 I have been
using the computer to communicate with others since the late 80's.
Before the Internet was as big as it is today, I was using
BBS's for
ages. I was on the real Internet starting in about 1993.
Having been on the Internet so long, I must have found something I like
right? The answer is a definite yes, if you know what you are doing,
the Internet is a wonderful source of good information and entertainment; if
you are a newbie, it can be a wonderful source of bad information. One
thing that I certainly hate about the Internet is spam, scams and Urban
Legends that get forwarded around in emails.
Snopes.com is a great source for helping to
determine which emails are true and which aren't....but I digress. The
real reason for this section is that I recently was contacted as part of a
well-known Internet scam THAT I WILL NOT FALL FOR. In the spirit of
the great P-P-P-Powerbook, I
will post what is happening as it goes. See the saga of me selling my
beloved 350-Z.
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| 08-30-06 First off, let me say I am not getting rid of
the Z because anything is wrong with it, or that I don't like it. My
wife is pregnant with our first born and a Z really is not a kid friendly
car. Unfortunately, the payment on the Z prevents me from just buying
another car so it has to go.
I listed the Z on Autotrader.com and have very limited hits, probably because I am asking almost exactly the blue book value (I have barely had it a year so I owe a lot and I can't afford to lose much) if you want to see the ad it is here. I received the following email on Monday night. ======================================= A u t o E x t r a . c o m L E A D ======================================= Date/Time: August 29, 2006, 5:52 am Please contact henry austin regarding the vehicle you are advertising on AutoExtra.com: Email XXXXXXXXXX@yahoo.com Zip Code Day Phone -- Evening Phone -- Year 2005 Make NISSAN Model 350Z Price 24999 To see the specific vehicle henry austin is interested in, go to http://www.autoextra.com/vehicledetail/adid-43165690 for more details. Best time to contact: Day Comments: Hello, i have a client who is interested in buying your car and he offers $24,000.If this price is considerate, get back to me with the location and condition of thecar. Have a nice day. I though this email was a little odd, but didn't think too much about it, I replied with this!
Hello Austin,
I think $24,000 would work. The car is located in Bowie, MD. The condition is "good". Mechanically the car is excellent, but there are a few dings/scratches on the outside. It currently has LoJack Early Warning installed and a Pioneer Navigation system with IPOD connection; also 4 new iupgraded speakers. Would you like to schedule a time to see the car? Feel free to call me on my cell at 301-437-0660. -Kevin McMahon Best time to contact: Day Comments: Hello, i have a client who is interested in buying your car and he offers $24,000.If this price is considerate, get back to me with the location and condition of thecar. Have a nice day. ***************************************************** "99% of life is what you make of it. So if you say your life sucks...You suck." -Mike Muir The response I received was the key to catching the scam:
Hello Kevin McMahon ,
Am glad for your response.i have forwarded your vehicle information to my client and after evaluation and due to time constraint on the fact that we are runningshort of time. I'm delighted to tell you that my client has recommended your vehicle with full interest and he has instructed me to carry on with the transaction rest on my shoulder. Hope the eugine and body is in perfect condition? He also instructed me to inform you that payment will get to you in a cashiers check of $30,300, Which will cover the cost of the car and also the cost of shippment. So you are required to deduct the cost of your vehicle ( car) $24,000.when payment gets to you and refund balance $6,300 to the Agent (our shiper ) for him to be able to offset shipping & tax charges, and other cosmetic repair cost s. Now we really need your Truth & Honesty in refunding the balance to the shiper. After payment has reached you and balance sent to shiper, the shiper's agent will come for inspection, pick up (of vehicle & signing of title papers), make some cosmetic touches and drive to a prepaid shipper to be shipped to my customer. Please confirm this and forward the following informations; Names:......... Address:............. Phone number:............ For payment to be made and send to you as soon as possible. Your honesty, understanding and co-operation will be highly appreciated. Have a wonderful day Now this is a well known scam where I would be overpayed with a cashiers check and have to give some of the money back in cash. After a little while, my bank realizes the cashiers check is bad and revokes it from me. So now I am not only out the 6 Grand I gave him back, but I am also out my Z! for a total loss to me of more than 30K. I haven't decided exactly how I am going to respond yet. I am considering a few options:
If you have any ideas, email me billwfriend_\at\_gmail.com (of course, replace the _\at\_ with an @ sign, I don't want too much spam).
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