Classifieds scam alert: Adam Torenden is not a real buyer

[PhoenixGTS]

Received some decent looking e-mails from a buyer named Adam Torenden. Sounded pretty good but I noticed the first message came in at 3:00 am which made me think UK/Western EU/Africa. Sent some pics and got an e-mail back saying he was in England and talking about sending checks and test driving - with the telltale grammar errors. Hit google and see he has previously worked the NSX forums:

Scam Alert - NSX Prime

Exact same name and exact same e-mails. You'd think he'd use a new name and change up the e-mails once in awhile. He was definitley responding to my ad here in the viperclub.org classifieds as it is the only ad I have out there. Beware.

Good news is that for the months the ad has been up that is the first scam e-mail I received.

Michael/PhoenixGTS

 

[97snk]

Good catch, I usually ignore all emails in question by checking originating IP location. I even got a scam email for a microwave on craigslist for $40...These guys don't spare anything....

 

[FikseGTS]

got an email from him as well.....

 

[bluesrt]

i dont get it---- why do they do this? been wondering,, i get them to and i usually tell them off? is this a no no by me?

 

[plumcrazy]

some of us bad grammer guys are real buyers

 

[bmw2nv2000]

What exactly is the scam? How does this one work?

 

[PhoenixGTS]

What exactly is the scam? How does this one work?

I am assuming once they go to pay the agreed to deposit and test drive fee that they use the old "send you a forged cashiers check that is for more than the true amount" then ask you to refund the difference. You refund the difference in real money THEN your bank informs you the cashiers check is a forgery. Or perhaps they have a scam based on getting your account wire information but probably the former.

 

[eucharistos]

some of us bad grammer guys is real buyers

fixed it for you plum

 

[eucharistos]

Quote:
Originally Posted by plumcrazy
some of us bad grammer guys be real buyers

fixed it for you plum

fixed it for you euch

 

[97snk]

I just got this email...I m going to take him up on his offer, I heard these guys send out fake checks and have UPS or FedEx come on site to pickup the package. I m going to fill the package up with bricks and make it about 400 lbs so he can pay the shipping charges at his expense...

What do you guys think?

Gen 2 intake with injectors...

Thanks for the prompt response. I'm okay with the asking price and what is the condition of the item and I want you to consider the item sold to me because am ready to issue out a Certified Check without no delay and you don't have to bother your self about the shipment because i have a private shipping company that will be coming available over for the pickup of the item,So kindly get back to me with the

Name:
Address:
City/State
Zipcode
Phone Number

The payment will enclose the shipping fees which after you receive the payment you are to deduct your sale price and wire the rest of the fund via Western Union Money Transfer to the shipping company information that will be coming available over for the pickup of the item,Hope to read from you soon.
Best Regards

 

[SquadX]

I just got this email...I m going to take him up on his offer, I heard these guys send out fake checks and have UPS or FedEx come on site to pickup the package. I m going to fill the package up with bricks and make it about 400 lbs so he can pay the shipping charges at his expense...

What do you guys think?

Gen 2 intake with injectors...

Thanks for the prompt response. I'm okay with the asking price and what is the condition of the item and I want you to consider the item sold to me because am ready to issue out a Certified Check without no delay and you don't have to bother your self about the shipment because i have a private shipping company that will be coming available over for the pickup of the item,So kindly get back to me with the

Name:
Address:
City/State
Zipcode
Phone Number

The payment will enclose the shipping fees which after you receive the payment you are to deduct your sale price and wire the rest of the fund via Western Union Money Transfer to the shipping company information that will be coming available over for the pickup of the item,Hope to read from you soon.
Best Regards

Looool go for it. Loool

 

[97snk]

Looool go for it. Loool

I gave him some fake info that he needed with the right address of a location I know and can have stuff shipped to, waiting for his response back...

 

[AZTVR]

I just got this email...I m going to take him up on his offer, I heard these guys send out fake checks and have UPS or FedEx come on site to pickup the package. I m going to fill the package up with bricks and make it about 400 lbs so he can pay the shipping charges at his expense...
What do you guys think?...

The payment will enclose the shipping fees which after you receive the payment you are to deduct your sale price and wire the rest of the fund via Western Union Money Transfer to the shipping company information that will be coming available over for the pickup of the item.

