suspicous E-Mail about my turbo kit

[jwahl425]

Well I decided to sell my turbo kit, so I put it up for sel in DSMtuners/DSMtalk/and eBay, but this guy E-Mails me and says this:

Hallo,

i interest of your Turbo Kit Eclipse 4g63 2.0 COMPLETE kit DSM 1g Talon NR . I from Europe from Czech republic and i have eclipse 93 non turbo. In my country is turbokit for my eclipse unavailable. This is only way for me when i take turbokit for my car. Can problem for you send me this item to Evrope to Czech republic? Only way for me when i send you money is money order or send money to your bank account is this problem for you?
Please answer me this question before i take bind.

Sorry of me bad english

Petr

now, is this the kind of thing that shut down dsmtrader? I haven't done a wire transfer before and I won't take a money order for fear of getting ripped off, what do you guys think I should do?

 

[exile]

Don't do it, someone American will buy your turbo. People in Czech don't need turbo cars anyway.

 

[oldman]

People in Czech don't need turbo cars anyway.

And why is that????

 

[leet]

Yeah. That looks like Chapter One of a scam to me, as well.

 

[jwahl425]

I sent him an E-Mail saying I will accept Pay-Pal or a money order but I will wait a week to ten days for the money order to clear. As stated before, if money orders are payed for in cash why does it take a week for it to clear? or does it take that long to tell if it's fake or not? I agree that people in Europe and Czech need parts too, but as this appears suspicious I just wanted a little advice, let's say I get the money order in the mail, I sign it then cash it, what are the steps taken by the bank teller after I give it to him/her? this would help alot of us out in understanding about money orders.

 

[Defiant]

Here's your best bet: US sales only.

 

[Sivad87]

Honestly if it was me i wouldn't even try and see if it was legit or not by even waiting to see if it was fake. I would just discontinue contact with him and wait for a legit U.S. sale. Most the time you hear of anyone buying from overseas it turns out to be a scam.

Do as you wish that was just my .02 cents

 

[DGajre777]

I sent him an E-Mail saying I will accept Pay-Pal or a money order but I will wait a week to ten days for the money order to clear. As stated before, if money orders are payed for in cash why does it take a week for it to clear? or does it take that long to tell if it's fake or not? I agree that people in Europe and Czech need parts too, but as this appears suspicious I just wanted a little advice, let's say I get the money order in the mail, I sign it then cash it, what are the steps taken by the bank teller after I give it to him/her? this would help alot of us out in understanding about money orders.

Listen to me, I have lost $5000 over this sh*t 4 years ago and I am still making $100 payments on it.

If the money order that he sends to you is fake, he will have printed it at home on a laser printer or a big commercial printer and then mail it to you. If the guy has scammed other people he has the technology and money to buy printers that print real looking money orders or checks. Do you know what an international money order from the Czech republic looks like?

You bank will clear the money order in a day or two in the understanding that it is a real money order or cashiers check. The bank teller doesn't give a sh*t if it is fake or not because they don't know what an international money order from the Czech looks like either. The bank will deposit the money in your account under the understanding that the money order is GOOD since it is in your name. When the U.S. Federal Reserve tries to clear the check/money order in 4-6 weeks they will find out it is fake and then guess who has to pay for the entire amount of the money order - YES YOU. My wife works at a bank and she told me about the Federal Reserve, unfortunately I didn't know her when this happened.

This does not include the turbo kit that you lost since you will have paid probably a hundred dollars to ship it to an address that does not exist (and no you cannot confirm international addresses at FedEx or UPS). You can file a police complaint, nothing will happen. You can contact the FBI, they'll tell you to contact the Attorney General's office who will then tell you to contact the NSA. And then NSA will tell you that they cannot do anything about it since they don't have an agreement with the government of Czech Republic.

If what I said doesn't register in your brain, then go ahead and take the money order and you'll be stuck making payment on this sh*t for a couple of years like me. No one told me about a scam 4 years ago and I think I was one of the first few people who got scammed. I am paying for my stupidity, if you don't listen, you will pay for yours to. As a fellow DSMTuners member I am trying to make to understand to not make the same mistakes that I did.

