Another Typical Scam- Seller Beware!

[elago]

Below is an email I received I recieved on Friday:

From: [email protected]
Date: 2004/05/21 Fri PM 09:37:45 EDT
To: **************
Subject: Message about: AWESOME Proven Cal-King Male (Striped yellow/chocolate) PIC


Hello Seller,
i just mailed u to let u know that i saw the advert u palced over
the web and couldn't help but be interested in it.
pls mail me back with the last price and pictures for
verification.
Williams..

My Reply:

----- Original Message -----
From:*************
Date: Mon, 24 May 2004 9:38:46 -0400
To: <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Message about: AWESOME Proven Cal-King Male (Striped
yellow/chocolate) PIC

> This king has been in my personal care since October of last year. He's a
flawless f/t feeder on adult mice, and is a proven breeder bred a banded
yellow/chocolate female. He's ready to breed, tame, and flawless! I am asking
125 shipped (90 + 35 s&h). Let me know if you would like him, I've had lots of
inquiries but no one has claimed him yet (everyone wants to trade and I'm
really not interested, at the moment I prefer cash sales). I accept postal MO's
or cashier's checks, and have several BOI references available if you have any
concerns about the way we do business. I do have a camera if you're interested
in seeing more pics of the same king. -Eric Lago


His Reply:
From: "williams ford" <[email protected]>
Date: 2004/05/24 Mon PM 01:54:56 EDT
To: ***********
Subject: PAYMENT FOR YR AWESOME Proven Cal-King Male (Striped yellow/chocolate) PIC


Hello.
Thanks for the mail back,I will like to pay the $125 for the AWESOME Proven
Cal-King Male but it is quite unfortunate that i am not going to be in town
as from tomorrow cause i received a call yesternight that i will be going on
a business trip, so i will like to make everything fast as possible cause i am
buying it for my son as a birthday present. and i want everything to be in
place when i come back. the discription u gave me it is okay. concerning
payment i will instruct my business representative whom we did business
together and is owing me $2000 and he said he will be paying me via cashiers
check. i will instruct him to issue u the certified cashiers check of the
above amount ($2000)to you,as soon as u receive the check u will cash it then
deduct the cost of
yourAWESOME Proven Cal-King Male and wire the remaining balance of $1800 to my
shipper via western union money transfer in inorder to make arrangement in
coming over to your location for the pick up of the AWESOME Proven Cal-King
Male . u will make use of the extra $75 for the running around. my shipper
will be coming over to your location as soon as funds is being sent to him and
to make sure that AWESOME Proven Cal-King Male is in good condition.all
receipt paper will be handled my shipper if
this okay by u pls i will need ur full name, address and phone number
as it should be on the check.
thanks.
awaits your soonest reply.
williams...



CAN YOU SAY SCAM ? Just a heads up for anyone contacted by this guy. Frankly, I told him to send the check so I can have it framed . Keep in mind that he told me his "shipper" would come to look at the king BEFORE I EVEN TOLD HIM WHERE I WAS LOCATED. I may not be an "old school businessman", but I wasn't born yesterday either. -Eric Lago *MS Reptilian Hobbyists*
http://msreptilianhobbyists.fabpage.com

 

[gmherps]

Thanks for the warning!!!

 

[sputnik]

Fools

And to think, these STUPID people really think they are fooling people!

 

[elago]

This is the funny part....

blah, blah......"i will instruct him to issue u the certified cashiers check of the
above amount ($2000)to you,as soon as u receive the check u will cash it " (OH I WILL? :0)..... wire the rest of the funds, blah blah

In the US, we don't much take kindly to people telling us what to do. The audacity! You'd think they'd come up with a new angle sooner or later. -Eric Lago *MS Reptilian Hobbyists
http://msreptilianhobbyists.fabpage.com

 

[Wilomn]

Still, it's interesting that these scams KEEP on going. Wouldn't you think that if it had the built in flaw of not working on people smart enough to know better, which would have to be MOST people, that it would die out?

