potential property scam?

I am posting this as Im sure it is an attempt by a scammer! I received this email in reply to a property for sal notice posted on a website.


WANT TO BUY YOUR PROPERTY?
12:48
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Hide details Gamji Nzi
From: Gamji Nzi ([email protected])
Sent: 09 March 2011 12:48:46
To:


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Dear Owner

I am Gamji Nzi Director of GLOBAL BOUTIQUE PLAZA from Ivory Coast I am contacting you with the aim of purchase your property offer for Sale base on your advert in internet send a return email to me base on this condition before acceptance below

- Best price of property offer
- Enquiries about the property offer
- More Photos
- Do you have the approved Document that covers this property offer as an owner?
- Do you accepts Wire Transfer as a method of payment after negotiations before arranging on how to come to your country

I am looking forward to hearing from you with regards to my request before taking to the next step of business,

Best Regards,

Gamji Nzi
Office Addressed:
Co Cody Close District
4C 01 BP 412 Abidjan 01
Tel: (+225) 48-32-88-16
There is the photo attached to the email which I am trying to figure out how to send!

FC

You are correct to be suspicious fried chicken.

He may not actually be intending to steal money from you, though if he feels he has a chance, he won't hesitate.

I suspect it's more likely that he's after

- More Photos
- Do you have the approved Document that covers this property offer as an owner?

......which would enable him to more credibly start making himself out to be owner of your property and begin negotiating deals to sell it. It might not lose you cash directly, but you could end up involved in terrible problems.

One thing scammers prize above everything is official documents and the document itself could probably be sold to other scammers looking to set up high value scams.

He's suggesting that he's going to make a single cash payment, and by doing that he's hoping that your excitement will override you caution. Unfortunately he's too stupid to understand how unlikely that is, especially as he doesn't appear to even know if he can get a visa to travel to the USA.

Would you buy a property without ever viewing it ?

Ask him to make an appointment, when you'll be delighted to let him view documentation establishing proof of ownership which he will be able to establish formally through his US attorney. Tell him you wouldn't wish to do anything that could make him make a rash and unwise decision as you have no intention of taking advantage of him.

It's idiotic for someone from Africa to think it's plausible for them to think of buying a property off the internet like this. The first step is to engage a local US lawyer or property company as the legal system and formalites are going to be very different to anything he knows.

I have little doubt he's a scammer looking to get documents off you that he can use in scams. Be nice, but send him nothing.

Im in the Uk so maybe I should tell him to engage a US lawyer! That would really muddy his waters!
Thanks
Gomer!

You're in the UK.

I'm much more familiar with the UK conveyancing progress and spent some time involved in it for a major UK bank.

He clearly hasn't a clue about the UK process or he'd know that he could do a search himself on HM Land Registry for a couple of pounds. Anyone can do it, even scammers (if they've got a valid payment card ) but they won't get anything valuable or useful in a scam.

It's quite amusing to see a 419 scammer struggling with the concept of property deeds. Of course most property doesn't have any deeds. The only person a scammer can scam over UK property purchase is someone as daft as themselves.

If he were a credible purchaser, his UK solicitor would make the required searches and enquiries.