Car sale PayPal scam

Another one here. Received a text (from a bot?), from "Richard", telephone number 7424273:

"I'm interested in ur bikes.What's your last asking price & its present condition?Kindly email&send the photos ([email protected])".

It rang alarm bells immediately, as the sender is not specific about the number of bikes, and the ad has several photos posted with it.

I replied via email, and got this reply from Richard Fernando:

"Hi Richard,
Where did you see it advertised? Lots of pics in the ad, but happy to send more. Bike is in excellent condition with 18k miles and service history, asking price is £3500 including OEM luggage, might sell without for less.
give me a ring after 10am if you have any questions at all.
Cheers,..."

He replied (and here's where it starts to follow a familiar pattern, if you've read through this thread...):

"Thanks for getting back to me and i appreciate your prompt reply..I am
presently out of town now.. I am buying this for my son as a surprise
gift. However,does it
have any history I should be aware of? and why are you selling if you
don't mind my asking and I will really appreciate if you can email
more info and if possible more photos. I can only pay through paypal
at the moment as i don't have access to my bank account online(i dont
have internet banking with it), but i have it attached to my paypal
account, and this is why i insisted on using paypal to pay,all i will
need is your paypal email address to make the payment, and if you dont
have a paypal account yet, you can set one it cant take you less than
3mins to do that, i will be expecting your paypal email so l can pay
and your phone number. I have a pick up agent that will come for the
pick up after payment has been sorted, l will be waiting for your
reply asap. Here is my phone number:+44 7024034153"

Note the phone number begins 07024, as do others in this thread.

I replied again:

"Hi Richard,
Viewing of my bike is highly recommended and you won't be disappointed. Where in the country are you?
Happy to take payment by cheque, obviously funds will have to clear before I will release the bike.
Cash on collection is my preferred option.
Where did you see the ad?
Regards..."

I have now asked twice where he saw the bike advertised. Let's see if he answers:

"Thanks so much.. I normally do local pick ups and cash only deals but
presently, i am out on an official assignment and that is why i am
offering to Pay you via PayPal.
The agent company dont accept any form of payment to be paid
on the pick up point for their security purpose. All he's coming there for is
to do the checking, and delivery. The
only easier way for me to pay in the money is through PayPal and you
will get the funds in your account before my agent come there for the
Pick Up. I can make a direct deposit
with my PayPal to your Bank account and all i will need is your
Account number, full name and the sort code"

Nope, still hasn't answered my question, is still pushing PayPal as his preferred method of payment, and now is asking for my account details? Don't think so Mr Fernando.

"Hi Richard,
I'm sorry, I'm not able to accept payments via PayPal for items of high value, for security reasons.
If you want the bike, please either pay by cash or by cheque, as requested above.
I'm not prepared to give out my bank details to a total stranger either.
This reeks of a scam."

I doubt he'll reply. Should I report it to the police?

Should I report it to the police?

it would be wise to call them, or stop by a local cop shop and see if the will take a report so that there is a paper trail on the phone #, if it will ever do any good in the future.

Hopefully they will be more than happy to make a report with you.

I'm glad you avoided this scam.

[AlanJones]

please either pay by cash or by cheque, as requested above.

Cheques are no safer than any other method - a good quality fake cheque could take many weeks or even months to be discovered and when it is, the amount will be clawed back from your account, even though the bank initially "cleared" it.

Stick to cash and a face to face sale.

"Richard Fernando" is in West Africa. His writing is typical of native speakers of Niger-Congo languages, and his name is typical of those made up by African scammers unfamiliar with European naming conventions. It is pointless telling a policeman in England that an African scammer has failed to trick you into sending money. Posting here, as you have done, is more effective.

I have also had an enquiry from Richard Fernando. Demanding to pay by PayPal roused suspicions and googling his email address [email protected]- led me here.

This is his message:

Thanks for getting back to me and i appreciate your prompt reply..I am
presently out of town now.. I am buying this for my son as a surprise
gift. However,does it
have any history I should be aware of? and why are you selling if you
don't mind my asking and I will really appreciate if you can email
more info and if possible more photos. I can only pay through paypal
at the moment as i don't have access to my bank account online(i dont
have internet banking with it), but i have it attached to my paypal
account, and this is why i insisted on using paypal to pay,all i will
need is your paypal email address to make the payment, and if you dont
have a paypal account yet, you can set one it cant take you less than
3mins to do that, i will be expecting your paypal email so l can pay
and your phone number. I have a pick up agent that will come for the
pick up after payment has been sorted, l will be waiting for your
reply asap. Here is my phone number:+44 7024034153

I've just had exactly the same message from [email protected].
It came within minutes of my ad being uploaded. The message came by text from 'RICHARD' which was the first give away as it disguises the mobile number and obviously does not come from an ordinary mobile. The text asks for reply by email; second give away because a genuine enquirer would be happy to get a call. Text replies to this don't work; third give away.

Suspicious, I googled the details and found loads of scams reported in connection with this email address.

Just got a similar e-mail from Richard.
First asking by sms to send an e-mail with my last offer.

