Honda Goldwing/Craigslist/Ebay Scam

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Hello I'm New here! Joined: 09 Sep 2008 Posts: 4

About a month ago, I found an 04 Honda Goldwing on craigslist for $4300. I'd never dealt with scams, and didn't see this as one, but when I emailed him, he said he had moved and that the bike was already at the shipping company. He wanted to use a "third party site" which he claimed was "eBay". I immediately suspected a scam when I could tell that the email invoice that was supposed to be from ebay was, of course, not. It was asking that I send a Moneygram to the "eBay representative". I had no idea that there were other people out here that did this type of thing, but I played around with him, acting dumb, signed up under a different email account and did the same thing, only my goal at the time was to try to get as much info out of them as I could to give to the authorities. At the time, I had no idea that the "authorities" don't give a rat's butt. So just when I thought the guy was going to loose patience in my stalling, I told him that I was a teenager and that my parents wouldn't let me go to the Moneygram office, and that I had sent him a check. When he told me that was unacceptable, I started pouting and asked him to send me my check back. The email addresses finally quit working.

Since then, I have found three other listings. The last one being the same Goldwing for $3600. The email addy was [email protected]. Same fake ebay email and all. Her story was "single mother of 3". I ended up sending them to the moneygram office 3 times before they realized that I was trying to pull a fast one on them.

I ran across two last night (one that I only suspect, so I will not post any info on because I have not yet received correspondence from them), the other, of which I received confirmation this morning (the sob s tory is divorcee who doesn't need the bike, so she's selling it cheap). It's an 06 Goldwing for $5599, and the email address is [email protected].

I know that, compared to the 419 scams, this doesn't really help much in the grand scheme of things, but I don't have the resources to get into anything that big. I take this scam a little personally, because my husband's buddy fell for it a few years back and lost a couple grand that he had worked very hard to save. Aside from playing dumb and asking a bunch of questions of these guys to waste their time(and giving them fake Moneygram reference numbers), does anyone have any helpful tips on different ways that I can screw with them?

Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2008 2:09 pm

Welcome here,
Read a bit and then some more Laughing

If you're playing like that with a lad you better make sure you are untraceable and work safe. (first rule here, we like to keep our members Wink

) You are a straight baiter so far, playing along with the story and stalling it. Now if you can get his attention away from the deal by offering him a different and better deal you take the game to the next level, you are now in charge and he works for you to get the money. That can be done on many different ways and depending what you think is fun and how much effort you want to put in there. If you read the finished baits you'll come up with your own game plan. To help you out, the eater can provide a Mentor who, depending the needs of course will help you to learn the ropes and provides solutions when you're in a pinch, try it, you won't be sorry. http://forum.419eater.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=122306&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=325 will take you there. Did I mention to read lots? Important too [search = your friend] linky something to read while you're waiting for your mentor Smile

Welcome, have fun and bait SAFE

Baiting Guru Joined: 07 Jan 2007 Posts: 2788

#1 Make sure you are baiting safe.

#2 See #1

#3 Keep sending them to Moneygram (Western Union can be checked online-Moneygram can't, so if you use Western a lad doesn't even have to get off his ass). Moneygram MTCN numbers are eight digits-so consider giving them nine or seven digit mtcn's. You may also have trouble getting 8's & 3"s mixed up or 1's and 7's, this seems to be a unique problem and lads are more than happy to go to Moneygram to check this for you. Wink

Once they are sick of Moneygram offer to pay via a bank to bank transfer, info on reporting these can be found here.

Oh and have a read of this one too

Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2008 2:42 pm

Hi oopsie

One thing about these types of scams is they sometimes use fake courier or escrow web sites, so for even more satisfaction you can get their websites closed as well. If you're interested in that side of it have a look at the fake sites forum and more stickies Wink

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 09 Sep 2008 Posts: 4

Thanks all for the speedy replies! I am trying to be extra careful about identity and location. I use a different email addy every time and also use a different name, address, etc. I typically look on appraisal district websites of a city close to where the advertisement says the seller is at, and I'll choose a property that is for sale to use as my "shipping address", because nothing's going to be shipped to me anyway. Rather than using a fax, I have used my scanner to scan the moneygram receipt and email it to them.

