I have been scammed; what do I do?
In the US, if you think your life is in danger, please contact your local and/or state police immediately! If you are not in danger, I suggest:
1 – Call the Western Fraud Hotline number at 1-800-448-1492
2 – Use this resource to report it in your state, then submit a complaint to the Internet Crime Complaint Center.
3 – Report the fraud to local law enforcement.
Lookstoogoodtobetrue.com has a consolidated reporting page here.
Please, please, please report any fraud or attempted fraud. Law Enforcement is making inroads toward putting a dent into this criminal activity based upon your submissions to http://ic3.gov.
Another set of hints from Photobucket.com
If you suspect a fraud or scam you can also contact the following agencies for assistance
* FTC toll free hotline: 877-FTC-HELP begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 877-FTC-HELP end_of_the_skype_highlighting (877-382-4357)
* FTC online complaint form (www.ftc.gov)
* Canadian PhoneBusters hotline: 888-495-8501
* Internet Fraud Complaint Center (www.ic3.gov/)
* Non-emergency number for your local police department.
* Craigslist abuse@craigslist.org (include the url or the eight digit post id number)
* Ebay – http://pages.ebay.com/help/tp/isgw-fraud-non-ebay.html
Thank you for posting this information. Almost went through with a deal that seemed to good to be true. It was posted on craigslist but when I ran a VIN check and saw that the seller misrepresented the mileage and that the vehicle was registerd in CA, seller supposedly lives in MT, but the craigslist post was for LaCrosse, WI, I started getting suspicious. I have printed out all the e-mail traffic, including the ebay VPP invoice and will be contacting the FTC.
Thanks again!
Very good, Wendy. We’re glad you found us and especially glad you’ll take the time to report to the FTC. The power of many good citizens can overcome the few evil guys that perform these activities. – Chief
“Robert Draper” is in the process of trying to sell me a 13′ Scamp which I believe I originally saw on rv.com. He has been vague about where he is but I saw Minnesota license plates in the photo. Supposedly his brother is in the shipping business and can ship it for free anywhere in the country. Now I see he is advertising it as well on Craigslist LA, saying it’s in Newhall. The email is slightly different. Thanks for the heads up. Is there anything I can do to nail this guy?
Diana, unless one can demonstrate attempted fraud, there is not much to report
Once an attempted fraud has been committed, we make suggestions on this page for reporting to the Federal Trade Commission and the Internet Fraud Complaint Center.
[...] To victims: I encourage you to report the criminals per this posting. [...]
“Robert Draper” is in the process of trying to sell me a 13′ Scamp which I believe I originally saw on rv.com. He has been vague about where he is but I saw Minnesota license plates in the photo. Supposedly his brother is in the shipping business and can ship it for free anywhere in the country. Now I see he is advertising it as well on Craigslist LA, saying it’s in Newhall. The email is slightly different. Thanks for the heads up. Is there anything I can do to nail this guy?
+1
i am sad to say that i was suckered into the scam. mine was “Jessica Armstrong” in chester, mt. and it was a 2004 suburban for $4700.00. it was listed on craig’s list and had the same detail’s as cheif listed about the honda sedan . non-smoker, grage kept, losing house if not sold, DAS transpoter service free plus $500, the whole nine yards. now im out the 4700 dollars plus the loan and interest. i thought it would never happen to me but boy was i wrong. this happened between 5/31/10 and 6/11/10. people please beware and pay close attention to every detail.
I have been trying to find and purchase a pontoon boat and have received numerous emails detailing siimilar scenarios as listed above. After investigating the details of the offers and descriptions given I have detemined that the following email addresses are directly associated with scams involving watercraft.
dyane huston [dyane.huston@gmx.com]
rick.logan45@comcast.net
I guess the bottom line is that comes down to the old saying.
“If it seems to good to be true, It is too good to be true.”
Thanks for the insight Chief!
Hi,
I just run across this situation and I think this man is scam on me.. I search “chinook” in several cities and this post come up:
http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/for/1856428096.html
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/for/1860171722.html
I sent him a email to buy this van and found out he used picture of this posting to send its to me:
http://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/rvs/1864386117.html
Then the rest of conversation as follows
Hi,
Pls tell me where and what time for test drive this chinook?
email me for address.
Thanks
Henry
From: Johnny Riggs
To: Hoa Nguyen
Sent: Thu, July 29, 2010 4:25:27 PM
Subject: Re: chinook
I’m sorry for the late reply, i was promoted and i had to move. You were interested in my 2002 Chinook Concourse rv. The motorhome is in very good condition and it looks great inside and outside, no damage or mechanical problems. The title is clear and the rv was never involved in an accident. My final price is $7000 – the buyer gets insured DAS shipping and a 30 days free of charge return policy and inspection period. For safety reasons i only deal through ebay, i still have the motorhome listed there. let me know if you’re still interested.
