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Warning: Scam Alert All Sellers Should Be Aware Of

Mike02z

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Folks,
I was almost scammed this week. I had a set of wheels for sale on another site. I only did this because I don't have pictures with my name and date as they are in storage or they would for sale here. Anyway, I was contacted almost immediately by someone named Bob Henson. He asked if he could text me. I didn't see any issue with that but he was talking to me on the site's IM and text so I got a bit confused. He told me he wanted the wheels and would take them for 500. They were for sale for 500 but local sale only. I asked for a PayPal deposit. He said he has never used PayPal and would send me a certified check. I accepted but via text as that is where the offer came from.

To be safe I spend a few bucks to get his information on-line. It said he lived in 10 different places around the country. Odd, but OK. Then he tells me this Weds that he sent the cashiers check and not a certified check. He also noted that he included 50 extra for my trouble. Now the red flags are going off! He also added that he would send me extra for shipping. I informed him I was not willing to ship, period. He said he would have movers meet me after I wired them the extra money he was sending. The last straw was when I checked the tracking number and noticed it was sent from Bismark, North Dakota.

I informed him via text that the deal was off as there were too many red flags. He never responded but I have since blocked his number. Luckily, I got wise in time to refuse delivery of whatever he sent me. The postal authorities are now looking into this as a possible case of mail fraud. If he did send me a fraudulent check, it will be mail fraud but I was not accepting delivery so not sure if they will open the envelope he sent me to find a fraudulent check. Also seems to me he has probably done this before so my guess is they won't track it to the source. It was sent from a PO box in Bismark, ND but the return address was a PO box in RI.

I then started doing more research an I noticed the site where I had the wheels for sale has suspended his account for breaking policies. I then found articles explaining how this scam works.

Seller offers the buyer offers more than asking price.
Seller send cashiers check with additional money they will ask to be wired to a third party. In this case a supposed moving company.
Seller receives the cashiers check and it clears. You wire the money to the third party then within 6 months the check is discovered to be fraudulent. Not only are you responsible for the money you sent to the third party but you are also responsible for the entire original amount of the check. To add insult to injury once you deposit the check, the buyer now has your bank account data.

Cashiers checks are NOT guaranteed like a certified check and can come bacl up to 180 days after initial deposit. Please be aware of this scam if selling items on this or any site.

Sorry for the length of this post but I'm posting this on all forums I belong to so no one else gets screwed by this scammer.
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highvoltage

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Good info. Glad you caught it in time and thanks for the heads up!
 

lemers

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Good to know
 

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Shouldhavegotthegt

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Yeah these guys try scamming anytime I post anything in CL. I just ignore it. I use CL so I don't have to deal with shipping. They always want you to ship something. They usually say they are military a lot of the time too and they are deployed or something like that.
 
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Mike02z

Mike02z

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I've been selling, buying and trading things over the Internet since 1997. Mostly via forums. I have never once had an issue dealing with forum folks. I think I'll stay in the forums for future sales.

I'm still kicking myself in the azz for not realizing this was a scam sooner.
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