Tired of the SCAMMERS

[Guest Skyking]

Seems every time I post a wanted item on the buy/sell forum on this site I pick up another scammer!  This is the second one in six months.  This guy's name is John Howard with an email of auto.spares@gmail.com.  I was looking for some trim molding for my Chevelle and he replied by email.  He said he had what I wanted from his warehouse and would send the parts by USPS or buy bus as long as I sent him a Money Gram because his PayPal is not up and running.  The same line the last AH used.  I replied that I don't use Money Grams and I would prefer COD.  I even told him I would add another $50.00 for shipping if he sent them this way........

He wrote back he doesn't ship COD.  I replied that he was scamming me and never heard back. Where do they come from??????

[MCHinson]

Part of the problem is how you have placed your ad. You have included your email address in the ad. If you simply indicated for a potential seller to respond on the forum or send you a private message, the scammer would have to register on the forum which would eliminate some of the scammers, and we could remove the scammers whenever they were reported to the moderators.

 

When you post your email address in the text of your advertisement, every scammer in the world with internet access can read your ad and send you an email. While anybody with half a brain can do a little online research and find my email address and probably yours too, posting it in the add makes it too easy for the scammers to email you. They probably won't take the time to do any research to find an email address when they can simply respond to someone who posted it for them in their ad. 

[Guest Skyking]

Matt,  thanks for the heads up!  I guess I just trust people.......

[John348]

I myself had had very good luck with placing wanted ads in Antique Automobile and other club publications, although the audience is much smaller, you are dealing with a fellow club member. I had even placed a wanted ad for a rather rare car a few years ago and had very good luck. A fellow AACA member knew of the car and put me in contact with the owner. Again I was not 100% insulated from a scam, but I was a little more at ease.

I have sold and bought items from this site with great success, I don't know about a wanted ad, but Matt's suggestion is a good way to narrow things down

Good Luck with the search 

[60FlatTop]

2 hours ago, MCHinson said:

Part of the problem is how you have placed your ad. You have included your email address in the ad. If you simply indicated for a potential seller to respond on the forum or send you a private message, the scammer would have to register on the forum which would eliminate some of the scammers, and we could remove the scammers whenever they were reported to the moderators.

 

When you post your email address in the text of your advertisement, every scammer in the world with internet access can read your ad and send you an email. While anybody with half a brain can do a little online research and find my email address and probably yours too, posting it in the add makes it too easy for the scammers to email you. They probably won't take the time to do any research to find an email address when they can simply respond to someone who posted it for them in their ad. 

 

I quoted you so the message was in there twice. It's a good one.

 

I haven't had much scammer trouble. They read a couple of my posts and put me on the "Avoid" list. Come to think of it, the telemarketers did that, too. I remember my Daughter calling to my Son "Hey, Dad's on the phone with someone selling something." Great entertainment for kids.

 

Bernie

[STEVE POLLARD]

Yup, I had the same issue the other night....placed a want ad for body side molding and I received a email from a "John Howard".. same story that Skyking mention..... but he must of had access to my profile to get my email address because I did not have my email listed in the posting.

[old car fan]

We restore Vacuum tanks I nave always sent them out without payment, We respond and.I know ,Never been burnt from a car guy

[hidden_hunter]

15 hours ago, Skyking said:

Seems every time I post a wanted item on the buy/sell forum on this site I pick up another scammer!  This is the second one in six months.  This guy's name is John Howard with an email of auto.spares@gmail.com.  I was looking for some trim molding for my Chevelle and he replied by email.  He said he had what I wanted from his warehouse and would send the parts by USPS or buy bus as long as I sent him a Money Gram because his PayPal is not up and running.  The same line the last AH used.  I replied that I don't use Money Grams and I would prefer COD.  I even told him I would add another $50.00 for shipping if he sent them this way........

He wrote back he doesn't ship COD.  I replied that he was scamming me and never heard back. Where do they come from??????

 

You should be honoured that Australia's second longest serving prime minister wanted to sell you car parts

 

 

(ok probably not likely)

[John_S_in_Penna]

16 hours ago, Skyking said:

He wrote back he doesn't ship COD.  I replied that he was scamming me and never heard back. Where do they come from??????

 

Where do they come from?  Nigeria, the Near East,

and maybe other semi-lawless nations.  Probably from a city,

because otherwise their goat herd would take up all their time.

 

If I were a buyer dealing with a wholly unknown seller,

I would demand Cash on Delivery and not accept any

other forms of payment--nor any excuses. 

[Ozstatman]

8 hours ago, hidden_hunter said:

 

You should be honoured that Australia's second longest serving prime minister wanted to sell you car parts

 

 

(ok probably not likely)

Or a well known Australian actor - http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/actor-john-howard-finds-country-life-no-brake-on-his-movie-career-20140422-372nq.html

[60FlatTop]

On 4/26/2017 at 8:09 AM, Skyking said:

Where do they come from??????

 

There is a rumor that most are laid off Ebay Parts Compatibility programmers and the actually believe what they have will fit.