Johnny
Hi,
Would you give me the auction ID or the link to that?
Thanks
Hoa
________________________________________
From: Johnny Riggs
To: Hoa Nguyen
Sent: Fri, July 30, 2010 5:13:17 AM
Subject: Re: chinook
The ebay listing ended – here are more pics. I was promoted and I had to move to Arizona because my employer has offices here, i made arrangements with DAS Auto Shippers for the transaction i had with a buyer but his loan was not approved and the money that I paid to DAS are not refundable. I also have a contract with them and I can only use their shipping services. The motorhome is at the shipping company in Tucson AZ ready to be shipped. Since I’m away with business right now a local inspection cannot be performed. However, I do offer a 30 days inspection period prior to buying the mh if we close the deal through ebay. Let me explain how the whole process works:
1. you send the amount due to ebay’s Vehicle Purchase Protection (VPP) service
2. ebay will confirm me that you have made the payment and that everything is ok.
3. i will ship the rv so you can inspect, test and make a decision if you will keep it or not. You have 30 days from arrival date to do that.
4. if you will not get exactly the same motorhome that you have viewed in the ad, and as described by me and also a clear title you will receive all your money back from ebay motors. Their VPP protection is for amounts up to $50,000.
5. if everything is ok you will have to send ebay your approval to release the funds to me.
If you agree with this process please send your full name and shipping address so i can make the shipping arrangements and start the procedure through ebay.
I’m waiting for your email asap because I have other potential buyers and I don’t know what to say to them.
(Most of the pictures he took on this listing:
http://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/rvs/1864386117.html
Hi,
Thanks for reply and pics. I have some questions.
1/ I do not see the odometer, how many miles on it?
2/ Total how much I have to pay? (title etc..)
3/ Can I go to tucson to inspect and get the car? and do they have temporary permit to drive in California? (for smog check and weight.etc..)
Thanks
HN
________________________________________
65386 miles on it. The total price is $7000 without any hidden fees. They have a temporary permit, the rv is at DAS Autoshippers and it’s sealed for shipping and i explained why i can only deal through them, if you want to move on with the deal send your full name and shipping address and i will make the final arrangements and start the ebay vpp case, after that they will contact you with all the important info.
Please CHECK IT OUT AND WARN OTHER PEOPLE.
Thanks
Hoa Nguyen
Hoa, good detective work. How did you find the picture source?
Thanks for posting the text. It will help the next potential victim. — Chief
Hi, I was almost a victim of a craigslist scam from the jobs section. T this guy claimed to be John Lucas and he said he wanted me to work for him as a personal assistant making 500$ a week, the email was very detailed so I really thought it was real. He claimed to be in Canada for three weeks and emailed me instructions for my first job task after I gave him my full name and my mailing address. He told me I was getting a check through fed-ex and i was to immediately cash it at my bank and then go and western union it to this person:
Name: Randolph Gigger
Address: 250 piedmont ave NE
City: Atlanta
State: GA
Zipcode: 30310
I told him I needed to speak to him on the phone because I did not know anything about him and He said he was a very busy man but would try to call me the day the check was to arrive at my house. I told him again, I need to talk to you before I cash any check for you, he never answered me back once i mentioned I was being cautious because I didn’t want to get scammed. I decided to go back on craigslist and I emailed more people for assistant jobs. Guess what happened, I recieved another email around the same time as ‘John Lucas’ first replied to my email. This time the guy claimed to be Mark Lennon and everything in his email was the exact same as John Lucas’. He even claimed to be working in Canada for three weeks as well.
Is there anything I can do to get this person in any kind of trouble, or at least make sure they cant do this anymore?
Someone put my car for sale on July 21st. I am looking for the people who saw the ad. It was for a Honda accord ex, I think they said it was an o6, for 2400. My phone got slammed
I had to change my number, I was really upset and it caused me all kinds of problems. Someone please contact me. I believe it was done by my lawyer’s secretary who dislikes me
however the ramifications of this prank go far deeper than just the prank of the ad, my whole
life is being messed with and my lawyer has done nothing to stop her! Please help me
Tammy
Please help me find that ad they want to charge me with libel when they are the ones harassing me! Tammy tammeegrant@yahoo.com
Jennifer, report the attempted fraud via the steps outlined here: http://scammerdatabase.wordpress.com/faqs/i-have-been-scammed-what-do-i-do/
I would start with http://www.ic3.gov/ and report everything you have. One does not necessarily need to have lost money to report such crime.
