[email protected] - Car scam, Mini Cooper S,on 'Locanto'

I found an offer too good to be true while doing a google search for a Mini (we are looking to buy a Mini Cooper) The search results lead me to the Locanto site in the Wellington region with a Mini Cooper S for $6000! There was limited info. on the car or seller so I chose 'contact seller' option asking for more details and if car was still for sale. I got this reply emailed to me,

Hello,

The price is $6000. The car looks and runs great. I am selling the car so cheap because I am in United Kingdom with my job and I am going through a divorce. I am a VerifiedTrader so the transaction will be done through eBay. If you're ready for this purchase, I need to know your full name and address, as soon as I have them I will start the official procedure, and eBay will notify you about this. eBay will send you an Invoice with all the info you will need to complete the transaction. Also a 10 days refund policy will be included so if you will not like the car you will receive your money back. Thanks

I was very scepticle, especially how much he was trying to rush the trade and his email looked dodgy. So I replied:

Hi there,

We are very interested in the car. Where is the car located, New Zealand I am guessing? We would need to view the car before making any purchase, that's all. Is there anything at all wrong with the vehicle? It has warrant and registration? Never any problems with it? Regularly serviced?

Thanks

To which he/she replied...

Hi there,

Sorry you cannot see the car because I am not in the country but a 10 days refund policy will be included so if you will not like the car you will receive your money back. The car will be delivered to your home address after you will complete the payment. Delivery time will be 2 days. I will pay the delivery fees so you dont need to worry. It comes with RWC, 8 months rego, keys, logbooks, clear title, full service plan and all the papers signed so you can easy transfer the car on your name. I owe no money on the car as I paid cash for it. I have two more persons interested in buying the car so please send me your full name and address if you are ready to buy it. Thank you!

To which I replied...

Hi there, I understand you are not in the country but the car must be? Sorry I hope you understand but we are very weary of handing over cash to a stranger without recieving car at the same time, we would prefer picking up the car if we were to purchase. Without offence, it is very tricky these days with the high ammount of internet scams etc Could I please have your ebay user name and full name also to check credentials? I hope you understand. Also if not possible to view car (although I am sure my husband will tell me we can't purchase a car without more information haha) could we have the phone number of somebody in New Zealand we could speak to about the car?

Thankyou for your help,
Morgan

I then, becoming very suspicious, googled his/her email adress which lead me to this site! I can see he/she has pulled this line on many people - even about 'being divorced' etc!
Thankyou for this website!

Welcome to ScamWarners morgan123, we are pleased that our site helped you confirm that you were dealing with a scammer. Thank you for posting more of the story the scammer used on you. We hope you will stay around and help expose other scams too.

Hi, there. I'm new to this website, but I'm very happy I found it. When I saw these messages I immediately registered because the same guy was answering the same things to me, re a Toyota Yaris in Pretoria, South Africa. I got very suspicious as, just like you, I didn't want to give money before seeing the car to someone I didn't know. So, I just googled his email address and came straight to this forum. Very glad I found it. I wouldn't buy the car anyway, but at least now I'm 100% sure it's fraud. Thank you!

The same person is running the following add In south africa
He use Cell and Tel that does not exist so you must email him, he also goes under niekerk@hotmail.

Posted on Apr 13, 2011 | Hits: 51 | Stock No: #0173
R44,000.00
Share Add to favorites Print Report Offensive Ad Province: Free State City: Welkom
Hull:
2004 Model
Bow rider
Lots of storage under seats
Storage compartment in dash
Cushioned bow & stern seats
Step platform with boarding ladder
Walk thru windscreen
Built-in fuel tank
Two stroke reservoir in stern
Motor
225hp Mercury 2-Stroke
Electric start
Trim and Tilt
Autolube
Electronic Fuel Injection
Engine has 122 hours on it
Extras
Boat cover
Stainless Steel roll bar with ski ball
Stainless Steel bow rails
Cup holders
Dual batteries
Switch panel
Nav. lights
Gauges
Anchor light
Radio/CD with four speakers
Trailer
Galvanized double axle trailer
Braked

Email contact: [email protected]

Email receive from him
Hello,

The price is R44,000. The boat looks and runs great. I am selling the boat so cheap because I am in United Kingdom with my new job and I just finished a divorce. I am a VerifiedTrader so the transaction will be done through eBay. If you're ready for this purchase, I need to know your full name and address, as soon as I have them I will start the official procedure, and eBay will notify you about this. eBay will send you an Invoice with all the info you will need to complete the transaction. Also a 10 days refund policy will be included so if you will not like the boat you will receive your money back. Thanks
Second email
Hi there,

