Date: Thu, 5 Jun 2003 21:08:32 -0500
Reply-To: Mel Miller <nourmahal@ATT.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Mel Miller <nourmahal@ATT.NET>
Subject: Re: The tale of two VWs and the scam that didn't fly.
In-Reply-To: <BAY8-F184ltFlmmlQ0800001b7e@hotmail.com>
Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
Howdy Gruppe,
These Nigerian and Ethiopian scams are old hat on all lists. I am on several
lists, the military vehicle collectors list, BMW Coupe list, etc. and they
come in over the transom in all of them. Just ignore them or write them
something nasty about their manhood if you have the time.
Mel Miller
Corpus Christi, TX
361-937-3317
M725
> From: Mary Barbara <marybiba@HOTMAIL.COM>
> Reply-To: Mary Barbara <marybiba@HOTMAIL.COM>
> Date: Fri, 6 Jun 2003 01:26:41 +0000
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Re: The tale of two VWs and the scam that didn't fly.
>
> My husband has a Datsun 510 and this whole scam issue has been on their list
> as well (bluebirds). Do they only try to scam on us 'vintage' auto owners
> or is this more widespread?
>
>
>> From: Kenneth Wilford <kenwilfy@COMCAST.NET>
>> Reply-To: Kenneth Wilford <kenwilfy@COMCAST.NET>
>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>> Subject: The tale of two VWs and the scam that didn't fly.
>> Date: Thu, 5 Jun 2003 20:02:36 -0400
>>
>> I put two of my vehicles for sale on my own website. A 78 ASI Camper and a
>> 90 Jetta GL. I got an email from a gentleman from Nigeria who said he
>> wanted to purchase these two vehicles as a gift for his pastor (he called
>> himself Rev. Daniel). I knew it was a scam but I played along. I wanted
>> to
>> hang this guy if I could and figured I could at least give him a bad day.
>> He said that he would pay the price for the two vehicles plus $5000 for
>> shipping to Nigeria. He had a friend here in the US that owed him $20,000.
>> He would have this friend send me a cashier's check for $20,000 and then I
>> could cash it. Then deduct my $11,000 for the two vehicles and shipping
>> and
>> send him the balance via Money Gram. I never lied to him. I told him if I
>> got a valid Cashier's check I would be glad to send him the balance.
>>
>> A couple of months go by. Over the course of this month I get contacted by
>> him a couple of times via Voice Relay service. This is actually a service
>> for the deaf who depend on it to speak to folks over the phone. The deaf
>> person types in what they want to say and the relay person speaks it. And
>> then it works in reverse for you. The only problem is that anyone with an
>> internet connection, anywhere in the world can use this service and it has
>> become a convenient way for scammers to contact you with no hope of being
>> detected (hopefully this will change in the future).
>>
>> Finally, a couple of days ago I got the "check". It looked genuine. It
>> even had the watermarks on the back. However when I called the issuing
>> bank
>> (First National Bank of Abilene, Texas) and gave them the check number,
>> etc.
>> they assured me that it was indeed counterfeit. I contacted my cousin who
>> is a State Trooper and we talked about the situation. I tracked the Fed-Ex
>> envelope and it had it's origin in the UK! So much for the Maryland
>> address
>> that was scrawled on the envelope :) The guy called me yesterday and I
>> laid
>> it out for him in no uncertain terms. "Will you send me the balance?" He
>> asks. "I have a problem with the check," I told him. "The bank says that
>> it is counterfeit and will not cash it."
>> He was quiet for a long time and so I hung up and tried to get back to
>> work.
>> He calls back. "I can't believe it." He says. "Can you at least send my
>> friend $1000?" If there is one thing I hate worse than a crook it is a cut
>> rate crook. I tell him no and hang up again.
>>
>> Now I am waiting for my Trooper cousin to tell me if this is a matter for
>> the Feds. I just wanted to share my tale with you folks as a cautionary
>> tale. But I also wondered, what if everyone out there that these turkeys
>> contacted, actually responded to them. Just think about it. It must cost
>> at least $50 to send an overnight Fed Ex Envelope from the UK. If everyone
>> (knowing in advance that this is a scam of course) went through the motions
>> until the guy actually sent them the fake check then two things could
>> happen:
>> 1. You could have the satisfaction I did, laughing at this loser and his
>> lame attempts to scam me.
>> 2. Drain a bit from his fundage pile. If enough was drained he would have
>> to move on to greener pastures. What do you think? I have been wracking
>> my
>> brains at a way to find these guys, or inflict some type of damage upon
>> them
>> as they inflict upon those that they dupe. This was the best that I could
>> come up with.
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Ken Wilford
>> John 3:16
>> http://www.vanagain.com
>> http://www.strictlyvwauctions.com
>> Phone: (856)-327-4936
>> Fax: (856)-327-2242
>
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