– Chief
Tammy, while I have no reason not to believe you, I focus on scams. If your attorney is not addressing the issue, I encourage you to find another one.
– Chief
I’ve been scammed by sending a product to the scammer and also sending some money via Western Union Money Transfer. It indicates that the money has been picked up. Anyone has any idea what I can do now? Thanks so much!
Elaine, please see your email.
My Husband and i , were really considering taking an offer . Thank God my husband decided to research the seller thorougly. He found this site and the complaints of the other scammers were almost identical to the emails we received!! It’s terrible how awful some people can be!!! He used the name Thomas Coley, and claimed to be in the military in Spain. Here is the email:
Hello and sorry for my delay,
The 2000 Honda Acord EX is in perfect working condition.This detailed vehicle makes the exterior look like it just came off the assembly line. I am the first and only owner. The car has only 119,857 original miles. Vin #: 1HGCG6673YA107020. The car is in perfect condition inside and out. The timing belt was recently changed. This car always passed emissions tests. The tires are almost new and the oil is changed. The water pump and the brake disks have been replaced. This car needs nothing but a new driver.
It was never involved in any accident, not even minor ones. The body and paint are great. The interior is super clean, mechanically, it runs like a cat on carpet.
Here are the pics of the car, click on this link :
this is the link: http://picasaweb.google.com/sefulu/Honda
You can also see there the scanned copies of the Title of my car, which is on my name, ready to be transfered into your name. So if you decide on buying the car, I want the deal closed only through eBay. You will make the payment to eBay and they will hold the money until you receive the car. ONLY AFTER you receive the car and you inspect it, eBay will release the payment to me, in this way we are both protected. I signed up for US military forces and I was sent to Spain with my department to improve the military relations between our country and Spain. I am located in Madrid, the capital city of Spain. One month ago, my wife moved here with me and brought the car with her, but now we have to sell it back in the United States, because we can’t drive it here as we can’t register it; it has US specs and everything, and registering it in Europe will take for ever. My final price on it is US 1,200 $. If you will take it for this price, I am willing to handle the shipping .It will be shipped from here by plane with US Air Military Cargo so it will not cost me anything. You will get it to the nearest airport in your area and then it will be trucked forward to your place. From the moment the payment is secured by eBay the shipping process will begin and it will arrive at your address in about 3 max. 4 working days. Please get back to me asap if you decide to buy, and include in your e-mail your full name and address where you want it shipped so I can start the deal with eBay. You will receive all the transaction payment and shipping details from them.
Respectfully,
SSG. Thomas Coley
my address is:
221 Calle Mayor
Zip: 28013, Madrid
SPAIN
SSgt, USAF1 SOMOS/MXOOA Maintenance Analysis DSN 579-1794 Comm 884-1794
P.S. This is my home e-mail address
Hello,
I almost just fell for this exact, and i mean exact scam down to the same wording. Thank you for having this site so I could research and not be taken advantage of. Shame on this person for impersonating a member of our military!
Almost fell for it
Hello and
sorry for my delay,
The 2000 Honda Acord EX is in perfect working condition.This detailed vehicle makes the exterior look like it just came off the assembly line. I am the first and only owner. The car has only 119,857 original miles. Vin #: 1HGCG6673YA107020. The car is in perfect condition inside and out. The timing belt was recently changed. This car always passed emissions tests. The tires are almost new and the oil is changed. The water pump and the brake disks have been replaced. This car needs nothing but a new driver.
It was never involved in any accident, not even minor ones. The body and paint are great. The interior is super clean, mechanically, it runs like a cat on carpet.
Here are the pics of the car, click on this link :
this is the link: http://picasaweb.google.com/sefulu/Honda
You can also see there the scanned copies of the Title of my car, which is on my name, ready to be transfered into your name. So if you decide on buying the car, I want the deal closed only through eBay. You will make the payment to eBay and they will hold the money until you receive the car. ONLY AFTER you receive the car and you inspect it, eBay will release the payment to me, in this way we are both protected. I signed up for US military forces and I was sent to Spain with my department to improve the military relations between our country and Spain. I am located in Madrid, the capital city of Spain. One month ago, my wife moved here with me and brought the car with her, but now we have to sell it back in the United States, because we can’t drive it here as we can’t register it; it has US specs and everything, and registering it in Europe will take for ever. My final price on it is US 1,200 $. If you will take it for this price, I am willing to handle the shipping .It will be shipped from here by plane with US Air Military Cargo so it will not cost me anything. You will get it to the nearest airport in your area and then it will be trucked forward to your place. From the moment the payment is secured by eBay the shipping process will begin and it will arrive at your address in about 3 max. 4 working days. Please get back to me asap if you decide to buy, and include in your e-mail your full name and address where you want it shipped so I can start the deal with eBay. You will receive all the transaction payment and shipping details from them.
