* Scam Warning *

I recently advertised my Steinberg Clean! Vinyl to CD transfer kit here, and was contacted by someone who claimed he wanted to buy it. I said OK, and gave him a price of £25. He then came back to me, offering a further £50 to “hold it for himâ€Â, and said he's send me a cheque for £3000! This was the only way to do it, and I was to then send him the “change†from the £3000.

Fortunately I wasn't born yesterday, also this is a very well-known scam, mostly perpetrated by people in Africa. Of course, you lose all your money when his cheque proves to be worthless. And please, please, PLEASE don't fall into the trap of thinking that when a cheque has “clearedâ€Â, it's OK.

If a cheque later proves to be false, IT CAN STILL BE WITHDRAWN FROM YOUR ACCOUNT FOR AT LEAST 6 WEEKS. Check with your bank if you don't believe me.

It is absolutely astonishing how many people get taken in by this, and lose thousands, every year. Here's the email I got:


From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: RE: Clean! Plus 2.0
Date: Wed, 2 Apr 2008 14:02:41 +0000


Hello,
Thanks for the information, the offer is okay by me for £25. So I would like you to ignore other offers and hold it for me and I will offer you an extra £50 only if you can keep it for me and I will come for the pickup or I send my Freight Agent. I do not want you to be stressed, so id rather sends my Freight Agent to your location for pickup. Please give the information i have requested in order for my client to Make the payment:

(1)Cheque payable to:
(2)Home Address:
(3)State:
(4)Post code:
(5)Country:
(6)Telephone number/mobile phone:

A well-known business association have agreed to make payment out to you on my behalf. You should be expecting a U.K Cheque for £3000 which include the shipping fee to cover the shipping expenses on me because i still have other pick up as well. The reason is being that my client couldn't issue out a separate cheque's on a single transaction like this due to company policy, as soon as the cheque clears in your bank you deduct your £25 including the £50 as compensation to hold the ad, then the rest would be sent to my freight for the pickup in your location. I hope I can trust you with my rest balance to arrange for my freight. You can reach me on 07031852343
if you have any question.
Thanks..

 

Give him a ring, I'm sure he'd be very reasonable. He might even come round to your house for a cup of tea and the rest of the contents

 

The issue of cheques has been dealt with in a previous thread and your info is incorrect. The banking code changed in November 2007. Cheques are now safe if they are unchallenged after 6 days.

 

Hadn't heard the rules had changed. So it's safe to take this crook's 3 grand as long as I wait 6 days to be sure it's safe... good tip, thanks!

 

I still wouldn't like to try it. Best to use the PM system to sell things rather than publish an email address.

 

Hogweed
I merely corrected your erroneous information. I made no recommendation.

 

keep the cheque. frame it and **** him off.

 

Open an account in Nigeria cash the cheque straight away and close the account

 

Erm Guys, there never is a £3000 to cash...

 

Anyone for a cheque?

Just got this email:

Hello Mate,
Good Day, i was fortunate to come across your advert, so i would like to know if it still available for sale ,if available for sale , i would love to get it , so i would like to know the last asking price and condition at present , also i would much greatful ,if you can forward some pictures along in your response to my enquiry .Less i forget ,i would like to inform you that i would making my payment by cheque ,so i hope you understand me ,have a nice day and i await& nbsp;your response shortly.

Yours Sincerely.



Brolin..

 

I had an email identical to that when I was selling something, and I responded to it sending pictures of the item.
The usual email then arrived, their agent would come to pick it up and arrange shipping etc.

I wrote back that they would understand my caution, as their email had a lot of similarities to fraudulent emails being sent. Rather than send a banker's draft (as they suggested), I said I would be happy if their agent, who was coming to pick it up anyway, brought cash to pay for it!

I never had a reply. Can't imagine why!

 

Hi
I also had a mail like the ones above recently. Here it is in full:

"Thanks for your mail.
I Wish to pick it up up soon as the bankers draft/cheque made to you.
if you don't mind, i can make a deposit or send full payment, in as much as you promise me that you will not accept any other offer. let me know and provide me the following details:

The Name to be on the Check.......
Full postal address,.......... POST code....
and your Phone number .......because i may ask my personal assitance to call you after sending payment and also instruct my FREIGHT COMPANY to come for shippment on my behalf soon as possible. i wish for prospective business relationship. also send me some pictures

i await your response.
Mike"

I sent them my address but not my phone number. Do you think I am at risk having given them my address? I can't see it somehow but you never know these days!
Had several messages after that but nothing since.

Thanks

 

get the address from one nigerian - and get the other nigerian to send his cheque there...