Possible scam?

[JFlagg]

I have a question for everyone on here. I have a motorcycle listed for sale on several different forum's classified sections and have recently recieved an inquiry about buying it. Only thing is, it sounds like a scam too me. They were willing to pay the asking price and send a money order for the amount plus the shipping cost. They want me to cash the money order than give the the difference to their shipper. They are in Canada(if that matters) and have responded by email every time, regardless of requests about phone #s etc. Won't give me any info about the "shipper" Their emails also sound like they are typed by a robot, you know, no misspelled words, perfect puncuation and weird font. Something in my head is screaming SCAM! Anyone heard about a scam ran this way? I figure if the money order is good and I get my cash out of it, how can it be a scam? Something just doesn't feel right... . HELP



PS. they already Fedexed me the money order after I sent them an email telling them I felt they were not a legit buyer and could keep their money. Any advise? Hopefully soon... .

 

[Allnew2Me]

The first rule, and so many people seem to forget it is, Get your money first! Not the promise of money, or a form of money that promises to pay with conditions but the cold hard cash in hand. If you get what you are asking and have the cash in hand then you are at least not going to lose anything in that sense. That being said, there are more and more creative scams out there including registration scams and things that can come back and bite you in the *** later. For example, you sell the guy the bike and he never registers it, then he hits a bank. Who are the authorities going to pay a visit to? I would suggest that if you are not comfortable doing the deal don't do it. If they are not upfront about all the details then I would pass this one by.

 

[JFlagg]

Thats the way I am looking at it. It feels like a scam, but I'm curious how it would work, I go cash the money order and take the difference and send it to the "shipper" who then comes and picks the bike up from me. I can't see how I would be getting scammed since I have my cash already, but it doesn't feel right. Is it possible they are scamming someone else somehow and I am just an unsuspecting accompliss? I just recieved the money order in the mail between my first post and this one and don't want to screw myself somehow.

 

[HGreen]

The only part that may be part of a scam is that the money order is not any good and they come back on you after the bike is shipped. You are out the bike and the shipping cost. Our local paper has been reporting bogus certified and cashiers checks being deposited and a week later, they bounce.

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

Jeremy, at the very LEAST, I'd cash the MO, and set the cash aside - then wait a week or 2 to make sure some "irregularity" didn't come back from the bank that required YOU to make good on the possibly phony MO...



Hope it all works out OK for you - OH, and let me know when you get MY check! :-laf

 

[seemore]

Danger, Danger, Danger!!!!#@$%! I can guarantee IT IS A SCAM. The money order will clear, but in 2-4 weeks your bank will find out it was bogus & YOU WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR IT. NOT GOOD. They have your bike & you have paid them to take it. A lot of people get responses for ads in the paper or Internet like this. It seems to be ok because the money order clears, but weeks later the back finds out it was stolen. forged, ect.

Tell them C. A. S. H only, in your hand!!

 

[JFlagg]

I just read several threads on this, I already sent them an email telling them I am sending the MO back in the envelope unopened. Thanks guys, once again TDR has helped a bunch!

 

[Simplysmn]

scam

I just read several threads on this, I already sent them an email telling them I am sending the MO back in the envelope unopened. Thanks guys, once again TDR has helped a bunch!

what you do is send them a copy of the money order and send orignal to Local police department and make them aware of what they were trying to do . if you take the money order to your bank and have them call on it you will see that same money order allready cashed for like 25. 00 it's deffently a scam to bad we cant fry the suckers that are doing this #@$%!

 

[JFlagg]

I was wondering about that, if taking it to the bank would result in anything being done legally. Not sure if the local cops would be much help though. They pulled me over Sat. for not having a plate on the back of my truck then wondered why I got mad they didn't look at the front and realize its a 18K plate and it only goes on the front#@$%! Funny how the "civilians" know the laws better than the "professionals"

 

[Dieselnut59]

Ask Clark Howard (clarkhoward.com: Save more, spend less and avoid ripoffs) He is GOOD with these things! He can investigate and find out if it is a scam. I have heard MANY similar scams on his show where people got ripped off big time!

 

[PRout]

Danger, Danger, Danger!!!!#@$%! I can guarantee IT IS A SCAM. The money order will clear, but in 2-4 weeks your bank will find out it was bogus & YOU WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR IT. NOT GOOD. They have your bike & you have paid them to take it. A lot of people get responses for ads in the paper or Internet like this. It seems to be ok because the money order clears, but weeks later the back finds out it was stolen. forged, ect.
Tell them C. A. S. H only, in your hand!!

I know of this happening not to one, but two people. Both were cashing money orders from overseas (one was Africa, not sure of the other) One ended costing the victim 7k dollars and not sure how many "K" the other one had lost, but I would be VERY skeptical about this also.

 

[Troubleshooter]

This morning I caught a news item on the radio regarding a similar scam: cash the check, send part of it back to the guy, and later get arrested by the cops when the check turns out to be bogus. The lady who this happened to was out something like $6K.



Interestingly enough, this little scam was being operated from -- you guessed it! -- Canada. Just like your motorcycle buyers. Not saying that YOUR buyers aren't legit, but I sure don't like the odds.

 

[RDHamill]

Seemore ( reply #6) is telling you the straight deal.

I have a friend that was selling a bike, he got the same offer as you. But in his case, he's an RCMP officier, he sent local PD to visit the "buyer". It was a scam, charges were laid.

in this case it's SELLER BEWARE.



good luck

 

[MMeier]

I get replies like that all the time on my trailers. . I just ignore them, if they can 't call and talk details . . too bad for them.