Respectfully,
SSG. Thomas Coley
my address is:
221 Calle Mayor
Zip: 28013, Madrid
SPAIN
SSgt, USAF1 SOMOS/MXOOA Maintenance Analysis DSN 579-1794 Comm 884-1794
P.S. This is my home e-mail address
I was scammed by Thomas Brent, he had a 2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara for sale on carsales.com -He said he was a pilot in the Air Force & was being deployed to Afganastan so was willing to sell his car for only $7000. He got me to register with carexchange whom would act as a 3rd party, the money would go to them & only after i inspected and confirmed i wanted to buy the car that the money would be transferred to him. All of this looked really safe. It said for first time users I could only tranfer the money through Western Union. He was such a professional con-artist he was even sending me messages which looked like they came from Car Sales saying -Tip of the day when purchasing a car on the internet use carexchange for safe transactions
Please see you email inbox.
Chief
Hi Michelle,
Sorry for responding that late, my car is still available but currently I’m in Western Australia, due to my job duties.I’m a pilot for the Royal Defence Forces and I’m stationed at a military base here because I’m being deployed to Afghanistan in exactly 15 days from now so, this is the reason I’m selling it. Some of the persons who inquired about my car asked about the RWC so, the car will come with RWC as well. Anyway, if you want to buy my car, I can take 4-5 days permission to bring it to your address and close the deal. Some things you must know in case you’ll be the buyer just to avoid future questions:
1) no accidents or scratches on the body of the car
2) I’m a non smoker person and the car is very clean inside
3) perfect running order, oil changed every 5k kilometers, new tires and brakes fitted in August (full service history can tell), no warning lights on the board, engine runs smoothly as it should and rego expires in April next year
Price is not negotiable because it’s already reduced for a quick sale. In case you have any other questions, feel free to contact me but due to my job and trainings every day it might be a delay in reply so, I apologies in advance for this. One more thing, there is also no money owe on my car and can sell anytime
P.S. Please excuse my english, I’m dutch of origin and my english is far from perfect
Dear Customer,
We sent you an email regarding the authenticity of the following ad “2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara JB ” on Carsales Network (this includes Carsales.com.au, Carpoint.com.au and our member websites). Carsales.com.au Support Team want to let you know the we have removed the ad from our website because of the wrong postcode posted by the seller. We have verified the ad manually and contacted the person who posted this ad and we must let you know that the ad will be marked as “Genuine” and live on our website as soon as possible. You can continue to contact the seller of the ad “2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara JB ” because the authenticity of the seller : “thomasbr73@gmail.com” has been verified. Please check your bulk folder often because sometimes our notifications may arrive in the bulk folder and this happens when the recipient uses a free email address such as Hotmail or Yahoo.
This is an automatic email from Carsales.com.au to everyone who has contacted the person who put up this ad. Please know that Carsales.com.au is committed to the safety of our sites and our users. We have a number of different protective measures on our web site. We also provide safety information that is available on our web site’s help pages to educate our customers in how to stay safe online.
Kind regards,
Customer Support
Proudly part of the carsales network
(I contacted Car sales & they never sent this message) THey said they absolutely dont believe in ourchasing a car by a 3rd party only face to face with cash or a bank cheque. Unfortunatley after I was already scammed.
Hi mate,
Are you still interested in buying my 2006 suzuki grand vitara?
I’m willing to let it go for $7000 ……… next e-mail>
Hi Michelle,
First of all I would like to apologies for the delay in replies, I have trainings every day and most of the trainings are outside the base and we have strict rules here and limited access to communication but I hope you understand the situation. I need to speak to my superiors about it, and will try to take 4-5 days permission to bring the car over and make the deal.
I’ll definitely give you an answer later today or tomorrow.
Hi Michelle,
I’ve spoke to my superiors and I can take 4-5 days permission to bring the car but I don’t want to take this permission and … maybe come for nothing, I mean that there is a risk of coming to you and…you simply don’t show up and I don’t want to be embarrassed because there will not be a second chance for me to take a second permission since I have trainings every day and the departure is knocking at the door. One of my mates advised me to use a third party escrow company for this sale because of the distance and also because of the risks involved.
He used the following escrow company: http://www.au-carexchange.com for a car purchase on carsales website and he was very pleased. All you have to do is to register at their website and then I need your user name so I can set up the transaction. You can read how escrow works here: http://www.au-carexchange.com/howitworks.php. I can give you one day to test the car at any inspection service you wish and only if you decide to keep it, they will release the money to me so, I believe this is the safest way. Let me know your decision because there is another person who wants to buy it and I need to know which way to go. I’ll bring the car with the log book and we can sign the papers right away.
