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Colonial Airstream · 11-12-2011, 07:09 AM

I just received a few messages on some of my Airstream Classifieds ads today and they have some of the tell tale signs of a scam.

Hello
I am using this medium to notify you of my interest in purchasing your trailer which i will like to ask some few question
still available for sale ?
What is the asking price ?
What is the condition?
Has this involved in any damage before?
do i need to repair?

I would like to pay using PayPal,After payments has been made i will arrange for pick up of the trailer as soon as possible,will you let my pick-up agent to come to you house for the pick up? Because i don't want you to worry yourself about the shipment.

Regards

Wayne&Sam · 11-12-2011, 07:11 AM

Classic scam.

**Janet H** · 11-12-2011, 09:03 AM

Patrick - can you forward the username or PM to a moderator and we can suspend the account?

Mike91208 · 11-12-2011, 10:04 AM

I just received the exact message from charlesxxsutphin@gmail.com
Even the email looks like a scam!

silverleeper · 11-12-2011, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike91208

I just received the exact message from charlesxxsutphin@gmail.com
Even the email looks like a scam!

Is this email from a Airforums member or directly through your email?

casa3805 · 11-12-2011, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NeatAirstream

I just received a few messages on some of my Airstream Classifieds ads today and they have some of the tell tale signs of a scam.

Hello
I am using this medium to notify you of my interest in purchasing your trailer which i will like to ask some few question
still available for sale ?
What is the asking price ?
What is the condition?
Has this involved in any damage before?
do i need to repair?

I would like to pay using PayPal,After payments has been made i will arrange for pick up of the trailer as soon as possible,will you let my pick-up agent to come to you house for the pick up? Because i don't want you to worry yourself about the shipment.

Regards

I guess I am pretty ignorant but what makes this look like a scam?
And on a separate note, I love that 2007 28 ft International Serenity you have posted...

**blmitch5** · 11-12-2011, 11:19 AM

Poor use of English is a big giveaway. Also the part of using PayPal and arranging for someone to pick it up ASAP.

**Stefrobrts** · 11-12-2011, 12:21 PM

People don't usually arrange payments for a big ticket item, sight unseen, until they've at least gotten the details and bickered a bit. Having a shipping company pick it up is an even bigger giveaway - that would be pretty difficult to arrange.

Interesting that this one wants to pay via PayPal, since these scams usually involve a fake cashiers check, written for an over amount, and then they ask you to return the difference or send it to the shipping company, and that's where they get your money. They you find out the check is bad, the bank yanks it out of your account, and you're out the amount you sent ahead.

Skater · 11-12-2011, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by casa3805

I guess I am pretty ignorant but what makes this look like a scam?

In addition to what has already been mentioned, I'll add the presence of vague questions. Even if the English was perfect, I'd be suspicious if someone said, "I'm very interested in the item you are selling. Please let me know if the item has any damage." The vagueness allows them to use the same message on multiple intended victims.

TBRich · 11-12-2011, 02:40 PM

We've gotten these kinds of replies/inquiries from some collectible items that we've put on Craig's List... invariably, they want to send a cashier's check, as Stephanie points out, including the cost of shiping, which you then pay form that check... then when the check is declared bogus after the fact, they have both your merchandise AND you paid to send it to them...and you are left holding the bag with nothing in it.

It's gotten so bad on Craig's List that we now say in our listing descriptions that we will only do face-to-face transactions with the buyer and will only accept cash.

Suddenly we stopped getting these inquiries.

silver 67 · 11-12-2011, 04:03 PM

Just opened my email and found a response to our Airstream Classified ad with this same email address.

About three months ago, we got a similar response and the guy said he was on a ship some where and his "agent" would pick up the "item". Give me a break!

Then he told me that he would pay by Pay Pal and he needed to have my Pay Pal account. I wasn't born under a rock !!

I reported that incident to the webmasters of AirForums.

I'm really getting tired of these guys.

By the way, we do have a nice 1990 B Van for sale !!

overlander63 · 11-12-2011, 06:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by silver 67

By the way, we do have a nice 1990 B Van for sale !!

Hello there could I have my agent contact you for shipping your item to my home? I can send PayPal or a money order for full amount plus shipping. My shipper is Uship and they will be there next week to pick the item from you. Thanks you
John Smith
(please to excuse the Nigerian email address, I am out of the country right now)

Mike Leary · 11-12-2011, 07:08 PM

My uncle, who I consider a pretty smart cookie, lost 250k to a scam before we got wind of it and it might have kept going if my wife had not stepped-in. I have a feeling they are still calling him.

Sky · 11-12-2011, 07:33 PM

But once you see money in your PayPal account, how do you get scammed?

ginab · 06-18-2012, 10:30 AM

I got the same message from Philip Lozada wanting our paypal acct info etc....

