by AutoLover
Thu Jan 08, 2009 10:22 pm
I have just joined as I recently realized the need for this sort of activity. In the past I just assumed, I was safe, so the rest of the world is not my worry and after all if they are that stupid, then its just Darwin's theory being demonstrated and it helps to clean out the gene pool. But I now realize that there are some that get scammed while just trying to be helpful.
I have been approached hundreds of times on the 419 scam and just erased them. But on two occasions recently I have had people try to scam me on car purchases. I am a collector and on two occasions scams came my way by way of EBay. In both cases they had offered something on EBay and as soon as I responded with a request for more information the auction disappeared from EBay and I found I was dealing with them directly but no evidence could be found that there was ever an offer on EBay. It was almost instantaneously erased from EBay.
In both cases it was a deal too good to believe, once it was a $125,000 car for $9,000 and free shipping offered by a grief stricken brother that couldnt stand to look at his brothers museum quality XKE Roadster after the brother was killed in a motorcycle accident.. The other was a $15,000 car for $3,000 offered by a widdow and two hungry children in Las Vegas. Again it was offered with free shipping.
In the first instance he offered to ship it by truck from Hawaii to Texas.....sure would have hated to see that Jag get soaked in salt water so I declined. In the second case she offered to ship from Las Vegas to Texas for free (a $5000 value) and sell me the car for $3000. I felt sorry for the two kids so I declined the offer that would have taken $2000 out of her bank account...
Both had two things in common. They wanted to do the transaction through EBay so that I would be fully protected. Both wanted me to send money to an "EBay Agent", one was in Stockholm ! !. Of course EBay was in no way connected to the scams and after stringing along the guy with the Jag long enough, EBay was able to shut him down.
The second thing in common was the Free Shipping.
I have been approached hundreds of times on the 419 scam and just erased them. But on two occasions recently I have had people try to scam me on car purchases. I am a collector and on two occasions scams came my way by way of EBay. In both cases they had offered something on EBay and as soon as I responded with a request for more information the auction disappeared from EBay and I found I was dealing with them directly but no evidence could be found that there was ever an offer on EBay. It was almost instantaneously erased from EBay.
In both cases it was a deal too good to believe, once it was a $125,000 car for $9,000 and free shipping offered by a grief stricken brother that couldnt stand to look at his brothers museum quality XKE Roadster after the brother was killed in a motorcycle accident.. The other was a $15,000 car for $3,000 offered by a widdow and two hungry children in Las Vegas. Again it was offered with free shipping.
In the first instance he offered to ship it by truck from Hawaii to Texas.....sure would have hated to see that Jag get soaked in salt water so I declined. In the second case she offered to ship from Las Vegas to Texas for free (a $5000 value) and sell me the car for $3000. I felt sorry for the two kids so I declined the offer that would have taken $2000 out of her bank account...
Both had two things in common. They wanted to do the transaction through EBay so that I would be fully protected. Both wanted me to send money to an "EBay Agent", one was in Stockholm ! !. Of course EBay was in no way connected to the scams and after stringing along the guy with the Jag long enough, EBay was able to shut him down.
The second thing in common was the Free Shipping.
