HOW DO I KNOW IF A BUYER IS A SCAM ARTIST?
Relatively few scammers have the time to target your specific ad. Since they attack
across many websites and boards, their emails tend to be generic. As such, there are
some indicators that should at least send up some red flags as you consider them as a
potential buyer.
There have been several hundred scam email attempts sent to the catch-all emailbox
"forsale@edsel.com", and a lot of them have some common threads. The most frequent
identifiers are poor grammar, more references to payment than to the actual
car, and of course, the emails are sent from free/anonymous email services
like Yahoo, EWallet, Hotmail, etc.
No one thing can identify an email as a scammer, but if you find the email matches more than
one of these indicators, beware.
Here are examples of common themes seen in the last 100 scam emails, with their frequency:
1. Requests for "Last Price", "Bottom Price", "Best Selling Price" or "Final Price":
60%
This usually includes a request for pictures, too. Example:
-----Original Message-----
From: saxon trish [mailto:ttxsaxon@yahoo.com]
Sent: Tuesday, March 01, 2005 9:38 AM
To: forsale@edsel.com
Subject: interested in your Car
Hello my name is saxon ken ,Iam interested in your Car you place
on the website,kindly mail me your last
price, the present condition and if is still
available for sale,and also send the picture to my
mail box{ ttxsaxon@yahoo.com)hope to read from you
soonest.
best regards
Saxon
2. Reference to paying with a cashier's check:
45%
-----Original Message-----
From: john leo [mailto:carsautoc11@yahoo.co.uk]
Sent: Thursday, June 30, 2005 4:26 PM
To: forsale@edsel.com
Subject: i am interested
Hello,
I am united kingdom auto agent and will like to buy your car for my client in uk and
we shall be paying by united state money order or cashier check.My client will arrange
for a shipper who will come for pick up of the car. Pls i wll like to know the condition
of the car ,i wil also appreciate if you can send me the following information
so that the payment can be processed,
THE NAME IN WICH THE MONEY ORDER WILL BE ISSUED
THE ADDRESS WHERE THE MONEY ORDER WIL BE SENT TO
YOUR PHONE NUMBER
THE LAST PRICE OF THE CAR
Thanks a lot.
John leo.
3. Reference to your car is listed in brackets or parentheses:
30%
It can get pretty obvious that your car's info was generated by a computer:
-----Original Message-----
From: fesco sco [mailto:fesco_store@yahoo.com]
Sent: Monday, August 08, 2005 9:09 AM
To: forsale@edsel.com
Subject: Ranger 4-door sedan
Hello,
We are dealers that deal in all kinds of ( Ranger 4-door sedan ,) etc. we have
a buyer interested in the purchase of your ( Ranger 4-door sedan ,) If it is still
available, pls get back to us asap with your bottom price, pics and also state the
present condition of the property so as to proceed with payment details we pay with a
certified cheque or a postal money order so please if you accept please do mail back
as soo as possible.
Thank you and best regards.
fesco
4. No direct reference to the car itself:
27%
They want your "item" or "product". In fact, they have no idea
what you're selling.
-----Original Message-----
From: harry gold` [mailto:harrygold1@yahoo.com]
Sent: Thursday, June 16, 2005 10:18 PM
To: forsale@edsel.com
Subject: RE:INTERESTED
Hello,
My name is Mr Harry Gold,Am from uk.
I saw ur advert of ur product for sale,and i took interest in it.
hope it is in good condition.
i would like to know if its available.
If so i will like to know the total amount for the product.
Thank you.
