Scam?

[Kamikaze_Badger]

Well I've been browsing Craigslist for cars lately, and saw two cars at well below book value ($2950 each...). I sent an email to the guy advertising the first one, and got this in reply:

 

Hello and sorry for my delay,

 

I'm Sgt. Paul Smith. My car, 01 Acura is in perfect working condition. This vehicle engine runs very, very smooth. No electrical problems on this beauty. This detailed vehicle makes the exterior looks like it just came off the assembly line. The car has 128802 highway miles.VIN Number: 19uua56771a021621

Transmission: Automatic

Year: 2001 Fuel Type: Gasoline

Standard Equipment:

LEATHER CRUISE CONTROL AUTO CLIMATE CONTROL ABS Xenon Lights

CD AM/FM RADIO CASSETTE POWER DOOR LOCKS Vanity mirrors

POWER MIRRORS POWER STEERING POWER WINDOWS

2 WHEEL DRIVE POWER SEAT DUAL DUAL AIR BAGS 6 CYLINDER 3.2 LITER VTEC

 

Here are the pics of the car :

http://usera.imagecave.com/01AcuraTL/

 

So if you decide on buying the car, I want the deal closed only through eBay's Safe Purchase program. You will make the payment to eBay and they will hold the money until you receive the car. ONLY AFTER you receive the car and you inspect it(for 10 days) eBay will release the payment to me; in this way we are both protected. Anyway i am sure that if you will don`t be satisfied about the car i will surely find another buyer in your area and there will be no need for you to ship the car back. I am located in London, United Kingdom and I was sent here to improve the military relationships between USA and UK. 3 months ago, my wife moved here with me and brought the car with her, but now we have to sell it back in the United States because we can't register it here; it has US specs and everything, and registering it here in Europe will take for ever. My final price on it is US 2,950 $. If you will take it for this price, I am willing to handle the shipping. It will be shipped from here by plane with US Air Military Cargo so it will not cost me anything. You will get it to the nearest airport in your area and then it will be trucked forward to your place. You will receive the car in about 3 days. Please get back to me asap if you decide to buy, and include in your e-mail your full name and address where you want it shipped so I can start the deal with eBay. You will receive all the transaction payment and shipping details from them.

 

Best Regards,

Paul and Stephanie Smith

 

Then another... kind of similar one for the second car?

 

Hello and sorry for my delay,

 

I'm Sgt. Daniel Donald. 2000 Toyota Celica GT is in perfect working condition.This vehicle engine runs very, very smooth. No electrical problems on this beauty.This detailed vehicle makes the exterior look like it just came off the assembly line.The car has only 93973 original miles.VIN Number: jtddr32txy0049654`

Transmission: Automatic

Year: 2000 Fuel Type: Gasoline

The car is equipped with Power Steering CD AM/FM Radio Cassette Air Conditioning GT 2 Wheel Drive Dual Air Bags 4 Cylindre 1.8 Liter , and much more. It was never involved in any accident, not even minor ones. The body and paint are great. The interior is super clean, mechanically, it runs like a cat on carpet.

 

Here are the pics of the car :

http://usera.imagecave.com/TCelica2000/

 

So if you decide on buying the car, I want the deal closed only through eBay's Safe Purchase program. You will make the payment to eBay and they will hold the money until you receive the car. ONLY AFTER you receive the car and you inspect it, eBay will release the payment to me, in this way we are both protected. I signed up for US military forces and I was sent here with my department to improve the military relations between our country and UK. I am located in London, United Kingdom. 1 months ago, my wife moved here, with me and brought the car with her, but now we have to sell it back in the United States, because we can't drive it here because we can't register it here; it has US specs and everything, and registering it here in Europe will take for ever. My final price on it is US 2,900 $. If you will take it for this price, I am willing to handle the shipping .It will be shipped from here by plane with US Air Military Cargo so it will not cost me anything. You will get it to the nearest airport in your area and then it will be trucked forward to your place. Please get back to me asap if you decide to buy, and include in your e-mail your full name and address where you want it shipped so I can start the deal with eBay. You will receive all the transaction payment and shipping details from them.

 

Cheers,

Daniel and Collen Donald

 

So, do you think it's a scam?

[road-runner]

Almost the same exact story, somethings up

[Propane]

It would appear so. The car's description is copy and pasted from what the VIN tells you and faking as a service person is one of those old things people do to try to make you sympathatic (too bad they are pathatic imo...)

[kingdingeling]

I wouldn't buy those, there has to be something in the bush like road said.

[Agallion]

im not for buying cars online in the first place, this just seems fishy

 

 

 

maybe not, just selling two cars and used the same paragraph =/

[Arkadiy]

im not for buying cars online in the first place, this just seems fishy

 

Off-topic:

 

Where did you get your avatar? I remember using it quite a few times in a game as my logo but it had a gray back ground around it which I later changed to black. Just wondering ^^

[hndgns4hrts]

Just ask to meet locally, that will solve any issues.

 

Oh and yes that is a scam, I've seen those also. Except they sent me a fake eBay page.

[Lee3188]

Yea, that definetly sounds like a scam. I saw an ad kind of similar to that, except it was advertising a Ps3. Another thing that strikes me as odd is that the US Army will ship his car for free and you can pick it up at your nearest airport. I doubt he has his own personal aircarft at his command. I would think he'd first have to know where he was shipping the car and then he would have to find out if there are any aircraft going that way anytime soon, then he would have to get permission to ship his car from whoever was in charge of that outfit. Also, I would think you would have to go to a Military base to even pick up the car, not a civilan airport. I don't know, I wouldn't even buy a car before I looked at it, much less this.

[bigred]

let me put this in simple terms.... NO NO NO NO NO NO!

 

 

do not send either one of them a penny! you won't get anything back. it's more than likely the same scammer fishing for suckers. I'd report it to the site you got their contact info from.

 

 

of course the best way to prove it is ask for a shipping address to send a money order to. 100:1 odds it's the same for both of them.