–
Thomas Brent – Air Corps Pilot id# 2819293
Army email: ac2819293@defenceairforces.com
Personal email: thomasbr73@gmail.com
Royal Australian Air Force
One more thing, I saw that carsales.com.au also recommends this escrow company for a transaction like this. You can read some tips here at this link where I also saw their recommendations: http:/carsales.com.au/secure_transactions/
I believe this is the safest way since we are so far from each other. Let me know what you think
–
Thomas Brent – Air Corps Pilot id# 2819293
Army email: ac2819293@defenceairforces.com
Personal email: thomasbr73@gmail.com
Royal Australian Air Force
Dear Customer,
A new transaction has been created in our system
There is currently 1 transaction where you are the buyer. The transaction was initiated by: thomasbr73 (Thomas Brent)
We have printed some details about the transaction bellow (transaction no.: #4944) :
Item: 2006 SUZUKI GRAND VITARA JB
Item’s price: 7000 AUD
Required Deposit: 3500 AUD (amount that needs to be paid in order to get the item delivered)
Shipping fee covered by: Seller
Escrow fee covered by: Seller
Inspection Period: 1 day(s) (Testing period of time which lets you decide whether you would like to keep the item or return it back to the seller.)
If you agree to the above conditions you must login to our sistem and proceed further:
1. You must click >> Agree << in order to begin the current transaction process.
2. Second step is to see the payment information. Our financial department is working around the clock to get your payment confirmed as soon as possible.
With us you are protected.
____________________________________
Australia Car Exchange Support Team
(This whole web site is fraudulent) A scam, really from him.
One more thing, I saw that for first time users is only Western Union money transfer available as payment option. I sent money with Western Union service many times in the past to my family in Holland and this service is very fast and also cheap compared to other payment services. As far as I know they charge about 3-4% depending on the amount you send but since we agreed on $7000, you will pay nothing more so, the fee you’ll be paying in order to transfer the money, I will deduct from the remaining balance so, no worries. I forgot… Can I ask you a favor?
One of my mates here told me that I might be paying some extra fee myself for selling my car and since the money is tight these days…I don’t want to pay some extra tax I’m not aware of. When you make the payment don’t tell the Western Union agent that you want to pay for a car because I really want to avoid these taxes. I don’t know how much this might be because this is my first car I’m selling here and the laws might be different from my mother country but I don’t want to take the risk and spend some extra cash.
Just tell him (in case he asks you) that you want to send the money to a relative: i.e. — your uncle, cousin of yours and this way I will avoid the taxes.
What do you think? Can you do it?
Please let me know
–
Thomas Brent – Air Corps Pilot id# 2819293
Army email: ac2819293@defenceairforces.com
Personal email: thomasbr73@gmail.com
Royal Australian Air Force
Hi Michelle
That’s good news!
I’m waiting for the escrow company to confirm the payment and then I’ll bring it. I think they will confirm it by the end of tomorrow so….looking forward to see you tomorrow.
Is this the correct address right? :
~~~~ ~~~~ Avenue
~~~~~~~
~~~~
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~
What can I say ….thank you one more time for buying my car and I’m sure you’ll love it and take good care of it as I did because you are a wonderful person.
Have a good night
–
Thomas Brent – Air Corps Pilot id# 2819293
Army email: ac2819293@defenceairforces.com
Personal email: thomasbr73@gmail.com
Royal Australian Air Force
28/01/2011
support@au-carexchange.com
From: support@au-carexchange.com
Sent: Friday, 28 January 2011
To:
Dear au-carexchange.com User,Thank you for your payment. We have received the money.We’ll contact the seller to ship the car but we need the final payment from you as soon as possible.Please send the remaining balance of $3500 and then we’ll contact the seller in order to ship the car. The money are deposited in our account and you have nothing to worry about. As you probably know the seller has agreed to pay the escrow fees and you have to send now the rest of the money $3500.After you will receive and inspect the car, if you will decide to keep it you must let us know so we can pay the seller.We have changed our policy because we had a buyer who tried to scam one of our our customers when he received the car, he didn’t want to send the final payment anymore and for this reason we don’t want any trouble regarding this matter so, we advised our seller not to deliver the car until we hold the full amount in our account so we can make it secure for both parties. Please understand this situation and wire the final payment as soon as possible so we can order the delivery process. Your money are safe deposited in our account and you have nothing to worry about. As soon as we’ll receive the payment we’ll contact the seller to deliver the car. Thank you for using our service. With us your transaction is 100% guaranteed
(I had my computer open & got the next msg straight away This is basically when I realised I’d been scammed)
28/01/2011
From: Thomas Brent (thomasbr73@gmail.com)
Sent: Friday, 28 January 2011
To:
Hi Shelley,
I want to come with the car but the escrow company advised me not to because they must have the money in full because they had a buyer who tried to con a seller by not sending the final payment after receiving the car. I’m so sorry mate, I’m just protecting myself and listen to their advice. Please let me know if you can transfer the rest of the money today so I can bring it immediately. They told me that they sent you a notification regarding this matter.
