Autotrader scam

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Hello I'm New here! Joined: 13 Mar 2014 Posts: 9

Looks like the same guy is at it again!!!!!! Same car too!!!!!! How does he get away with this as I have seen on here that he did this 2 years ago!!!!!!!

James Burt ([email protected])

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16:46

Hello there,

I am glad to hear that you are interested to buy my 2008 Nissan Navara Aventura 2.5 AUTO Pick Up 4x4!
Although I am registered in the UK,i recently moved to Cadiz, Spain (where my family is from) and the car is being shipped from here. I want to sell it in UK due to the fact that it's an UK version (right handed),it meets all UK standards.I bought this car from UK and It still has UK registration, so you won't have to pay any import and insurance fees.The car meets all United Kingdom guidelines so there will be no problem regarding UK Customs policy on receiving the car.The car is in perfect condition, the bodywork is immaculate,no scratches, dents or hidden defects as well as the interior in excellent non-smoking condition , never been implied in any accident and it is as advertised.The car comes with log book, HPI cleared, No finance. You will get from me the keys and all documents to register the car in your name.If the car is not how i described it, i will offer a full refund. It will be insured during transportation and will be delivered at your address in maximum 10 days. Final price is GBP 3,130 (the price includes shipping and insurance fees).The price is low because the car is right hand drive in a country where all cars are left hand drive so in Spain is very difficult to drive this type of vehicle and nobody wants to buy it here in Spain.Instead of keeping it in garage (during this economical crisis), I decided to sell it to someone back in the UK for a really attractive price.
I want to take this opportunity to assure you that this deal is 100% legitimate,the deal will be manage by a well known company,in this way both buyer and seller are 100% covered during the steps of this transaction.
Let me know if you need any further details or if you would like to buy my car.

Thank you

James

Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2014 9:24 pm

Has this been reported to Autotrader? They are usually pretty good about killing car listings and the accounts for scams. At least AT in the US is.

Do we have a moderator or someone who reports these to Autotrader?

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 13 Mar 2014 Posts: 9

Yes earlier today and this scammer had already removed it from their listings and to be honest they were not overly helpful. They said that they do their security but there are ways for people to continue to scam!

Hence this guy still being able to do it again two years on after previously listing this in Autotrader in 2012!!! So no I am not convinced with their security as he used the same email address!!!!!!!!

Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2014 9:38 pm

AutoTrader scammer details are regularly posted on Scamwarners and at the same time the adverts are flagged to AutoTrader as scams.

They do remove them quickly, but unfortunately, it seems to be beyond the skills of their developers to add in the code that would stop the scammers from adding the email address in the body of the advert.

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 13 Mar 2014 Posts: 9

Then autotrader need to get with the program especially as this guy appears to have been reported to them before!

It is so wrong, if I was not on the ball I could have easily been scammed out of £3000. It does make you wonder how many people he has managed to con money from. There HAS to be something someone can do to catch this moron?????? (I would like to swear but am too much of a lady lol )

Posted: Fri Mar 14, 2014 2:57 am

I work in the automotive industry in the US in RL, and I do see the occasional scam ad on AT. I always report it, but I suppose there is only so much one can do. I have written several articles on the pitfalls (not just scammers) of buying and selling cars on the internet to try to warn people. I am very glad that you did not get taken.

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 13 Mar 2014 Posts: 9

Well I shall let autotrader know again today and advise them that this is the same scammer of two years ago. They have to take this seriously as I am sure that I am not the only person who would have reported this guy and the fact that he is using the same email address beggars belief!!!!

Your quite right at least I had my head screwed on and was cautious and investigated this 'too good to be true' opportunity.

Thanks for your comments guys.

Tink

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 13 Mar 2014 Posts: 9

[i]To say that I am furious would be an understatement, after sending an email to autotrader this morning referring to this scam artist I have not received a reply. BUT to make matters worse this SCAMMER is yet again advertising the same vehicle on their site. FFS this is absurd!!!!!!!!

Another stinky email sent to autotrader which reads as follows...........

Unbelievable!!!!! I reported this person earlier today for being a scam artist and yet again you allow him to advertise on your site. He has been coming back and forth from on your site for over 2 years and I know I am not the first person to let you know this.

When you ask questions about this vehicle he says he lives in Spain and that you have to pay through Google Wallet and he sends you a scam link. After speaking to google wallet they do not support this type of payment for a vehicle.

Is your security system that bad that yet again you are not prepared to spare another innocent victim being robbed of what could be their life savings??????????

We have tried to call his mobile number on numerous occasions but it is constantly switched off.

Email him yourselves see what bull he feeds you.