And yet, just here on the BOI, we see a new version of it every couple of weeks. One would think that if it is SOOOOOOOOO prolific as that then it would BE working a fair amount of the time.

Looks like Barnum's addage about one being born every minute is still holding true.

Much like hiar on frogs, if it doesn't work it ceases to exist. Since this type of scam is continuing without any noticible abbatement it must be working pretty well. That really is a shame.

I guess it's a numbers game. If you send this to 10,000 people it only takes a very few to make it very profitible.

Makes you wonder about who's getting taken, well, me wonder anyway.

Wes Pollock

 

[elago]

It's interesting,

that the majority (if not all) of the emails I've received of this nature have come through posting ads on Kingsnake.com, I never receive any emails like this through Fauna or the Reptilian Classifieds, ect. but only through KS. I suppose it only takes one or two out of 10,000 to make it profitable! I'll gladly post a pic of the check if it arrives, as well as the subsequent "details" of the rest of this supposed "arrangement" . I'd like to have it framed on my wall! -Eric Lago *MS Reptilian Hobbyists*
http://msreptilianhobbyists.fabpage.com

 

[ms_terese]

I say string them along....at least they incur the expense making a fake cashier's check and sending it to you overnight.

 

[serpentboy78]

HA HA HA......

I was wondering about that email i have gotten like 3 from this guy some have been under different names but said the exact same thing..... Im gonna go to my emails and try to find it and post it here.... Now that i think about it this same email as come to me on like 5 of my ad's......... Definitly a scammer........ to the one who posted this..Good looking out......... Mike clark......



"KARMAS GOT A WAY OF COMING BACK AND RETURNING"

 

[serpentboy78]

Here is my email

Hello Seller,
i just mailed u to let u know that i saw the advert u palced over
the web and couldn't help but be interested in it.
pls mail me back with the last price and pictures for
verification.
Williams..

this is one of the 4 or 5 i got from this moron.........lol MIKE CLARK...

 

[J_Romley]

That same a-hole tried that on me for an albino boa I was selling. When I told him I thought he was a crook, he told me I was a coward. He's a loon. Thanks for the BOI!

 

[serpentboy78]

STRINGING HIM A LONG..

Im going thru with his game im hopeing he does send me this cashiers check..... lol... i'll do juss like the poster of the thread and frame it..... Or maybe even turn him in.... Out of all the ways to do crime in the world i find it kind of werid that ppl try it with animals/herps....... It takes all kinds i guess.... thank goodness for the BOI...... MIKE CLARK.....(SERPENTBOY78)....pe@ce....


"KARMAS GOT A WAY OF COMING BACK AND RETURNING"

 

[enforcer3]

Heh. I got the same e-mail a couple of days ago for a hypo male I have.Hello AdamC.
Thanks for the mail back,I will like to pay the $900 for the
HYPO BREEDER MALE REDUCED but it is quite unfortunate that i am not going to be in town as from tomorrow cause i received a call yesternight that i will be going on a business trip, so i will like to make everything fast as possible cause i am buying it for my son as a birthday present. and i want everything to be in place when i come back. the discription u gave me it is okay. concerning payment i will instruct my business representative whom we did business together and is owing me $3300 and he said he will be paying me via cashiers check. i will instruct him to issue u the certified cashiers check of the above amount ($3300)to you,as soon as u receive the check u will cash it then deduct the cost of yourHYPO BREEDER MALE REDUCED and wire the remaining balance of $2300 to my shipper via western union money transfer in inorder to make arrangement in coming over to your location for the pick up of the HYPO BREEDER MALE REDUCED. u will make use of the extra $100 for th
e running around. my shipper will be coming over to your location as soon as funds is being sent to him and to make sure thatHYPO BREEDER MALE REDUCED is in good condition.all receipt paper will be handled my shipper if this okay by u pls i will need ur full name, address and phone number as it should be on the check.
thanks.
awaits your soonest reply.
williams... When will this kinda stuff end? Adam Coopermzn

 

[Reptile Locators]

Question for all ??

