I am selling an item on ebay and I just got this message, it sounds like a scam to me but I want a second and third opinion the following is the message : "hello seller, I am urgently in need of your item and i shall be offering you $300 and additional $200.00 for USPS/EMS express maill shipping cost of the items to my store in west africa, when you have the money cleared ok.i will be making an the payment through cashier check So if you are ok with this arrangement you end the auction and get back to me with your full name and address and also phone number so i can send the check to you asap. thanks." Now, the opening bid is $100 and the shipping is $35, so the large amount of money is suspicious...is this a scam?
2006-10-19 02:21:23 · 14 answers · asked by information uber_allie 2 in Business & Finance ➔ Small Business
This is absolutely a scam, they will be fraudulent cashiers checks, DO NOT accept his offer. This is called advance fee fraud, or a 419 scam. The rule of thumb should be "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is." Here is an excerpt from the Wikipedia surrounding "auction overpayment":
In another updated scam, the scammer offers to buy some expensive item (e.g., jewelry or a car, that the prospective victim advertised on eBay, for example, or a legitimate classified-ads website such as craigslist) by official, certified, bank or cashier's check. The check will have an "accidentally" or mutually agreed higher value than the price of the item, so the scammer asks the victim to wire the extra money to some third party as soon as the check clears. Because banks in the USA are required by law to honor a check within 1-5 working days (even before a check has cleared)[4], they will report the proceeds as available for withdrawal before the check is presented to the issuing bank for clearance and the fraud is discovered. Most banks will hold the victim accountable for the value of the counterfeit check.
2006-10-19 02:27:51 · answer #1 · answered by Dan B 2 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Yes it's a scam. Sometimes even if your bank accepts and credits your account for a cashiers check it can be found to be fake and returned MANY WEEKS later.
I only accept US Post office money orders which can be turned into CASH right at the post office. Once I have the cash in my hand, I ship.
Remember, just because it clears your bank, doesn't mean it's good.
2006-10-19 05:39:53 · answer #2 · answered by John L 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Although there are no slaughterhouses in the states that process horses, it is NOT illegal to sell a horse to be transported outside the US for slaughter as long as the paperwork is in order. Paperwork is regularly forged and/or non-existent, however the government turns a blind eye to this. I worked at an auction for years, and the horse export business is alive and doing well, even if it is operated on the low. While for the most part the auction sold horses to people who sincerely wanted a horse, I did go home many nights haunted by what went on there. And yes, I did demand humane treatment, but some people scoff at the notion of treating a horse as a living breathing animal. Needless to say, I am no longer there, and neither is the auction.
2016-05-22 01:47:12 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I live in South Africa and alot of online scams come from West African countries. I personal have been bombarded with them. This letter is similar to the scam mail. It mentions "your item" which shows that he/she could be mas mailing this letter out to people. I would strongly suggest that you receive the check first and clear it, before selling anything. Don't let those big numbers fool you.
2006-10-19 03:22:28 · answer #4 · answered by johnnysmit 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Certainly doesn't sound good, but it still MIGHT be legitimate. My hubby sold some stuff on eBay, and someone contacted him immediately, too. Turns out, he started the bid WAY TOO LOW and this guy wanted to get in while the getting was good. Just do your homework, ask questions, be cautious.
2006-10-19 02:46:35 · answer #5 · answered by Milana P 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, check his feedback first. You're not required to sell it to him. If it is a scam (as it sounds) Report the person to ebay.
2006-10-19 02:30:21 · answer #6 · answered by teeney1116 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
west africa and the large amount offered say one thing to me, be carefull. also u shud b getin paid by paypal so u shudnt give ur full name and address to anyone. a lot of west africans are known for fraud.[nigeria]. not all, because some are lovely but considering ur story i wudnt trust it!
2006-10-19 02:26:24 · answer #7 · answered by dk 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Without question. You are being asked to give all the needed info to clean out your bank accounts and credit cards. Report this to your state's Attorney General.
2006-10-19 02:28:06 · answer #8 · answered by hikerboy3 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes, report the user to eBay, it's definitely a fraud. This is the typical Nigerian scam.
2006-10-19 02:37:47 · answer #9 · answered by comepollo 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
West Africa, Nigeria, get the connection?
2006-10-19 02:29:15 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