So I get back to work this morning and there's an e-mail waiting for me concerning the frame and fork I'm selling:
Hello, i saw your ad on the {Joker frame with Boxxer fork }and it fits what i have been searching for.I am okay with $750.i am currently not in your country,to be precise i'm in western africa on a business trip and i will handle shipment of it to My base in HOLLAND.do you accept cashier checks as a method of payment.sorry if i may ask,is this your personal property cos' i dont want to involve myself with stolen properties for sale.what is the condition like? Well reply with your full name,contact address,phone number and fax,prove of ownership,so that i can commence payment immediately if it is still available.NAME.... ADDRESS...... CELL PHONE#................. Have a nice day
Regards David Philip
So my hackles go up; this sounds like so many scams I've read about that are overseas transactions where the cashiers/certified check turns out to be bogus and you are left screwed. So I write back:
Hello David. Yes, this is my property; it is registered with ellsworth
> and I am registered with them as the original owner.
> Due to the overwhelming amount of fraudulent business deals involving
> overseas transactions that occur, the only way I would do business with
> you is if you have someone in the united states to act as your agent,
> and to use either paypal or a c.o.d. delivery. Overseas cashiers checks
> will not be accepted. I would only ship this to the person acting as
> your agent here in the united states. If this works for you, then we can
> continue to talk.
So less than an hour later I get a reply from him:
Everything sounds well,I must commend that the Joker frame with Boxxer fork is in an excellent condition and am okay with the prize $750 . I want you to keep other buyer's off the Joker frame with Boxxer fork .Concerning payment I have a client in your country who is ready to issue out a certified cashier's check since I don't have the funds in your currency. For convinient and easy shipping, I have a liable shipping agent who'd be responsible for the shipping as soon as you receive payment for the Joker frame with Boxxer fork .I will therefore need the following information of yours again to forward to my client before he send the check to you.
NAME IN FULL........
ADDRESS IN FULL
COUNTRY..........
CITY....
STATE.........
ZIPCODE........
CELL/OFFICE/HOME PHONE NUMBER.......
Waiting to hear from you.
Regards.David Philip
So now my intuition says this guy IS a total scam. I write back to him:
David, The joker frame and fork are in excellent condition. You can see photos of the bike at this website: http://www.ridemonkey.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=86183
Once again, due to the large amount of fraudulent transactions I INSIST that payment be made via paypal or U.P.S. c.o.d check. No cashiers checks will be accepted, period. If your friend can make a cashier's check, he can just as easily do one or the other of the two methods I just mentioned. I will not provide you any personal information until we are in agreement about the method of payment.
It's been a couple hours and I haven't heard from him, perhaps I scared him off.
The scams of this nature generally don't haggle price and are prepared to send you a [bogus] cashiers check right away. By the time your bank gets back to you that the check is a counterfeit, your sold goods are long gone, you're out of luck on the money, and your bottom end is sore from the screwing you just got.
I'm kinda hoping he writes back so I can screw with him some more.
Hello, i saw your ad on the {Joker frame with Boxxer fork }and it fits what i have been searching for.I am okay with $750.i am currently not in your country,to be precise i'm in western africa on a business trip and i will handle shipment of it to My base in HOLLAND.do you accept cashier checks as a method of payment.sorry if i may ask,is this your personal property cos' i dont want to involve myself with stolen properties for sale.what is the condition like? Well reply with your full name,contact address,phone number and fax,prove of ownership,so that i can commence payment immediately if it is still available.NAME.... ADDRESS...... CELL PHONE#................. Have a nice day
Regards David Philip
So my hackles go up; this sounds like so many scams I've read about that are overseas transactions where the cashiers/certified check turns out to be bogus and you are left screwed. So I write back:
Hello David. Yes, this is my property; it is registered with ellsworth
> and I am registered with them as the original owner.
> Due to the overwhelming amount of fraudulent business deals involving
> overseas transactions that occur, the only way I would do business with
> you is if you have someone in the united states to act as your agent,
> and to use either paypal or a c.o.d. delivery. Overseas cashiers checks
> will not be accepted. I would only ship this to the person acting as
> your agent here in the united states. If this works for you, then we can
> continue to talk.
So less than an hour later I get a reply from him:
Everything sounds well,I must commend that the Joker frame with Boxxer fork is in an excellent condition and am okay with the prize $750 . I want you to keep other buyer's off the Joker frame with Boxxer fork .Concerning payment I have a client in your country who is ready to issue out a certified cashier's check since I don't have the funds in your currency. For convinient and easy shipping, I have a liable shipping agent who'd be responsible for the shipping as soon as you receive payment for the Joker frame with Boxxer fork .I will therefore need the following information of yours again to forward to my client before he send the check to you.
NAME IN FULL........
ADDRESS IN FULL
COUNTRY..........
CITY....
STATE.........
ZIPCODE........
CELL/OFFICE/HOME PHONE NUMBER.......
Waiting to hear from you.
Regards.David Philip
So now my intuition says this guy IS a total scam. I write back to him:
David, The joker frame and fork are in excellent condition. You can see photos of the bike at this website: http://www.ridemonkey.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=86183
Once again, due to the large amount of fraudulent transactions I INSIST that payment be made via paypal or U.P.S. c.o.d check. No cashiers checks will be accepted, period. If your friend can make a cashier's check, he can just as easily do one or the other of the two methods I just mentioned. I will not provide you any personal information until we are in agreement about the method of payment.
It's been a couple hours and I haven't heard from him, perhaps I scared him off.
The scams of this nature generally don't haggle price and are prepared to send you a [bogus] cashiers check right away. By the time your bank gets back to you that the check is a counterfeit, your sold goods are long gone, you're out of luck on the money, and your bottom end is sore from the screwing you just got.
I'm kinda hoping he writes back so I can screw with him some more.