Looks like his deal is that you are supposed to wire the money for the shipping charges back to him, in the name of his fake shipping company, using funds from the fake cashiers check he is going to send you. He's hoping that you wire the funds before your bank comes back to you saying the check didn't clear the system, and they are taking the amount out of your account to cover it. No one ever comes to pick up the package.

 

[viperbilliam]

Thanks for the warning - he just emailed his interest in buying my Viper. I will ignore it.

 

[97snk]

Looks like his deal is that you are supposed to wire the money for the shipping charges back to him, in the name of his fake shipping company, using funds from the fake cashiers check he is going to send you. He's hoping that you wire the funds before your bank comes back to you saying the check didn't clear the system, and they are taking the amount out of your account to cover it. No one ever comes to pick up the package.

I m smarter than him, He wants to receive a wire from western union. I'll wire him a dollar and not give him the pin for pickup. I can scan and email him the receipt of fund which will not show the actual amount of funds on it. This will get him excited and he will make a trip to western union but will not be able to get anything, than he will email back and ask for the pin, I'll give him a fake pin and that will cost him another trip to western union, I can keep doing that until he actually figures out that I've been sending him in circles...

Here's his response...

Hello,
It's my joy to inform that the check mail out today and also i will let you have the tracking number of the payment as soon as the payment is around you.

So i will like you to consider the item sold to me and let me know exactly time you want the shipper to come for the pickup of the item.


Concerning the additional funds included to the payment you are going to receive , because you are going to wire/send to the shipping company that will come for the pickup of the item , what you need to do as soon as you receive the payment just deduct your item money and extra $50 for your effort and inconvenience and wire/send the remaining of the funds will be sent via Western Union Money Transfer. After you get the fund wire/send via western union before you contact the shipping company first contact me and i will instruct shipping company schedule time you want them to come for the pickup of the item and what i needed from you as soon as you get the fund wire/send via western union such as:

Sender name and address
Receiver name and address
Mtcn #
Amount sent after western union charges.

Meanwhile western union charges will need to be deduct from the remaining fund you want to wire/send to the shipping company okay.

Please I would like to know where the item is located and when we can schedule the pick up because i really concerned about you shipping the item yourself which i don't want you to stress yourself about it , but i guess that will be on next day after you wire the funds to shipping company because as soon as the payment deliver to you.

Please do confirm my message and get back to me asap.Its really been a pleasure doing business with you.God bless you and your family.
With Regards.

 

[eucharistos]

I m smarter than him, He wants to receive a wire from western union. I'll wire him a dollar and not give him the pin for pickup. I can scan and email him the receipt of fund which will not show the actual amount of funds on it. This will get him excited and he will make a trip to western union but will not be able to get anything, than he will email back and ask for the pin, I'll give him a fake pin and that will cost him another trip to western union, I can keep doing that until he actually figures out that I've been sending him in circles...
.....

outstanding

 

[97snk]

my response to him to make it sound real...

Nas,

I won't be in town until mid next week because I m out on a business trip. As soon as I get back and if the funds are in my mail I'll send you over what left.

Thanks for your business...


His response to me in about 10 mins, I guess these guys do this full time...

Thank you for getting back to me.........i wish you save journey and i will let you have the tracking number as soon as possible and please consider the item sold to me.

 

[Coloviper]

Too bad you could not have a crime division waiting for him at Western Union. I bet you could work with some crime division to sting this guy without even giving out your address or your car ever leaving it's garage.

If this guy is sending to VCA members, I would imagine the club would want to help get this guy dealt with to protect the owners? Seems childish to let it go on as it is all fun and games until someone loses a Viper.

 

[AZTVR]

Too bad you could not have a crime division waiting for him at Western Union. I bet you could work with some crime division to sting this guy without even giving out your address or your car ever leaving it's garage.

I'm betting that the crime division in someplace like Lagos, Nigeria wouldn't be awfully interested. I wonder if anyone has tracked his IP addtress to see what country is leads to?

 

[97snk]

I'm betting that the crime division in someplace like Lagos, Nigeria wouldn't be awfully interested. I wonder if anyone has tracked his IP addtress to see what country is leads to?

Since I love investigating I can show you how to figure out where an email came from.

First thing you do it look at the complete header. The header has all the information about what happens in the back end where the servers talk to each other and all that techy stuff...Since I use gmail here's how you get to the full header.

1. Open the message in question
2. Drop down the reply button
3. Click on show original

This will open the header in a new window...Here's what the header from his email looks like...


