WARNING - Classifieds Scam

[sangiro 26]

Heya all,

See the emails below. These scams have been going on for a while in the classifieds. They resurface from time to time. The scammers use different names and the exact form of the offer may vary. Here's some simple and general advice to protect yourself from becoming a victim:

• DO NOT do business with anyone who offers to send you payment for a higher amount than your selling price with the understanding that you'll send back the balance.


• Be suspicious of anyone claiming to be acting on behalf of a "client" or another "customer".


• Be suspicious of anyone claiming to be from Nigeria or West Africa


• If you agree to accept a check payment, then do not send anything, gear or "change" before the check cleared. And be careful, if you manage to clear a fraudulent check then you may be liable for the damages if the bank finds out later. Make sure your bank authenticates the check.


• If it sounds to good to be true, then it probably is.

Some examples of scam emails:

Quote

From: "Danny Cole"
To:
Date: Thu, 19 Aug 2004 06:27:31 +0800
Subject: Javelin Odyssey J2, C-20 Harness

Hello

I saw your advert placement and am interested in your Javelin
Odyssey J2, C-20 Harness for the sum $1100 i want you to let me know
the condition of the Javelin Odyssey J2, C-20 Harness and if possible
i want you to send the pics of the Javelin Odyssey J2, C-20 Harness
to me, so that i can ask my business associate to payment on my behalf
and the method of payment is through a certified cashier check and it
will be in the sum of $5000 and all you have to do upon receiving the
check is that you will deduct the cost of the Javelin Odyssey J2, C-20
Harness and you will send the remaining balance to the shipping
company that will come to your location for the pick up of the Javelin
Odyssey J2, C-20
Harness so if you accept this method of payment i want you to forward
me your contact info such as your full name, contact address, zip code
including your phone # so that i can ask my associate to send you the
check for the payment immediately .

Hope to read from you soon...

and another...

Quote

brad john wrote:
I am willing to buy your ( Dolphin, 155 Monarch, 145 Cricket, Cypres ) for $1650 my mode of payment will lays on certified casheir's check drawn in U.S funds, i will be informing my client in U.S who be forwarding a check of $6000 to you on my behalf , i will be handling the shipping, and every relevant title, if you want me to forward the check to you, i want you to give me the name that will be on cheque and your physical address which you will like to recieve the cheque with your cell phone number and land line. More over the balance on the excess funds wi ll be base on shipping bcos they are having other consignment for me to do the pick up, the excess funds will be send as soon as the check get to you and i want you to consider your item sold to me, the shipper's will be incharges of sign all relevant document,i will like to know if may mode of payment is accepted by you or not . i will really appreiciate your instant response.
Thanks

and another...

Quote

E-mail from a guy who claimed his name was Harry Weber
I am willing to buy your (Racer Container) for $175 my mode of payment
will lays oncertified cashier's check drawn in U.S funds , i will be informing
my client in U.S who be forwarding a check of $2500 to you on my behave , i will
be handling the shipping, and every relevant title, if you want me to forward
the check to you, i want you to give me the name that will be on cheque and your
physical address which you will like to recievethe cheque with your cell phone
number and land line more over the balance on the excess funds will be base on
shipping bcos they are having other consignment for me to do the pick up, the
shipper's will be incharges of sign all relevant document,i will like to know if
may mode of payment is accepted by you or not . i will really appreiciate your
instant response. Thanks

and another....

Quote

valashy john wrote:

Hello ,
Thanks for the quick comply regarding this sale,so am okay with the price stated in your last mail but which is $400 and the condition at present Dont worry about the shipment , I have arrange with a shipping company that will come for the pick up in your location. I want you to render this help as far as this sale is concern,i have a business partner in the state that will send you the check of $4000 and he will send the cheque out to you as the mode of payment , once you have the cheque of $4000 deduct your funds and forward the balance of the fund through WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER to the shipping company that will come for the pickup,if my payment terms are okay with you,I want you to provide me with the information below:
FUL L NAME THAT W ILL BE ON THE CHEQUE................
PERSONAL ADDRESS(NOT P.O.BO X).. ... . ....... .... .
CITY..... ........
STATE............
ZIPCODE... ...............
CELL ,HOME AND WORK P HONE NUMBER...........
I will like to know if i ca trust you by sending the shipper's fund.Expecting your quick response back asap.

and another...

Quote

From: brian george [mailto:brian_george@graffiti.net]
Sent: Tuesday, August 17, 2004 7:39 PM
To:
Subject: Good Day...........

I am willing to buy your (Stilletto 120, new lines, trade) for $850 my
mode of payment will lays oncertified cashier's check drawn in U.S funds , i will be informing my client in U.S who be forwarding a check of $4000 to you on my behave , i will be handling the shipping, and every relevant title, if you want me to forward the check to you, i want you to give me the name that will be on cheque and your physical address which you will like to recievethe cheque with your cell phone number and land line more over the balance on the excess funds will be base on shipping bcos they are having other consignment for me to do the pick up, the shipper's will be incharges of sign all relevant document,i will like to know if may mode of payment is accepted by you or not . i will really appreiciate your instant response. Thanks

and another....

