Quite a creative scam

[MichaelRW]

Last thursday I noticed a new ad in the local paper for a 2004 BMW convertible for sale for $5,200. The $5,200 caught my eye because the car is worth roughly $30,000. So, I sent a message to the email address in the ad with a few questions about the car and also asking to confirm that the price in the paper was correct. The phone number in the ad had a 270 area code which is in Maine.

This is what I received back yesterday:

Hi,
I'm Peter Guest, you inquired about my 2004 BMW 3-Series 330Ci Convertible (VIN: WBABW53494PL43161).
I apologize for the delay, I'm in the military and now I am in United Kingdom and that's why I couldn't reply in time. If you are still interested in buying it, I'm asking $5,200. It has a clean title, very well maintained, always garage kept, no rust, excellent condition, runs and sounds 100% perfect with no leaks or noises. All power and optional equipments are working perfect. I have to sell this car as fast as I can because in three weeks I will be in Iraq and I think I'll stay there for a while that's why I'm selling it so cheap. I intend to buy a new car when I'll get back home.If you want to buy the car, I can ship for free within US with one of our military airplanes so you don't have to worry about the distance. If you are interested we can use a third party escrow broker ( PPPay https://www.pppay.com/help_centre.php?mo=escrow ) to secure the transaction and to handle this whole process for us. Using a reputable E-Commerce third party escrow company will secure the transaction and you will receive the car before I'll get paid and of course I'm also covered because the funds will be kept safety into the escrow account. This is the best way for me even if I'll have to pay some extra money for their services. I'll cover the broker's fee and like I've explained, the shipping will be free because I can use one of our airplanes here and I don't have to pay anything. Let me know if you are interested. You can see some pics on the following link from my personal page: http://picasaweb.google.com/ptrg22/2004BMW3Series330CiConvertible
You'll love the car, I can guarantee you that!

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


For a scam I thought it was quite creative. I haven't responded to this email yet. I'm running this past you guys for some creative responses I might use to mess with this guy. hehehe.

[Ponch ®]

Last thursday I noticed a new ad in the local paper for a 2004 BMW convertible for sale for $5,200. The $5,200 caught my eye because the car is worth roughly $30,000. So, I sent a message to the email address in the ad with a few questions about the car and also asking to confirm that the price in the paper was correct. The phone number in the ad had a 270 area code which is in Maine.

This is what I received back yesterday:

Hi,
I'm Peter Guest, you inquired about my 2004 BMW 3-Series 330Ci Convertible (VIN: WBABW53494PL43161).
I apologize for the delay, I'm in the military and now I am in United Kingdom and that's why I couldn't reply in time. If you are still interested in buying it, I'm asking $5,200. It has a clean title, very well maintained, always garage kept, no rust, excellent condition, runs and sounds 100% perfect with no leaks or noises. All power and optional equipments are working perfect. I have to sell this car as fast as I can because in three weeks I will be in Iraq and I think I'll stay there for a while that's why I'm selling it so cheap. I intend to buy a new car when I'll get back home.If you want to buy the car, I can ship for free within US with one of our military airplanes so you don't have to worry about the distance. If you are interested we can use a third party escrow broker ( PPPay https://www.pppay.com/help_centre.php?mo=escrow ) to secure the transaction and to handle this whole process for us. Using a reputable E-Commerce third party escrow company will secure the transaction and you will receive the car before I'll get paid and of course I'm also covered because the funds will be kept safety into the escrow account. This is the best way for me even if I'll have to pay some extra money for their services. I'll cover the broker's fee and like I've explained, the shipping will be free because I can use one of our airplanes here and I don't have to pay anything. Let me know if you are interested. You can see some pics on the following link from my personal page: http://picasaweb.google.com/ptrg22/2004BMW3Series330CiConvertible
You'll love the car, I can guarantee you that!

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


For a scam I thought it was quite creative. I haven't responded to this email yet. I'm running this past you guys for some creative responses I might use to mess with this guy. hehehe.

tell him you're interested, but that you only have a check for $10000. If he doesn't mind, he can cash it and then send the balance back to you.

[MichaelRW]

Good one. Thanks Ponch.

[68chrgrwife]

why do you think it is a scam?  Military people sell their cars for cheap all the time epecially if they are single guys going over seas for a while.  he could be there for a year.  Military can also buy cars exteeamly cheap over there and pick them up back here in the states when they return.....

[Ponch ®]

Good one. Thanks Ponch.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scam_baiting

[MichaelRW]

why do you think it is a scam?  Military people sell their cars for cheap all the time epecially if they are single guys going over seas for a while.  he could be there for a year.  Military can also buy cars exteeamly cheap over there and pick them up back here in the states when they return.....