I got the same e-mail. But did any of you have the animals posted anywhere the ones he was inquiring about??
He e-mailed me for something i do not have,nor have had nor did i even post such an animal for sale. Just wondering if this fool really think's we are all dumb or what?

Any way i was just courious!

 

[serpentboy78]

I HAD SOME POSTED..

I had some ads posted on here and on kingsnake.He emailed me about both ads on both sites..... I really do hope he sends this big check......lol..... Pe@ce...... MIKE CLARK...










"KARMAS GOT A WAY OF COMING BACK AND RETURNING"

 

[elago]

Really,

It's unbeleivable that some of the emails are the exact same texts, down to the last words except for the copy/paste job of the species/prices of the animals! There's got to be someone falling for it somewhere, or the mails wouldn't keep coming without any changes whatsoever. This has to be the dumbest scam I've ever seen. -Eric Lago *MS Reptilian Hobbyists*
http://msreptilianhobbyists.fabpage.com

 

[Glenn Bartley]

I'll gladly post a pic of the check if it arrives, as well as the subsequent "details" of the rest of this supposed "arrangement" . I'd like to have it framed on my wall!

Make sure that is all you do with the certified check or mo, whatever it is it is definitely worthless. The thing is though that your bank will cash it, giving you the funds. In about 2 weeks time, you will receive a notice from the bnk that the monetary instrument was fraudulent. You would then be responsibloe to the bank for the funds plus any servie fees for a bad check.

Sure this works, but mostly it is a scam perpetrated on senior citizens who need money badly, and who have faith in "certified" funds. Remember it is used to 'buy' all sorts of things, and sometimes not even to buy. Sometimes the perpetrator asks a senior cit, to go into the bank and cash their certified checkbecause they don't have their ID, or don't have an account at the bank, or whatever excuse. The old timers maybe very leery, but these guys are smooth and are sweet talkers who often tell sad tales as to why they desperately need the money now. They also tell the old timer, what have you got to lose, it is certified, you will see the bank will cash it right away; and I'll give you ten percent for your troubles. Then that is exactly what most banks do, they cash it right away.

This has to be the dumbest scam I've ever seen.

It really is not all that dumb of a scam, nor is it always a really dumb person who gets scammed (sometimes they think they are doing a good thing for someone in need). It makes the scammer money, heck even if they only get one person to send them money a month they have made quite a tidy sum. Figure it like this:

They buy a snake (or any other item) from you for $200. They pay you with a $2000 fraudulent cashiers check. The bank cashes the check for you. You keep $200 and you mail the rest of the money back to the scammers or give it to one of their conspirators in person. The guys have now made $1,800. Take $1,800 times 12 and you get $21,600. My bet is that they get more than one person a month to fall for this scam. Let's look at the results for succesfuol scams carried out over a year using the number of successful scams per month as being between one and ten times per month:

1 succesful scam a month = $21,600 in a year
2 succesful scams a month = $43,200 in a year
3 succesful scams a month = $64,800 in a year
4 succesful scams a month = $86,400 in a year
5 succesful scams a month = $108,000 in a year
6 succesful scams a month = $129,600 in a year
7 succesful scams a month = $151,200 in a year
8 succesful scams a month = $172,800 in a year
9 succesful scams a month = $194,400 in a year
10 succesful scams a month = $216,000 in a year


My guess is that the expenses were minimal, and only require a large initial outlay to acquire a printer that will print checks that look real. Not a very big expense in todays computerized and scanner world, or they can just buy blanks from counterfeiters. Then they send out emails to a few thousand people a month, maybe tens of thousands. All they need are a five suckers a month and they made more than I did last year, and I make pretty good money.

