What is this scam?

[xant14]

i have been looking for a LHD car for a little while, and trawl the usual sites looking for bargains.
Twice I have had this reply from a bargain, this one supposedly from Germany, the last one, almost exactally the same but from Italy.
Copy and pasted letter...

Robert Gaw [email protected]

3:20 AM (6 hours ago)

to me
Good day,

I am writing you regarding the: 2003 Audi A4 1.9TDI estate, Diesel, 89090 Miles ?3100 Lhd.
It is in perfect condition inside and outside as well,never been implicated in accidents.I never smoke in it and i want to sell it to a serious person. The car is located in Luton/United Kingdom.
The price that i'm asking for the car is: ?3100.The car is registed in UK and got MOT,TAX and full service history.
Now i am located in Germany with my bussines and i have nobody in United Kingdom that could show you the car. I need to come personal to meet you and present the car.
Feew weeks ago a buyer told me that he'll buy the car, so we must meet in United Kingdom.I came to United Kingdom because I trusted his word, but when I arrived i call him and no answer, so I lost money and precious time on his promise.I don't want to ask you to send me any money in advance, I just want to see that you are a serious buyer.I will come only for a serious deal. If you don't want to buy it after you will inspect it, no problem, but I need to be sure that you will be there.
To be sure that you are real and serious, here is what I propose:
1. The service name that we'll use is Western Union transfers.You will find Western Union agency at all the Shops in your city and you will go there with your best friend or your wife.Your wife or your friend (relative) will be the sender of the money and you will be the receiver in Luton.
2. So your wife or your friend will send ?3100 to your name in Luton.Is enough for me too see that I have a interested buyer. (I will pay the Western Union fees when we will meet).
3. Only you can pick up the money from Luton, so this is no risk on your side.
4. Once the money is sent, you will have to scann the paper from Western Union and email my.In this way you proof my that you have the money for my car and that you come to Luton to take your money back and see my car.
5. In the same day I will buy the flight ticket and I will email you the scanned ticket.(We will verify the car with a mechanical service and at police to. I also accept any test)
6. We will meet in Luton and we will finish the deal.
If you don't want to buy the car I will pay for your transport.I assure you that you will love this car and you will buy it. It is in perfect conditions.
I repeat: You must understand that you will not send the money to me.You will be the receiver of the money and only you can pick the money from Western Union only in Luton.
If you are still interested to make the deal with me please reply me or call me.
Please don't spend my time with endless disscutions,or pure curiosity.
My UK phone number is:07548 050428.
Thank you for contacting me and hope you understand my point of view!!!
My Name is: Robert Gaw.
Phone number:07548 050428.


Almost the same, word for word as another that I had emailed, so it has got to be dodgy, just thought I would post it see what you think about it, and wondering how they will make money from this.

[Shady]

Western Union is used in a lot of these scams.. it always flags up whenever i see that way to pay... i dont know how they scam you, but anybody prepared to travel from der vaterland to england for a car deal in such a way, smacks of either / or desperation to get rid of car or a scam

[ChelseaBun]

have no idea in what way they would scam you, but 3 grand doesnt sound like too much, i imagine there would be 'complications' at their end gettin a plane ticket and they'd tell you just to put money into their account in some way or another.

set up a fake email and reply back and see where it leads

[digilox]

This is a well known scam ... the car is always in the UK but for some strange reason the owners have always had to go abroad to work / sick mother/ daughter in hospital etc etc.


DO NOT TOUCH IT WITH A BARGE POLE !

[garry1312]

Total scam but as bun said setup a email address mail them back and wind them up let them think that they have a chance of scamming you.

Used to email them back and wind them up it could go on for sometime, always make excuses why you cant pay, make them think that you are off to pay it then come back with some excuse that something happened play them at there own game have some fun with this crook

[Grizz]

you will go there with your best friend or your wife.Your wife or your friend (relative) will be the sender of the money and you will be the receiver in Luton.
2. So your wife or your friend will send ?3100 to your name in Luton.Is enough for me too see that I have a interested buyer. (I will pay the Western Union fees when we will meet).

