Scam. Let the FBI know about it and maybe they can catch the guy in the act. Then, when he's in jail, you can show him a little mercy and mail him some soap-on-a-rope.
for some reason even when i sell a car for cash i get paranoid that its counterfeit. Thanks for the advice on taking it to a bank ryan
Take the cash send him nothing and yer ahead 29k!!! If you send him money or the car consider it a gift to a crook!!! LTR Dave
If you believe this, then hold off on the 29K deal, because I've got some magic beans I'll swap you for that Impala that'll grow a beanstalk into the sky where you can steal a giant's gold. Way better deal.
Just so you know for sure this is a scam ... here is an email from your buddy Todd Williams to me on a car I have for sale. Look kinda like what he started out with when he contacted you? NAME OF PERSON INQUIRING ABOUT YOUR CAR:Williams Todd PHONE NUMBER:206-337-1364 There has been an inquiry on your ad with Hotrodhotline.com <br><br> FRIENDLY REMINDER FROM HOTRODHOTLINE. We want to remind you that you should be suspicious if you cannot reach this "buyer" by telephone and that if at any time they want you to wire money to a "broker", "transporter" or anyone else that they are a scammer... No exceptions ! <br><br> See Comments or questions from person Inquiring below Hello, I have an intrested and serious buyer for your vehicle,listed at hotrod hotline.He is ready to pay for pickup and delivery.Let me know asap,the engine condition,your last asking price(USD),if you accept US BANK CERTIFIED cashier check payment,and why you are selling it. Williams
Don't know all the specifics of your situation, but I recently sold a car on e-... and was PRAYING this would happen to me. Only cause I had heard about it so many times before and would have agreed to the scumbag's terms and then immediately called the FBI, local police, whoever just so I could try and keep this P.O.S. from trying it again. When I know I'm being set-up I will always try and turn the tables.
Anybody who has a check SHOULD have a bank to back it up! You buy my shit with fresh 100 dollar bills in "wraps" of 10's Thank You! It's a scam!
I own a private investigation firm in LA. This scam works exactly like described. You'll notice his email said "US BANK CERTIFIED cashier check". Meaning it's a check from a bank in the US. Not specifically a check from US Bank. It will be an institution that is difficult for the banks to verify thru. Your bank may even clear the check and show the funds in your account - depending on your banks policies. But will sooner or later rescind the funds as it won't clear - eventually. In the mean time you'll send the check for 9k and it will clear. Or they'll verify funds and clear the check for whatever is available. Or withdraw the available funds in any number of ways. Or use the account info to apply for credit and have a hayday with not just your available funds but additional funds you don't even have. Or order goods by electronic check. Or...the scams are endless. The bank may even let you withdraw the funds and spend it. But when the check finally is found out to be fraudulent your account will be debted against it. You'll be stuck with the bill whether the money is still there or not. As the bank has no way of proving that you didn't have anything to do with it. If they waived the 29k or even the 20k - anyone could do this. This happened to a couple at xmas time on ebay motors - was in the national news. And they sent the car. And spent the money. Ended up with no car and a 10k debt. This is very similer to the Nigerian Scam. And you've undoubtedly heard of that. I hope... 49Lincoln
Lastly, the feds don't care. Unless it's a ring of thieves racking up millions in damages. Their case load is to much to care. They put there resources where they will count. Six figures and up they may get involved in an ID theft case. Otherwise it's covered by insurance and considered a victimless crime. I've been laughed at by city, state and federal authorities concerning cases in the tens of thousands of dollars. Unless it had something to do with a current ring they were investigating. They'll take your report. But no force in the world could investigate the current flow of ID theft in the US. It's to huge. 49Lincoln
I can't believe people still try this shit. Another twist on e---, if you have included your email address in the auction, you'll get a email saying your account is going to be frozen and you need to uipdate your info, follow the link and it'll ask for not only your bank account info, but your pin# and ssn. Crazy shit for sure......
SCAM ALERT SCAM ALERT SCAM ALERT lemme guess. . . . the car is going to a rich Nigerian doctor who is in exile in Luxemborg
take the deal send me half of the 9900 and I'll send him one of my checks that will bounce twice as high as his
For what it's worth, I also noticed his "check" was for only $9,900 more than your asking price. That is also an attempt to NOT involve the FBI. See, you may or may not know it, but anytime there's a cash transaction for $10,000 or more, all financial institutions are REQUIRED by law to send a notice to the FBI. (This is part of the "War on Drugs" that is/was the big thing some years ago). It is also done if you are withdrawing your own money, from your own account. (How many of you grab some cash before heading out to a big swap meet, or maybe buy a decent used pickup with long green?) This all leaves some of us ripe for abuse. It has happened that the FBI has confiscated the cash from a legit person, and it was never returned. (See, the money is "commiting the crime", so the "owner" never gets charged with anything. It's assumed by the feds that the cash is going to be used for a drug transaction.) Roger
Area code 209 is for Modesto Calif. There is a a 20th Ave in Longview WA. There are no T Williams in the area.
here is the crazy part, there are people out there that have fallen for this. they deposit the typically out of country check. then they sent the amount that was over the asking price, 5 or 6 thousand maybe more. 3 months later the check bounces and the bank wants their money. if you dont have it you are up on a felony charge. there are web sites dedicated to this.
The eBay site has pretty well cracked down on these guys, I haven't heard from one in a while. Instead they hijack accounts, clone an auction from a month earlier for an expensive car, put a bargain price on it, and try and get you that way. But the phony cashiers check guys still go after the classified ads left and right. I mess with them, I give them names and addresses for people I have a beef with, outright fake names and addresses, etc. I figure that way they're at least out one of their phony checks and a few bucks postage.
[QUOTE='29MurrayTub]Scam. Let the FBI know about it and maybe they can catch the guy in the act. Then, when he's in jail, you can show him a little mercy and mail him some soap-on-a-rope.[/QUOTE] FBI WON'T DO SHIAT ABOUT IT MY FRIEND, BECAUSE THIS KIND OF SCAM IS ONLY FOREIGN. mostly from Nigeria, Asia, etc. I've never heard of this scam attempted from within the U.S. (i know the guy said he's in cali but it's probably rerouted or something, or he sends the fake check blatantly from Africa with an excuse)