Posted: Fri Mar 14, 2014 7:23 pm

Do you have a link to his latest ad? I am happy to bait the bastard. I would love a good car bait!!! I'm sure one of my characters is planning to move to Europe and needs to buy a car. Smile

EDIT: Found it.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201403142519687/sort/default/usedcars/onesearchad/used%2Cnearlynew/postcode/ec1a1bb/make/nissan/price-from/3000/price-to/6500/page/1/model/navara/radius/1501/keywords/2008%20Nissan%20Navara%20Aventura%202.5%20AUTO%20Pick%20Up%204x4?logcode=p

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 13 Mar 2014 Posts: 9

Sent you a PM

Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2014 2:26 pm

The car lad responded to my inquiry about his ad with standard script #1.

Quote:

Hello there,

I am glad to hear that you are interested to buy my 2008 Nissan Navara Aventura 2.5 AUTO Pick Up 4x4!
Although I am registered in the UK,i recently moved to Cadiz, Spain (where my family is from) and the car is being shipped from here. I want to sell it in UK due to the fact that it's an UK version (right handed),it meets all UK standards.I bought this car from UK and It still has UK registration, so you won't have to pay any import and insurance fees.The car meets all United Kingdom guidelines so there will be no problem regarding UK Customs policy on receiving the car.The car is in perfect condition, the bodywork is immaculate,no scratches, dents or hidden defects as well as the interior in excellent non-smoking condition , never been implied in any accident and it is as advertised.The car comes with log book, HPI cleared, No finance. You will get from me the keys and all documents to register the car in your name.If the car is not how i described it, i will offer a full refund. It will be insured during transportation and will be delivered at your address in maximum 10 days. Final price is GBP 3,130 (the price includes shipping and insurance fees).The price is low because the car is right hand drive in a country where all cars are left hand drive so in Spain is very difficult to drive this type of vehicle and nobody wants to buy it here in Spain.Instead of keeping it in garage (during this economical crisis), I decided to sell it to someone back in the UK for a really attractive price.
I want to take this opportunity to assure you that this deal is 100% legitimate,the deal will be manage by a well known company,in this way both buyer and seller are 100% covered during the steps of this transaction.
Let me know if you need any further details or if you would like to buy my car.

Thank you

James

I have asked to see more pictures. A deluge of questions about the vehicle will follow - one at a time. Some "special" pictures of the vehicle may also be required (to prove that he owns it and the deal is legit, which it's not).

Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2014 2:39 pm

^^^If you haven't baited one of these before srichards, there are 2 things to go for.

1. They will almost certainly be using a fake website for the shipper or escrow company. This can be reported in Fake Banks.
2. They will give you a bank account that can be reported in the normal way.

Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2014 3:00 pm

Thanks, B8er! I always go for piggies, and I am looking forward to killing a website. I am a professional motorhead in RL, so this guy is going to be REALLY sorry. Muahahaha!!!!

Got script #2 already. Time to start asking a zillion annoying questions, as any car buyer should. Twisted Evil

Quote:

Hello,

I want to inform you the the car is in Spain and it will be shipped from here to UK.The shipper I will use will deliver the vehicle to your door, you don't have to pick it from the port. Shipping will take 10 days maximum.Due to the fact that i am located outside UK and we can not deal in person,i`ve contacted Google Wallet regarding this issue and they told me that they could offer to me a program that is created especially for international transactions that protects both of us.
Regarding the transaction, you will send the funds to Google Wallet and they will keep the money until you receive the vehicle and test it.In this way both buyer and seller are 100% covered during the steps of this transaction.Google Wallet will hold and insure your money until receipt of the car in good condition. That is how their service is working. As far as the seller concerns, i will be glad to know that Google Wallet is in possession of the funds during the delivery period.
You will be given a 15 days inspection period from the day you receive the car at home ( i will ship it to your address insured for full value to you ).
If you decide to keep the car, then you will have to authorize Google Wallet to release the funds to me, and the transaction is complete.If the vehicle is not as described ( perfect interior,exterior,mechanical condition ), you will be able to send the vehicle back through the same shipping company ( return postage at my expense ), and ask Google Wallet to return the money to you. Though i am sure you will love the car and will not want to return it, it is good to know that you do have this second option available.

If you want to read more about Google Wallet service please visit :

http://google.wallet-storeuk.co.uk/followup.php?Setup-Service.Purchase-Protection&continue=2#terms-of-service

If you want to get more info about their terms and condition please contact Google Wallet using the contact us button from the web site.

I bought this car from UK and it is still registered there so you don't have to pay any import taxes or any other fees.The car comes with log book, HPI cleared, No finance. You will get from me the keys, V5 document, manuals and all documents to register the car in your name.You don't have to worry about anything.

If you want to check the car here are the reg details:

# Vehicle Registration Mark (VRM) VO08FJE
# VIN (chassis number) VSKCVND40U0299454 <--- I ran this VIN, and it is NOT valid (big surprise)
MOT till June 2014. Tax till 01 05 2014
31,000 miles

If you wish to purchase it and agree to these terms i will need you to provide your full name and address. I will then notify Google Wallet and they will contact you to explain the entire procedure.

