Need Legal Advice - NSR

[Lane Meyer]

Okay, so as those of you who frequent Gear Swap know, I am trying to sell my car. A friend of mine from the Bay Area sugegsted I lists it on CraigsList.org, so I did.

The next day, I get this email:

i saw your ad on the web,i am intersted in your Nissan Pickup
i am willing and ready to pay $2500
i am based in amsterdam,get back to me with details.
regards
-Guy from Netherlands

So I write him back inquiring if he is serious, and he persists. I email him a description of the truck, and today I get this message:


Thanks for the info,i think im satisfied.
there won't be any probs about the shipment,after payment ,the pick up will be
made at your place.
i will make arrangements with the prepaid shipping company.
As regards payment,this is what i am going to do;
I have a client in the US who is owing me US$8,400, i
would instruct him to make out a money order/certified
check to you in that amount and as soon as it clears
your bank. you can now deduct your money from it and send me my
balance,i will
using use part of the money to pay for the shipping and other
expenses .you will
then send my balance by via western union money transfer.Although the
value of the check is more than the asking price but i think i should
be able to trust you with my balance.
The reason why i am doing this is that it would take
a check sent from over here takes 21days to clear
over there,whereas a check sent from the US would
clear tops within 48hrs.
So i would like you to deduct the western union
charges from my balance.So if my terms are acceptable
to you,i would like you to give me your full
name,address and phone number so that i can instruct
my client to make out the check to you.
Pls get back to me as soon as you get this mail so
that we can round things up in a timely fashion..i will be trusting
you in
this business transaction.
Thanks ,
regards

TOTAL SCAM! (Read below) just passing the info on, I'd hate for someone to get hosed by this.

[tuffy109]

tell him you want cash, in hand. his buddy can pay you.

[Lane Meyer]

Yeah, Tuffy, that's what I figured I'd do if it came to that. I did a quick search for his name with Google, and came up withthis froma different car-for sale bulleting board:


WARNING--BEWARE—WARNING—BEWARE—WARNING—BEWARE

Hello All;

Please be aware of a person selling Ghia’s, this person currently uses two different email addresses they are:

lanre bam
larry ron
This person resides in New York as per his emails, he contacted me regarding a wanted post I placed. This seller demands money as an ‘official deposit’ before you can see the car, and the reason for selling the cars is that his wife is having a surgical operation. This person is sick and please do not send any money unless you have seen the car.

Smells like tuna to me....things that are too good to be true, usually are.

[interloper]

Originally posted by tuffy109
tell him you want cash, in hand. his buddy can pay you.
Wonder who his buddy is? Sell it to someone else.

[Arty50]

It could be legit, but it sounds like a case of money laundering to me.

In other words, you won't get screwed on the deal. But if the IRS come a knockin'...

[Aldo]

Lane!

This is a scam. Going around many online car type forums, international contacts you, wants to overpay, then you credit him the difference, slurrrrp they take your cash when you provide the acct #.

Pass. Next!

[Lane Meyer]

Dug around and discovered it's a 100% scam. See #2 (http://portland.craigslist.org/about/scams.html)

I figured as much, should I turn this guy in to the FBI or the cops or something? I'd hate for someone to actually get hosed by this asshole.

Craig, from Craigslist, actually emailed me back right away:

Grant...

Hey, this sounds like one of the scam gangs we hear about, where they'd
send you a forged cashier's check. We know about gangs operating from
Nigeria, maybe the Netherlands, US, and South Africa.

I've been talking to the Feds about this without luck. They're taking
this seriously, but progress is slow. I've provided them with many
examples.

Sorry for the hassle!



Craig

[vinzclortho]

turn him in dude, no need for solid people to get scammed. maybe you can just report him to craigslist and they do something? I dunno. You could potentially save someone alot of troubles etc..

good karma man. think about it.

EDIT: plus if you work the scam with the FBI or IRS, and they arrest the guy at your house when he tries to pick up the car or whatever...

a) you have a good story to tell to some tahoe girl at a party that makes you seem like a real stand-up guy/super-hero

b) you can probably get the FBI to "overlook" your moonshine operation in truckee.

c) see if you can get one of those "Witness Relocation Program" tshirts like Homer wore.

I think you're in Tahoe anyways...I dunno, do what you think is right.

[Lane Meyer]

Yeah, I think I will.

Imagine if the collective maggot intelligence could come up with a "black helicopter" style sting to get the money and use it for season passes for all of us, or for a Silverton donation or something similarly worthy.