Frank Smith Scam Alert!! Whats your thoughts?

I received an inquiry via email about my Woma pythons. I responded with the infor and new pics he wanted. The next day I got another email from him. I will post them now. The bold will be his emails.

The first email was

hello
Am frank am interested in your snake so i will like you to get back to me with your price and more pics of the snake.
My Regard.
NT here is my private email......franksmith9090@gmail.com

First of all the price is posted in the ad....
I sent pics and price as he requested.
The next email I got from his was.

Hello

Thanks so much for the email, I'm happy you still have the ads for
sale , I'm currently not in town for now,I'm Okay with your asking
price ,But i will like you to know that you will receiving the sum of
$3,500 from my business associate the payment include shipment fees
once you received the payment you will take it to your bank for
clearance once it clear and you deduct your cost from it you will now
send the remaining balance to to my shipper by via western union money
transfer also i have a local pick-up agent that will come to your
resident for the pick-up but that will be after when i send you the
payment and the payment is received by you ,Now i want you to email me
back the following information such as:

Your Full Name:

Your full Contact address:

Your City:

Your State:

Your Zipcode:

Your Cell/home phone number :

YOUR LAST PRICE:

So that the payment can be mailed out to you without any further
delay, Meanwhile the payment will be mailed out by check or Bank
Certified Check, I await your payment info Today ,Thank you.



The email showed up in my inbox under the name Frank Smith.

Just wanted to warn everyone and hear your thoughts as well. This is the second of such emails I have received in the last six months. I do not remember if it was the same person or who even knows if that is his real name. Let me know what you think.

Thanks
Adam

standard scam wording.. sending you more than you ask and then asking you to send the 'extra' back to them. The check will clear and then after going through processing, will come back as fake or fraudulent and then you'll be on the line for the entire amount.

That is a scam for sure. They have been doing it for years. They send you a bogus check for more then the purchase price, and then they ask you for the difference in a money order. Then you find out the check you got from them was no good. The name is always changing, but the scam is the same.

Typical buisness dealing? NO
Typical scam sucbutt? YEAH
I wouldn't even email back, you might get a Edisease with his reply, or he might get that last little bit of info he needs to gain access to your account.
35 years ago I used to ask questions when someone tried to run a scam on me, mainly just to see what they came up with and how they perpetuated the scam. We would run down to San Antonio, and being a few shorthaired Army boys in a big town, the downtown hustlers were always looking for a "mark". I might even donate about 5 bucks to see the scam played out, just for fun. Nowadays, my hair is longer and grayer, but with just the little info they might get from you, they might get more than $5.00 from your account. I don't play anymore.

Yep, as posted. It's a typical scam. They'll respond to anything at all that is for sale on the internet. Some folks will fool them and go along just for the sport of it, without giving any actual personal information out at all(of course!!) just to waste the scammer's time.

Personally, I usually hit delete, or you can also report it(depending on your ISP's policy)as a scamming email.

Lol, I got those EXACT same emails yesterday. Completely bogus!

That is so obvious that I'm surprised anybody actually takes the time to read those emails...though sometimes it IS amusing to string them along for a while. Heck, might as well collect a check or two for your collection (just don't try to cash it).

Could run a contest, see who can collect the most physical checks from a scammer before they give up. How many excuses can you give for not receiving the check?
It didn't arrive, the dog ate it, the snake pooped on it, my wife/husband took it when they left with their lover for Canada, I thought it looked suspicious so I set it on fire, ninja stole it, the mail lost it, the black heliocopters showed up and appropriated it....

Hmm.. I seem to have too much time on my hands today.

Ooh, that sounds like fun! Give em a taste of their own bs, I LOVE it!!

Originally Posted by hhmoore

That is so obvious that I'm surprised anybody actually takes the time to read those emails...though sometimes it IS amusing to string them along for a while. Heck, might as well collect a check or two for your collection (just don't try to cash it).

PRECISELY!!!

Go for it Adam, have some fun with it!