I will be waiting for your reply as soon as possible

Thank you in advance!

And, of course, Ryan (my character) has questions... LOTS of questions.... this is only the beginning of the questions.

James,

Thanks for your quick response and all the informaion. I am currently living in the US, but my company is moving me to the UK in a just a couple of weeks, and I will need a car over there. I know almost nothing about how things work over there, so I would appreciate any help you can give me. I have a few questions I hope you can answer for me. Please forgive my ignorance of the terminology over there.

What does "HPI cleared" mean?
What is a "V5 document"?
What is a Vehicle Registration Mark?
What does it mean, "MOT till June 2014"?
What does "Tax till 01 05 2104" mean?

Just out of curiosity, where in Spain do you live? I visited Barcelona a few years ago and just loved it! Why did you move to Spain from the UK?

Thanks!
-Ryan

He's losing patience with me already! I hope he doesn't drop me before I get a chance to answer the 36 other questions I have for him.

Quote:

mean that my car has title clear!!!

That's great, but what about my other questions? Thanks!
-Ryan

Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2014 3:36 pm

I just noticed that the Autotrader ad has been taken down. I'm sure another one will be up in its place shortly, if not already. We'll find that one too.

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 16 Mar 2014 Posts: 2

Hi
Have received the same emails, checked him out and found this site.
I had already noticed that the sat nav in the photo was a uk site, just south of warrington, so was suspicious.

Have asked a few naive questions and will see what comes back.

Cheers

milagaz

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 16 Mar 2014 Posts: 2

Just received this.

Hi again,

You will get from me the keys, V5 document, manuals and all documents to register the car in your name.Before I complete the shipping I will complete the purchase invoice and this contract will be sent along with the car.You don't have to worry about anything.I haven`t decided what company i will use yet. i had some enquiries and got quotes from many. Now i have 3 companies that i will have to decide which one i i will use once i have a buyer (payment confirmed with Google). Anyway the car will be delivered by boat in your nearest port and then by truck to your home delivery address.
You will be contacted by one of shipping company representatives to set up an appointment date for receiving the vehicle and they will explain you the entire procedure.

HPI is a service here in UK in order to check the car with my reg and vin number www.hpicheck.com.

Thanks

Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2014 3:29 pm

@Milagaz - if you are communicating with this scammer from your real life email address, DROP HIM. We promote "safe baiting" here, meaning you do not communicate with scammers with ANYTHING that can connect back to your real life details. Read all the stickies on the forum, create a bogus gmail account, and then have fun baiting! (And sign up for a mentor!)

Interesting to note that this hpicheck.com does not exist. When I clicked the link, Firefox displayed a security warning, then got a 400 Bad Request error.
When I ran the VIN and reg numbers (on my own), neither of them came up as valid. I'm wondering if he thinks people won't actually check, or if he tried to create a fake site and failed.

Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2014 6:33 pm

I had to give the lad a poke:

Hey, James. Haven't heard back from you, so I wanted to check to see if the Navara is still available or if you sold it this weekend. I am definitely still interested if it's still available. Thanks!

He replied but is reluctant (=lazy) to deviate from his script.

Quote:

Hello,

Like i said early i bought this car from UK and it is still registered there so you don't have to pay any import taxes or any other fees.The car comes with log book, HPI cleared, No finance.When i will send you the car, you will receive all papers and documents who will help you to register the car, also i will make a legal contract and on this you will have my signature, and all you must to do is to complete only your name and details about you or i if you want i will complete the bill of sale with your name and address that you sent,this will help you to register car fast, in case you want to make any other papers after you receive the car you can email me and i will be more than glade to send it.

The shipper I will use will deliver the vehicle to your door, you don't have to pick it from the port. Shipping will take 10 days maximum. The car will be shipped in a container; it will be loaded direct into a 20 ft or 40 ft steel shipping container at the port and it will be secured to the flooring rings of the container by ratchet straps and the wheels will be locked into position by wooden chocks, strapping to stop any movement. All vehicles are securely blocked, braced and tied down ensuring absolute security during transportation.There will be no additional taxes or costs for you to pay.

Google Wallet Representative physically inspects the vehicle, insures and holds the funds until you receive,test and agree to keep it so you don't have to worry about anything. if you still wanna buy my car i wait your shipping details so i can contact Google Wallet regarding our deal. They will send you an invoice after with all the steps you need to know so you can buy my car.The payment will be managed by Google Wallet and it will be done by BANK to BANK transfer.Your money will be safe with them.

I will be waiting for your reply as soon as possible.

