AutoTrader car scam

I really don't want to buy my step-daughter a car; but I look online anyway, just to see if there are any
amazing bargains. And there it was. 2006 super beetle, convertible, perfect condition, low mileage,
convertible...selling for about 40% of market value. If I bought it, and step-daughter didn't deserve it,
I could always flip it for a profit.
Yeah, why would anyone sell a car so cheap. Well, the lad had a story; and I'll always listen to a story, and
I am a dreamer. So I go to one of my favorite sites, ScamWarner.com...and there is the lad's story, similar
enough. I'll have 5 days to inspect the car, and if not satisfied the shipping/holding company will refund my
money. ScamWarner = dream killer. Thanks again, wasn't going to lose any money, but still....he would
have wasted my time, and my hopes.

Mon, July 19, 2010 5:13:27 PMRE: AutoTrader.com Alert - Someone is interested in your 2006 Volkswagen New Beetle for sale on AutoTrader.com
From: ozs halimar <[email protected]> View Contact
To:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hello,

I am sorry but the pick up and the test drive are not available because I am not in the country.As I told you in my first e-mail, I am in United Kingdom. Before leaving I had prearranged the deal with MSN Autos so my presence isn't necessary. The car is at the shipping company in USA, ready to be delivered. The shipping cost is included in the total price of the car! You have 5 days to test it and inspect the car.So if you want to make this deal I need the following details from you:full name and address,shipping address,phone #
After I will have all this details I will forward them to MSN Autos and I will proceed the order. MSN Autos will contact you with all the details that you need to complete this deal and also to see that I am covered by them and that I am legit seller. Waiting your email with the requested details.

Thanks

Glad you did catch it before wasting your time, anyway!

In the paypal version of this scam, you would receive emails supposedly from Paypal (but in reality faked by the scammer, of course) instructing you to transfer the money (usually by WU or moneygram, not Paypal) to some special address. They would then claim that your money is in safekeeping until you inspect the car; but of course, in the end no car would ever arrive because the scammer doesn't actually have the car he is advertising--he just stole any details/photos from a real ad somewhere. The money, once picked up, is irretrievable, and the scammer himself is untraceable.

I exect that this will be the exact same scam as the paypal version, only the emails would be fake emails from MSN Autos.

And now its up to me to waste his time....turnabout is fair play. thanx again.

I've also seen this scam conducted in conjunction with a fraudulent courier website which supposedly serves as the neutral go between. You send your money to them and it stays with them for the "trial period" until you're satisfied. Of course, the scammer plays the role of the fraudulent courier as well.

@Target: Welcome here. I'm glad you spotted the scam and took the time to post about it. If you'd like to waste the time of scammers, please visit our sister site, 419Eater.com, which is devoted to scambaiting. We don't recommend messing with scammers using any of your real information or email addresses. At 419Eater you can learn how to set yourself up to do so anonymously.

okay.....car will be for my daughter, gonna be titled in her name....but for shipping
John Mathis
5555 East 8 Ave.
Hialeah, Fl. 33013
(editor's note: Heck , I was always a Johnny Mathis fan, address is police dept.)



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: ozs halimar <[email protected]>
To: Sent: Tue, July 20, 2010 4:53:08 PM
Subject: RE: AutoTrader.com Alert - Someone is interested in your 2006 Volkswagen New Beetle for sale on AutoTrader.com

Look how this works:

1. I will contact MSN Autos and give all the info about this deal.
2. They will email us the forms which are needed for our deal.
3. I will send the car to your location and you will send the money at MSN Autos.
4. After you will inspect the car and decide to keep it, MSN Autos will forward the funds to me.

If the car is not suitable for you from any reason, your money will be fully refundable and I will take the car back on my cost. I'm sure it won't be the case because it's a state of art looking and working machine. Anyway, you will have 5 days from the time you receive the car to inspect it and decide if you want to keep it or not.

If you wish to purchase it please provide me Your Full Name and Your Complete Address so I can initiate the deal through MSN Autos. Also, let me know if there's something else you need to know.

