I just got an email from a guy who wants to buy my car and import it to West Africa. He said he'll pay me through cashiers check and have someone pick the car up. I'm a little leary about this and I'd like to know if anyone has heard of this before.

 

Thanks!

 

p.s. here's the email that was sent to me:

 

Hello,

I saw your advert via the internet and i am interested in the purchase of the Subaru which is $2500,I am a business man in West-Africa who is into importation,I have a local shipper that takes care of my shipping so shipping is no problem, as soon as the transaction is completed my shipper will come to pick it up.my only request is if you will accept a cashier check drawn in American Bank, So if this is ok by you,Kindly let me know your last price offer via email and forward me your phone number.

Expecting your urgent response

Thanks

Hugo

This is a scam. DO NOT EVEN REPLY TO THE EMAIL! Bad mojo will result from this. It has been found that the cashiers check are usually forged and you will be out your car and whatever.

 

A guy on the news just fell for this type of scam.

Sounds fishy but hey, If he sends a check and you cash it with no problems then it sounds good to me. ALWAYS make sure you got your money first. And NEVER give your account #. Money order/cashier's checks work best when dealing with strangers.

Actually, I'd like to see the car go to a Subaru enthusiast or at least someone who can appreciate the mods I've done. But if he's willing to pay my price...

 

Need some guidance here.

This is a SCAM, others on the board have gotten the same thing.

 

You will lose the car, and additional money. I forget the specifics, but they aren't good. The money order is a fake, and by the time it gets found out, you are screwed.

 

Do a search for "africa" in the OT forum.

Yupper.. Scam all the way.

Here's how the scam works...

 

Say you sell the car for $2500. The guy in "Africa" sends you a bogus cashier's check for $3500. You go ahead and deposit it. Then he writes back and says, oops, we made a mistake and sent you an extra $1000. Please send us a cashier's check for $1000 to cover the difference when you send us the title to the car. So... you go ahead and send them a REAL cashier's check for $1000.

 

About this point the bank realizes the first cashier's check was bogus, and pulls the money back out of your account.

 

Meanwhile this guy has the legal rights to your car and $1000 of your money.

 

 

There's so many of these scams going around, I won't sell a car to anyone who doesn't pay me in person; unless it's either someone I trust from here or someone who pays in cash or certified postal money orders. You just can't be too careful.

 

What's the email address that that came from? If it's a US address, you can forward it to your local police department.

I got one of those for my Impreza and I sent it straight to Uncle Sam Let the boys in the FBI deal with em

Thanks for the replies. I was sure it was a scam, but I wanted to know if anyoe here ever got the same thing.

 

The email address is a yahoo acount... does that mean it orginated in the states?

Call him and offer to meet him at a location to make the deal. When he arrives you and your associates beat him within an inch of his life.

We ship all over the world, and although I haven't seen this particular scam before, the terminology in the email would sure make me suspect it:

 

No return phone number, address, full name, etc.

Doesn't even tell you what country, just "West Africa"

"an American Bank"??? Most international stuff is either by credit card or wire transfers

If he truly imports, the term would be "freight broker" or "freight forwarder"

 

If the guy is willing to do a wire transfer or American Express M/O, it may be legit, but it sure doesn't sound like it to me!

 

Emily

http://www.ccrengines.com

i had a guy who was in west africa too and he told me he was a importer (africa foods) but i did not do deals with him i was told from other guys not to do this, he told me the same thing that he would have someone to stop by and pick up the item , am glad i did not do this with him

This has been going around a while.

 

http://www.specialstage.com/forum/cgi-bin/DCForumID14/955.html

 

josh

I agree with subarubrat... but I'll go even more non P.C.

 

Just kick the bastard in the nuts!

 

Rock on!

T.J.

Play the guys game, if he wants the car he will be legit with you.

"Local shipper" find out with a call to your Better Business Bureau and find out about them. If the shipper is legit they would have an account with the african business man. Offer to wait while he transfers the payment to the shipper's account . You go to the local shipper's bank and cash his check at his local bank or request cash from the shipper.

I have been hounded to death with this scam lately! I've been trying to sell a garden tractor puller we built. I've been offered as much as 6500 bucks for this thing (only asking 2400)! I even had a guy call me through a "translator". I don't know who I'm more POed at, the scammers or the FBI. I've forwarded every e-mail to them, at least 15 by now, and I haven't heard a word. I can't believe it's spreading this far. I've been trying to figure out a way I could take their money and keep it for myself. It would be the ultimate payback for the crooks!

Wht doesn't someone here just buy my car?