COLLECT THE MONEY FROM WU OR YOUR FRIEND GETS IT!




go on to a scambait sites and make up a WU receipt and troll the ~~~~er.

[garry1312]

and post the results here .

I'd love to see a scambait section on DK.... maybe a idea for a new thread. Would such a thread be tolerated admin?

[xant14]

Had an email from Autotrader..

Louisa Brown [email protected]
Feb 24 (2 days ago)
to undisclosed recipients

Dear Customer



Our records show that you have recently been in contact with the seller of a Audi A4 for ?3100.



We are writing to advise you that this advert has been removed from our website as we have concerns in regard to the adverts authenticity.

[Cod3waX]

sounds like they take a pic of the car list it and when some1 defo wants it they go steal it

[super jumbe]

The biggest scam I have found is paypal

When you sell items in ebay, paypal do not put money in your chosen account and when you ask paypal to give you your money you get a slap on your face, they will turn round and say you were trying to use some else account therefore we have disabled your account.

I would like a paypal manager to answer why they use this sort of scam? (Not trusted) and paypal is not a bank, be aware!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[gc1966]

The biggest scam I have found is paypal

When you sell items in ebay, paypal do not put money in your chosen account and when you ask paypal to give you your money you get a slap on your face, they will turn round and say you were trying to use some else account therefore we have disabled your account.

I would like a paypal manager to answer why they use this sort of scam? (Not trusted) and paypal is not a bank, be aware!!!!!!!!!!!!!

slightly misleading statement there sj
when you sell the payments sits in your paypal account

when you want access to your funds you not they transfer it from your paypal account to your designated bank or building society account.

in times of dispute paypal only suspend the transaction payment under review not the whole account.

[thered]

The biggest scam I have found is paypal

When you sell items in ebay, paypal do not put money in your chosen account and when you ask paypal to give you your money you get a slap on your face, they will turn round and say you were trying to use some else account therefore we have disabled your account.

I would like a paypal manager to answer why they use this sort of scam? (Not trusted) and paypal is not a bank, be aware!!!!!!!!!!!!!

not a fan of paypal m8 are you ??

[super jumbe]

Originally Posted by gc1966
slightly misleading statement there sj
when you sell the payments sits in your paypal account

when you want access to your funds you not they transfer it from your paypal account to your designated bank or building society account.

in times of dispute paypal only suspend the transaction payment under review not the whole account.




gc1966 I am not talking about the access mate or any dispute concerning an item sold.

For example I have account with paypal running, at the same time I sold an item in ebay for ?100.00, the buyer paid the money towards the goods to paypal, I have been given a green light to send the item to the buyer and after a week no dispute with the buyer, paypal will take your money instead of depositing in your only running account.

When you ask paypal for your money they turn around and say we stop your payment because you were trying to take the money into deferent account.

Which ~~~~ing deferent account?

Answer if any transaction is not paid into your designated account paypal account; I can not see why any one will have to bother using paypal as a middle man to sell items when you are not going to get paid??..

May be you should write to paypal why they use this kind of scam!!!!!!!!!!!!!?????

[gc1966]

sj

i am having difficulty deciphering your post

you say you have a paypal account,sold something on ebay for ?100,buyer paid monies into your designated paypal account,received e mail stating funds had cleared and given green light to dispatch item,item dispatched and buyer happy with item and hopefully left positive feedback.

are we ok to now????

when you tried then to transfer your ammount to a designated bank/society account with clearance via paypal your money had disappeared.

if this is how it played out then you have a genuine reason to feel as you do.in my experience though i think there is a little more to this????

[Wolfpack]

If your going to by a car sight unseen. Then buy it on Ebay. You can pay someone to go look at for you. It's the safes way to buy a car online. It don't mean the car will be what the person describes but atleast you will get it.