If you buy eletronic goods off the internet from people you have never heard of you're going to get ripped off, and that's a certainty.
There's a thread on this forum where we've detected hundreds of fake websites set up by just one scam gang and there are thousands of scammers flooding the internet with spam offering fantastic deals on goods they'll never send out.
Here's a reply I received from one of these idiots in reply to an enquiry I made.
Hello,
We have confirmed your order and your address,Yes the Apple Iphone 4G means one of the product of Apple and you requestered from us and you ordering for 4UNIT and you will get 2UNIT free making 6UNIT okay..
4UNIT OF BRAND NEW APPLE IPHONE 4G 32GB WITH COMPLETE FULL ACCESSORIES......
To be shipped to Resident.
[My fake personal details removed]
Shipment by :: DHL...
Deivery time ::: 48 hours
Our payment method is by western union money transfer,and we ship out after we confirm your payment details ok...So kindly go now and make the payment so that we can shipout your package and get it on Friday morning
PAYMENT DETAILS...
RECEIVERS NAME: PATRICIA GUNTER
ADDRESS: 4350 Shaw dr,
CITY: Tuscaloosa
STATE: Alabama
COUNTRY: USA
ZIP CODE: 35404
Amount : .........$1,650usd
Kindly go and send the payment so we can ship out to you, because we will have to confirm your payment before we could ship out..
As soon you make the payment, you kindly send us some details ..
1.SENDERS NAME
2.MTCN (10 DIGIT Control Numbers)
3 SENDERS COUNTRY?
4. SCAN copy of the receipt.
5.Amount Sent:$1,650usd
Once we confirm your payment we will ship your order immediately and then send you details such as ..
1.Tracking codes
2.Air way Bill
3.Commercial Reception
4.BOL (bill)
5.Commercial Invoice review order.
We therefore expect the payment details ..
Hope to establish long term business partner relationship with you and our company.
Regards and God bless
Sales Manager
This is from a professional group of scammers, undoubtedly based in Africa from the style, working from internet cafes backed up with fake websites and mass mailings, massive forum spamming and use of free advertising sites. Yet they are clueless about how to actually send out an item by mail.
Clearly they've never done it.
The details they promise to send me are pathetic drivel that don't make sense to anyone who knows anything about shipping goods - which clearly they don't - and notice that they want payment by Western Union - the clincher.