Thanks

I wonder if the idiot knows that Google Wallet only does bank-to-bank transfers within the US. And, they certainly don't do vehicle inspections. But, I certainly wouldn't want to educate him. It is time, however, to demand more pictures of the vehicle. And to harp on the fact that he still hasn't answered my questions. Lazy bastard.

James,

Thank you for the detailed information about the shipping process. It's good to know that you have taken such care to arrange all that. It's one less thing I have to worry about. Moving to another country is very overwhelming, and there is so much that I don't know about. You still haven't answered a few of my previous questions, however.

What does "HPI cleared" mean?
What is a log book?

Also, I would like to see more pictures of the vehicle, including a shot of the odometer showing the exact current mileage. I'm sure you can understand how scary it can be to try to buy a car from overseas. Additional pictures would help to reassure me of the state of the vehicle. Then I will be prepared to move forward with the purchase. Thanks so much.

EDIT TO ADD:
James certainly has a short fuse! Can't a guy ask a simple question? He doesn't seem to realize that he never sent me any HPI website link. I think he has me confused with other victims or, hopefully, other baiters!

Quote:

What does "HPI cleared" mean?..............man!!!!!!!!!!
go to the hpi website and you will understand!!!!!!
i don't have time to explain you!!!!

Time for a slap. He may drop me, but that's ok. I have plenty of other characters to bait him from. They will also have lots of questions. Twisted Evil

Hey, man! There is no need to be a jerk! What HPI website? You never said anything about a website! Now, look. I am ready to buy this car, but not if you are going to be an ass. I don't think it's unreasonable for me to ask a few simple questions! Now, what the hell does "HPI" mean? And, are you going to send me more pictures or not?

Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2014 6:42 pm

hpicheck.com IS legitimate. I have used them for a long time now and the site was still working up to a couple of minutes ago....

Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2014 7:08 pm

^^^I was able to get to hpicheck.com this time. Thanks. Must have been user error on my part before.

Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2014 9:50 pm

The rat has a new ad up for the same vehicle (2 identical ads, it looks like), as well as 2 identical ads for the Nissan Quasqai under the ben carrey email address. I've reported all these ads to AT as scams. The rat is posting as a "trade seller" (ie. dealer), but then says in his ads "private seller". I suspect he managed to get a trade seller account, so he can post unlimited ads for one monthly fee (which is the package available to dealers). This may give AT a way to shut him down. Although I don't have contacts at AT UK, I will still see what I can do to get his shut down. Otherwise, I'll continue to locate his ads and report each and every one of them!!! (While also baiting him from multiple characters.)

Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2014 11:44 pm

http://forum.419eater.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=2039539#2039539

Very crafty! The Lad is faking Google Wallet (aka Google Checkout), which was actually withdrawn by Google last year. Here is an e.mail from Google dated Nov 13:

Quote:

Hello, We're reaching out to remind you that as of today, Google Checkout is officially retired. Transactions will no longer be processed, including subscriptions and email invoicing. Buyers clicking on any Google buy button on your site will see an error message, so if you haven't done so, please remove any buttons or text mentions of Google Checkout from your site.

Note his faked URL: google.wallet-storeuk.co.uk

Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2014 3:14 am

^^ Yes, I have already reported that site. I will be submitting this report myself (so I can have a siggy flag!).

I went through the entire Autotrader UK site today and found 30 of his fake car ads. I reported them all and I am happy to report that they are ALL down already!!! AT responded fast! I have devised a way to automatically search AT UK every day to find any new ads he posts, so I can report them as fast as he can put them up. I am going to make this rat bastard's life HELL. Twisted Evil

Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2014 4:25 pm

Got some bacon from the lad bastard! He has gone to great lengths to make fake "invoices" supposedly from Google Wallet. I'm sure my character will have all sorts of problems trying to figure out how to pay that invoice - to give Alan time to, hopefully, shut down that bank account.

Quote:

Google Representative Account Name : AL!N G@BRIEL XXXXXXX
Google Representative Address : Rua Conde XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Google Representative City : Sant Joan D'Alacant
Google Representative Zip Code : 03550
Google Representative Country : Spain
Beneficiary Bank Name : CAJA MURCIA
Beneficiary Bank IBAN : ES520487040447900XXXXXXX
Beneficiary Bank Account Number : 0487040447900XXXXXXX
Beneficiary Bank Swift Code : GBMNESMMXXX
Beneficiary Bank Address : Plaza D. Jose Sala 3
Beneficiary Bank City : Sant Joan D'Alacant
Beneficiary Bank Zip Code : 03550
Beneficiary Bank Country : Spain

And, my war against his fake ads on AT UK is going very well. So far, I have closed down 33 ads. I am able to shut them down within a hour of him posting new ones. Welcome to Hell, lad bastard! The torment has only just begun. Twisted Evil

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 13 Mar 2014 Posts: 9

Am so glad I found this forum am having great delight watching you get the git. Keep going make him squirm