Delivered-To: @gmail.com
Received: by 10.216.167.77 with SMTP id h55cs258923wel;
Fri, 15 Oct 2010 16:39:25 -0700 (PDT)
Received: by 10.236.105.201 with SMTP id k49mr590463yhg.74.1287185965085;
Fri, 15 Oct 2010 16:39:25 -0700 (PDT)
Return-Path: <[email protected]>
Received: from nm21-vm0.bullet.mail.sp2.yahoo.com (nm21-vm0.bullet.mail.sp2.yahoo.com [98.139.91.220])
by mx.google.com with SMTP id f46si22881756yhc.20.2010.10.15.16.39.23;
Fri, 15 Oct 2010 16:39:24 -0700 (PDT)
Received-SPF: pass (google.com: best guess record for domain of [email protected] designates 98.139.91.220 as permitted sender) client-ip=98.139.91.220;
Authentication-Results: mx.google.com; spf=pass (google.com: best guess record for domain of [email protected] designates 98.139.91.220 as permitted sender) [email protected]; dkim=pass (test mode) [email protected]
Received: from [98.139.91.62] by nm21.bullet.mail.sp2.yahoo.com with NNFMP; 15 Oct 2010 23:39:21 -0000
Received: from [98.139.91.49] by tm2.bullet.mail.sp2.yahoo.com with NNFMP; 15 Oct 2010 23:39:21 -0000
Received: from [127.0.0.1] by omp1049.mail.sp2.yahoo.com with NNFMP; 15 Oct 2010 23:39:21 -0000
X-Yahoo-Newman-Property: ymail-3
X-Yahoo-Newman-Id: [email protected]
Received: (qmail 68301 invoked by uid 60001); 15 Oct 2010 23:39:20 -0000
DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=yahoo.com; s=s1024; t=1287185960; bh=+JQwouGlreWeuHjX/us8fh9NIvDuNRC1ey9H5LUBDdM=; h=Message-ID:X-YMail-OSG:Received:X-Mailerate:From:Subject:To:In-Reply-To:MIME-Version:Content-Type; b=emoHCvacZWQ+vSVsF8QGKCu5fiFDiHjTTnii6Banb1VcPWsvWm6FQIkCFxG7xTAvzzpF5GlM4rC3wJ1xJN5JqJHg6Sbzf6SaAwRuekDKUUp5dG2Dv5eG8gRfrXKlUMyUtDpG9jBuSytWJ82+5hboqJ1f5SyChpVs6ghIEJLwqRQ=
DomainKey-Signature:a=rsa-sha1; q=dns; c=nofws;
s=s1024; d=yahoo.com;
h=Message-ID:X-YMail-OSG:Received:X-Mailerate:From:Subject:To:In-Reply-To:MIME-Version:Content-Type;
b=6XWLytpUER9NFMu5FDnLvadnmlQqVT9ULatKaXrzCdGh462P3LIWU03PR8CJ1EexG49nfz1VTp/66td2j8QwQCGri52YYsnQ+L+Xpby0iuBDKtxm+iQrUpsZI62Qc1m8/oPybAdaupp5r/V5PsjvWWzHJFLmiRNlfvg0Syuqe84=;
Message-ID: <[email protected]>
X-YMail-OSG: kvFEQL0VM1lg1MMcqykbrkYGWUJ23Q3oERD8smfB8aTIvr4
Hbc14wC9Pa9YN3fsCKSc8Cy45G7DpqNwDczXhmuV9ltj1J2iO1PrnldOLnE8
WrVhRVV4PiusS0ccvyYfdSxc29gEqXir_X4CERFdRdFVinEiC4KZvK0.pPVw
Nq3PEDNLK79bSFZI_kcwrIuabbaOdbnhab9y4Msw6jUGDD3AWJNyA09Xd9ni
WIvfPNS9j1W8b_XiziY6EJJ7_zG.jdHLWt7Mo61btZWh2r8xsoAPHY63fu95
FEdit__yynUU4
Received: from [82.128.2.61] by web113412.mail.gq1.yahoo.com via HTTP; Fri, 15 Oct 2010 16:39:20 PDT
X-Mailer: YahooMailClassic/11.4.9 YahooMailWebService/0.8.106.282862
Date: Fri, 15 Oct 2010 16:39:20 -0700 (PDT)
From: Nas Taylor <[email protected]>
Subject: PAYMENT ALERT !!!
To: @gmail.com>
In-Reply-To: <[email protected]>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="0-1911650784-1287185960=:64279"

--0-1911650784-1287185960=:64279
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable




In all this gibberish the only thing we are concerned with is...