Attached please find bogus invoice from MSN Autos. I'm sorry that I could reproduce the actual multi-colored
invoice, truly a work of art with picture of the car and MSN butterfly. Hopefully if anyone searches for the
bogus seller's name, or the intended recipient of the never to be sent Western Union transaction; they will find this post, and not be scammed. Please feel free to flood the listed fax number with unpleasant faxes,
or multiple bogus western union transaction receipts. Thanx again, ScamWarners.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010 12:49 AM
From: "MSN Autos" <[email protected]>Add sender to ContactsTo:
Your AutoTrader.com Purchase Invoice #070888BMA for 2006 Volkswagen New Beetle. Please follow our instructions in order to complete this transaction successfully.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Dear John Mathis,
Congratulations! You were approved to buy on MSN Autos and AutoTrader.com from Ozs Halimar the following auto:






Item: 2006 Volkswagen New Beetle
VIN: 3VWSF31Y76M312154
Amount: $3.740.00 US
Deposit: $2,000.00 US
Remaining Balance: $1,740.00 US
Shipping: $0,00 US




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Invoice Details:
Invoice #: 070888BMA
Item: 2006 Volkswagen New Beetle
Invoice Date: July, 21, 2010
Payment details: Make the deposit to MSN Autos Representative. You can find the payment instructions at the bottom of this invoice.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Seller Information:
Full Name: Ozs Halimar
Address: 35 Reform Street, Dundee , DD1 1SH
Country: United Kingdom
Status: Approved


Buyer Information:
Full Name: John Mathis
Address: 5555 East 8 Ave,Hialeah, FL. 33013
Country: United States
Status: Approved



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



MSN Autos Protection Service - Overview:
MSN Autos & AutoTrader.com confirms that you are fully protected in the transaction with Ozs Halimar. AutoTrader.com endorse this transaction and MSN Autos Protection Service covers buyers who complete a transaction on MSN Autos and AutoTrader.com for the following types of deliberate and material misrepresentation by the seller:

Paying for a vehicle and never receiving it.
Sending a deposit for a vehicle and never receiving it (restrictions apply to non-refundable deposits).
Paying for and receiving a vehicle:

that was a stolen vehicle at the time of the transaction
with an undisclosed or unknown lien against its title
a make and/or model that is different than what was described in the seller’s listing
without receiving the title (restrictions apply)
whose title is subject to an undisclosed salvage, rebuilt, reconstructed, scrapped/destroyed, junk, lemon, or water damage title brand
that has different specifications than the ones at the moment of agreement
whose odometer reading is different than the odometer reading described by the seller (restrictions apply)
The Seller will have to start the shipping process and provide the Buyer with relevant information (i.e. tracking number) in at most 24 hours since the payment confirmation. The shipping process will not take longer than 5 business days. Upon receipt of the vehicle the Buyer will have 5 days at his disposal to perform all necessary tests on the vehicle. After the testing period is over the Buyer will have to contact MSN Autos with his agreement on purchasing or rejecting the vehicle.

Upon receipt of the Buyer's deposit, MSN Autos will notify the Seller to ship the vehicle. The Seller shall ship the vehicle to the Buyer based upon information provided by the Buyer. The Buyer Inspection Period (5 days) shall commence upon the first to occur of either:
Buyer's acknowledgement of receipt of vehicle; or
The MSN Autos receipt of verification of delivery to the Buyer's profile information via the shipper's or registrar's tracking services.
The Buyer Inspection Period shall be calculated in full calendar days, 5 days as stipulated in instructions and deposit of funds into MSN Autos Protection Service. In the event the Seller has not shipped the goods within 24 hours of notification by MSN Autos (through its email) the Buyer may request a refund and MSN Autos will do so after notifying both parties. Unless the parties agree otherwise, the Seller is responsible for any duties (shipping fees)

During the Buyer Inspection Period, the Buyer shall either:
Accept the vehicle, and follow further instructions accordingly to complete the purchase of the vehicle. The Buyer will have to transfer the remaining balance to MSN Autos ( if there is a remaining amount to be paid ) and give consent so that we pay the full amount of the car to the Seller, less the costs of expedite fees ; or
Reject the vehicle and follow any further instructions to complete the rejection of the vehicle. MSN Autos will then begin the process of disbursing the funds at Close of Transaction. During the Buyer Inspection Period, Buyer may reject for any reason and follow all other instructions to properly reject the vehicle. Upon such rejection, MSN Autos will send to the Seller an email stating Buyer's decision to reject and return the vehicle; and Buyer agrees to promptly ship goods to Seller within ten (10) calendar days of formal rejection and insure, at Seller's expense, the auto to the place designated by the Seller in the Seller's profile.
Should you need a refund for this transaction, it will be sent to your bank account, or by check or money order. The way you are refunded is at your choice. You have 30 days from the above verification date to request a refund. Refund requests are processed within 24 hours.



Payment Instructions:
MSN Autos Protection Service guarantees to its customers full safety for their transaction by collecting, holding and disputing funds according to the Buyer and the Seller instructions.
To enjoy the purchase protection you must submit payment by Western Union wire transfer to our MSN Autos Representative in charge of this transaction.
Sending payment by any other method of payment or directly to the seller will void this transaction and your right to refund

Payment Instructions



How to send the payment:
Send the payment by Western Union wire transfer using MSN Autos Representative's details found below.

