Scammer warning

[woofa.express]

Yes I did get scammed and for a substancial amount.

A near new John Deere tractor fitted with a front end loader was offered in a farm machinery on line site. The price was just too good to be true and that alone should have alerted me. It was offered by brother and sister in law because the owner was selling everything including farm and was going to an aged care facility. I found the seller was most polite and courteous and had the answers to my questions. All on email, back and forth.
I was informed that ebay would invoice me and received an email bill for the agreed amount. This was a bargain and it had hooked me. My attitude and behaviour was a bit like a spoiled child and only equalled by the king who just had to have chitty chitty bang bang and nothing was going to stand in his way.
The invoice arrived and quoted a serial number of the machine. All looked exactly like ebay communications. I couldn’t get the money to them fast enough. Western Union. Then came the demand for additional money. Immediately I knew I had been sucked in. I accepted it but was sore for a long time. The amount I transmitted could have purchased a good 1930’s coupe.
The picture below is from the internet, it is the same as what was offered.

[daveymc29]

Syncro,

Yes, that was the guy you checked on. Michael Echo no has the car unless he has sold it. Nice machine that needed little to be a very nice daily driver.

[goodcar]

Originally Posted by leo

I don't get it. If this guy has a history of playing this game why has he not been prosecuted and why is he not in jail. Why do we have to accept bad behavior with impunity???

Police can't keep up with local crimes much less chase down internet scammers. I recently moved from a city of 600,000 plus. If your home was broken into, car stolen or you got rammed by someone without insurance--tough s---. Police were tied up investigating homicides and bank robberies. On top of that, when they get convictions, liberal judges trash all their hard work. When it comes to scammers, you're on your own, be vigilant, hang up the phone when they call and heed the advice of others in these postings.

[leo]

goodcar, then as a society we are doomed. Once everyone throws up their hands and says there is nothing we can do about the "small stuff" because we have bigger fish to fry it's over. Anyone with a brain in their head can understand that allowing minor infractions to go unpunished just encourages delinquents to push the envelope and see what else they can get away with. This is really troubling and yes I know that's what is going on...

[goodcar]

Originally Posted by leo

goodcar, then as a society we are doomed. Once everyone throws up their hands and says there is nothing we can do about the "small stuff" because we have bigger fish to fry it's over. Anyone with a brain in their head can understand that allowing minor infractions to go unpunished just encourages delinquents to push the envelope and see what else they can get away with. This is really troubling and yes I know that's what is going on...

I don't want to say the police aren't doing anything. They respond, fill out the paper work and that's pretty much it, at least as far as my experience was concerned. My wife's credit card was stolen at work, the thief went on a spending spree. Within an hour, we were notified. There was video showing the perpetrator but no follow up by the police to track him down, end of story. My '95 Honda was stolen, later abandoned and recovered 3 months later. There was enough evidence left in the car that should have resulted in an arrest--the last we heard of that. One of the reasons we left that city was because of the ongoing crime, at least a shooting a week, robberies, hit and run accidents. I don't blame the police, they're stretched. A lot of this crime is related to another problem that I won't go into because it gets political and beyond the scope of this blog so I'll stop, save to say you are correct, "as a society we are doomed"--changes are sorely needed.

[old31]

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Would it help the next time someone is approached by a scammer to say sure I will go along with you, take his picture, then change your mind. Then send the pic to the police?

[art ebeling]

I just had someone try a scam after I posted a WTB ad one of the Model T sites. The ad was wanting to buy a few items and I was contacted by a guy who had all of the items. He posted a picture I thought I had seen before of one of the parts, first red flag, and then asked for payment only with an Amazon gift card. I checked his user name on the site I posted on and he joined the sight the same day I posted my WTB ad, had no posts,had not participated in any discussion and had no information in his profile. The parts only amounted to around seventy five dollars but I guess if you scam enough people on a lot of websites it ads up. Art

[Synchro909]