Also remember that if they carry out this sscam and actually get you to sell them something, they now also have a perfectly good item that you sold to them. If they turn around and sell that, so much more profit.

Best regards,
Glenn B

 

[elago]

...

My only plan for this CC is to put it in a frame with a label on the bottom saying "The One That (Almost) Got Away", I fully understand the angle and the "Senior Citizen" target. I made the comment that it was a "dumb" scam simply because I (and everyone else who has posted here, or received similar emails) fully recognized what was happening after my reply to the first email, I've seen it countless times, and simply know better . I understand also that this happens all the time, and undoubtedly someone out there is naive (notice I did not say "dumb") enough to follow through with it, and be out a lot of money! I feel that the BOI is an appropriate place for such scammers to be exposed, and reach out to those who read the BOI who may not know any better, so here it is posted for all to see and read as a warning for anyone naive enough to even consider such a transaction. What bothers me is that the emails continue to snake (no pun intended ) their way into inboxes across the country, and the figures above which you've shown would be a damn good living in a third world country, and undoubtedly someone is going to fall for it sooner or later, therefore, the more people that read about this type of thing on the BOI, the better, as it may save some heartache in the future. Naivete is the worst enemy of all where a scam is concerned, but anyone reading this thread and the details of like transactions that people have publicly posted have had this enemy conquered simply by knowing better. -Eric Lago *MS Reptilian Hobbyists*
http://msreptilianhobbyists.fabpage.com

 

[serpentboy78]

HERE IS THE ONE I JUST GOT...

Hello
Thanks for the mail back,I will like u to know that i have my
shipper who will come over to yr locatoin for the pick up.i will like to pay
the $200 for the albino speckled kings but it is quite unfortunate that
i am not going to be in town as from tomorrow cause i received a call yesternight
that i will be going on a business trip, so i will like to make everything
fast as possible cause i am buying it for my son as a birthday
present. and i want everything to be in place when i come back. the
discription u gave me it is okay. concerning payment i will
instruct my business representative whom we did business together and is owing me
$3500 and he said he will be paying me via cashiers check. i will instruct
him to issue u the certified cashiers check of the above amount ($1700)to
you,as soon as u receive the check u will cash it then deduct the cost of
youralbino speckled kings and wire the remaining balance of $1400 to my
shipper via western union money transfer in inorder to make
arrangement in coming over to your location for the pick up of
the albino speckled kings . u will make use of the extra $100 for the running
around. my shipper will be coming over to your location as soon as funds is
being sent to him and to make sure thatL albino speckled kings is in good
condition.all receipt paper will be handled my shipper if this okay
by u pls i will need ur full name, address and phone number
as it should be on the check.
thanks.
ha ha ha..... I hope he sends this check ...MIKE CLARK.......

 

[pappy1473]

sting

I wish i would get that email. I would play the whole game and have law enforement waiting for the BUM when he/she tried to collect the wire transfer from Western Union. (I wouldnt really attempt to cash the check I just would tell him I cashed it and get the info on where it was being wired to and put an alert out)
Not only is this person a jerk for attempting a scam like this but it takes some balls to ask someone to run errands for you. As if any "non-scammer" would send a cashiers check for a couple of thousand dollars OVER the total amount due.

Shannon Richards

 

[mike punter]

Scam

This Guy sent me an e-mail regarding a snake I had posted for like $100. He basically said the Same thing except he did not tell me how much money he was sending. He just told me he sent extra to pay his shipping company to come and pick up the snake. I saw this guy a mile a Way. He told me I need to send the rest of the funds the same day I received the check. So I played along and when the Cashiers check came it was for $4000.00 This was such a high number that I don't know how anyone would not think it was a scam. I will tell you this the Check looks legit with the water marks and everything. I called the bank where the check was issued and they confirmed that it was a fraud.



Thanks
Mike Punter
[email protected]