Regards......Mr Harry
5. References to having a "Client", "Buyer" or "Customer":
26%
Many times the scam involves you getting overpaid so you can
give real money back to someone:
-----Original Message-----
From: rufus smith [mailto:rufus_smith2003@yahoo.com]
Sent: Thursday, November 18, 2004 5:40 AM
To: forsale@edsel.com
Subject: Ready To Buy
i saw your advert on web and i am interested in buying youritem i am ready to
pay you $1,600 i am based in western africa get back to me if my offer is ok by
you.Like i said earlier i am based in the Western africa.there won't be any
probs about the shipment,after payment,the pick up will be made at your place. i have
made arrangements with the prepaid shipping company. As regards payment,this is
what i am going to do;I have a client in the US who is owing me US6,500 i would
instruct him to make out a certified check to you in that amount and as soon as it
clears your bank. you can now deduct your money from it nd send me my balance,i
will using use part of the money to pay for the shipping and other expenses .you
will then send my balance by via western union money transfer.Although the value of
the check is more than the asking price but i think i should beable to trust you
with my balance. The reason why i am doing this is that it would take a check sent
from over here in Nigeria 21days to clear over there,whereas a check sent from the!
US would clear tops within 48hrs.So i would like you to deduct the western union
charges from my balance.So if my terms are acceptable to you,i would like you to
give me your full name,address and phone number so that i can instruct my client to
make out the check to you. Pls get back to me as soon as you get this mail so that
we can around things up in a timely fashion.. will be trusting in this business
transaction. get back to me.
Thank's
Rufus Smith.
6. Sender's name is made up of two first names:
26%
This was very popular for a while, to the point where it became predictable.
-----Original Message-----
From: greg bill [mailto:gregbill@fastermail.com]
Sent: Thursday, October 07, 2004 12:43 PM
To: forsale@edsel.com
Subject: 1959 Ranger {$4500}
Hello,
i'm happy to see your ads on 1959 Ranger for
4500 dollas, which i'm interested in buying, i want to know if is
still on sale, if so i will want you to tell me its present
conditions and also the last price for the 1959 Ranger
, and i will also want you to give me the correct pics of the
1959 Ranger ,kindly get back to me
7. Sender's email last name includes "Smith", "Johnson", "James":
19%
Not a perfect indicator, but this happens with statistical significance.
-----Original Message-----
From: jones smith [mailto:smithjones_101@hotmail.com]
Sent: Saturday, April 02, 2005 7:58 PM
To: smithjones_101@hotmail.com
Subject: interested buyer
Hello
My name is Mr jones,so i search through the
internet and i saw your (PRODUCT )and i am very much
interested in
it,so i want you to get back to me with your last offer,also i will
like you to send me the pics of it.So get back to me.
With Regards
Mr jones
8. The email was not addressed to you:
11%
Sending the same message to a distribution list? Lazy scamming.
-----Original Message-----
From: slant_denny@SAFe-mail.net [mailto:slant_denny@SAFe-mail.net]
Sent: Friday, November 05, 2004 8:03 PM
To: Undisclosed-Recipient:;; undisclosed-recipients:
Subject: ENQUIRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hello,
I'm a citizens of canada. i want to make an equiry of your goods posted in your (advert)
and i will like you to give me the adeqaute price of the goods. Also which to know if
you do accept cheque as terms of payment.
Let me hear from you as soon as possible.
Regards,
Berry.
9. Reference to a different item:
3%
The ultimate in lazy scamming. You can't even take the time to change
the text?!
-----Original Message-----
From: henryken smith [mailto:henrykensmith@yahoo.com]
Sent: Monday, February 07, 2005 2:37 PM
To: forsale@edsel.com
Subject: 1959 RANGER $4,500
Hello Dear Seller,
This is henryken smith a wholesales distributor from SMITH ENTERPRISES PLC, I saw your
advert placed on net, about your 1959 RANGER $4,500
for sale and i am intrested in buying the item,so please i will like you
to get back to me in other to know if the 5-string rockbas is still available for sale
and so also i will like to know your last price for the item. please do try and explain
to me better the condition of the ITEM, thanks
and do hope to read from you soonest.
My Best Regards,
Smith.
And remember, even though a buyer may have hit a few of these conditions,
they STILL may be legitimate, as proven by a recent Edsel sale from the US:
I just sold our 59 Edsel to a man "down under". I had moved the car down to the
big city for more exposer and he paid my brother in law with a cashier's check and
I was freaking out but it cleared and all was well. He bought for $6500.00 and he
said he will sell it for $18,000 down under! It was sad to see it drive in a cargo
container but it was fun while it lasted.
In this online sea of good and bad, proceed with caution.