–
Thomas Brent – Air Corps Pilot id# 2819293
Army email: ac2819293@defenceairforces.com
Personal email: thomasbr73@gmail.com
Royal Australian Air Force
Hi Shelly,
I’m so sorry for that , I’m waiting for your email tomorrow as soon as it will be done and finally I can leave the base Saturday night or Sunday and come to your address
I will call you tomorrow morning around 8 am before training.
One more thing, can I call you on a land line number because I’ll be calling from the military base’s phone and it’s easier to establish a connection and it’s more clear comparing to a mobile number…probably because of the antennas around this place, I don’t know because I tried before and it’s more clear with a land line number. If you don’t have a line number, thats ok I will ring your mobile
Thanks in advance for your reply
The next Night cause I didnt transfer any money he called me on a private number. He said that if I could mke the final payment. He would get the car to me by Tuesday night.
I said I want my deposit back as I’d already done my part of the deal & he said he DRANK IT & hung up. Needless to say I’ve never heard from him again
–
Carsales.com.au: Tip of the day!
Dear Carsales.com.au Customer,
Carsales.com.au Network recommends our users to use only reputable and reliable escrow services in order to buy/sell safe on our website. This escrow company is approved by Carsales.com.au:
http://www.au-carexchange.com
If necessary use this service above when you want to buy or sell a vehicle on our website.
This is an automatic email from Carsales.com.au to everyone who contacted car sellers on our website. Please know that Carsales.com.au is committed to the safety of our sites and our users. We have a number of different protective measures on our web site. We also provide safety information that is available on our web site’s help pages to educate our customers in how to stay safe online.
Carsales.com.au Network also advice our users to check the bulk folder often because we have received reports that sometimes our notifications may arrive in the bulk folder and this happens when the recipient uses a free email address such as Hotmail or Yahoo.
Kind regards,
Customer Support
Proudly part of the carsales network
(THIS WAS ALSO ONE OF THE MSG”S MADE TO LOOK IT CAME FROM CAR SALES)
I’ve been in an exchange of abusive emails between myself and guy calling himself arthur.aarts. He was trying to sell me a Honda S2000 and sent me the “im on an army base” email. This time he said he was in the ‘Royal Defence Forces’ in Northern Ireland (they don’t exist) and was due to leave for Afghanistan in 2 weeks.
I realised pretty that it was a scam, as the style and use of English gave it away. I called his bluff and told him he was a theif and to f@*k off and get a proper job. I may have added a few comments about his mother in there too.
It must have hit a nerve as i recieved responses like this
“what a fucking loser you are tommy boy, I bet i can hit you down with a fart mother fuckign english little cook bastard”
and
“man…believe me …i’m a winner in all this shit because I make thousands / month while you wake up at seven and ..for only 1000-2000 pounds/month”
I’m amazed he is actually freely admitting that he scams for a living. I’m searching for more of his adverts now in an attempt to find out his bank details and report him to the police. It was good to get him wound up but I should have held out until he actually committed a crime.
He’s still sending me grief at the moment too!
Tom,
If you are using safe methods to contact the criminal, bait him from another email address to continue the diatribe. See this link for a some info on why these guys are not often apprehended.
I think I have been scammed I have all the emails and receipts for everything I just need validation and what steps to take! The transaction went through western union Money Transfer please email me about what to do or any advice please!!!!
i have recently gave a scammer on craigslist my first and last name and email address before finding out it was a scam..what should i do and what could happen??
Brittany,
I’m sorry these criminals took your money. I suggest reporting as I outline on this page. It is very important to report to your local law enforcement as well as http://ic3.gov. Honestly, there is almost no chance of getting your money back, but your efforts will enable law enforcement to aggregate your case with others.
Jon, this class of scammer does not want your personal data — he only wants you to send him cash. The exchange could generate some spam for your email address, but I would not worry about the personal data.
– Chief
{content deleted}
Tammy, please read http://scammerdatabase.wordpress.com/about/ . Your content had nothing to do with the stated objective of this blog.
