How do I know if I have been scammed?

Question

I was suppose to be buying a horse trailer on the internet from a lady named Allison Varady. I have never met her before but we talked via e-mail and worked out a payment plan. I got her to sign a contract and fax it to me. She was suppose to be working out the shipping arrangements, but it's been two weeks now. I was suppose to have the trailer last Friday and it never came and now she wont return my e-mails. How do I know if I have been scammed? What can I do about it? Please help...

I used Western Union at a grocery store. The trailer ad said it was in Dallas, Tx which I thought was good because I live in Tx. However, when I talked to her she said she had already moved the trailer with her to Miami, Fl. I have filled out an online scam report and it is suppose to being reviewed. Do I go to the local police? Is there any chance of getting my money back? If she used a fake name and address, how did she pick up the money? I have a fax number and address but thats it. I saved my western union receipt and I have a copy of the contract. Can I get a lawyer and go to court with this? Thanks for the answers!

I only made a downpayment on the trailer, so I didnt lose the full amount. Thats about the only good part about this whole deal. How do I find out where the fax number is and who it belongs to?

Answer 1

Yup, you have.

Was it ebay hopefullly, with paypal, hopefully?

Edit-- do you know how these scams work-- that person was probably living in Nigeria. They have western union in nigeria. W. Union doesn't care about a name and address, its the tracking number that they care about. Plus when they do show the name an address, the just use fake ID's. You can be in Nigeria and say you live in the USA with ID's.

The money isn't trackable now. Once Punji in Nigeria got it, its gone. I spend a great deal of time, scamming these pukes myself. I know how they work and I get them where it hurts and make them send me a fake money order by fedex, which costs them $50 to send.

I'm so sorry, but your money is gone, there is nothign the cops can do. Very very sorry. Wiring money is a nigerian tactic, never never do that.

Answer 2

Did the deal sound 'too good to be true'?? Was it a really nice trailer for a very low price? That's usually the first indicator that it's a scam.

Did you find out the exact location of the trailer? Maybe not the street address, but at least the town & state where she has it at? Did she share any personal information about her self, how long she's had the trailer, how much she's used the trailer, etc.? If she was vague about such details or skirted around answering those questions, it sounds like a scam.

Did she ask that you send money first before making the shipping arrangements? Did she say she had several other people looking at the trailer and she needed your decision now or else she'd have to sell it to someone else? If she was quick to demand money before doing any additional 'work' to get the trailer to you, it sounds like a scam.

Do you have a phone number for her? (If so do call her right away - however don't be surprised if it goes to voice mail & you don't get a call back) Do you have the VIN number of the trailer? Do you have or know what state the trailer is registered in - or even if it's currently registered? Again, not getting clear answers from her on these questions sounds like a scam.

At this point, if you haven't paid out anything, then the good news is all you are out is the promise of a trailer - a definite plus! Lesson learned to get all the gory details the next time.

Have you made any sort of payment?? Did you send a check or money order - something that can be traced?? Do you have proof that you sent it and/or that she received it - ie. you sent your payment certified mail with return receipt?? If yes to some or all of this set of questions then you may be able to get the local authorities - both on your end and hers - involved.

If you've sent payment in the form of a personal check, put a stop payment on it immediately!!

If you've made payment using a money order or cashier's check - you may be able to see if she's cashed it yet and if not put a stop payment on it (depending on the company/bank you used).

If she's cashed the check/money already, then I think you can certainly take that proof and your bill of sale to your police station so they can contact the police where she's located (where she cashed the check) and maybe prosecute her for fraud. You can also take her to court to sue for your money back - you'd probably get the judgement, but most likely you are not ever going to see that money again. Sorry!! But again - lesson learned, right??

Good luck!! I hope it turns out not to be a scam & that you do get the trailer!!

Answer 3

Yes, you have lost your money - scammers want you to use Western Union as it is easier to get the money and there is no way to get the money back once it is picked up. My friend purchased a 3000.00 lawn mower with the same type of scam - sent the full amount via western union and was never to hear from the person again. Scammers will take over a honest person's account (happened to me) and post a really good deal and then get someone to bite and then they scam the person. Unfortunately, it's not real easy to get your money back. You should have used an intermediary service to hold the money until you had taken receipt of the trailer.

Answer 4

Most sales that have anything to do with Western Union are scams.....
Google the fax number.....
Let her know via email that you are pursuing this matter to the fullest extent of the law and she will be caught....
Since you have a contract does it have VIN numbers? You can find the name and address of the owner of the trailer if you have VIN numbers....
Chances are you were never conversing with anyone from the USA but a foreign scammer....
I have been contacted by scammers on horses I have advertised...they contact me thru some kind of tele-communications operator....who types the replies and questions to and from the scammer to myself and back again...when I told the
tele-type operator to tell the person to go "F&*K themselves the operator said that they hung up and then I told her goodbye....Western Union was also a part of the scam....
Sorry for your problems...I would Google "Internet Scams" and what to do, where to go....and go from there as well as contact the local police, your internet server, Western Union....etc....
Always go and see the product you are buying....or ask the seller to take the trailer to a trailer dealer to have the trailer checked out or something.....then you might know if that person really has the trailer or not....then if they converse in broken English...improper sentence structure...you will know if you are dealing with some foreign scammer....

Answer 5

Your first clue is "western union"...it cannot be reversed and can be picked up with only a password, you don't even need an id. I would say, "You have been scammed"...good part, not for the whole amount, bad part, you will probably NOT get your money back...I am sorry to have to tell you this, but you probably already know it. Western Union is a dead giveaway for scammers...because there is no recourse, no safety net. I am so sorry, you are not the only one that this has happened to, it has happened to thousands, maybe millions of people...from selling dogs to horses to trailers ...they run the gamut and I don't have a good answer on how to stop them other than, "if you don't know the person you are dealing with, or are dealing with them in person, don't deal with them."

Answer 6

Sounds a lot like what just happened to me over a saddle on Ebay...I was emailing the seller and sent the western union check and never heard back from him or received the saddle. He had used a fake address and id on ebay, so there was nothing they could do either. Good luck, I hope you get some closure.... :(

Answer 7

Yea I have heard about this. I refuse to purchase something I cannot go personally pick up and see prior to handing over $$$. When purchasing our last horse the owner wanted us to meet him in town cause he was going on "vacation" and give him CASH then we could go pick up the horse (which we looked at a couple days before). I of course said no and we would be out to load the horse and would pay him at that time. With how pissed he got I am sure he wanted to scam us. Unfortunately this is the world we live in. I agree with another poster, take action NOW before she takes off and is gone with your money.

Wish you luck and sorry this happened to you!

Answer 8

Did you pay by check or paypal? Either way you should dispute it right away! Call your bank or fill out the form on paypal. Both will investigate and may be able to get your money back. I'd be very concerned about her not returning your emails and would take action right away. If you wait too long she may be gone with your money.

Answer 9

well its sounds like youve been scammed call her at least three times after that if she hasnt picked up go to the police and what ever you do dont tell her your going to call the police have them come over and check out the emails and faxings they can probably track her down if you have called her and talked over 1 minute then they can track her down.

Answer 10

Yeah, thats a scam. Never pay online users all at once! Contact the officails ASAP!