Received: from [82.128.2.61] by web113412.mail.gq1.yahoo.com via

so his IP is 82.128.2.61

Now that you have the number how do you determine where it's coming from?

well you goto google and type in 'nslookup' and click search...You will come across many sites that can take an ip and translate it into a name...in this case I used KLOTH.NET - NSLOOKUP - DNS Look up - Find IP Address

Type in the IP in the domain section and click look it up...

The result is...

DNS server handling your query: localhost
DNS server's address: 127.0.0.1#53

Non-authoritative answer:
61.2.128.82.in-addr.arpa name = ml82.128.2.61.multilinks.com.

The key is the web address multilinks.com

So who is multilinks.com? Well they are the internet service provider for the user who sent out the email...

Go to multilinks.com and check their contact page for location...

HEAD OFFICE
231, Adeola Odeku Street
Victoria Island, P.O.Box 3453, Marina, Lagos, Nigeria
Phone (234)-1- 774 0000
Fax (234)-1- 791 2345

APAPA BRANCH
1st Floor, Modandola House, 42/44 Warehouse Road,
Apapa, Lagos.
Phone (234)-1- 7730100-104
Fax (234)-1- 791 2222

IKEJA BRANCH
Ground Floor, Block C
Motorways Center
1 Motorways Avenue, Lagos Ibadan Expressway, Alausa, Lagos
Phone (234)-1-773 0000
Fax (234)-1-791 1111

LAGOS BRANCH OFFICES
231 Adoela Odoeku Street, Victoria Island, Lagos
Phone - 7740005,7912345
Email - [email protected]

1st Floor, Mandolay House, 42/44, Ware House Road
Phone - 7730101,7912222
Email - [email protected]

Ground Floor, Block C, Motorways Centre, 1 Motorways Avenue, Alausa, Ikeja
Phone - 7730000,7911111
Email - [email protected]

CONTACT POINT
C-9, 1st Floor, Folomo Shopping Complex, Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos
Phone - 7909111
Email - [email protected]

Ground Floor, Centre Point, Town Planning Way, Iluoegu, Lagos
Phone - 7765545
Email - [email protected]

First Floor, 79, Aboekuta Expressway, Dopemu, Lagos
Phone - 7910270
Email - [email protected]
You may also contact Raji at 7901764 or write to [email protected]

IBADAN BRANCH OFFICE
4 Town Planning Way, Oluyole Estate, Ring Road, Ibadan, Oyo State
Phone - 7511111
Email - [email protected]

Contact Point
Phone - 7511888
Email - [email protected]

he's in Nigeria... yay

 

[AZTVR]

Since I love investigating I can show you how to figure out where an email came from.

First thing you do it look at the complete header. The header has all the information about what happens in the back end where the servers talk to each other and all that techy stuff...Since I use gmail here's how you get to the full header.

1. Open the message in question
2. Drop down the reply button
3. Click on show original

This will open the header in a new window...Here's what the header from his email looks like...
......................................................

he's in Nigeria... yay

Wow. I'm surprised that these "Nigerian" scams actually do originate in Nigeria !
I have a cramp in my brain after reading your post. Ouch ! (But, thanks for the info !! )

 

[PhoenixGTS]

What is really funny (at least to me) is the old phrase "speak English or die" comes to mind. It is the grammar mistakes that sink these guys if you are not doing 97snk-level invewtigations. If only they could speak English better they would do a lot better in their scams. Thank goodness English is one of the most difficult languages on the planet so us native speakerw can smell a non-native speaker from a mile away. Racists but true.

 

[fireball]

97SNK,
That is cool! Detective wrok.... for real.

Nice.

Greg

 

[Brian GTS]

Yes, he was trying to buy my GTS too. Sending me 7K and then suppose to cut a 3K check to the "transport company" for him.

 

[carguy07]

One of my favorites: Welcome to the 419 Eater

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[Coloviper]

Okay Nigeria it is.

Let's just send some of our MI Region reps over there in some black suits with Violin cases and pay 'em a visit. They could put some actual venomous Viper snakes in the Violin cases and say "So you want to get your hands on some Vipers, huh?" Might even be able to sell the movie rights when it is all said and done.

