Please tell me this isn't a scam

But I don't think you can.

I found a car I like. Blue Book says it is worth $21,000, guy is selling it for $10,400.

So I email him. Ask several questions, etc. etc.

Here's his response:

Thanks for being interested in buying my car ,I will start my email by telling you that I'm currently out of country so pick up isn't an option , It's in excellent condition and runs like perfect, It has never been involved in any kind off accident, and it has got no mechanical problems, clean title It was always garaged . Right now I'm in the Uk,just arrived here 3 days ago . Before i left I found a buyer and i had everything arranged.I payed for the shipping and sent it to him .But yesterday the buyer that i had asked me to wait another 4 weeks because his loan wasn't approved . so i just canceled the deal ..I can't wait this long as i am in the UK for 3 days now and i really need the money, I am in the moving process , changing the work place and everything ...A major issue is that if you want to buy my car you really need to have the money ready for it, the car is there located into the uship custody ready for delivery .You can get the car in 24 hours to your home address I have left it there because in case we`ll agree to close the transaction they will take care of all the arrangements.For more details please contact me and please tell me where are you located ? Thanks

He didn't answer ANY of my questions, tell me his name, give me a contact phone number or address, nor did he give me a way to look at the car.

Looks to me like he just wants me to send him some money.

Obviously he's either an idiot or a conman. On the off-chance he's just a run of the mill idiot, any thoughts on how I can proceed?

I'm thinking as a MINIMUM he would need to give me the VIN (for a CarFax and theft report), arrange an opportunity for me to see it, and exchange title, car and money simultaneously.

Or maybe I should just run away...

Thoughts?

RUN AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

No really. Run.

Here is the center of the scam:
Before i left I found a buyer and i had everything arranged.I payed for the shipping and sent it to him

He will now want you to deal with the artificial shipping company.
Typical scam.

I had a roll cage on the GRM site and have been dealing with a guy who is supposedly in the UK as well and he seems more hinky with every passing day. Same sort of problems...he never answers my questions and the check has yet to arrive. I, of course, am not about to send him anything until the check clears. I think you are right to be very suspicious of this guy. Try getting the vin for a Carfax. If he's bogus he'll probably run screaming from that question.

Good luck!

I'm thinking I can call his bluff.

If I had the VIN and did a theft search and CarFax, then showed up at the "shipping company" to inspect the car, prepared to hand over money in exchange for title and vehicle (which I would trailer out myself), what are some of the things that could go wrong?

Maybe I shouldn't think so much of myself...

OMG RUN. RUN, RUN RUN AWAY NOW......!

I don't mind running.

What are some of the things that could go wrong in my above scenario?

If youre the luckiest sumamabitch ever and this is legit, I would make quadrupley sure the car is not stolen, no liens and the title is not in any way non-transferrable, as if it is, no matter how much monies you gives to this nigerian prince, the car will not belongs to your personage...Im not sure if power of attorney is needed in order for someone who is not the owner to sign the title to you in their absence - not sure how that part works

Keep going if you are just in it to amuse yourself. Meanwhile, look all over the net for the car in other advertisements or on forums dedicated to that model. I bet you find it.

Did you google his name or email address?

Car has not appeared in other ads I can find (and I've been looking for a while). Email address shows no Google results.

Interesting twist...

He says it's inside of Ebay's buyer protection plan, and that the car is located in TN.

I didn't find it on Ebay, I found it on Craigslist, in Tampa.

Here's his email:

I will provide you all the details you need no problem ,I just want to be sure you accept my terms ...Right now the car is in Tennessee ready for delivery at your home address First you will have to send me your full name,address and phone number,i will contact ebay and they will send you the invoice with all the details about payment and insurance . Regarding the payment, you will receive invoice from ebay ..you will be instructed to deposit the money to an eBay account. They will hold and insure your money until receipt of the car in good condition. That is how their buyer protection policy is working. As far as the seller concerns, i will be glad to know that eBay has the possession of the money during the delivery period. That is my insurance.This is an refundable amount . In max 24-48 hours you will receive the car . After you receive the car you have 5-10 days to test the car and check the documents. After max 10 days you will contact the ebay and you can tell them your decision. If you decide to hold the car, then you will have to authorize ebay to release the funds to me, and the transaction will be completed. If it does not matches 100% to your expectations, you will return it in maximum 7 days since the arrival date. In this case ebay protection program will refund you the full amount in 24 hours and the same delivery courier will pick up the car and you don´t have to pay the return shipping.I am sure you will love the car and will not want to return it, but it is good to know that you do have this second option available. During this transaction , ebay will provide you all the the support you need and you can ask for all the details of this deal. If you are interested in this purchase let me know . Thank you

Still didn't answer any of my questions, or give me his name or contact info.

Just one more indication its a scam. They tell you its covered by eBay even when its not an ebay auction. He is proposing using an eBay escrow service which doesnt exist. They will set up a pretty convincing fake website to collect your money through the "escrow service" and your money and the website will both disappear.

This is a scam pure and simple, there's no way you are getting the car unfortunately. If you insist upon paying for the car directly at the shippers they will break off contact.

scamscamscamscamscamscamscamscamscamscamscamscamscamscamscam

(catch breath)

scamscamscamscamscamscamscamscamscamscamscamscamscamscamscam

i contacted someone about a car and got a response very similar to that. they wouldnt answer my specific questions either. they had either sent me the vin in one of the emails or it was listed in the CL ad, but i googled it and it came up with 2 other CL listings around the country.... AND an ebay sale that had already gone through a week or two earlier, which of course had listed all the pertinent info for someone to 'sell' someone else's car.

i think its the new deposed nigerian prince scam.

It definitely IS NOT a scam..

Now that I've done what you ask, run away, this is definitely a SCAM. Like someone else suggested, reply that you're heading up to TN to visit family this week, ask to make arrangements to show up with cash...

Betcha he doesn't go for that deal...

It's a standard template 419 scam email (yes, really, these people are working off templates).

For a bit of additional fun you could ask him if he'd take a check for a little more and give the balance to the shipper you'll send to pick up the car[1].

[1] Just in case someone didn't pick up on this, that's another very common 419 scam.

100% scam. Foolish to even bother with it.

Let me guess, the email is either a gmail, hotmail or yahoo account.

SVreX:

It's a total scam. The car does not exist. the scammer wrote the ad to be as intriguing as possible so you'd pursue it. He's just trolling for morons who'd send him money, no questions asked. It's not even worth wasting your valuable time and energy.

Unfortunately, you are not cooperating because you're actually looking for the car. The scammer is looking for prey.

Next.

My best to you and your bro, by the way.

I think whoever's selling 419 templates must be the scammer who's making real money - "I can teach you how to make thousands scamming greedy Americans! Just send me a couple hundred dollars for my can't fail scam templates!"

The usual form is that the car has had its identity stolen, in a manner of speaking - he's lifted a random VIN from somewhere, no telling where. If you were able to track down the car by the VIN, I suspect the person at the address where you find it would have no idea anyone had been trying to sell it.

Constantly asking to see the car and showing a willingness to make the drive (particularly since he said it's in Tennessee) is a good way to make the scammers pull their hair out. I had one of these guys try the same thing with a bike that he claimed was in Alabama. He had to start getting rather creative when I told him I would just drive over there with cash in hand.

I say mess with him. Tie up as much of his time as you can.. this will be less time he has to scam other people, and that drives scammers crazy, which is a good thing.

Or tell him you'll trade it for a slightly used Yugo..

We need a "Scammer Reply Template"

MrJoshua wrote: We need a "Scammer Reply Template"

ooh yes!

MrJoshua wrote: We need a "Scammer Reply Template"

For the revers scam where they are going to send you a check for more than you are selling an item for and you send back the difference I always have them mail it to

Ima S. Cammer

[insert local FBI internet fraud department address here]

my father in law who is 81 found a to good to be true car for sale on CL and sent the dude 5K........FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS......turned out to be a motel in Rome, Ga. he is to embarased to call the authorities.......five grand out the door!