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Potential Fraud on Slowtwitch Classifieds (Long)
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Dear All,

I recently listed my Kestrel Talon on the Slowtwitch Classifieds. I received this e-mail.

Hello, i am willing to purchase your (Kestrel Talon Sl, 60cm ) and i want you to tell me the present condition. I want you to give me the last asking price, my mode of payment lays on certified casheir's check drawn in US funds. I will handle the shipping. If you many pics you can send it via mail.Thanks

This was strange because I had already listed both the pieces of info in my classifieds. I responded, however, and then received this e-mail:

Thanks for your e-mail,So glad to hear that the said items are still for sale,i want you to know one thing that the Mode of payment is going to be Certified Cashier's Checks that will be drawn from an American.So there will be no problem in Cashing the Check .Also i want you to know that you will be recieving a Cashier's Check of $7,000 that will sent to you one of my Client over there in the USA who is owing me this amount. So all i want you to do now is to recieve theCheck , After then i will expect you to Cash it Immediately at the Cashing Store. After the Check has been cashed i want you to Transfer the remaining excess funds to my Personal Assistant who will now Pay the Shipping Company to come over for the Pick up (I will handle the Shipping so Shipping Should not any Problem) Also after the Funds has been cashed and you have transfered to my Personal Assitant the excess funds,All you need to do is to wait for the Shipping Company to come over for the Pick up,You will be notify on the Day they will arrive so that you will around for them to Pick up the Item. Also funds should be Transfered to my Personal asistant via Western Union. The Western Union and the Cashing Store Charges should be deducted from the excess funds you are sending my Personal Assistant.

I am Compesating you with the Sum of $200 for the little stress you will be going through in the transaction, his now make your total income to be $2600 . So If this is Okay by you i want you to provide me with the Following Informations Which of course i will forward to my Client so that Payment will be Issued :

NAME: ......................
ADDRESS:.....................
CITY: ..............................
STATE:............................
COUNTRY:............................
ZIP CODE:............................
PHONE NUMBER:...................(HOME,CELL AND WORK)


Again, I had already provided the information he was requesting, not to mention the sketchy nature of his proposal. Slowtwitchers beware. His e-mail address is john_nelson2006@yahoo.com. I've heard about such scams coming out of Central and Western Africa.

-Davin Dahl
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Re: Potential Fraud on Slowtwitch Classifieds (Long) [bigdavedahl] [ In reply to ]
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Classic.
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Re: Potential Fraud on Slowtwitch Classifieds (Long) [bigdavedahl] [ In reply to ]
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yes. this is fraud. what's more, if you take this person's "cashier's check" to the bank, your bank will very likely accept it, and even if they put a hold it on, they'll lift the hold a week later. they'll also likely tell you the check is good, because it hasn't been returned.

then, THREE weeks later, your bank will inform you that the check is no good, and you'll be debited that amount. there's nothing you can do about it.

this is EXACTLY what happened to monty. except monty KNEW the check was no good, and told his bank he knew it was no good. they told him a week later it was good anyway, notwithstanding his protestations. fortunately, he never sent the person the item, or the check for the balance.

btw, they'll never come and pick up the bike. they just want the cashier's check. they'll insist you send the check separately.

Dan Empfield
aka Slowman
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Re: Potential Fraud on Slowtwitch Classifieds (Long) [Slowman] [ In reply to ]
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Another bicycle fraud recently happened to my friend, thus my paranoid state whilst selling my bike. A guy buy the name of Derek Wishart is pretending to sell Trek's out of Spain for a good price. My friend bought one on e-bay and sent the money Western Union and never saw the money again. A call to the Spanish bank where the money was sent revealed that this guy cleans out his account everyday and receives thousands in international transfers. He pulls the same scam with watches.
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Re: Potential Fraud on Slowtwitch Classifieds (Long) [bigdavedahl] [ In reply to ]
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WesternUnion is the red flag in that one. ANYTIME I see WesternUnion I automatically assume SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM. I wonder if people actually legitamately use WU........they sure have horrible reputation for being the scammers payment mode though.


BTW, you're the seller here....you're in control. The only way you're going to get burned is if you ship the bike before verifying funds. Easy way to prevent that--only accept US Postal Money Orders, Escrow, or (maybe) PayPal, though I've heard my fair share of PayPal horror stories. Good luck.
Last edited by: AR: Aug 30, 04 15:35
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Re: Potential Fraud on Slowtwitch Classifieds (Long) [bigdavedahl] [ In reply to ]
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I sold a bike on ebay recently and received an almost identical email. Fortunately I knew it was a scam but this was out of the UK, not Nigeria.
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Re: Potential Fraud on Slowtwitch Classifieds (Long) [AR] [ In reply to ]
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very poor grammar and orthograph is always the number 1 red flag...

then you can had the 'complicated sale strategy'...
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