– Chief
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Dear spammer:
Tell your cousin Tanya that I wish her nothing but good luck with her breast enhancement. While I have not yet run across a scam involving the desire for bigger boobs, I will not rule out that possibility. Please grab a book on English grammar before posting again.
your friend,
Chief
Rita, it’s complicated. These guys are professional thieves and are good at what they do. See the link http://www.wired.com/magazine/2011/01/ff_hackerville_romania/ that give you some insight into why it’s complex.
I was looking for a miniature piglet, and found one on the internet for $450 plus shipping to my town, from florida. I paid the guy over money gram (still have that receipt) and paid an extra fee for a refundable insurance for the flight. I have not seen a pig or heard back from the guy in awhile. How do I go about getting my money back!
I’ve been scammed by sending some money via Western Union Money Transfer. What can i do now?
Tori, contact Western Union/Moneygram immediately.
Melissa, I suggest you take the steps outlined at http://scammerdatabase.wordpress.com/faqs/i-have-been-scammed-what-do-i-do/ . I am sorry you got taken. Please report the crime so that law enforcement can aggregate your case with others the scammer has committed.
– Chief
I Think I’m a victim of being scammed. I purchase something through someone on Facebook. She sent me her address and everything but not even her full name. I thought it was odd at first but she convinced me that she would sent out my items once she receive the money. She asked for cash. Over the three days Ive contact her if she received them and she said yes. But after that, she deactivated her facebook & now I have no contact with her. She told me I would receive 3-5 days after my payment. I send $100 in cash, how do I get my money back”/ I even told her it was my first time doing this….It’s now been two weeks & I’m worried.
I’m not sure how you paid her in cash. Did you place cash in an envelope and send it to her via USPS?
– Chief
She told me she only accepted concealed cash & tells me to wrap them in 2/3 pieces of paper in an envelope. So I sent it through a local post office
Shasha, I am afraid the criminal has taken your money. If you are so inclined, I would suggest that you report this to your local police.
– Chief
I called the local police & they say they can’t do anything about it & I would have to report this to the court. Do you think its worth going through all this trouble for a loss of $100?
Shasha, I recommend filing a quick report at http://ic3.gov. It will help investigators aggregate your case with others. Unfortunately, the likelihood of getting your money back is virtually zero, but you could certainly help a future potential victim.
– Chief
I saw a u-tube posted by s grant for an 03 scamp trailer and inquired. It was a great buy and a believable story. I gave my address and received a contract from google checkout that looked good except for the payment terms to western union and recearched further to find several scam alerts for this guy. Luckily I did not continue with payment. U-tube should take this down immediately or face charges themselves.
Amy Thimpson
Amy, just send your email to youtube … look for an abuse address or page which you can submit it!
– CHief
I had a guy hire me as personal assistant also saying he was out of the country andsent check for me to deposit and transfer. Obviously I’m not doing it but he harrasses me through email and texts. Not sure what to do.
This is in response to the following comment some posted:
“Hi, I was almost a victim of a craigslist scam from the jobs section. T this guy claimed to be John Lucas and he said he wanted me to work for him as a personal assistant making 500$ a week, the email was very detailed so I really thought it was real. He claimed to be in Canada for three weeks and emailed me instructions for my first job task after I gave him my full name and my mailing address. He told me I was getting a check through fed-ex and i was to immediately cash it at my bank and then go and western union it to this person: Name: Randolph Gigger Address: 250 piedmont ave NE City: Atlanta State: GA Zipcode: 30310
I told him I needed to speak to him on the phone because I did not know anything about him and He said he was a very busy man but would try to call me the day the check was to arrive at my house. I told him again, I need to talk to you before I cash any check for you, he never answered me back once i mentioned I was being cautious because I didn’t want to get scammed. I decided to go back on craigslist and I emailed more people for assistant jobs. Guess what happened, I recieved another email around the same time as ‘John Lucas’ first replied to my email. This time the guy claimed to be Mark Lennon and everything in his email was the exact same as John Lucas’. He even claimed to be working in Canada for three weeks as ogythere anything I can do to get this person in any kind of trouble, or at least make sure they cant do this anymore?
Anna, as with all attempted fraud, I suggest completing a report at http://ic3.gov.
– Chief
Chief, I was scammed by a woman in Ghana Africa. She sent me dozens of phots and said she wanted to come here to america and was working for a Meet Kate foundation. After about a months worth of chatter she convinced me to help her i sent around $500 & $310. What do I do to get my money back or is it a lost cause?
Kirk, I wish I could give you good news. There is zero percent chance of recovering your money. This is a common ruse. Fire up your search engine … this blog does not focus on this particular grade of crime. Start with TheScamBaiter.com. Yes, you’ll need to register, but there are no fees involved.