Arrowstream · 06-19-2012, 04:13 AM

I have the same question as Sky. Once it's in your PayPal account, can they retract it? All anybody has ever needed to put money into my PayPal account is my email address.

Arrowstream · 06-19-2012, 04:22 AM

OK, so I read a little in the PayPal user agreement, and they can take the money back:
https://cms.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/ma...eiving%20Money.

Please note the following risks of using the PayPal Services:
Payments received in your Account may be reversed at a later time, for example, if such a payment is subject to a Chargeback, Reversal, Claim or is otherwise invalidated. This means that for some of our Sellers, payments received into their Account may be returned to the sender or otherwise removed from their Account after they have been paid and/or delivered any goods or services sold.
If you are a Seller, you can help protect yourself from the risk of a payment being reversed from your Account by following the criteria set out in the Protection for Sellers section and by following the other guidance provided in the Security and Protection page accessible via every page of the PayPal website.

But it seems like they wouldn't be able to scam PayPal too many times.

AtomicNo13 · 06-19-2012, 06:01 AM

Look out... PayPal is not a friend!

How about this scenario which happened to me....

I sell a widget to a fellow in Texas. Fewllow in Texas PayPals me the entire amount. I then ship it to him at his office address in Texas.

Several days later the package (via UPS) arrives at the office in Texas, but the buyer does not sign for it, rather his secretary signs for it using a bogus name.
Buyer then claims the package has never arrived.... he then files a complaint with his CC company and a dispute with PayPal, claiming he never received the goods he paid for. Wait a minute, I have the secretaries signature.......

PayPal investigates and favors the buyer... he never did receive it!
I am then out the $2000 he paid which PayPal took from my account, AND the goods I shipped to him!

OK so I spend countless hours on the phone with UPS PayPal, bank etc....

I am screwed through all of them, since the buyer tecnically has never received the goods.

FBI then alerts me this is a common issue and concumers are out of luck unless you can physically prove the goods are on premesis!!

Luckily this looser had done this before, was a record of the activity.
Turns out this was a VERY wealthy fellow, just playing sicko games.

I eventually got my money back, but that took 3 years!

Seller beware, and use ACH wire transfers. Cant be revoked!

ginab · 06-21-2012, 12:20 PM

I really appreciate your response. I am a marine engineer and at this moment i am presently working offshore. Sometimes access to regular emails and phone calls is very poor offshore due to inefficiency of the immarsat service, I am located in pacific WA, and i want you to know that I am ok with the condition of the Airstream and the asking price as well.I am buying the Airstream as a gift for my father, I want to surprise him. I don't have access to my bank account on-line as i don't have internet banking,but i have my bank account attached to my PayPal account and this is why i insisted on paying you through PayPal, kindly get back to me with your PayPal details if you don't have PayPal account yet,it is very easy to set up at your bank and get it set up,after you have set it up i will only need the e-mail address you use for registration with PayPal so as to put the money through so i can proceed with the payment and after the payment has been done, i have a pick up agent that will come around for verifications and to pick the Airstream after i have made the payments for the Airstream.So I will need you to provide me with the following information to facilitate the making of the payment.

1.Your PayPal full name.
2.Your PayPal Email Address.
3..Your phone number.

Once again ,I will like you to know that you will not be responsible for shipping. I will have my pick-up agent come over as soon as you have receive the payment confirmation.

Regards.

--- On Thu, 6/21/12, ginab wrote:

From
Subject: Re: A message about your ad on AirstreamClassifieds.com
To:
Date: Thursday, June 21, 2012, 6:37 AM

Yes it is and it is $9000.00.
We will only accept cash... we have had 2 offers just like this and on the day they were to come get it know one showed.
I will not use Paypal, it will have to be a legitimate deal. Too many people are scamming these days. Just turned 2 in to Airstream for it....
Hard to believe that you just can't trust anyone these days.
Do you need more photos of the Airstream other than what I posted ? I can e-mail you more. Thanks

From:
To:
Sent: Thursday, June 21, 2012 2:53 AM
Subject: A message about your ad on AirstreamClassifieds.com

1957 Custom Airstream - Family Owned

Is your 1957 Custom Airstream still available for sale ? What is the last price and what is the condition? I will like to pay using PayPal,After payments has been made,I will arrange for the pick-up and will you let my pick-up agent to come to you house for the pick up? Because i don't want you to worry yourself about the shipment.

Regards

http://www.airstreamclassifieds.com/showproduct.php?product=16083

silverwoman · 06-21-2012, 01:26 PM

I received an email from a scammer this morning regarding the ad I have here on the Air Forum classifieds. Beware! I didn't feel the need to post the email address it came from. You will recognize it when someone inquires and you respond. You will then get an reply from them asking for Paypal & other personal information. Don't do it & mark the email "spam". take care : )