Bernie

[Guest Skyking]

17 hours ago, STEVE POLLARD said:

Yup, I had the same issue the other night....placed a want ad for body side molding and I received a email from a "John Howard".. same story that Skyking mention..... but he must of had access to my profile to get my email address because I did not have my email listed in the posting.

 

Steve,  thanks for that reply,  makes me feel better that I really didn't screw up!!

[MCHinson]

50 minutes ago, Skyking said:

 

Steve,  thanks for that reply,  makes me feel better that I really didn't screw up!!

 

I can assure you that the scammers did not get his email address from the forum. It has not been compromised. His email address may have come from somewhere else, or it is possible that the scammer was a registered user here (we have recently banned a few of them) and used the forum system to forward him an email or he may have actually received a Private Message from a scammer who was a registered user at that time.

 

In your case, you indicated that you received a direct email. That does not have anything to do with the forum system. 

 

In Steve's case a Google search tells me that he advertised on the Yenko.net forum and included his email address on May 15, 2016. That is one of the places that I can find his email address online. 

 

Posting your email address online makes it easier for a scammer to target you. Since I own my own business, my email address is posted online. Most of the scam emails that I receive and delete have to do with the subject of my business. I don't post my email address on the forum so I don't seem to receive as many antique car related scam emails.

[STEVE POLLARD]

Hi Matt, the scammer was listed as "howard17" a few days ago when I received the email, I did a members search and I no longer see him listed -  good information you posted !  I had a issue a few years back when I advertised one of my vehicles for sale on ebay - first time doing this... I had a guy text me, would not speak to me, only would text me... he said that he was working on a oil drilling platform in the North Atlantic !   Long story short, total scam... unfortunately in today's world,you must be very cautious !

 

 

Steve 

[bobg1951chevy]

On ‎4‎/‎26‎/‎2017 at 9:28 AM, Skyking said:

Matt,  thanks for the heads up!  I guess I just trust people.......

Yes, trust, but verify !

[MCHinson]

19 minutes ago, STEVE POLLARD said:

Hi Matt, the scammer was listed as "howard17" a few days ago when I received the email, I did a members search and I no longer see him listed -  good information you posted !  I had a issue a few years back when I advertised one of my vehicles for sale on ebay - first time doing this... I had a guy text me, would not speak to me, only would text me... he said that he was working on a oil drilling platform in the North Atlantic !   Long story short, total scam... unfortunately in today's world,you must be very cautious !

 

 

Steve 

 

Yes, It was "howards17". He was reported to the moderators and banned. 

[John_S_in_Penna]

1 hour ago, STEVE POLLARD said:

.... he said that he was working on a oil drilling platform in the North Atlantic !   Long story short, total scam...  

 

"Working offshore on an oil platform" is a scammer's ruse

that I've heard about on a couple of other threads on our forum.

Criminals must be ignorant:  Do they really think that

billion-dollar oil platforms have no way to communicate

with the outside world??

 

Dishonesty always betrays itself somehow.

 

Edited April 27, 2017 by John_S_in_Penna (see edit history)

[Joe in Canada]

8 hours ago, STEVE POLLARD said:

Hi Matt, the scammer was listed as "howard17" a few days ago when I received the email, I did a members search and I no longer see him listed -  good information you posted !  I had a issue a few years back when I advertised one of my vehicles for sale on ebay - first time doing this... I had a guy text me, would not speak to me, only would text me... he said that he was working on a oil drilling platform in the North Atlantic !   Long story short, total scam... unfortunately in today's world,you must be very cautious !

 

 

Steve 

Best to say so am I doing government environment compliance inspections on all platforms which one are you on so I can schedule it and we can meet and talk old cars. 

[Larry Schramm]

I have a vehicle for sale now and I get the "what is the lowest you will go?", "Will  you consider trades?", and the list goes on.

 

The one today that asked me if I would take a trade, I responded that I would consider a Model T. 

 

When it comes to talking money I just say that I only negotiate price in person generally in cash. 

[John_S_in_Penna]

22 minutes ago, Larry Schramm said:

I have a vehicle for sale now and I get the "what is the lowest you will go?", "Will  you consider trades?", and the list goes on.

 

The one today that asked me if I would take a trade, I responded that I would consider a Model T. 

 

When it comes to talking money I just say that I only negotiate price in person generally in cash. 

 

I wonder how many hobbyists actually trade antique cars.

What are the chances that the buyer has exactly the car 

you've been seeking-- the right year, make, model, condition, and price?

 

When prices in ads are far off the mark, I don't bother calling.

I may save the ad and call months later.  If I miss getting a car, 

there will always be another.

 

And if the car is far away, I don't travel to see the car unless

the seller and I have discussed a realistic price--there's no need

to spend travel money if the price is futilely high.

 

Oh, for honest sellers and fair prices!  That's what makes the hobby enjoyable.

Edited May 1, 2017 by John_S_in_Penna (see edit history)