Sorry you cannot see the boat because I am not in the country but a 10 days refund policy will be included so if you will not like the boat you will receive your money back. The boat will be delivered to your home address after you will complete the payment. Delivery time will be 2 days. It comes with insurance, keys, clear title, valid license, full revision and all the papers signed so you can easy transfer the boat on your name. All the costs will be paid by me. I don't have a outstanding amount on the boat at a bank or financial agency as I paid cash for it. I have two more persons interested in buying the boat so please send me your full name and address if you are ready to buy it. Thank you!
Third email

But a 10 days refund policy will be included so if you will not like the boat you will receive your money back.

I thing was a mistake here because the guy is not a scam, I bought that Mini and is like new. The Mini is with me now and runs perfect. Just letting you know all. Thank you!!!

Mod note: This post was made by the scammer who wants to convince you that he is real so you will fall for his scam.

Close the door on your way out, scammer.

It was particularly nice that the scammer reported the post so it could be found easily! Please scammers do report posts about your scams as BS so we can find you easier.

Seems like a busy little bugger.

The latest one is for a Mitsubishi campervan.
Same story re: moved to the U.K. and going through a divorce.

All the bells and whistles for a ridiculously cheap price, but not able to produce the vehicle for a test-drive.
Googled the email address and up popped "scamwarners".

A revised contact email address is : [email protected]

Silly boy !!!

Posting this on behalf of someone that doesn't want to register but does want to share:

He / she / it is so stupid that there is no personalized reply even.....the same thing over and over. Poor thing going through a divorce so many times - shame man. PLEASE LOOK OUT - the bargain of the day is a Toyota Yaris!!!!! JUDI "The price is R30,000. The car looks and runs great. I am selling the car so cheap because I am in United Kingdom with my new job and I just finished a divorce. I am a VerifiedTrader so the transaction will be done through eBay. If you're ready for this purchase, I need to know your full name and address, as soon as I have them I will start the official procedure, and eBay will notify you about this. eBay will send you an Invoice with all the info you will need to complete the transaction. Also a 10 days refund policy will be included so if you will not like the car you will receive your money back. Thanks"

he is at it again in the junk mail he is selling a honda gold wing and has the same MO

got an email from him saying this

Hello,

The price is R20,000. The bike looks and runs great. I am selling the bike so cheap because I am in United Kingdom with my new job and I just finished a divorce. I am a VerifiedTrader so the transaction will be done through eBay. If you're ready for this purchase, I need to know your full name and address, as soon as I have them I will start the official procedure, and eBay will notify you about this. eBay will send you an Invoice with all the info you will need to complete the transaction. Also a 10 days refund policy will be included so if you will not like the bike you will receive your money back. Thanks

which is awfully similar to all the others before

Welcome to Scamwarners, and thanks for the report. Scammers share and steal each others scripts, so it may or may not be the same scammer. Not that it really matters.

[email protected] to me
show details 4:00 PM (31 minutes ago)

Hi there,

I am a lady and sorry you cannot see the car because I am not in the country but a 10 days refund policy will be included so if you will not like the car you will receive your money back. The car will be delivered to your home address after you will complete the payment. Delivery time will be 2 days. It comes with insurance, RWC, keys, logbooks, clear title, full service plan and all the papers signed so you can easy transfer the car on your name. All the costs will be paid by me. I don't have a outstanding amount on the car at a bank or financial agency as I paid cash for it. Ok... I got the info I will forward it to eBay to start the transaction as soon as possible. Please read eBay instruction very good. Please Let me know if you have received the invoice from eBay. I will wait your email asap.

Thank you!

Pleasantly Blue to multejucari12
show details 4:18 PM (14 minutes ago)

Hi there,

I see like all woman you took your guy to the cleaners, a Land Rover TD5, a mini cooper s, a bow rider boat with a 225 Hp two stroke motor, etc. and all these gems for 25000, 6000 and 44000. So for the interest in all men being shafted and their money being drafted by scamming and scheming wife’s I think I do not want your land Rover TD5, if you where more loving and less greedy I might have sent you the money just for the hell of it!

Thank you for your time and,

Kind regards,

Idiotikos Moroniatos

Greece