I'll do the reading and consider the mentoring. It sounds fun to take it to the next level, and do-able as well, because I know a little bit about selling vehicles and real estate. I'll read all the links and try to take all the advice I can get. Thanks again!

Baiting Guru Joined: 07 Jan 2007 Posts: 2788

Do not give any ITP (Innocent Third Party) details to a scammer, this would include a real address, where there may or not be a real person-yes even estate agents or realtors count. If you piss them off enough they may pay a visit to that address you give them. These are criminals and have associates in many countries around the world.

To get around this http://www.fakenamegenerator.com/

As for sending them stuff-regarding ID we send nothing that they can re-use on a real victim. Scans or fake moneygram receipts is a different matter but why make a lads life easier-you don't own a scanner-which one does he recommend how do you set it up etc etc

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 09 Sep 2008 Posts: 4

I guess I assumed that if I gave them an empty property that was for sale by a bank or being auctioned off by the city, it would be in the clear. I NEVER use a real name, EVER. And I always make sure that there's not even a house on the address of the property. My husband's into real estate, so he knows how to find all that stuff out. Have I made any terrible errors??? I'll make up fake addresses to go with the fake names from now on. And the fakenamegenerator will help with the names. Heh. Thanks!

Baiting Guru Joined: 07 Jan 2007 Posts: 2788

^^^
fake name generator does names and addresses etc Wink

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 26 Sep 2008 Posts: 1

The same woman contacted me, said she was int the UK but thebike was in Canada, and she got it in the divorce, bo hoo story. I never replied.

I recieved a similar scam a while back when I was trying to buy a Mercedes, the ad was listed in the US on ebay the car was in Canada, and the seller was in the UK, this guy was bold enough to ask for a 5k deposit sent to the UK via western union. I reported it to ebay and I saw the add was pulled and or course never replied to the seller.

I have found a common thread.

1) The deal looks too good to be true, thus adding a sense of urgeny to the purchase. The seller will say I have buyers waiting to purchase.
2) The vehicle is not at the location of the seller, and generally out of the country.
3) The seller is not at the location of the vehicle generally out of the county.
4) They are always looking for a deposit at least $500.

Avoid these adds.

I only buy from licensed dealers, or meet face to face with the seller vehicle and title in hand. If the title is held by a third party, I use an escrow company. Most real estate escrow companies, will handle this transation for a few hundred dollars, it's worth is. And I always do the transation at an escrow company, bank, court house, police station, or lawyers office. Very little chance of getting robbed, because I have had some sellers request cash.

I have bought a dosen cars and motorcycles over the years online, and only got on vehicle sight unscene, and had some problems with that transaction, but the seller evendually did make it right, but I had to involve the state as the seller was a licensed dealer. I would never make a sight unscean purchase again. If I didn't want to drive the vehicle home, I would fly out and take delivery then tranfer it to a shipping company myself, generally I don't look more than 400 miles from my home. Because the deals are not that great and if you ship and fly you are looking additional costs of $1500 or more.

Good luck.

Kevin
Las Vegas, NV

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 29 Dec 2004 Posts: 1

I was looking on craigslist for a camry. The prices were not too low(that's what makes this scammer dangerous) claiming to be a cruise leidy. The usual ebay baloney. But just to be sure i checked the headers and ta da it was from Germany(It claims to be in miami).
demanded photos 4 times thus far(always assured 100% risk free transaction)
Now am waiting for the ebay email(plan for atleast 2 moneygram trips)
Then burn it badly Twisted Evil

The only thing real is the state so should be okay.

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