There's another rip off happening that hasn't been mentioned here. A scammer will ring you and when you answer, they say something like "Joe Watson here, can you hear me clearly?" When you answer "YES", they record the yes and use it later as proof that you accepted a contract. If asked that question, hang up.
Last night, we went out with friends and one of the guys told us that he thought for a while that he had found his next car, a 1930 Cadillac. All seemed good including the price. My friend asked a few questions about the car and the response was "This is a great car. Don't miss out." Suspicions crept into his mind at that. After a bit more research, he found the same car advertised somewhere else, same pictures, same description word for word only the second ad he found was a dealer who had put a sign accross the ad saying SOLD. Not much trouble working out what would have happened to his money if he had rushed in and "bought" it.
Both of these scams were from a foreign source - the USA!

[CarlG]

"Hi Grandpa, this is your grandson"

Had this one several times, always wanting me to wire money to get him out of jail or some cockamamy story.

A couple of times I played along, asking questions that only my "real" grandson would know, always answered with totally generic answers that would apply to anyone.

[Oldbluoval]

55a...
even USPS money orders can be forgeries. If you take them to a USPO to cash, often they don't have enough cash on hand to do so. They tell you to deposit them in your bank or cash them. If you do that and they bounce, it gets charged back to you.
Some of the holograms, etc are forged and not caught until processing.
As much as I don't like it and its expensive....paypal has some merit.

[Synchro909]

Cash is king. You haven't really been paid till you have the cash!
I deal in cash all of the time - I don't own a credit card (or mobile phone). It may be old school but just coz something is new, doesn't mean its better. Look at our Model As for example!!

[Charlie Stephens]

Originally Posted by Synchro909

Cash is king. You haven't really been paid till you have the cash!
I deal in cash all of the time - I don't own a credit card (or mobile phone). It may be old school but just coz something is new, doesn't mean its better. Look at our Model As for example!!

Do you check them with one of those markers to be sure they are real?

Charlie Stephens

[Synchro909]

Originally Posted by Charlie Stephens

Do you check them with one of those markers to be sure they are real?

Charlie Stephens

One of what markers? It is virtually impoossible to fake an Australian bank note. That's why we print the notes for so many other countries! They are printed on a plastic polymer and have been since 1988.

[Charlie Stephens]

Originally Posted by Synchro909

One of what markers? It is virtually impoossible to fake an Australian bank note. That's why we print the notes for so many other countries! They are printed on a plastic polymer and have been since 1988.

Sorry, it is a US thing. GOOGLE "markers to check for counterfeit money.

Charlie Stephens

[eagle]

Originally Posted by Synchro909

One of what markers? It is virtually impoossible to fake an Australian bank note. That's why we print the notes for so many other countries! They are printed on a plastic polymer and have been since 1988.

Yeah... Read this: https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/austr...ign/ar-AAwaoJ7

[Synchro909]

Originally Posted by eagle

Yeah... Read this: https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/austr...ign/ar-AAwaoJ7

That was the only instance of counterfeiting in nearly 30 years and was quickly spotted and stopped. Like I said, virtually impossible and like that article said, almost obody has seen a fake note. The revised notes are even more difficult to fake but no doubt someone will try.

[Bob-A]

We've got active drug dealers on are street and twice the local sheriff's dept. says it has bigger fish to fry then help us.... I'm thinking about looking
into what the Vigilante laws are in my state. I do know that my county had the distinction of being the lynching capitol of Florida at one time. And Florida was the lynching capitol of the south... at one time.


Bob-A

[leo]

Hey Bob-A I feel your pain, no REALLY. But rather than get into some type of trouble consider moving to some other place in Florida or even another state where the crime problem is less intense. Here where I live the police blotter is always full of drunks, druggies and pot heads, there is no escaping that however life is not constantly badgered by these jerks.

[1crosscut]

Originally Posted by Charlie Stephens

Do you check them with one of those markers to be sure they are real?

Charlie Stephens

Once in a while just for fun after paying for something and the clerk checks my bills with the marker I ask for their marker to check the bills they give me as change.
Their reaction can be quite interesting at times.