Why do you think www.dsmtrader.com is still closed? Check the link out and look for yourself.

SELL YOUR STUFF TO PEOPLE IN THE US. IF YOU WANT TO SELL IT TO THAT GUY, TAKE THE MONEY ORDER TELL THE GUY THAT THERE WILL BE A 2 MONTH HOLD ON IT DUE TO NEW BANKING PROCEDURES TO PREVENT FRAUD (HE DOESN'T HAVE TO KNOW THAT IT IS NOT TRUE). DO NOT SPEND ANY OF THE MONEY FOR 2 MONTHS.

BUT MY GUESS IS THAT IN 2 MONTHS SOMEONE FROM THE US WILL WANT TO BUY YOUR TURBO KIT, SO WHY BOTHER WITH THE MONEY ORDER?! OR TELL THE BANK THAT YOU THINK IT IS FAKE AND HAVE THEM HANDLE IT.

In the end it is your decision. 5:00AM EST, I'm tried. Good night.

 

[Pezking]

I must agree, I wouldn't accept a money order. Paypal has verified some European countries, I don't know if the Czech Republic is one of them ( luckily, Germany is one of them ), so I don't know about the safety of Paypal. Like said before, have him use the Western Union transfer, it will cost him a rather large fee, but if he is genuinely interested in the turbo kit and is not looking to scam you, he will do it.

 

[Thomas91169]

use paypal or cash in hand.

btw its a scam. delete it from your inbox and dont look back.

 

[chicagoavenger]

100% scam but you seem like you really wanna sell it to him. Go ahead and never see your turbo kit or money again.

 

[mitsuclipsegsx]

I agree with DGajre777 dont do it!!

 

[l3igl3ang]

What I meant was not to accept money order as they can be fake. Wire transfer will only require the routing number, account number will not be necessary.

how dose the wire transfer work you just give the buyer your full name and routing number? then the bank wires it to the account cause i could had swore you needed the routing and account number to do this. and also on the money order make sure its cashable in the US cause 3 world country money orders can't be cashed in the US unless made for US cashing.

 

[JST2FST]

As stated before, if money orders are payed for in cash why does it take a week for it to clear?

Lets say you get a cashier's check ( I'm using cashier's checks in stead of money orders but they still both work the same way) from Bank of America. When you take it to your bank, First DSM Bank of Virginia or where ever you bank, and deposit it your bank then sends the cashier's check to Bank of America. Bank of America then sends the money back to your bank. There is more to it then this but this is just a simple breakdown of how it works. Now in most cases there is no problem because the cashier's check is real and was paid for, but now people are starting to just print the cashier's checks at home and send them out. So when Bank of America gets the check instead of sending your bank the money they say hey this is not a real cashier's check from us and they do not send your bank any money. When your bank finds out that the cashier's check was fake, they take the money back out of your acct.

Max

 

[wimploki]

Speaking from experience...make sure to keep yourself on guard when it comes to this type of transaction.

If you receive money order, make sure to give it time (at least 2 weeks) for it to clear.

 

[RiceKiller_TSi]

Watch out for your cornhole buddy.

 

[jwahl425]

wow, o.k., so I probably won't sell it to him, I don't like the idea of cutting someone out because they are overseas but I don't want to lose my money or turbo kit. So, lets see,
Money orders and cashiers checks are not a good idea because someone can just print a look-a-like,
Wire Transfers are a good way to transfer money but you have to give away your personal bank account #,
Western Union transfer...Anybody have a bad experience with these?
Pay-Pal Probably the best way for someone to buy/sell because of their security features

Bottom line though, no matter what you use if someone wants to scam you then they'll find a way, even a credit card through pay-pal could be stolen as previously stated, I just thought that there could be a safe and secure way to transfer the money at his expense I wouldn't risk anything, thanks again for all your reply's and hopefully this could help others in the future, James.

