Selling your car online
If you are thinking about selling your car on eBay or another online service, be careful about buyers wanting to export your car to Africa.
This scam is being reported to us on a regular basis. It works this way ...
The "buyer" contacts you and says he will buy the car and wants to send you a cheque. He also wants to pay you a further sum over the price for the car, say 3000 USD.
His intructions are that you present the cheque to the bank and the extra ammount that he paid (the 3000 USD), should be transfered to someone to pay for transport, expences, what ever sounds plausible. The 3000 USD should be paid through Western Union, because that is the quickest way to transfer money internationally.
Western Union offers a very usefull service, you can send money to a person who gets a transfer code and password, so that they can pick up the money from their local office. It also means that when the money has been picked up, you have no way of getting it back if there should be a problem.
The criminals use this method of transfer, because it's quick and easy. You send the 3000 USD to someone your buyer names, but in reality it one of his gang or himself.
Back to the cheque:
So you have given the cheque to your bank and have paid the the money that was was over the price of the car through Western Union. You wait, and you wait ....
Some tme later your bank informs you that the cheque (which was drawn on an african bank) has bounced. Ouch!
Your buyer is not reachable, your money is gone and you still have your car!
There is a further note to this. One reader told me that his bank also reported his case to the police, because they suspected him of cheque fraud.
This one works, because most people have no experience with foreign money transfers and exporting goods. The "criminals" count on the fact that it takes a long time to clear cheques internationally.
In the meantime they have received their money and can set up the scam with new names and e-mail adresses to catch some other unsuspecting car seller!
posted by Michael Holdcroft @ 10:00 am
1 comments
1 Comments:
CASE IN POINT. . . email i got!
Hello and how is every thing i am interested in buying your item and i will like to buy it with quick purchace but before i continue with the transaction i will like to ask you some few question 1.do you accept a certified cashier's check as a medium of payment?. 2.what is the working condition of the item?. 3.will you sell it to me for buy it now 4.what is the final asking price of the item?this is all i have to ask you,i will be waiting to hear from you" the cashier's check that will be of $10,000.00 will be sent to you will include the item money plus the shipping money so as soon as you get the check you will cash it and deduct your money then wire the excess fund to our shipping company in Nigeria through western union money transfer so that we will come to pick the item from your house.if you agree get to me with the following 1.your full name and address 2.your phone number 3.can we trust you with the money pls get back to me on this mail address thanks God bless ... REGARD...."
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