scam going around!

This has been noted in the magazine 'Practical Classics' so please take note:

Scam going around at the moment regarding car sales. A buyer contacts you via e-mail & from another country, say Nigeria/Sweden etc, says he wants to buy the car and ship it back to wherever! He gains your trust by requesting photographs of the car etc. He then, after a few mails, says that he has a shipping contact in the UK who owes him a favour/money etc, he then says he will forward a cheque the figure asked PLUS £2000 for the shipping, when you recieve the cheque you are to present it and at the same time forward the 2k to whoever he says. You say he'll have to wait until the cheque clears, OK he says, when you recieve the cheque he/they then put pressure on you to release the car as the ship is going early, and because of the pressure he's hoping you will forward £2k of your own money on to allow the shipping and to get them to pick the car up, the cheque then bounces and you'are £2k out of pocket. If you tell them 'no they have to wait until the funds have clearance', he/they then threatens you and your family etc etc (that becomaes more pressure for you to release the funds).
So beware, the Met are after details of all those that have been affected in this scam.

BEWARE.

AG

I have also been notified that IF you present the cheque, it may clear through your bank, but it is normally a forged or stolen cheque, and when the bank discover the origin of the cheque, they return it unpaid.

Edited by M3AG

Ive just had an email trying it on with my motocross bike advertised in the trader. I smelt a rat when he started his email with "Im from South Africa and am wanting to buy your car"

On a slightly smaller scale, I recently advertised a car for sale in a leading car sales magazine and received a response via email from a guy who said he was interested in viewing the car that evening. He asked that I phone him back to confirm that the car was still for sale and asked that I leave some details about the car.

I instantly felt un-easy about the email as it was vague in the extreme. It simply asked "Is the BMW still for sale ?". Considering it was an M5 one would expect slightly more indepth questioning on the car before asking to arrange a viewing. The phone number looked odd aswell so I contacted BT. They informed me that it would cost 38 pence per minute to ring that number. I explained the situation and BT offered to try the number for free. When it connected a computerised answer message kicked in and asked you to leave your message. BT advised me who the service provider for the number was and I rang them. The service provider in turn told me that they had sold the number on to a 3rd party who was now operating the line. When I asked for the contact number for the third party they refused to give it to me so I asked that they contact the 3rd party and get them to ring me directly. From that point I have heard nothing.

It's my guess that whoever is behind this has somekind of rake-off from the phone number. I know were are only talking about 38p per minute here but I think that it still stinks. One imagines that that kind of email was sent out to loads of advertisers and if each one phoned back leaving the details on their cars each call could amount to 2 or 3 mins, thats £1 per call.

Just be on the look out for emails asking you to call back on strange looking numbers.

Steve.

Emailed to me by a member (who I shall keep ananymous) - it involves someone replying to an advert for a 318iSE Touring:-

Hello
I am a dealer,i want to make a purchase request of your 318i SE Touring .
However i can afford to abide with the condition, do tell more about the 318i SE Touring and advise on the last price, so if my offer is accepted get back to me.
Regards,
Tony.

The forum member sent a detailed description and then received this:-

Thanks for the mail moreover i'm really appretiate on the offer you gave. I am okay with the price £800 and Im pleased with the car, so let me have all the information needed to issue you a check; moreover i'll handle the shipping by my self.
There is a agent of mine in Chalotte town Canada who is owning me £5,000 I will instruct him to issue out the check to you and as soon as you receive it I will like you to take to any cashing point and cash it immediately. Deduct yours and send me my remaining balance of £4,200 via money gram transfer; immediatly you send the remaining funds, i will extend the money to my shipper, for the shipment of the car, if this is okay by you, I will like you to send me your full name, contact address and phone number;
So that payment will be made to you right away. Get back to me ASAP so that I can forward your information to my agent for him to issue out the check to you.
Regards,
Tony.