Great detective work. What is so stupid to me with these Nigerian scans is Word has spell check. Are they really that stupid and lazy to not even spell check it? Come on!

 

[97snk]

Okay Nigeria it is.

Let's just send some of our MI Region reps over there in some black suits with Violin cases and pay 'em a visit. They could put some actual venomous Viper snakes in the Violin cases and say "So you want to get your hands on some Vipers, huh?" Might even be able to sell the movie rights when it is all said and done.

Great detective work. What is so stupid to me with these Nigerian scans is Word has spell check. Are they really that stupid and lazy to not even spell check it? Come on!

So many people fall for these scams that they don't need spell check. The reason I know how to do all this is because a friend of mine almost got scammed for a supercharger that he purchased on ebay a few years back. Everything looked legit and he was going to western union the money to London because he did not have a paypal account. At western union the rep told him he's had many people come back and say they got scammed when they purchase something on ebay and send money to different areas of the world and if they could some how reverse the transaction. Unfortunately there's no way to get your money back. Since I m in IT he came to me and asked me to track this guy down. That is when I learned how to do all this. It turned out the guy in London was Nigerian as well living in London...these Nigerians are notorious for these scams...NBC dateline did a story on how to catch a hacker and these guys manage to scam people for tens of thousands of dollars not being able to even speak English at all, they get translators to write these emails and respond to them...

 

[mattdillon]

I just got this email...I m going to take him up on his offer, I heard these guys send out fake checks and have UPS or FedEx come on site to pickup the package. I m going to fill the package up with bricks and make it about 400 lbs so he can pay the shipping charges at his expense...

What do you guys think?

Gen 2 intake with injectors...

Thanks for the prompt response. I'm okay with the asking price and what is the condition of the item and I want you to consider the item sold to me because am ready to issue out a Certified Check without no delay and you don't have to bother your self about the shipment because i have a private shipping company that will be coming available over for the pickup of the item,So kindly get back to me with the

Name:
Address:
City/State
Zipcode
Phone Number

The payment will enclose the shipping fees which after you receive the payment you are to deduct your sale price and wire the rest of the fund via Western Union Money Transfer to the shipping company information that will be coming available over for the pickup of the item,Hope to read from you soon.
Best Regards

This is soooo funny, just last week i had my countach lambo (replica) for sale to make room for the Viper, but i had a real computer guy do everything for me, i just took the emails from interested parties. I swear 9 out of every 10 were scammers & i liked to have jump in face first. He wanted to know why my car was up for sale on another site for 2 different prices & he had a site for me to click on to go to. I didn't know this was a no-no, this is first time i've ever tried to sell anything on ebay. anyway, i had to go to ebay security & change my PW. Next few emails i got i sent back it had been sold but i had a used Spaceship for Sale, low miles, just put new windshield in & brand new brakes installed! CHEAP, call me (They will NEVER call) thats one way how you can tell if their scammers also. Needless to say i won't be doing alot of selling on ebay.

 

[slysnake]

Concerning the additional funds included to the payment you are going to receive , because you are going to wire/send to the shipping company that will come for the pickup of the item , what you need to do as soon as you receive the payment just deduct your item money and extra $50 for your effort and inconvenience and wire/send the remaining of the funds will be sent via Western Union Money Transfer. After you get the fund wire/send via western union before you contact the shipping company first contact me and i will instruct shipping company schedule time you want them to come for the pickup of the item and what i needed from you as soon as you get the fund wire/send via western union such as:

Wow, that's convoluted. I guess people must fall for it. My replie would be, "Send me the money for the item and deal with your shipper yourself." Of course, I would never hear from him again after that.

In all this gibberish the only thing we are concerned with is...

Received: from [82.128.2.61] by web113412.mail.gq1.yahoo.com via

so his IP is 82.128.2.61

Assuming they are not routing thru a proxy server, which they would be very stupid not to do. Even the lowliest spammers are fluent in using proxies. So they could be based in US and just routing through a Nigerian proxy.

 

[DickGTS01]

I just received an offer to buy my Viper from our ole friend Adam. He sure is a busy guy. I've had a lot of calls from people wanting to help me sell my car, but nothing like this.

Thanks for the info snk97. That's pretty cool stuff...
Dick