I have our boat for sale on this site as well as several other Internet sites. I got the following email today offering to purchase for the asking price. Can I suspect a possible fraud or proceed cautiously? What do you think? Here it is: Hi, I am --------------, I buy and re-sell vessel's, I'm located in London, United Kingdom. I am interested in purchasing your vessel for $129,000.00 Just want you to know that I will be responsible for the shipping of the boat from USA to UK. Do get in touch with me via email (##########@yahoo.co.uk) or call me on 00########## as soon as possible for us to proceed on the transaction.
Can this be true?
- Thread starter John V
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mmm
Approach as you would a port at night. Next email should read "Please email your bank account details so that I can deposit some funds" "Meaning" I'm going clean you out! May be all inorder but I know of very few people that would buy unseen.
Approach as you would a port at night. Next email should read "Please email your bank account details so that I can deposit some funds" "Meaning" I'm going clean you out! May be all inorder but I know of very few people that would buy unseen.
Good boat offer?
John, You just never know until you follow through with the communication. He just may want one just like yours. Approach the opportunity like any other business deal. Just remember, spend nothing except your time until you have greenbacks in hand. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn't. Jon McClain, Beneteau 321
John, You just never know until you follow through with the communication. He just may want one just like yours. Approach the opportunity like any other business deal. Just remember, spend nothing except your time until you have greenbacks in hand. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn't. Jon McClain, Beneteau 321
Carefull on the phone number
There have been instances of people calling out of country to toll numbers in other countries that charge hundreds of dollars per minute. US long distance companies can do nothing to help reverse the charges. I would look up the country code before calling to be sure it is legit. Maybe the internet has white pages for Great Britain?
There have been instances of people calling out of country to toll numbers in other countries that charge hundreds of dollars per minute. US long distance companies can do nothing to help reverse the charges. I would look up the country code before calling to be sure it is legit. Maybe the internet has white pages for Great Britain?
Scam, 100%
We filter inquiries like this before they reach classified advertisers... this is absolutely a scam. 99.9% of all inquiries from overseas are scams. Believe me, there are _plenty_ of good boats in Europe and Asia, there's really no point in paying $10,000 to ship a 1979 Catalina 22 to Amsterdam.
The best thing to do with inquiries like this is ignore them. Folks who enjoy "playing" these guys only bring more of them to those classified ads.
We filter inquiries like this before they reach classified advertisers... this is absolutely a scam. 99.9% of all inquiries from overseas are scams. Believe me, there are _plenty_ of good boats in Europe and Asia, there's really no point in paying $10,000 to ship a 1979 Catalina 22 to Amsterdam.
The best thing to do with inquiries like this is ignore them. Folks who enjoy "playing" these guys only bring more of them to those classified ads.BS=Big Scam
Its either a) form of the old pigeon drop. He will wire you funds to put in your account and then suck his funds and yours out before you know it; or b) as noted about, a way to sucker you into paying for some high price phone calls or credit card charges. Delete that email and go on with your life!
Its either a) form of the old pigeon drop. He will wire you funds to put in your account and then suck his funds and yours out before you know it; or b) as noted about, a way to sucker you into paying for some high price phone calls or credit card charges. Delete that email and go on with your life!
I believe...
The maximum rate for a premium line in the UK is 1.50 pounds a minute. Any information that you are being charged more than that for simply dialing a number is a hoax. Now, you may get scammed by giving them more information about your credit card, or bank account, but I wouldn't be too concerned with calling the number. You could always complain to your long distance provider, who would probably be more than happy to erase any charges if it were a per minute number.
The maximum rate for a premium line in the UK is 1.50 pounds a minute. Any information that you are being charged more than that for simply dialing a number is a hoax. Now, you may get scammed by giving them more information about your credit card, or bank account, but I wouldn't be too concerned with calling the number. You could always complain to your long distance provider, who would probably be more than happy to erase any charges if it were a per minute number.
the red flag goes up!
The red protest flag goes up on this one. who in his right mind would buy a used boat without checking it out? Is your boat something really rare? Is he sending someone to survey your boat? If the guy is willing to pay shipping, I'd wonder why he doesn't fly out and see it in person. I'd make him do a 720 while I'm finding another buyer. The Saint
The red protest flag goes up on this one. who in his right mind would buy a used boat without checking it out? Is your boat something really rare? Is he sending someone to survey your boat? If the guy is willing to pay shipping, I'd wonder why he doesn't fly out and see it in person. I'd make him do a 720 while I'm finding another buyer. The Saint
It's a common scam...
