Hot Rods I think i was being tried to be scammed yesterday

As most of you know I want to try and trade my 56 Chrysler Windsor for a station wagon or cash. I have a few ads out there. YesterdayI got and e mail from this guy saying he was interested in my car and wanted me to call him. I replied back if you really want the car you call me. I got a call from a guy with a thick English accent .He said he was calling from England. Then my cell phone lost the connection on the mountain top here. The guy called back twice and left me a message he wanted to buy my car. I saw a red flag so I just e mailed him back saying I don't sell a lot of cars and I don't sell over seas and I was sorry and hoped he understood. I get another e mail back saying he wonder why I had a problem selling over seas but if that's the way I felt about it that was O.K. Then later another e mail from him he said if you have a problem selling to me over seas I have people in AZ.?????W.T.F.? Then 1 more e mail from him he said he would give me my asking price and I would just have to wait for the money and he would take care of all the paper work and shipping. I never answered him. Usally scammer tex me even thought I say I cant receive texs due to my old flip phone. If I get a tex I am pretty sure its a scammer, why don't you just call me if you are really interested in the car? Is it me or are the scammers becoming more bold now a days???? Bruce.

 

Tell him to set up an escrow account at your bank with the money in it. When you give them the title, you get the money, he get the the title. And while I know you want the car to go away, it sure looks good. Hold out for a good deal.

 

If it smells fishy, it probably is, Bruce.
That car will move come spring I bet. It's a decent car and you've priced it reasonably. Just a matter of finding it's market.

 

Doesn’t matter where he’s from, or where it’s going. Somebody shows up with cash, you hand over the title and keys and watch the taillights disappear. If it’s a friend of his from AZ, and they drive it to the dock to ship it, that’s not your problem.

The scam is usually run so that you think you’re getting cash, just too much of it, so you are supposed to “refund” the balance.


Sent from my iPad using H.A.M.B.

 

Recent scam in Dallas TX was a Craigslist sale of some jewelry. The buyer brought $800 cash but it was funny munny! Seller realized it soon as the buyer pulled away, a chase ensued and there was a shooting over it. Scams come in all flavors so be aware of your surroundings and only do the deal on "YOUR" terms, and you will always win, or it's your own fault. Rhetorically speaking of course.

 

Bruce,I have sold several cars overseas and phone communication can sometimes be difficult, I too have a problem understanding them,I sold a car to a man in Tokyo and the shipping company had a woman that sounded like she was from Japan and my Japanese was about as good as her English and I explained to her she needed to get someone else to call me or e-mail me,the next day a man in California called and we got all the information I needed.

I gave the buyer my bank router number and he sent me a wire transfer and after the money was in my account I sent the title to the shipping company and they sent a Russian drive that couldn't speak English to pick up the car.

The buyer is the one taking all the risk,insist on a bank wire transfer is the safest way for you to sell here or overseas and if the buyer is willing to handle the shipping I wouldn't worry about it. HRP

 

x2 What Danny said, I've sold many overseas, and wire transfer is the only secure way I've ever done it and never had a problem. Get money and watch the tail lights go on a trailer.

 

X3 what Danny said.

A good friend of mine works hand in hand with European buyers. They tell him what they want and he finds it or gets it or goes to pick it up and packs it in containers and sends it over. If one of his customers talked to you he would have said he has people in Ohio.
The people are different, think different and buy different- my point is if the transaction or communications seems different it's because it is different.

The overseas buyers usually have done a transaction like this before. Follow what Danny said and you'll be ok. Wire transfer is the key and set up a special account to receive it.

 

I agree what others have said. I have sold two cars overseas. I had the money wired to my acct and once I verified that is was safe in my acct i released the car and title. All the risk is on the buyers end.

 

Well I'd say that this is where you have a bit of a discussion with your banker on how to safely receive funds from overseas or out of the area.
I believe it can be done without disclosing your full bank info outside of routing number. That tells what bank corp it goes to. The big issue might be if you bank with some little stand alone bank that only has the one branch rather than being part of a larger banking setup.

On scam or not, non refundable deposit (outside of if car is misrepresented) and their person brings the rest of the funds when they pickup the car. That could mean that you go with the to your bank and make the transfer in the bank and have the paperwork notarized if needed.

