Scammer Alert

[esoeij]

I received an enquiry about my WTS post for a lens today. The enquirer by the name of 'Gerda Claus', claiming to be a CS member, emailed me to ask about condition, price, photos of item etc. After answering her queries, I received this response:

"Thanks for responding. I am OK with the price. Actually I want to purchase it as a gift, and I am sure it will make the perfect gift for my colleague. I would have decided to come over to check the item and transact personally, but I am not in the country, I have traveled to the United States, for the acquisition of a toy producing conglomerate, for my industrial clients, and I was introduced to buy from this site by my Singaporean friend, so I won't be able to come over to your house, I actually had to go online, because my time is fixed, due to the nature of my job, going to an electronics mart to get the item seems unattainable because the nature of my job won't permit me. My colleague has traveled to work for an oil firm in West Africa, and he will be spending his Christmas holiday there, I want you to post the item to him in West Africa for me, I will incur the cost for the postage fee, so please make an inquiry about the postage cost via DHL courier service, so that we will proceed from there."

I declined and redirected 'her' to eBay, and this was the response:

"I understand you, but I need you to help me here, I don't have the time to go to a shop to get it, that was why I contacted you, I will make an additional payment if that will do. Put your self in my state, I need the camera as a gift for my colleague and I have informed him that the item is on its way, so please get back to me with the requested info asap!"

I don't think any CS member here will actually fall for this scam, but it's a bloody waste of time and if you receive an email from gerdaclaus156@gmail.com, at least you know what you'll be in for if you choose to respond. Just wondering as well if any of you have been contacted by this 'buyer'.

 

[davsmiths]

She just contacted me. Same tactics.

 

[davsmiths]

Im gonna forward the email transcript to Gmail. They should ban him/her from their free service. It's against their terms and condition.
If you have received such emails, please join me in doing so.

 

[huatman]

I also got that email. But I posted a WTB post for canon 17-40L, then received "her" mail tat she wan to BUY my beautiful lens - 17-40 ..??!

 

[yrh0413]

If she is willing to pay for courier why decline her offer? I would have charged her a premium for DHL as long as I receive the payment first.

 

[snapcroc]

There are a LOT of 'west african' scams over the internet. Try googling for nigerian/african ebay scams. you will find loads. TS did the right thing. DO NOT transact with the sender. I think mods should take notice and alert the forum before some newb gets chopped.

 

[JasonB]

How I would reply her:

I just struck lottery of 2 million dollars, and I did it by betting on the lucky serial number of the lens. Since your purchase inspired me to buy lottery in the first place, I decided to share half the winnings with you, that is 1 million dollars. However there's a problem, as the government controls and restrict transfer of large funds into African nations, we need to do it via a neighbouring country, there is tax, insurance and transfer fees amounting to $50000 which I need pay by next week. But the problem is the lottery winning collection takes a month to process.

If you can pay the $50000 first, I can send the 1 million plus the $50000, plus the stupid lens to you once the papers are cleared. You can make the payment via western union to my Russian business partner based in Philipines. You have one week. Lastly F you and merry Christmas"

 

[JasonB]

Be wary of such and similar things on the Internet, especially if it involves west African regions.

Google "419 scams" for related readings and precautions.

 

[esoeij]

I have received several scam related emails before (e.g. ask for money to help claim lottery prize etc). But the main difference this time is that the email I received is unlike the usual spam. This time, it's a customized email from a seemingly serious buyer, picking up on specific details of my WTS post. The scammer even goes through the trouble of asking for the condition, photos and price of the item!

 

[Luzer]

I received the same email as well.

 

[Far far away]

I received the same email as well. She wanted to buy my 50mm Sigma and the same thing, ask me to help her and blah blah blah. Apparently this sort of thing is quite common in Craiglist. I kenna a few times after advertising there. :angry:

 

[rhino123]

Well... next time when the scammer try again, just ask her/him/it to transfer the money and the shipping cost and whatsoever. Once she/he/it transferred the money and you confirm received the moeny then sent the products lor.