Quote

-------- Original Message -------- Subject: Good Day'''''''''''''''''
Date: Sat, 21 Aug 2004 10:43:02 +0800
From: bob owen
To:

Thanks for your e-mail,So glad to hear that the said items are still for sale,i want you to know one thing that the Mode of payment is going to be Certified Cashier's Checks that will be drawn from an American.So there will be no problem in Cashing the Check .Also i want you to know that you will be recieving a Cashier's Check of $4,000 that will sent to you one of my Client over there in the USA who is owing me this amount. So all i want you to do now is to recieve theCheck , After then i will expect you to Cash it Immediately at the Cashing Store. After the Check has been cashed i want you to Transfer the remaining excess funds to my Personal Assistant who will now Pay the Shipping Company to come over for the Pick up (I will handle the Shipping so Shipping Should not any Problem) Also after the Funds has been cashed and you have transfered to my Personal Assitant the excess funds,All you need to do is to wait for the Shipping Company to come over for the Pick
up,You
will be notify on the Day they will arrive so that you will around for them to Pick up the Item. Also funds should be Transfered to my Personal asistant via Western Union. The Western Union and the Cashing Store Charges should be deducted from the excess funds you are sending my Personal Assistant.

I am Compesating you with the Sum of $150 for the little stress you will be going through in the transaction, his now make your total income to be $600 So If this is Okay by you i want you to provide me with the Following Informations Which of course i will forward to my Client so that Payment will be Issued :

NAME: ......................
ADDRESS:.....................
CITY: ..............................
STATE:............................
COUNTRY:............................
ZIP CODE:............................
PHONE NUMBER:...................(HOME,CELL AND WORK)

With this i will expect to hear from you soonest today

and another....

Quote

-----Original Message-----
From: tommy jeff [mailto:tomjeff@linuxmail.org]
Sent: Saturday, August 21, 2004 11:01 PM
To:
Subject: sewing machine$600

Hello
i came across your advert on internrt for selling of your (
sewing machine) and i will like you to send me the last
bottom price of it and i will like you to tell you that my
mode of payment will lays on bank check so if you are okay
with this mail me back with your phone number and physical
address so that the check can get to you soon and i will like
to see the pics. Thanks

--
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more...

Quote

From: "tommy jeff"
To:

Hello
i came across your advert on internrt for selling of your (Mojo 280/Odyssey Velcro Rig ) and i will like you to send me the last bottom price of it and i will like you to tell you that my mode of payment will lays on bank check so if you are okay with this mail me back with your phone number and physical address so that the check can get to you soon and i will like to see the pics.
Thanks

and more...

Quote

-----Original Message-----
From: bob owen [mailto:bob_owen2002@fastermail.com]
Sent: Saturday, August 21, 2004 1:16 AM
To:
Subject: Diablo 150

Hello, i am willing to purchase your ( Diablo 150) and i want
you to tell me the present condition. I want you to give me
the last asking price and my mode of payment lays on
casheir's check drawn in U.S funds. I will handle the
shipping. If you many pics you can send it via mail.Thanks

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Safe swoops
Sangiro

[gwills 0]

SCAM WARNING: Folks yesterday I responded to an ad for a Safire 2 150 canopy. I've been in touch with one Lejla Zecic who has told me that the person in this picture Mladen Simovic is the owner of the gear. I got in touch with him and he told me he sent them his license 2 years ago. But it's an A license and he has never owned a 150. She was also trying to sell a safire 2 170 and 239. Please beware of the scam. They sent Fedex reports as well to prove they were legit. But it seems it was all a scam. I didn't buy and neither should you. Folks beware I'm told her as is on here as well. Thanks. And good luck out there.

[skygranny 0]

Well, indeed something is wrong with this seller. I am a local there, we are a small and pretty close knitted community, so even if one doesn't know the person selling gear, it's very easy to get info. The fact that no one knew anything proven about the seller and gear (only some rumours) raised a red flag.

Some more red flags came along:

- the person registered here (and submitted ads) as Lela Zecic from Croatia. No one from any of Croatian clubs did not know of such person nor anything about gear offered for sale.

- same ads appeared in two FB groups: "2nd hand - skydiving" and "Buy/Sell Skydiving gear, posted by a person with FB profile Lejla Zecic from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Again, the FB profile may be real, but still no one locally was able to provide more info.

- another ad appeared here on DZ.com but submitted by a profile skydive7 from Yugoslavia

http://www.dropzone.com/classifieds/Detailed/Main_Canopies/Icarus_Safire_2_239_158418.html

- there is no info on gear in any of ads (on DZ and FB), at best there is one photo not really showing anything, and nothing else. The seller wants to be contacted on PM only, does not reveal any other info nor replies on FB posts on group wall. We heard also from two local skydivers that their PMs in local language to seller were never replied.

- It is not clear what and how many different canopies this person sells – so far there were ads posted for Safires 2 in 150, 170, 219 and 239, Neos 119, Vector SE and Mirage RTS. Here is a link to offer at FB group Buy/Sell Skydiving gear:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/416383335109560/search/?query=Mirage%20RTS

Also, while it is true that Safires can be ordered in any size, it is weird that none of Safires offered were in standard production size. I know personally a local skydiver who sent PM to seller inquiring about true size of one of offered Safires (in local language), but never got a reply. She, however, confirmed that the FB PM was read.

I apologize for long post, but hope it will be useful. Moderators of both FB groups were already informed.

Love never fails

[ianyapxw 0]

skygranny

I apologize for long post, but hope it will be useful.

Don't, such information is extremely useful, not just in terms of specific information, but also raising awareness about scamming techniques in general.

Thank you.

[skydivetahoe 0]

Watch out for a Steve Grubb! He sent me a bad check.