that by the time they got back to you it would be too late. To catch these scammers, they need to pose as an unsuspecting recipient of the email. I'd like to believe that my tax dollars are funding some of these RCMP stings.
I would guess that the FBI would handle these complaints in the U.S.

Ellery (Lowlife)

gare · « **Reply #4 on:** October 21, 2004, 06:17:15 AM »

You may want to try your local states attorneys office. If they cant help they can surely point the way.

G

dean_m · « **Reply #5 on:** October 21, 2004, 06:35:14 AM »

Actually I did some research and the FBI has a dept called the IFCC (internet fraud complaint center) They can only help once the fraud has been commited though.
Maybe I will try the attorney general's office. Thanks all for your help. This really does sound too fishy for anyone to fall for it but you never know.

Peace,
Dino

oggydoggy · « **Reply #6 on:** October 21, 2004, 08:27:31 AM »

Dino,
I am with you regarding the Sox!! Finally,
Anyway, I just wanted to say that your website with lessons is great idea. It is great just to see how someone else looks at something such as eighth note phrasing or Dom7 chords.
Well done.
Good luck with your dilema
-Ed

pookeymp · « **Reply #7 on:** October 21, 2004, 08:40:59 AM »

Wow...it really is amazing the stuff these folks will try...and like Ellery said...there are a lot of unsuspecting people out there who will fall for it.

I recently received an email, which appeared to be coming from AOL in regards to a problem with charging my account for my internet service. The logos and everything else about the email looked very official...they even spouted about how they value me as an AOL customer and would hate to see any interruption in my service. And of couse, to end it, they needed me to email them current credit card info so that they could credit my account. Good try Guys.

And of course, there are the phone calls where I get offered the highest credit line imaginable on a credit card, with the lowest possible interest rates, no fees, etc. And I'm definitely approved...all I have to do is show proof that I have a valid checking account by providing them with my Account # and Bank Routing #. Again, good try guys.

But it is pretty scary to think that these things exist because they do find people who are a bit trusting.

I'm pretty sure I may have inadvertenly turned down some really good deals that were legitimate, but my motto is...if it sounds even remotely 'too good to be true', then I assume it is 'too good to be true' and will pass everytime.

Mikey/

dean_m · « **Reply #8 on:** October 21, 2004, 09:15:01 AM »

Hey Mikey,

I got the same email only from Earthlink and when I called Earthlink to report it, they confirmed it was fraudulant.

It just diminishes my belief in humanity at times. How some people have the balls to try crap like this when people like you and I work hard to make this a better place for everyone. This is one reason I love this site because it always restores my faith that there are great people in this world too.

Stuff like this just infuriates me. I know it may be futile but just out of principal, I have to do something about it, I did contact my state's AG office and the FBI's IFCC.

Hey Ed, thanks for the kind words!!!! My site is always a work in progress. I need to put more lessons up there too.

Peace,
Dino

bsee · « **Reply #9 on:** October 21, 2004, 09:43:41 AM »

Another FYI, I have received one or more bogus eBay second chance offers on Alembic basses I have bid on recently. I don't know if this is global BS or someone has decided that Alembic buyers are a targettable group. Just keep your eyes open and be sure no matter who you're dealing with.

mrfunkwool · « **Reply #10 on:** October 21, 2004, 10:26:09 AM »

Dino, these scams are rampant like email viruses... in fact, I'm guessing, there are actually bots that spoof emails to every ad on a list like craigs. Sucks, but craig's list might have to put one of those verification screens, just to make sure someone alive is sending.

For that matter even giving PayPal a routing number scares the hell out of me. CreditCard one thing, freezing my checking account no thanks...

btw... I'll pick up the midi coverter tomorrow if you want to give me $700 bucks...

dean_m · « **Reply #11 on:** October 21, 2004, 10:47:26 AM »

HAH!!!!!!
Yeah Paypal does scare me although there's never enough money in my checking account to worry anyhow.

Write me a check for $3000 I'll keep $700, and give you back $1000. Yeah I know, where did the other $1300 go!?!?
Hey I gotta raise funds for my new Series I somehow.

lbpesq · « **Reply #12 on:** October 21, 2004, 11:37:22 AM »

Dino:

This is the Babe. Do you really think your Bosox have any chance? Ha! Ha! and Ha! I am only prolonging the agony, letting you and your Beantown brethren twist in the wind before I once again smote the Sox with my curse. Remember Bucky Dent? Remember Bill Buckner? Remember No, No, Nanette? Do you really think I would let Boston take home the Series Trophy? Only for a price, my boy, for a price. Actually, not much, I'm mellowing in my old age. I'll let the Red Sox win for only $50! But while you are paying me, you can also do me a small favor. See, I'm sort of out-of-town right now. But if you give Bill, the guitar one, the price of a new custom Further, (cash or Western Union wire acceptable), he can then forward it to me and I will deduct my $50 and send the rest back to you by certified bank check from the great Wells Fargo in the sky. Remember - the price of a Further to Bill and the Bosox win! Don't do it and they lose ... and it's all your fault. Do you really want that responsibility? Remember Steve Bartman!

George Herman Babe Ruth, the Bass-ball one.

palembic · « **Reply #13 on:** October 21, 2004, 11:46:59 AM »

Oh ...huhuh ...those credit-card buys and Pay-pal tricks really scare me. On E-bay here in EU we pay simple buy money order because we have this IBAN code. Which is an identity of every bankaccount (so coupled on a bank AND on a person). So payment we do by our home-computer and ...it's cheap.

Paul TBO

pookeymp · « **Reply #14 on:** October 21, 2004, 01:13:46 PM »

My sister told me something interesting that happened to her using PayPal. She is a regular seller, and when one of her items sold, the buyer immediately paid by PayPal. So, she contacted the buyer and let him know she would be shipping out the item the same day. So, the item was off by FedEx, and she took the money out of her PayPal account.

Well, a day or so later when she checked her PayPal account, she saw she had a negative balance. She contacted PayPal, and they told her that the buyer retracted his payment, so they debited it from her account. So, she had to contact FedEx and have them return her shipment to her, even though it was already enroute...there was an extra fee involved for this. So now, when she is paid by PayPal, she waits a certain period (I forget what it is...but you can check with PayPal) where the buyer cannot retract his offer.

Mikey/

(Message edited by pookeymp on October 21, 2004)