 

[Cowseye]

Well... next time when the scammer try again, just ask her/him/it to transfer the money and the shipping cost and whatsoever. Once she/he/it transferred the money and you confirm received the moeny then sent the products lor.

Or dun send at all. Scam the scammer

 

[esoeij]

Well... next time when the scammer try again, just ask her/him/it to transfer the money and the shipping cost and whatsoever. Once she/he/it transferred the money and you confirm received the moeny then sent the products lor.

The scammer is not so stupid to pay the seller anything. If respond, will just lead to nowhere in terms of either scammer or seller getting anything to show for it. Just end up 'ahji bahji' until the cows come home.

 

[esoeij]

Or dun send at all. Scam the scammer

If the person actually pays up front and the money is in your pocket, then the buyer is not a scammer after all. In which case by not delivering the goods as agreed, you become the scammer!

Aiyah, I not so desperate to sell. Just trying to clear some space in my dry cabinet for new toys, hehheh. Will deal with genuine buyers only.

 

[Far far away]

Well... next time when the scammer try again, just ask her/him/it to transfer the money and the shipping cost and whatsoever. Once she/he/it transferred the money and you confirm received the moeny then sent the products lor.

Do watch out for this though:

2. distant person offers a genuine-looking (but fake) cashier's check

you receive an email (examples below) offering to buy your item, or rent your apartment, sight unseen.
cashier's check is offered for your sale item, as a deposit for an apartment, or for your services.
value of cashier's check often far exceeds your item - scammer offers to "trust" you, and asks you to wire the balance via money transfer service
banks will often cash these fake checks AND THEN HOLD YOU RESPONSIBLE WHEN THE CHECK FAILS TO CLEAR, including criminal prosecution in some cases!
scam often involves a 3rd party (shipping agent, business associate owing buyer money, etc)

Copied from Craiglist website on fraud. The rest are here:

http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams

Do read and protect yourself from these scams.

 

[theandycreation]

How I would reply her:

I just struck lottery of 2 million dollars, and I did it by betting on the lucky serial number of the lens. Since your purchase inspired me to buy lottery in the first place, I decided to share half the winnings with you, that is 1 million dollars. However there's a problem, as the government controls and restrict transfer of large funds into African nations, we need to do it via a neighbouring country, there is tax, insurance and transfer fees amounting to $50000 which I need pay by next week. But the problem is the lottery winning collection takes a month to process.

If you can pay the $50000 first, I can send the 1 million plus the $50000, plus the stupid lens to you once the papers are cleared. You can make the payment via western union to my Russian business partner based in Philipines. You have one week. Lastly F you and merry Christmas"

I like this!! Haha

 

[daredevil123]

Do watch out for this though:

2. distant person offers a genuine-looking (but fake) cashier's check

you receive an email (examples below) offering to buy your item, or rent your apartment, sight unseen.
cashier's check is offered for your sale item, as a deposit for an apartment, or for your services.
value of cashier's check often far exceeds your item - scammer offers to "trust" you, and asks you to wire the balance via money transfer service
banks will often cash these fake checks AND THEN HOLD YOU RESPONSIBLE WHEN THE CHECK FAILS TO CLEAR, including criminal prosecution in some cases!
scam often involves a 3rd party (shipping agent, business associate owing buyer money, etc)

Copied from Craiglist website on fraud. The rest are here:

craigslist | about > scams

Do read and protect yourself from these scams.

There are a few other tricks, one of which they will show you fake TT acknowledgements, the most notorious being a western union remittance.

 

[reminiscenc-e]

Wow same. Almost fell for it. Whew >_>

 

[SNAPDINER]

Dear Clubsnap people, do not fall into this money laundering scheme. If u r selling something say USD2400, you may actually get sent USD240,000 and then you get a mail saying there was error...keep the Usd2400 or even usd 24,000 but remit the balance. If you choose not to sent back anything, be ready to be threaten by such ppl n if you do as they instructed, u r also trapped as they can then blackmail you to do it again as they hv your transaction record. be wise to this. I lived in another foreign country for 2 years n am quite familiar to such tactics...remember dirty money is blood money, don't get your hands tainted.