Sailboat buying scam

May 22, 2017
42
Catalina 310 Lake Carlyle
1St: We are loving our Catalina 310
2Nd: I advertised my Catalina 27 on SailboatQwners.com and received a text from a man who said he wanted to buy it without even seeing it. Out of the clear blue sky, I get a certified check in the mail (which looks very real) for $5000 more than asking price. I got very suspicious here. Another text said he wants me to send the overpayment to a boat shipper. Now I know it is a scam. A man called twice and I didn't answer. Most likely a man pretending to be a boat shipper. Called the FBI and they said the check would be bad and I filled out Internet complaint form. The FBI said to not communicate with any of them and don't do anything with the check and they will move on looking for an easier victim.
Sorry if this has been discussed before but I'm new on the 310 forum and wanted to warn everyone. (I think I'll let my marina broker the boat now)
Frank Hines
 
May 2, 2012
276
Catalina 310 Toronto, Ontario
I got the same thing here in Canada last fall when I was selling my CS30. Just blew them off. Scams are dime a dozen. If it sound to good to be true, IT IS.
Cheers
2 Old Pirates
 
Nov 26, 2012
1,653
Hunter 34 Berkeley
This scam has been going for many hundreds of years. When I sold my Hunter a few years ago I got more scam replies than real ones. The giveaway is that they are ready to buy without seeing the boat. Lots of "military" folks who are oversees and can't look at boat.
 
Feb 2, 2013
33
Beneteau 351 Bluewater Bay
Same Fufey Frankovich tried to scam me. Sent check for $2K over what I asked for my Cat 310 bimini I have for sale on forum website. Cashiers check was bogus.
 

MitchM

.
Jan 20, 2005
1,011
Nauticat 321 pilothouse 32 Erie PA
same thing happened to me. local cops and FBI won't do any thing unless you've actually lost money. the scammer in my case had sent a pretty good watermarked union check for 10k plus the price so i could ' pay the shipper.' then i got an email and i replied by telling them to go to hell.
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,995
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Gene. That was great. So funny. So much fun. What a sense of humor.