 

What Danny said. A real scammer would´t have called you.. I have bought a few cars in the US and mostly texting or emailing is easier for both than a phone call- I can write quite understandably I think, but there are so many different accents in English, alone in the US, chances are I don´t understand the one on he other side of the line properly. Anyway, most of the times I answered to an advertised car I was thought of as a scammer... I he ain´t one he will ask quesitions about your car, aks for a bank account to send your money to and if you have recieved your $ a shipper will call to come and pick up the car and title. The shipping co will need the title to clear US customs. But nothing will happen before you got your money. I´d suggest, you give him yor bank routing info. If the money shows up in a couple of days, maybe a week, it depends, then tell him to inform the shipper... I mostly ask if the seller would mind if the car woulds sit for a week or two more, because for us European guys a car is often be huge shipping container. He´d probably ask you to put some parcels he ´d have sent to your place in the car . I once have a very kind guy from Seattle fit 10 Gs of stroker its in a 1000 $ 61 Buick... as Danny said, it´s the buyers risk. Just don´t accept western union, wire transfer only, no witches, nigerian billionaires, etc... If you had him on the phone, chances are, he is a legit buyer... Just my 2 cents...

PS: I hope, this doesn´t look like a rant.... I understand, everybody needs to be cautious nowadays, but from my own exeperience I can tell how hard it can be to actually get in touch with a seller, and make him believe you that yout don´t want to harm him, just send him thousands of dollars... Interview this guy and trust your belly

 

You set up a special account to recieve the funds. Oh make no mistake It's full disclosure and only for that transaction. Transfer the funds and close the account. Sell another next week open another account.

 

31, have also learned of using a different bank, to receive funds in an account.

 

Yep, you can do that too.


I find approaching a bank with the proposal of opening a one time use account to be more welcomed where I'm a known customer instead of a walk in.

BTW - small accounts at several banks is better than one big one at one bank

 

Go to your local bank and as said, have them open a separate transfer account. Use it only to have the buyer wire transfer the money to. When the money hits the transfer account, move it to your regular account that only you have the account number for. That way they cannot scam you. Good luck, Brian

 

David, that was the red flag for me. He said he would pay the asking price with out even looking at the car. Bruce.

 

Why post just to complain?

There is nothing that hasn't been covered a hundred times,just skip the thread and move on to the next. HRP

 

how is this any different than someone hitting "buy it now" on ebay (asking price)....im sure you had pics and a description in your add.....its not like its a "big money" car - probably cost more to ship it than to buy it....

 

No offence but I didn't see it .If you don't like it go to the e bay discussion board!

 

I think these posts are two fold.
1. Good for ranting by the HAMBER who might have been scammed or targeted.
2. Let's everyone know who might be scamming who and where.
Good info for HAMBER's.

 

I for one am glad these threads come up from time to time. We can get some info on how NOT to be scammed , and knowledge is power. Be careful Bruce, I know you will.

 

Unless the buyer - A- Knows nothing about cars
B- Is one of those people who never try to knock down a price
C - shits $100 bills
he would really be asking a lot of questions and asking for lots of photos (or he should be, unless he is an "A" from the list above).
However, having bought stuff from overseas many times, it is difficult with languages, time zones, currency, etc. , so there are many hoops to jump through to get something done.
If he has a friend in the U.S., make conact with him, check him out,etc. In the end , as long as you have your loot in your account, cleared and correct, all is good. Then it up to you guys to negotiate who and when picks it up. As said before, arranging shipping is also a major PITA, and any slack cut by the seller is greatly apprecaited. Sometimes a shipper will say that they will pick it up Tuesday, the buyer calls late Tuesday to ask if it is loaded, then you get the "OH, we can't make it now until next Monday,", so the phone calls back to the seller explaining this situation. Most of us from overseas are genuine buyers, maybe just the Nigerian or oil rig workers aren't.

 

Invest $50 in a HAMB Alliance membership.

Modify your ad so contact thru the PM system
on the HAMB is how you want to handle selling.

Consider selling to another Alliance Member
so both of you are covered in the event of a misunderstanding or dispute.

Jim

 

Sounds suspicious from what you have posted.

When I sell something, I do it on my terms and conditions.
If the buyer doesn’t like the said terms and conditions, it is his/her choice to buy elsewhere.

Never let item leave without money in hand or confirmation of bank deposit.

 

Bruce, was the guy a Nigerian prince by any chance?

 

Had a man call on a 64 Mustang conv i had listed. Terrible mideastern accent,was about ready to hang up.He was willing to pay the asking price , only asked a cpl other questions..He wired the money to a western union near me and it went thru with no hitchs. Hate to see you lose a sale if he's really legit.

 

If he follows this board he may feel familiar enough with your car, I know I have enjoyed following your ups and downs with it.

 

How did he find your car for sale?
Did he say?

 

if a scammer makes a transfer to your account that is later found to be fraudulent closing the account won't do you any good.... not sure if that was what you were after with that statement.

 

Sounds legit to me. Welcome to 21st century. Cars go all over the world and the real buyers usually come from Europe.

Sent from my SM-G920V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app