So it's not just ebay where you find the scammers...

Rob200sx

Rob200sx

Rob200sx

Associate
Joined
12 Feb 2003
Posts
1,054
Put my car on Autotrader yesterday, got this email ...

Dear Seller,
I want to bring your attention to the (CAR) you are selling.I want to know if it is so much available for sale or it has been sold?Just get back to me with details and also its condition beside the one you stated in the advert.Pics will be highly ok if there is any for the car and furthermore,the last price if affordable ok.
awaiting your response soonest.
Regards,,

-----
Fine I thought, so I replied with:

Hi,
Yes the car is still available.

Full specification is as follows:
Spec
1992 Facelift S13 Exec Auto – Silver/Blue Metallic
Mot'd until December, Taxed until end of June
130,000 miles
New turbo & manifold was fitted at 99k
Engine was replaced at 109k with a 70k engine due to big-ends
Spare head included
Hi-Join H131 7x17 Alloy Wheels
Chassis Dynamics Springs
Brembo 12 groove Discs
Bailey Evo Dump Valve
Mongoose Exhaust (Full System)
K&N Induction Kit
Greddy Profec E-01 Boost Controller
Stage 1 Chip
Volvo FMIC
Standard Alarm/Immobiliser
The only main rust is on the boot, a common feature of all Nissan 200sx's of this design. It has some scratches and a small dent (paint is unbroken) on passenger side front wing approx 4cm in diameter.

I am accepting offers around £800 due to the bodywork condition as stated above.

Regards.

-------------------

I then got this response ....

Dear xxx.
Thanks very much for your email.I am in the france and I am okay with the price (£800),I have contact my shipper and he told me that he will come for the pick up of the (Transportation) from your place.This is how the payment will be made a associate of mine in US,I will instruct him to issue a check of £3000 in your name and once the check clears you will deduct the cost of the (1992 NISSAN 200 SX 1.8 Executive 3dr Auto Coupe) and any tax incurred and my balance will be send back to my shipper via western union money transfer for immediate shipping arrangement.The reason for this is that it takes 1-3 days for a check to clear there while it takes a longer time for a cheque to clear here.If this is okay with you do get back to me asap for me to instruct my assocaite to issue the check in your name asap.I am ready to offer you an additional £100 to consider the (1992 NISSAN 200 SX 1.8 Executive 3dr Auto Coupe) sold to me and have the ad remove from the internet.and i will need you full name to be written on the cheque and the adderss where the cheque we be sent to dont hasitate to provide me your phone number Thanks for your understanding in anticipation and hope to read from you asap today.
Best regards,

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Riiiiiiigggghht, seems this is quite common on autotrader these days, I've had 5 further emails from different 'buyers' but all saying pretty much the same thing.

Ideas on baiting this are of course welcomed ;)
 
I bet they thought they were being really clever when they wrote that...

Seriously, if these scammers actually took the time to learn English properly then they might actually be more succesful. S'pose it's good thing that they don't :p

I'm sure someone will come up with a suitable 'bait' reply but it's too early and my brain doesn't work properly :(

Hi Rob btw *waves*
 
Oh, it's a blatant scam as most people can guess, it's just irritating that these things are cropping up everywhere. Proves that some people ARE falling for them as well. :(
 
Wile E. Coyote said:
Definate scam, someone posted a similar email a few weeks ago with the same poor grammar and spelling. Makes you wonder how many people fall for these scams?
Click to expand...

You assume everyone is good at English, no?

You have to treat each case as an individual. People who have been deaf since birth are not great at writing English as, essentially, it's their second language. An email from a deaf person might well read like the one sent to the OP. It's wrong to assume EVERY email will be a scam. Having said that, why would a Frenchman have 3k sent from the US to pay for and £800 car. It's things like that that stand out to me, not the language it was written in.

Could you write an email in fluent French? Chances are, it's a 'no'?

9/10 it's probably a sheme of sorts, but be careful. You might miss a sale or golden oppurtunity someday!
 
alli, hate to be a grammer nazi and all, but I'm sure you need an R and maybe a ' in your sig.
 
Definately scam, I get them all the time (run a wedding photography business) where they will offer to send you a cheque for more than the quote. You are instructed to send them cheque for balance, In the meantime their cheque will bounce etc etc etc.
 
there should be a police department that you can send their details to so they get prosicuted for attempeted fraud
 
ALLI said:
You assume everyone is good at English, no?

You have to treat each case as an individual. People who have been deaf since birth are not great at writing English as, essentially, it's their second language. An email from a deaf person might well read like the one sent to the OP. It's wrong to assume EVERY email will be a scam. Having said that, why would a Frenchman have 3k sent from the US to pay for and £800 car. It's things like that that stand out to me, not the language it was written in.

Could you write an email in fluent French? Chances are, it's a 'no'?

9/10 it's probably a sheme of sorts, but be careful. You might miss a sale or golden oppurtunity someday!
Click to expand...


Its not wrong to assume every email could be a scam... its wise
 
"An associate in the US..."

Yeah, I smell cowpoo too!

Here's a little tip: if the e-mail comes from abroad (i.e. outside of Europe) then chances are it's a scammer.

I sell LOTS of e-bay, and every foreign e-mail I have had has been some scammer trying to scam me.
 
I remember someone on another forum who replied to one of these emails and he just put in stupid things like yes the flux capacitor was recharged last week etc etc and the scammer replied with the same type of responce lol and still wanted to buy the car :)
 
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