Beware of Nigerian Scams

[aabros]

Hi Folks,

Beware of scams such as this one:



Dear aabros,

I am using this medium to notify you of my interest in purchasing your on behalf of my client . My client has specifically given me a quote and placed an order for your particular item,hence the need to get in touch with you for negotiations. I will want to ask if you would accept BANKER,S DRAFT OR POSTAL MONEY ORDER from my client as a mode of payment.If yes , please forward your postal contact details, your telephone numbers and the name which you want the BANKER,S DRAFT OR POSTAL MONEY ORDER to be addresssed to .I am counting on your support in concluding this transaction within the shortest possible time. Regards"




Any other scams... feel free to add!

Anthony

[shoplineca]

There are hundreds.

I am selling my sailboat through my yacht clubs classified listings which is available online.

I got an email from someone claiming they are in New Jersey and are willing to purchase my boat sight unseen prviding I give them all my banking info.

Here is the last email I got after I sent some info on my boat (I suspected something was fishy so I stated in the email that if I had the time I would sail it from Ottawa to NJ to see the reaction):

"Dear Malcolm.
Thanks for your swift response and the detailed information. I would have love you to sail it down to NJ but since you can't I will send a team of inspectors who will come over to scrutinize the boat and then sail it down here. I intend paying right away. My prefered mode of payment is bank to bank transfer for security reasons. It this is okay by you, please kindly furnish me with the following information below:
(1). YOUR FULL NAME AND ADDRESS AS WELL AS TELEPHONE/FAX NUMBER.
(2). YOUR BANK ACCOUNT INFORMATION WHICH INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING LISTED BELOW:
(a). NAME OF BANK AND ADDRESS.
(b). BANK TELEPHONE/FAX NUMBER.
(c). BANK ACCOUNT NUMBER AND ROUTING NUMBER.
(d). ACCOUNT OFFICERS NAME AND TELEPHONE NUMBER.
On receipt of the above, payment will be effected immediately while notifying you of the precise date and time when my team of inspectors shall arrive your destination for inspection and then sailing it down here.
Regards,
Carl Whyte."

DUH, they think I was born yesterday? What is with sending a team of "Inspectors" to "scrutinize" my boat mean?... and precisely "How would they sail it from Ottawa to New Jersey", while not impossible, something that would take a few weeks.
... and I am going to be paid my asking price in advance of his "Inspectors' scrutinization"!

I am also selling some high end high tech equipment such as networking routers and listing them through several international classifieds online.

With those listings I got the same email that you received, or very similar.

In total I get a few a week asking for bank info or somone wishing to overpay me if I ship to Nigeria or Indonesia.

Malcolm

[audioshack]

It was actually supposed to read:

"On receipt of the above, payment will be effected immediately while notifying you of the precise date and time when my team of COLUMBIAN inspectors shall arrive your destination for inspection and then sailing it down here." ]:)

[shoplineca]

That's more like it!

Macolm

[aabros]

That was a nice one Malcolm. He's even asking for the name of your bank manager(s)... what a clown.
:^O

[shoplineca]

I was tempted to drag the clown on and toss out some nautical terms and even ask his preference for the route his team would use to sail my boat to NJ.

I may do that if I decide to have some laughs and see the intelligence of his response.

Malcolm

[dropnsellnow]

I sell laptops so get lots of the Nigerian scams. (Although, now that I ship only to US & Canada there are less.) I have noticed a few Polish variants recently. Generally, they are a more credible than the Nigerian one.

They tend to be specific emails for a particular item. Usually, involves a "young student". They don't make wild offers to pay double or treble, and actually seem to care what shipping will cost. They often ask for the serial number from the laptop. And, typically, there is eBay fb. One I got this morning has 16 although it was held private. The familiar BidPay/Western Union money order is the obvious giveaway.

Something else for which to watch.

Norman

[aabros]

I've never heard of that... student scams... but it's a good and new way to scam new sellers...

Let me know what he tells you Malcolm, if he ever replies.

Anthony

[ospreylinks]

Hey Malcolm, I'll buy the boat.... think you can get it up the Ottawa to the Mattawa and then into Trout Lake in North Bay..... a couple of portages shouldn't be much of a problem?

Jeff

[shoplineca]

Jeff
As far as the Ottawa River, I can sail her exactly 50km up the river towards you until I get to the dam just past Fitzroy Harbour.

You could always leave it on its steel cradle in your bakyard and use is as a mother-in law suite, but you would need a 12' ladder to board her (she does have a cabin heater on board for those cold winter nights in North Bay).

I am sure your Mother-in law would really appreciate that. I know mine would.

Anthony,
I decided to drop it and not send anything to the guy. I dont want to encourage these scammers in any way nor do I want to cerat an enemy out of any f them or I may find myself besieged with these things down the road.

Malcolm

[sunset_sports_cards]

North Bay doesn't get cold Malcolm...Dryden does though! You guys in eastern Ontario have it very tropical! I think we are too close to the Manitoba border and get the flatland westerlies outta the west that cools us down.B-)

[shoplineca]

I lived in Atlanta, Georgia long enough that I felt cold when the temperature went down just below freezing 2 nights per years.

Boy I miss Christmas at 70F during the day.

Malcolm

[sunset_sports_cards]

Ouch! I sure could take 70 about now! LOL

[ospreylinks]

Me too.... I opened my golf course on Saturday. The week leading up to opening about 22 to 24 degrees C.... Sunny, warm, you name it....

Opening day....rain, snow flurries and nothing but crappy weather since.....

I need sun......

Jeff

[shoplineca]

My wife had to drive to the Walkerton area on Sunday/Monday where they got that huge dump of snow.

I have to get my boat cleaned to sell but its too cold, damp and rainy to be outside for any length of time.

I spent about 4 hours working on the inside with the hatches open and suffered all night with cold that got to all my muscles and joints.

Gotta work on moving South again.

Malcolm

[muminlaw]

Jeff, I keep telling you! Move your course to the West Coast - we only missed 2 weeks of golf all winter because of weather (and we're going out again this morning). I sure hope you get decent weather soon!
. Glenda
To Golf or Not To Golf? What a stupid question!

[sunset_sports_cards]

It is still snowing n Northwestern Ontario, hovering about -5 as of today. Log range doesn't look like we will get into the teens until next weekend. My Uncle lives in Saanich and he was telling me that it was unusally warm out in B.C. this winter. Somedays.....B-)

[muminlaw]

We were in Alberta for a couple of collectibles shows earlier this month - two weeks of winter and I was already sick of it! I don't know how you stand it!!
. Glenda
To Golf or Not To Golf? What a stupid question!

[sunset_sports_cards]

It is tuff I tell ya! I am really getting sick of it. We like to do alot of camping during the summer months (whenever they are:-(). Last summer on July 24th we had the mercury drop to -4 overnight. Unusal to say the least! We are hoping for a better summer this year, hopfully we get it. Oh BTW, it just stopped snowing here about an hour ago.