Name: Jorja Pedder
Address: 165 West Nile Street , G1 2RL Glasgow , United Kingdom


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

How to complete and confirm the payment:

The payment must be sent by Western Union to our MSN Autos Representative in charge of this transaction.
After the payment is complete email to MSN Autos Customer Support the following payment information:
MTCN # 10 digits number from the payment receipt

Sender's Name and Address

Receiver's Name and Address

Total Amount Sent
Fax* the copy of Western Union receipt to MSN Autos Department at: 1+(206)-338-0421


* Once we receive the payment confirmation, we will instruct the seller to start the shipping process. We will hold the payment details until you send us your confirmation that you are satisfied with the product you received. As soon as we receive your confirmation we will release the payment details to the seller.






NOTICE: The MSN Autos Protection Service protects your vehicle purchase against fraud and material misrepresentation. This program is
provided by MSN Autos for free on all eligible transactions completed on MSN Autos & AutoTrader.com. Your vehicle purchase is protected for up to $50,000 or the vehicle purchase price, whichever is lower.

If you have any questions or need assistance regarding your purchase please don't hesitate to contact us by email at our email address: [email protected]







Thank you for using our service,
Protection Service Department
MSN Autos.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi there,

Could you please post/PM/mail the headers of the mail coming from msn-autos-sales.com? If you post them in public, don't forget to remove your personal email data. I will need those headers to get the domain closed down

If you are unsure how to retrieve headers, please ask, tell us which provider you are using (gmail, yahoo, hotmail..) and one of our support members will be glad to explain you how.

Hi. I am very thankful for you all and this website. I have also been looking for a good used vehicle and found an offer on autotrader.com for and impecable 2007 jeep grand cherokee srt-8 for 3500$. Just new it was too good to be true but had to make sure it wasn't some wife made her soon to be ex who's selling stuff dirt cheap. I hear this story come true for lucky people all the time. Any way, needles to say the hopeful situation is not the reality in this case. Exact same scam though, being put on by an alias of Jonathon Makeronny (maceroni noodle, I'm sure. Probably bears a reseblance somewhere somehow.) Exact same wording in emails as the ones you all have exampled. Thanks again!

Welcome to Scamwarners. Scammers do use the same scripts, and the divorced wife selling off goods cheap is one of them.

I inquiried about a motorhome for sale.
Hi ,
As I told you in my first email, I recently got divorced. The bus is already at the shipping company in CT, sealed and ready for the shipping. My presence won't be necessary because I prearranged the deal with MSN Autos. The deal includes free delivery and it will arrive at your address in 3 days. You will have 5 days to try out prior to making any purchase and if by any reason you find something you don't like about it you can send it back at my expense.
If you are interested in knowing more info about how it works, I can ask MSN Autos to send you an email with more information on how to purchase it. MSN Autos will contact you shortly after they have the details with all the information that you need to complete this deal and you will also have proof that I am covered by them and a legitimate seller. If you would like to receive the email from MSN Autos will all the transaction information please reply with your full name and your shipping address and they will contact you right away.




??Your MSN Autos Purchase Invoice #156579918 for 2011 Tiffin Allegro Bus ??MSN Autos Dec 2 at 10:19 [email protected],
Your MSN Autos Purchase Invoice #156579918 for 2011 Tiffin Allegro Bus. Please follow our instructions in order to complete this transaction successfully.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Dear
Congratulations! You were approved to buy on MSN Autos from Lorena Fox the following auto:




Item: 2011 Tiffin Allegro B
Buy it Now Price: $15,000.00 US
Deposit: $5,000.00 US

Shipping: $0.00 US




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Invoice Details:
Invoice #: 156579918
Item: 2011 Tiffin Allegro Bus
Invoice Date: Monday, Dec 02, 2013
Payment details: Make the deposit to MSN Autos Representative. You can find the payment instructions at the bottom of this invoice.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Seller Information:
Full Name: Lorena Fox
Address: 142 Mitseon Street, Athens, 11742
Country: Greec
Status: Approved


Buyer Information: Full Name:
Address:
Country: United States
Status: Approved



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



MSN Autos Protection Service - Overview:
MSN Autos confirms that you are fully protected in the transaction with Lorena Fox. MSN Autos endorse this transaction and MSN Autos Protection Service covers buyers who complete a transaction on MSN Autos for the following types of deliberate and material misrepresentation by the seller:

Paying for a vehicle and never receiving it.
Sending a deposit for a vehicle and never receiving it (restrictions apply to non-refundable deposits).
Paying for and receiving a vehicle:

•that was a stolen vehicle at the time of the transaction
•with an undisclosed or unknown lien against its title
•a make and/or model that is different than what was described in the seller’s listing
•without receiving the title (restrictions apply)
•whose title is subject to an undisclosed salvage, rebuilt, reconstructed, scrapped/destroyed, junk, lemon, or water damage title brand
•that has different specifications than the ones at the moment of agreement
•whose odometer reading is different than the odometer reading described by the seller (restrictions apply)
The Seller will have to start the shipping process and provide the Buyer with relevant information (i.e. tracking number) in at most 24 hours since the payment confirmation. The shipping process will not take longer than 5 business days. Upon receipt of the vehicle the Buyer will have 5 days at his disposal to perform all necessary tests on the vehicle. After the testing period is over the Buyer will have to contact MSN Autos with his agreement on purchasing or rejecting the vehicle.
Upon receipt of the Buyer's deposit, MSN Autos will notify the Seller to ship the vehicle. The Seller shall ship the vehicle to the Buyer based upon information provided by the Buyer. The Buyer Inspection Period (5 days) shall commence upon the first to occur of either:
1.Buyer's acknowledgement of receipt of vehicle; or
2.The MSN Autos receipt of verification of delivery to the Buyer's profile information via the shipper's or registrar's tracking services.
The Buyer Inspection Period shall be calculated in full calendar days, 5 days as stipulated in instructions and deposit of funds into MSN Autos Protection Service. In the event the Seller has not shipped the goods within 24 hours of notification by MSN Autos (through its email) the Buyer may request a refund and MSN Autos will do so after notifying both parties.Unless the parties agree otherwise, the Seller is responsible for any duties (shipping fees)

During the Buyer Inspection Period, the Buyer shall either:
1.Accept the vehicle, and follow further instructions accordingly to complete the purchase of the vehicle. The Buyer will have to transfer the remaining balance to MSN Autos ( if there is a remaining amount to be paid ) and give consent so that we pay the full amount of the car to the Seller, less the costs of expedite fees ; or
2.Reject the vehicle and follow any further instructions to complete the rejection of the vehicle. MSN Autos will then begin the process of disbursing the funds at Close of Transaction. During the Buyer Inspection Period, Buyer may reject for any reason and follow all other instructions to properly reject the vehicle. Upon such rejection, MSN Autos will send to the Seller an email stating Buyer's decision to reject and return the vehicle; and Buyer agrees to promptly ship goods to Seller within ten (10) calendar days of formal rejection and insure, at Seller's expense, the auto to the place designated by the Seller in the Seller's profile.
Should you need a refund for this transaction, it will be sent to your bank account, or by check or money order. The way you are refunded is at your choice. You have 30 days from the above verification date to request a refund. Refund requests are processed within 24 hours.



Payment Instructions:
MSN Autos Protection Service guarantees to its customers full safety for their transaction by collecting, holding and disputing funds according to the Buyer and the Seller instructions.
To enjoy the purchase protection you must submit payment by bank account to our MSN Autos Representative in charge of this transaction.
Sending payment by any other method of payment or directly to the seller will void this transaction and your right to refund
Payment Instructions:


How to send the payment:
Send the payment by Bank Account using MSN Autos Representative's details found below.

Beneficiary Name: Floare Ion

Beneficiary Address: Ionias-18, Athens - Greece

Bank Name: National Bank of Greece

Bank Adress: Kifisias Branch Athens Greece

I.B.A.N : GR17 0110 0990 0000 0996 2445 210

SWIFT CODE: ETHNGRAA



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

How to complete and confirm the payment:

The payment must be sent by Bank Account to our MSN Autos Representative in charge of this transaction.
After the payment is complete email to MSN Autos Department the following payment information:
•The Bank receipts and documents in order to can confirm the payment validity
To confirm the payment we need the receipts scaned
* Once we receive the payment confirmation, we will instruct the seller to start the shipping process. We will hold the payment details until you send us your confirmation that you are satisfied with the product you received. As soon as we receive your confirmation we will release the payment details to the seller.







NOTICE: The MSN Autos Protection Service protects your vehicle purchase against fraud and material misrepresentation. This program is
provided by MSN Autos for free on all eligible transactions completed on MSN Autos. Your vehicle purchase is protected for up to $50,000 or the vehicle purchase price, whichever is lower.

If you have any questions or need assistance regarding your purchase please don't hesitate to contact us by email at our email address:
[email protected]





Thank you for using our service,
Protection Service Department
MSN Autos Inc.

It's a scam. MSN Autos wouldn't use an email address ending in consultant.com or a bank account of an individual.