Odd payment request from classifieds

[ntmatter]

I received a fairly odd response to a classified ad that I'd placed, and I wanted to see if anyone had had experience with something like this before. Everything about the mail shouts out "scam" to me, but I don't want to be rude to someone who's making a legitimate offer. Here's part of the e-mail that I received:

Payment for the purchase is by check through a debtor in US. The debtor owes us higher than our purchase. He will therefore be sending you a check for $7,000 to cover the cost of our order, as well as the Shipping costs.

On receipt of the check, you will cash and deduct the cost of our order .The balance you will send as we would instruct you to the Agency that will ship the Goods to us.

So what do you think?

 

[Shelby3]

Total scam and not a new one at that. Run......

 

[Ulysses]

Sounds complicated. I wouldn't do it. Too many parties involved.

 

[2001 Sapphire Blue]

I smell fish!!

 

[ntmatter]

Yeah, that's what I figured. I got scammed out of one set of wheels before (though he's doing time in prison for it now), and so my radar's really up on these sorts of things. You'd almost think it would be worth having a "common scams" notice for members who use the classifieds.

 

[Roadkill]

I personally know a guy who got scammed a couple years ago with that same system

 

[Mr Hemi Head]

Andy, That is a convoluted way of doing business. Doing business through a third party gives you little to no recourse and is difficult to explain to the IRS if your ever audited. Rick

 

[Doc.]

Andy,

That scam has been circulating for a while now. Their check will NEVER clear the bank. Good eye mate. Stay away from this one.

Doc

 

[scottgf]

TOTAL SCAM!!!
I was selling a car a few months ago on another site (not a Viper) and I had at least 10 people try to pull the same scam on me...pretty sad.
Dont even trust cashiers checks....they can be counterfit, they will go in your account...look like they cleared, then when found out by the bank to be bogus, the funds are removed.
Be very careful..
Cheers,

 

[BigCarrot]

Tell him to have the debtor mail the check to him. He can then pay you and everything will be hunky dory!

 

[Hisserman]

You shouldn't be forced to launder his money for him -- stay away!!

 

[SNKEBIT]

I agree with Scott. Same thing happened to me with a car on a different site. Total scam!!!!! Ask him to wire transfer the money to your bank,,,,,, you'll never hear from him again...
It's getting to the point you can only trust green-backs in your hand.... jerks!!!!

 

[garolittle]

I agree with Scott. Same thing happened to me with a car on a different site. Total scam!!!!! Ask him to wire transfer the money to your bank,,,,,, you'll never hear from him again...
It's getting to the point you can only trust green-backs in your hand.... jerks!!!!

Well said!

 

[SylvanSRT]

total scam, i would forward the address and or name and phone to local FBI. these f'ups are disgusting and are leaches on our society they deserve to pay(in time or money)!!!!!!

 

[scottgf]

It's getting to the point you can only trust green-backs in your hand.... jerks!!!!

Thats what I did when I sold my car, told the guy "cash only"....He flew in from AZ. with cash.....The car was only a $2000.00 Saab SPG, so I suppose it would be harder if it was a big ticket item, but there are SO MANY scammers out there now, especially on the net.
The scammers trying to work me just wanted me to give them back the difference of the "over payment" I know that they didnt even want what I was selling...just the difference money.
The way it works is they say they want what you are selling...dont haggle at all on price, and they have a cashiers check for "x" amount (it is always for more than your asking price.
They say after you recieve cashiers check, will you wire them the difference and they will arrange for pick up of the selling item....
They never actually pick up the item, and you never hear from them again.....Later you find out the cashiers check is bogus, and your bank deducts the check amount from your account.
If anyone wants more info on this scam go to the Saab network website..I think its

http://www.saabnet.com/index.html

and go to the classified section...they have a big article regarding this.
Hope this helps,
Cheers,

 

[Vic]

Here is another little scam I just learned about. There was an auction on ebay, and the winner paid by PayPal. At that time, the money is credited to the sender, so he thinks its safe to ship the product.

The product was shipped, and received.

The recipient calls PayPal, (or his credit card company, that point wasn't clear), and tells them the product is not what he bid on. They refund him his money.
The product suppossedly has been shipped back, but there is no tracking number, and no way to prove that it was sent back to the sender.

The money has already been deducted from the sender's PayPal account.

The product never shows up back at the sender.

The sender calls PayPal to protest, and they alledgedy tell him that it is their "policy" to refund money merely on a complaint from an auction winner, without first verifying that the product has been returned.

The sender has thusly been scammed out of his product, with no recourse, except small claims, but he stands little chance of winning, and the time and energy required to recover the money isn't worth it. (Scammers count on that)

PayPal alledgedly tells the sender that he is suppossed to include costs for loss and theft into his overall prices.

How about money orders? Are they still good? Wiring funds sounds like the best way.

 

[SSSSE YA]

I just received the same email today for the carbon fiber air boxes I am selling, thanks for the update.
I am glad once again I belong to this great club and forum.

 

[0260in3]

I experienced this same sort of scam advertising through Autotrader a few months ago. I smelled scam and contacted Autotrader...they said they were just an "Advertiser" and recommended I contact the FBI and Secret Service. I contacted both and neither ever responded. I suppose they are up to their eyeballs in these sorts of scams to investigate every one them.

 

[dansauto]

Here is another little scam I just learned about. There was an auction on ebay, and the winner paid by PayPal. At that time, the money is credited to the sender, so he thinks its safe to ship the product.

The product was shipped, and received.

The recipient calls PayPal, (or his credit card company, that point wasn't clear), and tells them the product is not what he bid on. They refund him his money.
The product suppossedly has been shipped back, but there is no tracking number, and no way to prove that it was sent back to the sender.

The money has already been deducted from the sender's PayPal account.

The product never shows up back at the sender.

The sender calls PayPal to protest, and they alledgedy tell him that it is their "policy" to refund money merely on a complaint from an auction winner, without first verifying that the product has been returned.

The sender has thusly been scammed out of his product, with no recourse, except small claims, but he stands little chance of winning, and the time and energy required to recover the money isn't worth it. (Scammers count on that)

PayPal alledgedly tells the sender that he is suppossed to include costs for loss and theft into his overall prices.

How about money orders? Are they still good? Wiring funds sounds like the best way.

Yep! Gotta love paypal! They take no responsability for thier users.

 

[joe117]

I always thought that PayPal was simply a way to transfer money without giving any account or credit card information to the stranger you are dealing with.

I don't think PayPal is in the business of protecting anyone from scams.
They will protect you from being scammed out of more money than the amount of the transaction.

 

[dansauto]

I always thought that PayPal was simply a way to transfer money without giving any account or credit card information to the stranger you are dealing with.

I don't think PayPal is in the business of protecting anyone from scams.
They will protect you from being scammed out of more money than the amount of the transaction.

We have been thru this before. You got stock in the company? Pay Pal is just that, a way to transfer money. They do advertise buyer and seller protection, just try to get them to honar it. Then when they do agree that you got screwed, they will not release information from the other party with out a court order. Even with the court order, the judge had to threaten some ***** on the phone before they would release anything.

What I am saying is that they could audit the users makeing them provide more that just an email address to use thier service. I only use paypal now with my credit card so I can dispute the charges in case I am screwed again. Which bty paypal discourges by charging more for credit card transactions. just shows you how confident they are themselfs!