Marine Engineer Holden Buying Scam?

[anonymousmoose]

Hey all,

Has anyone been selling a car online lately? I've advertised with a few 'free' websites and keep getting emails from Marine Engeneers wanting to pay 'paypal' for my car. Its obviosuly a scam as I received two emails already with the same wording template from two different people. I'm just wondering what they are trying to scam...

Are they trying to Scam my paypal account or my car... I'm confused at this:

Buyers message: Hi there, pls i am making an offer of $7500.00 for this car for a quick sale,i am a marine engineer and right now on the sea,so due to that fact i can only make the payments through paypal.I have a pick up agent that will come for pick up after i have made the payments.

For the payment processes, I will be paying you via PayPal payment.Just go to Welcome - PayPal and sign up with them to receive the payment.PayPal is 100% safe, secure and reliable.PayPal is a method of payment whereby sellers and buyers make and receive payments on auctions and classifieds sites, check there website for details Welcome - PayPal will more than appreciate if i hear from you
I will be awaiting your swift response.

Cheers,
XXXX
Buyers Phone: XXXX XXXX XXXX

[LightningVP]

That does actually look legit, as once the money is in paypal, and that IS payapl website, not a fake (like most scams) it can't be taken out by them...

[ryno_vrx]

sounds like an attempt to get more people signed up to paypal. the letter does sounds legit even thought its kinda worded strangely but if you say you've had two people send you the exact letter it could be a scam

[anonymousmoose]

Yeh 100%. Two people with the exact letter. When I asked the first person some followup questions, eg. why they couldn't direct deposit etc I got no more replies. They replied a few times when I first checked it out and the english just got worse too.

Plus, who would buy a car without even an inspection.

I cant see why paypal would use this tactic. Maybe its to get your identity or something along the sorts.

[88GreenVN]

Yeh 100%. Two people with the exact letter. When I asked the first person some followup questions, eg. why they couldn't direct deposit etc I got no more replies. They replied a few times when I first checked it out and the english just got worse too.

Plus, who would buy a car without even an inspection.

I cant see why paypal would use this tactic. Maybe its to get your identity or something along the sorts.

Get people to sign up to paypal = commission to them maybe.

They are not going to buy your car - you got that right

[anonymousmoose]

Get people to sign up to paypal = commission to them maybe.

They are not going to buy your car - you got that right

Mabye its also a scam for them to freeze your money after the car is picked up, but that would be easier scams then this to perform.

[greenfoam]

It's fairly easy for people to reverse paypal money, you have to watch that

[LightningVP]

It's fairly easy for people to reverse paypal money, you have to watch that

yeah they can cancel it during the transfer process, but i don't make any final thing until the money is 100% transferred...

Unless there is also a way to do it once it's completed???

[vy_storm]

Yup, scam. Paypal payments can be reversed as part of the dispute process once transferred. Very hard to argue a case with Paypal also.

There are definitely alot easier ways to buy a car.

[DannyboyDS]

can also be people who are trying to "wash" money via Paypal too

[BowTie]

Beware the PayPal Email Scams!

forum.419eater.com :: View topic - eBay scam

This is 100% a scam.

Contact the police and see if they are interested in arresting the person as they come to collect the car.

If not, have 10 mates their when they come to collect and smash them all the way back to Nigeria.

I would definately sting them.

[vsl67]

I would say this is a Scam,when you signed up to advertise on the free websites,I say your computer was infected with a virus that records info and sends it back to them ,so when you sign up for pay pal they get all of your details ,plus your bank details and pass words
I would delete all internet history cookies ect,do a disc cleaup of all files(delete everything) and a virus scan ,and put a password or change your password on your computer asap

[Mick1988]

Ask him to transfer the money into his "pick up agent's" paypal account and for them to bring cash. That will shut him up.

[needwork2-4fillhabbit]

Whenever i see these scams i always check 419eater.com they have seen most scam emails, and often go along with the scammer and scam them back. They do some unreal stuff to the scammers. Anyway heres the same scam forum.419eater.com :: View topic - eBay scam

[anonymousmoose]

Beware the PayPal Email Scams!

forum.419eater.com :: View topic - eBay scam

This is 100% a scam.

Contact the police and see if they are interested in arresting the person as they come to collect the car.

If not, have 10 mates their when they come to collect and smash them all the way back to Nigeria.

I would definately sting them.

I really cant be bothered going through all that effort. Plus the police probably wont even have a case until a crime is actually committed, i.e the paypal is reversed etc.


The emailer emailed me again saying his internet on the ship doesn't have access to online banking or some bulldust like that. I just replied tellin' him to take a hike and think about the people he is scamming. Needless to say I got no more replies after that.

[anonymousmoose]

I would say this is a Scam,when you signed up to advertise on the free websites,I say your computer was infected with a virus that records info and sends it back to them ,so when you sign up for pay pal they get all of your details ,plus your bank details and pass words
I would delete all internet history cookies ect,do a disc cleaup of all files(delete everything) and a virus scan ,and put a password or change your password on your computer asap

Na there is no virus etc. I'm and I.T geek and I'm pretty sure the site itself is legit, and I know I got no virus/adware etc. I always sign up with an alternative email address anyways. I know that these scammers search the free sites and email people hoping to get a bite, because the email address is public.

[anonymousmoose]

Ask him to transfer the money into his "pick up agent's" paypal account and for them to bring cash. That will shut him up.

Thats what I did the the first email I got from the first person. They never emailed back

[vsl67]

defiantly a scam though ,one way or a another ,its a pity there wasnt some way to play their game to see how its works and then exspose them

[danja]

More likely it's people with hacked paypal accounts looking for a way to launder the money... a rather cumbersome way of doing it though.