Then following with this reply:

Thanks for getting back,i'm cool with the price likewise the condition
as described on the advert,i work with New Zealand Oil and Gas (NZOG)
and we are presently offshore in New Zealand Taranaki Basin on kupe
project.We do not have access to phone at the momement and that's why
I contacted you with internet messaging facility.Regarding the
payment,i will be paying you through PayPal linked up with my westpac
bank account,please get back to me with your paypal details so i can
process the payment,you can alternatively send your bsb acct name and
number if you have no PayPal acct.I have also contacted my courier who
will come for pick up and deliver it to my place in Darwin after the
whole fund has been cleared into your acct. Await your reply

I believe I may have been a potential victim in a scam. Im selling my car on Craigslist and I got a text from a guy named "William Jones" saying

"Make me an offer!!! '98 Cadillac Deville 2500 O.B.O - $Still available for sale?If yes kindly email me back at [email protected] cos am on base and we are restricted to phone calls"

I replied yes, and he wrote back

"
Whats the condition and why are you selling it?Im just asking about it to make sure its in good condition, so can you assure me i will not be disappointed? also no shipment involved as i have a mover that will come for it. I will like your sincerity about the condition and the price you are leaving this out and I can only pay you via one of the fastest and secure way to pay online (PayPal).. Do You Have A Verified PayPal account? Let me know asap so i can arrange the payment through PayPal. my shipper will be coming to pick it up as soon as the payment clears into your account."

Don't know if it's a scam for sure but I wrote back

Dear Williams Jones,

The car is in great working condition. The only problems with it is a tear in the drivers seat and a minor dent from a hit and run on the drivers rear fender. Other than that it's runs smooth and has clean interior.
The reason for selling this beauty, I've got to pay first months rent and deposit on a new apartment.
As far as payment goes, I do have a verified paypal account but I stand firmly on cash upon collection.

Thanks

It's a scam. The PayPal message is fake, and the mover is another character played by the scammer. If he writes again, do not answer.

I believe I may have been a potential victim in a scam. Im selling my car on Craigslist and I got a text from a guy named "William Jones" saying

I do have a verified paypal account but I stand firmly on cash upon collection.

Thanks

Hi and welcome, ChasGonzales88. Thanks for posting the scammer's email address and opening email offer.

The line I highlighted is the absolute best way to scare off scammers, and in all honesty, also the best way to sell an item such as a car, anyhow.

It is also wise for you not to meet anyone at your home or business ( close is OK, but not AT). Having a friend ( witness) is also a good idea when showing it off.

I too was contacted with similar story of person working overseas as construction engineer, looking to buy my car for his dad in Wisconsin. Suspicious at first, I entertained the email with photos and he immediately agreed, asking to pay via paypal, even subtlely asking to put my bank details in my reply. RED FLAG. His response didn't even have an offer amount.

Scammers Email: [email protected]

Seller's beware... I posted on cars.com.

I just posted a cars.com add and recieved 5 scam contacs within 48 hours and all used PayPal as the medium to make the scam work. Luckily these forums exist because I may have bitten off on it. Here are two examples. The nerve of these people! One was trying to present themselves as a Marine in combat!

John Dahlen
[email protected]
Thank you for the information. I'm comfortable with the information you provided, i just wanted to make sure nothing has been left out. I will buy for the price but payment will be sent via PayPal and i will handle the PayPal surcharge as well. My shipping agent (shipper) will come around to inspect and take care of any necessary documentation needed for the purchase on my behalf, funds will clear in your account before pickup. In the meantime can you send me more pictures if available? Kindly send me a payment request from your paypal account and your cell phone number so i can complete the payment asap. My PayPal email is the same .

Mark Nicolaides
[email protected]
Thanks for getting back to me, I would like to ask some details concerning this vehicle before before making a purchase: How long have you owned it? Do you have the spare tire? Is there any rust on the vehicle? Have you owned it from new? Have you ever had any transmission repairs? Where did you get your vehicle serviced? Do you have the extra keys? I'm wanting to get the car as a birthday gift for my dad, It's priced favorably compared to others so I want you to consider it sold to me because I’m satisfied with your firm/advert price but not cash in person because I'm serving in the US Marine cop and currently serving at Camp Taji in Iraq and calls are restricted at the moment and my only quickest payment option is PayPal, its safe fast and secure and i will be responsible for the PayPal transaction charges so you can get your expected amount. If you don't have an account with PayPal, its pretty easy to open one, Just log onto www.paypal.com/ and sign up. I hope we can make the purchase as fast as possible? As I am buying the vehicle for my dad and I'm very sure he will love this vehicle, his a mechanic and a handy man, so if there is anything that need to be fixed in it just let me know he will handle it. I have a mover that will come for the pick up once payment clears in your account and he will handle the title for me, I would appreciate if you email me with more pictures (if available) too since i won't be able to see this in person. I look forward to hear from you with the information below.

Your PayPal e-Mail Address :
Full name:
Firm Price:
Zip code for pickup:

Thanks

Could you post the other three? Some people don't know how to recognize a scam script, but are looking for the email address to see if he's a known scammer.

Thanks for the info, it helped me suss out two spammers that contacted me about a car I posted. I wanted to add two more emails that looked suspicious. Both included the exact same text. <<>>WHATyourBESTprice?EMAILmeAT<<>> [email protected] and [email protected].