Is this a scam

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Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 7:16 pm

Ok so today a guy comes into the garage and wants to purchase a merc sl280 and a ml320 he is very keen on the ml telling that he can sell this in africa for �30k etc etc and is intending on clocking it etc but whilst he was looking at it he was on the phone to what seemed to be his money man and he is coming back to view again the morn now he was asking about payment terms etc i.e how he pay in a oner cheque/bankers draft.
What i want to know is, what is the worst that can happen? Im 99% this guy is a scammer but i want to know if the bank can recall the money the draft or transfer. It could be legit but i smell mugu.

Master Baiter Joined: 04 Mar 2007 Posts: 125 Location: UK

Well, as long as the cheque clears before you hand over the car - fine.

But why support scumbag scammers who are going to scam someone else? Confused

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 7:24 pm

Don't forget that a check that is accepted at a bank could bounce at the clearing house and you could get done for passing dodgy checks.

Baiting Guru Joined: 08 Jul 2004 Posts: 11857 Location: UK

williamnorris wrote:

Well, as long as the cheque clears before you hand over the car - fine.

^^^^^ Incorrect, fake bank drafts often clear initially, it's even wors with stolen cheque drawn on a real account, the victims thinks the funds are good, but they are not, in reality, cheques NEVER clear, a bank can come back to you a year later and say the cheque was bad, you then owe your bank all the money to the value of the cheque if you have spent it.

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 7:34 pm

Ahem...... this guy is TELLING you that he is going to illegal stuff, and screw other people over in Africa, right? And you want to involve your legitimate business in this....... WHY????

Have a good look at SP's post as well please. The bank CAN and WILL recall the money if the cheque bounces.

Baiting Guru Joined: 08 Jul 2004 Posts: 11857 Location: UK

There was a post on this forum the other day, but I can't find it, it was concerning car theft in Canada, in which Nigerians were involved, stealing high class cars, also hiring them with fake/stolen documents, then shipping them to Nigeria where a Mercedes can be sold for $100,000, the most popluar cars in this scam were cars like mercs and jeep type motors.

So, chances are, if he is a scammer, the car will be in a shipping container and out of the country before the cheque comes back as fake/stolen or whatever.

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 7:38 pm

williamnorris wrote:

Well, as long as the cheque clears before you hand over the car - fine.

But why support scumbag scammers who are going to scam someone else? Confused

Im not 100% sure he is a scammer and he could be legit................

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 7:40 pm

@The Example

The answers given above.. are all partially right and all partially wrong

Laws relating to negotiable instruments such as cheques, drafts, bankers drafts and the ilk are very complicated.

The best advise I can give you if you are in any doubt is go and ask your bank manager ...... you can then go and sue him for bad information if it goes wrong Wink

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 7:41 pm

^^^^what he said, it's really not worth the risk

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 7:45 pm

Get a certified check.... Cool

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 7:51 pm

Well i'd be confirming the draft or cheque at the branch it comes from but i still think this wont make much difference.
As for the bank manager i will enquire.
Thanks and Please feel free to continue adding your comments

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 7:51 pm

Common belief is that bank drafts are as good as cash - WRONG !!!!!!!!!

The bank draft could be 100% genuine - you could ring the bank and they tell you it is 100% genuine - okay ? - NO !!!!!!!!!

If that bank draft is being used in a criminal transacton, even though you may be an innocent party, they will refuse payment (or reclaim the funds), even making you resort to law to try to force payment - and you'll probably fail. You will certainly fail if at any stage it appears you colluded or knew that the transaction involved deception of any type.

If you have the cars on show - get them safe and secure.

Why do you think criminals won't screw you over ?

You need to back out of this immediately. Head Office will only accept cleared funds paid in by bank to bank wired transfer. Watch his face as you tell him this. It will tell you all you need to know. Make sure you have people with you when you deal with them, and be apple pie nice. Have someone by a phone in case anything kicks off.

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 9:01 pm

The Example wrote:

... what is the worst that can happen? ...

The worst? The check bounces after six weeks, you lose the car and are arrested for passing a bogus check.

If you want to be sure, demand cash. Small denominations. If he really has the money and is willing to pay for the car, he'll cough up the cash.

If not, he's a scammer.

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 11:28 pm

Keep in mind that he could also be using a stolen cheque or one that has been "washed". In that case, it could be quite some time before the account holder realizes just what happened, esp if it is a business account that has a large number of fairly big transactions going on.

Also, I have to agree with Persephone. If this person has told you that he's planning on ripping someone off, going along with it seems like bad business.

Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2007 12:06 am

If it looks like a duck..........................
Just make sure that if he gives you cash there is enough chemical to get the notes clean!!! Laughing

Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2007 1:09 pm

It is a duck!

If the lad truly wants the vehicle, offer to let him take a test-drive in it. Tell him that by motor vehicle dealer safety laws you are required to have a xerox of his drivers' license before you can let him drive or buy the car, NO exceptions! [Essentially 'put-up-or-shut-up].
.....See where that goes!

Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2007 1:17 pm

^^^^ What they all said, just to reinforce it. It walks like a duck to me Wink

Except, he's just as likely to have a fake license

Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2007 9:47 pm

ben-bunny--

Yeah he might have a false name/address on the license. But if the whole license is a blatant fake then the cops can be called and he gets free room and board at the Hotel Graybars.

Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2007 10:29 pm

If it is a bank draft then confirm it with the issuing bank.

Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 1:50 am

I agree with KD. Cash only. While counting it out, you could have a cup of coffee. On the house of course. That should make him happy.

Master Baiter Joined: 11 Nov 2006 Posts: 199

Only take CASH. And use a counterfiet pen and UV light to confirm that it is not counterfeit. Even the pen is not 100% with bill washing a small bill can be turned into a large bill. But the UV light can tell you the real story as all bills have a stripe that glows a certain color and is in a specified place. Oops I did not notice that you are not in the US.. so YMMV with the pen and light.

You might also want to alert the police and see if they want to sting this loser.

Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 5:09 am

Banks in Oz wont even clear a Treasurary check anymore it used to be easy to cash a tax return or other government cheque. I always wondered why. Now I fully understand.

Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 5:36 am

A friend of mine had to fight the heck out of his insurance to get paid for a nice BMW that He handed over to a scammer with a fake check. He even had to hassle with the police. Never found the car, though.

Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 1:28 pm

spotthepot wrote:

The best advise I can give you if you are in any doubt is go and ask your bank manager ...... you can then go and sue him for bad information if it goes wrong Wink

Not unless you were to get it in writing, signed and witnessed. Verbal commitments aren't worth the paper they're written on.