I think someone is trying to scam me.

[Dr.Phool]

I have a motorcycle for sale in the St. Pete Times, and on their website. I got this response from their e-mail server.

hello,
am interested in the immediate purchase of the item you have placed for sale,i will like to know the followings:
1)is the item in good condition?
2)what is the final asking price?
3)is the price firm atall?
4)do you accept cashiers check as the means of payment? Get back to me with your full name and address in which the payment will be sent to as soon as possible and that is if your reply is satisfied by me.
regards K.
(end)

I've read about these scams with counterfeit cashiers checks. I think I'd forward this e-mail to the FBI, but they're probably too busy reading our e-mail to get to it.

[RebelOne]

1. Find out if he is out of the country.

If so, you can bet it is a scam.

[BOSSHOG]

2. I would shy away from this one

If a person has cashier's checks they can very easily have cash right?

[SoCalDem]

3. CASH only.. or meet them at their bank..

Make them call you..Until you have CASH in hand, they don;t get the bike.. no problem :)

[BlueEyedSon]

25. OMG.... what is that PICTURE!

[SoCalDem]

31. It's a newborn embrytoe..just sayin' ...."Hi, world"..

:)

[mcscajun]

4. Tell him all you'll accept are US Postal Money Orders.

You'll probably never hear from him again.

[RebelOne]

6. But they have been counterfeited also.

[M155Y_A1CH]

5. I'd be wary

I don't think I would be prepared to release my full name and address until I had real contact with the buyer. Send him all the other info and ask for HIS name and phone number if he is interested. Then if he replies, call and work out the deal first. Why wouldn't he want to see his purchase first before making out a check?

[soothsayer]

7. YOu can call the bank that issued it (look up the number, don't use

the phone number on the check). Do RUN AWAY if they say they accidentally sent you too much money, could you wire the difference back to them (even tho your bank WILL give you the full amount for the check in 24 hours, you will later be held liable for the full amount if it's phoney). If it's a scam, send it to the Secret Service, not the FBI.


Edited to add: but of COURSE it's a scam! Reads as verrrry phoney.

other tips on counterfeit cashier checks here http://www.cbs4denver.com/investigates/local_story_043203148.html

[Viva_La_Revolution]

8. doesn't mention the item and the english is atrocious

I suggest you hit delete.

[Dr.Phool]

14. I just talked to the Sherriff's office

I figure it might be something they'd want to investigate.

Barney Fife is alive and at Dunkin' Donuts. No interest whatsoever.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

20. Surprise! Surprise!

says Gomer. x(

[soothsayer]

21. It's not really in the sheriff's domain. Prolly an Int'l scam.

[Atman]

9. Sounds like a scam

I get that same basic message from people wanting to by merch from my online store. The scam is, they send you a bogus international cashier's check for too much money (usually WAY too much), then say "sorry, just deposit it and send me the difference with the merch." It takes much longer for these international checks to officially clear your bank, although your bank will usually allow you access to the funds in a matter of days. By the time the cashiers check has been discovered to be bogus, your REAL cashier's check in the scammer's hands, and your bank is demanding you repay the entire amount or you're going to be busted for fraud.

It COULD be legit...but I doubt it. The poor writing is a good indicator, too.

[BlueEyedSon]

10. Yeah, I got one of these on an ebay auction once.

I'm still not sure how this works to the scammer's advantage. Part of the scheme was that the scammer overpaid me, I suppose expecting a cash or (valid) check refund.

If you wait for the payment to clear, which it won't, how can you get burned? Yes, the guy gets your name & address, but that info is available online anyway (apparently, especially if you are a covert CIA operative).....

[RebelOne]

13. They will send a check in excess of the price.

Then will ask you to send the balance after you deposit the check. You deposit check, send the balance and the merchandise and about 2 weeks later is check is returned. You are then out a few thousand dollars, plus the merchandise.

[Dr.Phool]

15. Yeah, I've read about that one.

[BlueEyedSon]

19. Can a bank really clear a check to your account and then take the money

back as long as 2 weeks later? Ouch!

[RebelOne]

24. Yup, it happens all the time.

[BlueEyedSon]

23. Anyway, it smelled funny so I googled and made a phone call

to the issuing bank. I never even tried to deposit the check so I didn't realize the scam would have (possibly) worked.

[acmejack]

29. Obviously the legendary "Tradecraft" course at the famous "Farm"

in the rolling Virginia hills could stand a curriculum revision to include "This on-line world" or something similar. Or perhaps the problem lays in the fact that they have read all the adjective laden Tom Clancey formula novels, too. They made to believe they are Mr. Clarks, but in reality they are Agent 86s...

[Tsiyu]

11. Believe me, the FBI doesn't give a shit

A friend was scammed selling a car on the internet. If they try to send you a check well over the purchase amount ( hey, cash that check and send the balance to my "shipper") they are trying to screw you.

In my friend's case, his bank accepted the cashier's check, cashed it, he sent $3,000 to the "shipper" and by the time the bank realized the $8,000 check was bogus, it was too late.

Once again, the FBI doesn't give a shit. They would not help my friend one iota. Most of these scams are running out of Nigeria and the Feds have no interest in prosecuting.

[sutz12]

12. Never give out personal info....

Until you know who you are talking to.

First rule of internet commerce. Since you have to FTF to hand over the keys, FTF before any money changes hands, and follow the advice above about how to transfer the money.

[DonP]

16. It's a scam

One of the guys on a scooter board I go to (Vespa) got scammed on a really nice 160 GS he had for sale.

Exactly the same E-mail, and he fell for it because he needed the money right away.

Got the Money Order/Cashiers Check for his full asking price, plus shipping, shipped the scooter, and a week later got a call from his bank that the check was a phony. All the money dissappeared from his bank account, he was charged $50 for the equivalent of an NSF deposit and the bank started looking at him, as if he was trying to scam them.

He found the scooter for sale on E-Bay a couple of weeks later with a new paint job from a different address. 160 GS's are pretty hard to come by and his had a few custom things under the cowl that made it easy to spot.

This guys about as real as that Nigerian official that wants you to handle the $7 million transaction for him, and all you have to do is put up $1,000 of your own money.

Scam. Con, Rip-Off!

[LostinVA]

17. This is a known scam

[Tommy_J]

18. Yes, sounds like a scam

Fake certified check scams are all over the place

[Justpat]

22. If it doesn't feel right - don't do it.

I would never respond to something like this.

[stop the bleeding]

26. I have a saying that will fit for this situation and most others

If you have to ask then you already know the answer

This smells like a scam, please do not give out your personal information.

[The Sleeper]

27. Tell the guy you want his ss# so you can do a credit check on him.

Also, If paying by cashier's check (because of all the handling costs) the price is triple.

Or, ignore completely

[mdmc]

28. why not cash the cashiers check?

there is nothing here for the fbi...

[sabra]

30. I got a similar one, when I sold my car here in Chicago

almost certain it's a scam...