Here's how it works: http://www.swapmeetdave.com/Scam/ Although that link refers to vehicles, the same scammers also target boats...in fact, this scam is so rampant in Europe and the UK that the RYA (Royal Yacht Association) has posted this on their website: http://www.rya.org.uk/protecting/?contentID=3479113 Don't just walk away...run! Do not reply...forward any more emails from that address to the Federal Trade Commission.
Here's how it works: http://www.swapmeetdave.com/Scam/ Although that link refers to vehicles, the same scammers also target boats...in fact, this scam is so rampant in Europe and the UK that the RYA (Royal Yacht Association) has posted this on their website: http://www.rya.org.uk/protecting/?contentID=3479113 Don't just walk away...run! Do not reply...forward any more emails from that address to the Federal Trade Commission.
People with too much time on their hands
It seems that there are folks in Europe who sit around surfing the net and sending emails similar to the one you got to us unsuspecting colonials. I have a Nissan OB for sale and get several such emails a day. Some of them are too lazy to fill in the form email they use and simply say they are interested in the "WebDNA - Commerce Edition" I have listed. I've gottem so many that I began to worry that I wouldn't be able to spot a real offer. Not to fear, when a real email offer came last week, it looked and sounded totally different.
It seems that there are folks in Europe who sit around surfing the net and sending emails similar to the one you got to us unsuspecting colonials. I have a Nissan OB for sale and get several such emails a day. Some of them are too lazy to fill in the form email they use and simply say they are interested in the "WebDNA - Commerce Edition" I have listed. I've gottem so many that I began to worry that I wouldn't be able to spot a real offer. Not to fear, when a real email offer came last week, it looked and sounded totally different.
There are some
That like to play with these people and in essence reverse scam them. What happens is the scammer will Fed Ex a check in excess of the amount of the boat and you will need to wire back the excess via Western Union--of course the original check is counterfeit. There's one gal that gets these scams on the horses she sells. By the time she is done--they have gone through the expense of counterfeiting a check, Fed Ex expenses and several weeks of wasted time. I wouldn't recommend doing this though and would just ignore the emails Bryan
That like to play with these people and in essence reverse scam them. What happens is the scammer will Fed Ex a check in excess of the amount of the boat and you will need to wire back the excess via Western Union--of course the original check is counterfeit. There's one gal that gets these scams on the horses she sells. By the time she is done--they have gone through the expense of counterfeiting a check, Fed Ex expenses and several weeks of wasted time. I wouldn't recommend doing this though and would just ignore the emails Bryan
Scam
They are every where. The only difference between this and most is that the grammar and spelling are much better. All I have seen are from overseas. I got a similar letter, followed by a very official looking check...they had not even looked at my boat. Called the bank..no account, no money and the FBI and FDIC had already been notified...the guy had tried it before.
They are every where. The only difference between this and most is that the grammar and spelling are much better. All I have seen are from overseas. I got a similar letter, followed by a very official looking check...they had not even looked at my boat. Called the bank..no account, no money and the FBI and FDIC had already been notified...the guy had tried it before.
No, it's not true!
SCAM.......I've gotten e-mail like yours before. They seem to really like power tools, cars or any other expensive items you might be selling. They always offer full price but when you try to check out their banking info, you don't get very far because it usually doesn't exist! They seem to come from out of the U.S. Beware!
SCAM.......I've gotten e-mail like yours before. They seem to really like power tools, cars or any other expensive items you might be selling. They always offer full price but when you try to check out their banking info, you don't get very far because it usually doesn't exist! They seem to come from out of the U.S. Beware!
Huge Scam
But do you really want to have some fun. Tell them to send the money (don't ever give them a valid bank account # unless it is a brand new one that is NOT linked to one with real money in it) Tell them to send the check but wait 1-2 months for it to completely clear, or you can tell them you have a relativcein the UK and will come visit him face to face and he can give you CASH !! --- tell him no worries you'll take care of all the fees' and he doesn't have to worry about any VAT taxes, etc) Or send these guys on him http://www.419eater.com/index.htm They are Sooooo Funny !! After you're done with that follow up with the Internet Fraud Complaint Center www.ic3.gov. or "Submit a Tip" page of the FBI web site https://tips.fbi.gov
But do you really want to have some fun. Tell them to send the money (don't ever give them a valid bank account # unless it is a brand new one that is NOT linked to one with real money in it) Tell them to send the check but wait 1-2 months for it to completely clear, or you can tell them you have a relativcein the UK and will come visit him face to face and he can give you CASH !! --- tell him no worries you'll take care of all the fees' and he doesn't have to worry about any VAT taxes, etc) Or send these guys on him http://www.419eater.com/index.htm They are Sooooo Funny !! After you're done with that follow up with the Internet Fraud Complaint Center www.ic3.gov. or "Submit a Tip" page of the FBI web site https://tips.fbi.gov
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