 

[Pezking]

Well, Western Union is a rather safe affair, he has to pay cash and then you will be notified that your payment is available, just pick it up and ship the item afterwards.
Then you got the money in your hand. Only way to do it really safe, except for maybe verified paypal transactions. I have bought some stuff on here, but mostly smaller pieces and paid with paypal, no problems so far... but then I don't go around and try to scam people...

 

[DGajre777]

Speaking from experience...make sure to keep yourself on guard when it comes to this type of transaction.

If you receive money order, make sure to give it time (at least 2 weeks) for it to clear.

2 weeks is not enough time. I say 2 months.

I agree with Pezking on the Western Union. IF it is a scam then the guy will not agree to send you money by Western Union and probably give you an excuse that there is no Western Union in his country or something.

how dose the wire transfer work you just give the buyer your full name and routing number? then the bank wires it to the account cause i could had swore you needed the routing and account number to do this. and also on the money order make sure its cashable in the US cause 3 world country money orders can't be cashed in the US unless made for US cashing.

You can't get a wire transfer with the routing number and the account number, I believe you need to know the name of the person having the bank account too.

FAKE CHECKS ARE NOT JUST FROM INTERNATIONAL BANKS. There are fake checks and money orders made out from US banks and then mailed from the foreign Country. For example the guy will send you a Citibank Cashier's check and then tell you that he took it out from a location in his country since there is a Citibank there. You think well there is a Citibank here too and deposit the check since it is made payable in US funds. 2 months later your account is overdrawn by a couple of grand and the bank holds you responsible.

Maybe this thread should be made a sticky.

 

[femmeDSM]

For example the guy will send you a Citibank Cashier's check and then tell you that he took it out from a location in his country since there is a Citibank there. You think well there is a Citibank here too and deposit the check since it is made payable in US funds. 2 months later your account is overdrawn by a couple of grand and the bank holds you responsible.

Maybe this thread should be made a sticky.

I agree, maybe this should be a sticky.....I was aware that there are plenty of scammers out there, but I wasn't really sure how this particular one worked...

One question, though.....Theoretically, what would happen if he tried to cash said (fake) Citibank cashier's check at a Citibank? Would the bank just send collection agencies/authorities/police(???) after him for the money, once it proved fake, or what?

Jeez....I'm afraid to take anything but PayPal now, . I own a business, and am quite aware of credit card Charge-Back fraud. I've had to deal with it before, and it's not fun. Seems the credit card companies are solely on the Cusomer's side, no matter what, and the business is left to fend for itself or take the loss.

 

[DGajre777]

I agree, maybe this should be a sticky.....I was aware that there are plenty of scammers out there, but I wasn't really sure how this particular one worked...

One question, though.....Theoretically, what would happen if he tried to cash said (fake) Citibank cashier's check at a Citibank? Would the bank just send collection agencies/authorities/police(???) after him for the money, once it proved fake, or what?

Jeez....I'm afraid to take anything but PayPal now, . I own a business, and am quite aware of credit card Charge-Back fraud. I've had to deal with it before, and it's not fun. Seems the credit card companies are solely on the Cusomer's side, no matter what, and the business is left to fend for itself or take the loss.

If the guy (let's say SAM) who got the fake Citibank Cashier's check tried to cash it at a Citibank, the bank can tell if it is fake or not since it will not have all their "authenticity checks" and "watermarks" on it and they know what their real cashier's checks look like. The good thing is that while these guys try to scam people by making out checks that look rea, they don't watermarks, microprinting or reflective surfaces on it. The most commonly used fake bank cashier's checks and money orders are from Federal Unions.

IF the Citibank somehow cashed the fake check (if the teller messes up), then found out it was fake they would contact the police since technically Sam cashed a fake check that was in his name. The police will think that Sam made it at home and will treat him that way. This will end up being a fraud charge against Sam. The bank doesn't care where the check came from, all they want is their money.

In my case I agreed to make $100 payments until the $5000 was paid off cause I didn't want a damn fraud charge (yes I checked with a lawyer first).

 

[Raph]

Well, let me say something to that topic...
I am from Europe as well and I do have a DSM over here, imported from the US. There are a lot of these cars around here, especially in Switzerland or in the Russian states.

