View Full Version : scam?
John Rosett
Oct-17-2004, 11:27am
i have a mandolin for sale on the classified, and yesterday i recieved an email that i think is a scam, but i'm not quite sure.
on the plus side, the guy wanted to know my lowest price, and wanted to see more pictures, which is unlike the usual scam.
on the bad side, he said that his "personal shipper" would take care of the shipping, and he'd like to pay with a cashier's check. his english (spelling and phrasing) were not very great.
i don't want to just assume that this is a scam, but it's close enough to make me VERY cautious. what do you think?
thanks, john
JiminRussia
Oct-17-2004, 12:06pm
If there is a serious doubt, just tell him that you will hold the instrument until the check clears the bank. Then, his "personal shipper" can do with it as he pleases. I'd rather miss a sale than loose an instrument.
grandmainger
Oct-17-2004, 12:09pm
Well, it's common practice to only ship goods paid for by cheque once the cheque has cleared, so you could do that... get the cheque, cash it and get confirmation from your bank that the funds are through, then ship. My 2cents...
AC4RD
Oct-17-2004, 12:38pm
#on the bad side, he said that his "personal shipper" would take care of the shipping, and he'd like to pay with a cashier's check. his english (spelling and phrasing) were not very great.
There have been TONS of these in a couple of other "for sale" areas I look at regularly. Scam, scam, scam. The "cashier's check" will be for more than the purchase price, you'll be asked to give the person doing the transaction the change--"for convenience"--and by the time you find out the cashier's check is counterfeit, the person is long gone. Try telling the emailer you'll take a little LESS than what you said the bottom price was--but will ONLY deal in cash. He'll disappear in a flash of Nigerian smoke!
David M.
Jan-12-2005, 8:54am
I just posted a topic along these lines. One of the inquiries did say something about an "international shipper will come to your location". Poor spelling, even worse English. I def. won't go there.
How to tell if the cashier's check is real/fake?
Reckon I'll ask for cash only plus shipping charges.
If you're uncomfortable with the situation, just say no. Otherwise, I'd accept a money order, but only for the exact amount, and let them know that you will only release the instrument after the payment has cleared. If it's a scam, they'll probably loose interest. If it's an honest buyer, they'll understand the caution. I would never buy from someone insisting on cash because then I have absolutely no record of payment. They can take my money and say they never got it. That's why I wouldn't ask for cash if you think there's a chance this buyer is legitimate.
*^_^*
Katie
David M.
Jan-12-2005, 9:48am
Katie, you're right. I just received a reply about writing the "cheque" for over the amount and me wiring the money to Western Union. Ain't gonna happen.
None of the inquiries asked to see a picture, which is an indicator.
David M.
Jan-12-2005, 9:49am
mandorose, what'd you do?
Stephen Perry
Jan-12-2005, 10:14am
I'm fishing for a $100,000 check. The biggest fake I've been able to get so far is $11,000. Before attempting to clear it, call the issuing bank and ask if it is a real check or real account. So far none have been for us! We collect the fakes like some people collect stamps. Some are crude. Some are really very good!