this sounds dodgy .. can someone help please?

llol_slim

Please note, the reason this is on the techie forum, is because of the nature of the emails sounding like a scam and that it originated with an advert on a website.

Basically, we are trying to sell a surfboard, and has been advertised on a website.

Its goes like this..

John wrote:

Hello,
I am interested in the purchase of your item for sale @ board shop,i am a dealer based in scotland,i will like to know the final asking price including the details of its present condition,i will want you to send the pics along if available but if not i beleive you will be giving the full description as a honest seller.

I will make necessary shipping arrangements.

All the best.

John
070318xx82x

NB : Googling the number comes up with a dodgy sounds desciption of some forwarding process.

me wrote:

Hello,
thanks for the interest.
The price is £230 not including delivery.
The board is in excellent condition (as it is under 6 months old). There are some very slight compression dents as to be expected with a used board, but I assure you, they are very minor.
The only other point to mention is it is now missing the middle fin, as it has been taken off to be put onto a second board which had a snapped fin.
There is NO damage to the board, as in cracks, dings etc.
Its a perfect board for UK waves and Take-Off boards by their nature are very resilient to knocks and they are very popular down here in Devon.
The reason of sale is because I have a new board that is more suited to my weight/heightr etc, not because there is anything wrong with this board.
Unfortunately, I dont have my camera at the moment, however I will have it tomorrow so I will email you the photos then, if this is ok?
Thanks

john wrote:

Hello,
Thanks for the mail ,i will be glad to proceed with the purchase,and to secure i dont mind adding 20pounds the required price cos i have informed a customer about it and he has agreed to purchase it from me as soon as it is shipped.
I will be travelling to australia very soon on a missionary duty .To make the transaction faster and easier,i will instruct an associate of mine who is owing me the sum of 2,500pounds in the uk to issue the cheque to you in your name,but i do not know if i can trust you by helping in sending the rest of my money to the shipping company who will be coming over for the pick up as it is to be shipped together with my consignments in the uk to UKRAINE.
I will like to let you know that the money that would be sent to the shippers is not meant fo rits shipment of the boat only but together with my consignments in the uk.
So furnish me the name to be written on the payment and the address where it should be mailed to with your phone number.

Hope to hear from you soon.
All the best.


John

me wrote:

Hello,
Sorry, your last email didn't quite make sense.
So somebody who owes you money is going to issue us a cheque, and then a shipping company will collect the board and they will ship it to the Ukraine?
It all seems very confusing.
Can you not issue us payment, and then we will organise it to be shipped straight to you? Or to your customer?
Thanks

john wrote:

Hello,
Thanks for thr mail,for clarification purpose,a cheque of 2500pounds would be sent to you from which you will deduct your money for the board including the 20pounds i added to secure the purchase and have the remainder of my money sent to the shippers who will be coming over for pick up of the board at your location.

I required the name to be written on the cheque and also the address where it should be mailed to including your phone number.


Hope to hear from you soon.

Regards.

Sending us a cheque for £2500 ... sounds a bit dodgy.
Please move this if there is a better place, I wasnt sure.

Thanks in advance
Laurie

Gem_

this does indeed sound like one of those overpayment ebay scams. I would run a mile from this guy!

G

rchddap1

Personally wouldn't touch it with a barge pole. Too many 'alarm bell' elements. Firstly cheques can bounce months after supposedly being cashed. Secondly, giving people a cheque for a higher amount and asking them to send the balance on is one of the oldest tricks in the book.

Things will go as follows if you accept (or probably anyway)

1. You will get the cheque and it will seem to clear in a few days
2. the board will be collected and you will hand the balance of the cash over.
3. The cheque will all of a sudden bounce and £2.5k will instantly disappear from your account
4. You are left with a £2.5k hole in your finances and the other person walks away with your board and a free £2k.

Don't touch with a 10 mile barge pole.

zacspeed_2

rchddap1 wrote:

Don't touch with a 10 mile barge pole.

Agreed, run a mile!!!!!!!!!!!!!

wolfman

Email the guy again and ask him to explain it from the beginning, say you still don't understand. Then run a mile.

RoCas

Agree with everything said above - scam, scam ... and scam again.

I would also email abuse at the emailer's ISP.

maforduk

DO NOT DO IT, REPORT THIS TO THE POLICE IMMEDIATELY.
These are currently being investigated by the police and have also been on Watchdog afew months ago.

Report it and leave it.
DO NOT DO ANYTHING MORE.

ALSO - REPORT THIS TO eBay.

Good job in spotting this kind of crime. Well Done.

L400ras

i had one of these when i was selling my car, i said i refused to take a cheque, and my buyers english good as was yours ... lol! - but if he could wire the money into my bank this would be ok, needles to say i heard nothing since.

scammers should be beaten, survivors should be shot.

llol_slim

thought so.
Thanks everyone, it DID seem too good to be true.
I will email him and say unless he can send cash for the correct amount, he aint having it. Fair enough i think.
To report it to the police, do I print the info and go to my local police station, or website or watchdog?
Thanks LOADS ... biggest saving I think i'll ever make
Laurie

lee634

i must admit the people that do this sort of thing are quite clever and unfortunatley so many people do get conned, but the best thingfor you to do like everyone else has said, RUN, another option is to reply and say that the boeard has already been sold as someone has given you £300 for it

scheming_gypsy

Accept it. Take the cheque and when his couriers come to collect the surf board give them an ironing board all nicely packaged. Don't bother banking the cheque as it's going to be too much hassle but they'd have paid shipping charges to the Ukraine for an ironing board