But you shouldn't give your bank account to anyone. Let him pay with paypal, or have him do a Western Union Money Transfer, these are available all over Europe. I would even prefer this way.

In addition, bad english is very common in the eastern parts of Europe since they did not learn it in school. Even here in Germany loads of people do not have any good english knowledge.

You should try to find out which is the safest way to get the money ( in my opinion it is the Money Transfer, he will have to pay it cash to the Western Union partner and they will notify you that your payment is available for pickup. ) and tell him to use it. If he is sincere he will use it.

@PEZKING
hi.. first off..are you the guy in mannheim that has a shop and i bought a front bumper from you?? if not..hi again .
hey,i was thinking about a little dsmtuners europe meet up.. in the spring time(car is in the garage getting modded and waiting for spring) ,either at the bitburg motorpark,Nordschlewife.. or at the Hooters that just opened up in my town!

tothe guy selling his nt turbo kit.. manty german dsmers are starving for one of those ..just use Western union.. he cant scam you using Western union..but you could scam him.. ( dsmers shouildnt scam dsmers.. ask him to show you a pic of his car )

EDIT : Pezking,you live in mannheim,ive never been able to drive arouind in mannheim or ludwigshafen without getting hopelessly lost

 

[Pezking]

Hm ? No I don't own a shop, not selling anything at all.

Yeah I was thinking about a german/european DSM meeting too, I am seeing loads of them in Mannheim/Heidelberg/Kaiserslautern. Maybe some of them are on here...
Hockenheim Ring would be possible too, there are several meets there anyway.

Are you on any of these noob german boards ?

 

[wolf20043]

A few tips for using our Classifieds section:



Beware of buyers who ask to pay with cashier's check, especially if they're out-of-country. The same goes for out-of-country auto brokers. We strongly suggest avoiding them altogether. Use an escrow service or wait 10-14 days to allow their check to clear before sending them anything. If it sounds too good to be true, run the other way.


Get the buyer's/seller's full name, address AND phone number and do your best to verify that the info is legit. This is critical. DO NOT just rely on email. In fact, get multiple phone numbers. If a buyer/seller does not want to give you their phone number or address, walk away from the deal. If you do not get this info and/or do not verify it, you are asking to be ripped off. Without this info, you have nothing to take to the authorities.


Ask the buyer/seller for references - preferrably members of this site who can verify his/her reputation.


Check the users' profile and view their Buyer/Seller Rating.


Be forewarned, when using Paypal, keep in mind that they won't help you if you receive something that is different than "what was described". They also won't help retrieve your money after 30 days. However, Paypal can be more secure than sending money orders.


Use an Escrow service (like Escrow.com) with high dollar purchases, or whenver possible. An Escrow service is your best bet for sending money and not getting ripped off. As a buyer, Escrow tracks the shipped merchandise and verifies it was delivered. The Seller isn't paid until the Buyer accepts the merchandise, or the inspection period expires. As a seller, Escrow confirms when the Buyer receives merchandise. The Seller is authorized to ship only after Escrow verifies good funds.
Also, make sure that any emails you receive from any escrow service have the escrow services' name as the main URL. Don't give personal info, passwords, or credit card info via email for any escrow accounts or Paypal. If you receive an email from an escrow service asking you to update or restate info, make sure the link they give you is actually the site that it should be - check to make sure the domain is correct.



That is just a bit of the buyer seller tips in the classified rules. This thread is already a sticky for the most part.
Mike

 

[gr8popp]

You are not being rude by not selling to him, just a cautious seller. Read the posts from the guys in Europe, they have good grammar. I am in sales and get this crap all the time. I have even taken a credit card number over, the phone entered it into the machine and go through, then two days later get a call from visa telling me that the account number was fraudulent. By then it was too late and I had the goods in the mail.

I am telling you as an experienced person this is a scam....STAY AWAY. I would hate to see you get burnt.

 

[toutsuu]

Right, like I said, if they are from Europe and want your business and their grammar isn't that good they will at least run it through a grammar check and correct the obvious errors! Only things that Word woudn't catch would be acceptable in an email like that.