Because he could take the car to any dealer and get $15,000 - $20,000 on the spot.

[Ponch ®]

why do you think it is a scam?  Military people sell their cars for cheap all the time epecially if they are single guys going over seas for a while.  he could be there for a year.  Military can also buy cars exteeamly cheap over there and pick them up back here in the states when they return.....

It's one thing to sell it cheap, it's another to sell it for a ridiculously low price, and then try to arrange payment through some convoluted "escrow" method.

Like RW said, he could simply take it to a dealership and get much more for it.

[68chrgrwife]

honsetly the only thing hubby sees is that you cannot put a POV (personal vehicle on a military plane). 

[70charger_boy]

If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, it's probably a nigerian

[beedees]

If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, it's probably a nigerian

Hey, theres no call for you to be insulting ducks like that! 

[70charger_boy]

If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, it's probably a nigerian

Hey, theres no call for you to be insulting ducks like that! 

I take it back, I like ducks

[Charger74]

honsetly the only thing hubby sees is that you cannot put a POV (personal vehicle on a military plane). 

This is the one thing that just screams scam.  Any military member knows that they cannot do this.

[HITMAN 149]

same as allllll the ebay scams....just in a newspaper form!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! funny cause that's thats what got me looking at chargers 2 years ago!!!!!! hahahahaha. an ebay ad for a beautiful black 68 r/t for $5K wow!!!! and it was near albany ny ( not to far to go for a car like that!!! LOL) and the correspondance was exactley the same... 3rd party broker...the car is in england.... all ready to ship to me...blah..blah...blah!!! if i' don't like it i can ship it back to him for my $$$ back!!! LOL!!!!!!!!!  wellll.. i should actually thank him... cause then i started looking again... and found my R/T!!!!!
awwwwww fairy tails do come true!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL!!

[madcowsonacid]

its a scam, i just got this email:

Hi,

I'm Brian Tamilson you inquired about my 2004 Honda Accord EX Coupe(VIN#1HGCM82654A013488) with only 25k miles on it.
I apologize for the delay, I'm in the military and now I am in United Kingdom and that's why I couldn't reply in time. If you are still interested in buying it, I'm asking $5,350. It has a clean title, very well maintained, always garage kept, no rust, excellent condition, runs and sounds 100% perfect with no leaks or noises. All power and optional equipments are working perfect.
I have to sell this car as fast as I can because in three weeks I will be in Iraq and I think I'll stay there for a while that's why I'm selling it so cheap. I intend to buy a new car when I'll get back home.If you want to buy the car, I can ship for free within US with one of our military airplanes so you don't have to worry about the distance. If you are interested we can use a third party escrow broker (PPPay https://www.pppay.com/help_centre.php?mo=escrow ) to secure the transaction and to handle this whole process for us. Using a reputable E-Commerce third party escrow company will secure the transaction and you will receive the car before I'll get paid and of course I'm also covered because the funds will be kept safety into the escrow account. This is the best way for me even if I'll have to pay some extra money for their services. I'll cover the broker's fee and like I've explained, the shipping will be free because I can use one of our airplanes here and I don't have to pay anything. Let me know if you are interested.

Warm regards,

Brian

[2Gunz]

The #1 reason to me that its a scam....


To much information.

People just dont reply like that.

If it really was for real I would expect something more like this.....


Hey thanks for the interest in my car.

I really need to sell this thing fast because Im being shipped to Iraq and dont have time to deal with it.

The car is in great shape and runs, drives and acts like new. I have pictures and I will send them with this email.

I would prefer to use a 3rd party broker to handle the money as It works better for me.

I would ship via Government airplane, except that is a ridiculous idea.

Let me know,

Thanks

The scam artist.

[MichaelRW]

I responded as Ponch suggested earlier in this thread and of course not a peep from the scammer. I thought I would at least get a response telling me to F off or something like that. 

[HITMAN 149]

i use to sit here & type a whole big thing MOTHER EFFFFFIN them that i hope there family is bestowed with alllll kinda of EVIL  SHIT!!! but i figured they don't even care... so why waste my time!!!! but ohhhh man you should of read some of my emails!!!!  OOOFHA!!!!

[John_Kunkel]

The offer to use an escrow service seems to make the ploy legit but try to find an address or phone number for the service the seller recommends. You usually can't.

Take his offer but insist on using the escrow service of your choosing ands watch him back out.

[ChargerSG]

Got my old mail bombed with scams like that, god i hate them