– Chief
That’s what I figured Chief. It was a lesson hard learned.
Kirk, these guys are professionals. They dupe honest folks by the hundreds every day with a variety of scams. I am sorry these guys took your money.
What you *can* do is help prevent the next potential victim; tell all your friends and family how scammers work. I feel the best way to make this scam disappear is to educate the public.
Thanks for dropping by.
– Chief
Presently there is a fellow placing an ad on Kijiji in Canada for a 1999 Chinook Concourse for $6800. He put the ad on, I replied and then he took it off? He put the ad on next day, I replied requesting info .. minutes after he took it off again but did reply this time. The unit was not in Winnipeg where he advertised but in Halifax supposedly, he could ship free of charge blah blah. I thought one of the pictures looked like one I had seen for a Concourse in Arizona. Anyhow, It seemed odd that he was posting and taking the posting off and each time he posted he would spell the Chinook Consourse differently? I got suspicious and found on Scam.com he had posted in 2010 as well .. he crossed the path of several others who reported him to whomever. He is offering a great price and that alone throws up the red flags because great deals do not have to be advertised across Canada, they will sell locally. He also posted and took it off in Hamilton too. Scammer. His email was andrew56-@live.ca.
I need your help! Is this a scam??
There is this lady she goes by the name of Cindy Burnett, I seen she had a 2004 Acura TL on craigslist for cheap. It was like 2000, and i was like wow, so i wrote her and she didn’t give a story,but she did say that it belonged to her husband who was killed in IRAQ and she just wants to get rid of it soon. It wasn’t nothing like she’s over seas or anything. She says that we need to use eBay because it will protect both of us. That i need to send the money through Western Union..I got these emails from this email that says Ebay Motor and that our special agent will receieve the money and that person will confirm it to the seller, and she will ship out the car. When i receive the car i have 5 days to determine whether i want it or not. The seller said she would pay for shipping and handling,and she would pay for it to be sent back if i choose to not want it. this is what it said about the agent woman..How to make the payment?
1. Locate the nearest Western Union Office.
2. Make the payment with cash using the eBay Purchase Protection agent details:
First name: Julian
Last name: Chandler
Street: 407 Smithfield St
City: Pittsburgh
State:Pennsylvania
Zip:15222
Country: United States
this is what the lady said to me in the first email
Hello,
I have received your email regarding the 2004 AcuraTL with only 28,100 miles.The car is in perfect condition,with no scratches on it,no damage, clear title.The price for the car is $1,965 with shipping included.The car was my husband`s as he loved it very much, but he did not enjoy it as he died in a IRAQ 3 month ago. It brings very bad memories to me, I want to get rid of it.The buyer will receive the car with all papers and receipts that he needs to register it to his name.Shipping will be done whit DAS and it will take no more then 2-3 days. I have a friend there who will manage me a low price shipping and I assumed that it is my duty to pay for shipping it.It will be delivered directly to your address.Anyway, I have to let you know that I want a fast deal so if you are really interested in buying it,please reply with the following information’s:
-Your full name;
-Your shipping address.(street,city,state,zip code)
The transaction will close only through eBay so we both will be protected.
I want eBay because as they are the biggest company on the internet I think that we can close this deal fast and safe for both of us. Also I am not very familiar with the internet transactions and eBay is the only one I know.I will look for your email,so that we can move forward with this deal!
Let me know.
Regards,
Cindy Burnett
PLEASE HELP. I thought it sounded too good to be true,but if it is a scam i need to know ASAP
Yes, it is a scam.
Almost certainly a Nigerian scam-merchant. A lot of the text is the same as other’s I’ve replied to angrily and have actually recieved a reply telling me he makes $$$$ per year scamming people and was proud of it.
Just send him an email telling him you know what he’s trying to do and that he has to try harder to scam intelligent people. Don’t give him any personal information. Pass the email address around too so others can give hime some shit.
Tommy,
While I appreciate the effort, not only is the scammer trying to defraud folks, he is successfully doing so. If you want to put a dent into his income, bait him from an anonymous address, occupy his time, and report the attempted fraud to http://ic3.gov. Also, all investigations that I have made of this class of scam originated in Eastern Europe. That’s not to say that the Nigerian criminals haven’t learned from the Eastern European scammers, but I have yet to meet a Nigerian while baiting fake escrow scammers.
– Chief
I received an email from a friend saying they were mugged in a foreign country and needed help. Like a dummy I sent them the money, 2500 and when they asked for more money I realized it was a scam. I western union the money is there anything I can do to get it back?
Shannon,
Your chances are nil. Please report it to http://ic3.gov to help stop these criminals.
– Chief