Is this a scam or what? Any takers!?

It's a scam. Basically they send the cheque for $8500, you cash it and send the $6700 balance via Western Union which they collect. The cheque then bounces and the bank takes back the $8500 from your account leaving you $6700 out of pocket.

Play the same scam on them, demand they "western union money transfer " you the 8500 first and then send them a check! I think western union money requires only payment in cash.

Call up your local scam department and pass along the info, in fact,

*before* you reply to them. Maybe you'll have the opportunity to be involved in a sting...15 minutes? ;-)

Darryl.

keep the $8,500 clear the cheque and put money into a different account. as you won't be breaking the law by keeping it, let him pick the car up if he wants to, you've signed no contract stating you need to send him the $6,700. set up a post box as well so he doesn't get your home address?

ummm....yeah...that's a grrreat idea.....

you american's don't carry guns? scratch up on your shooting skills too btw. German's don't carry guns.

Well, it certainly *sounds* like a scam. The whole nonsense about the cashier's check and refund sounds silly, plus why the hell would someone from Europe want to buy your car over here? But if you're interested, it can't hurt to let them send you the check, take it to the bank, then

*wait for the money to hit your account*, and send them back the $6700.

All in all, though, it seems like a lot of trouble to go through to

*maybe* sell the car when you could sell it much easier to someone here in North America.

-- Mike Smith

||TommyK wrote: || ||> Hey group, wanted to get some input on any of your ideas if this ||> company is legitimate or not. I posted an ad to sell my 91' ||> Volkswagon, I am selling and I received this email from an interested ||> person... || ||Well, it certainly *sounds* like a scam. The whole nonsense about the ||cashier's check and refund sounds silly, plus why the hell would someone ||from Europe want to buy your car over here? But if you're interested, ||it can't hurt to let them send you the check, take it to the bank, then ||*wait for the money to hit your account*, and send them back the $6700. || ||All in all, though, it seems like a lot of trouble to go through to ||*maybe* sell the car when you could sell it much easier to someone here ||in North America. || ||-- ||Mike Smith ||

Rex in Fort Worth

The "buyer" may at a later point ask for your bank account number to steal money electronically from your account. Another risk is that you end up paying a bounced check charge while waiting for his check to clear.

This is a well-known scam. I have gotten 4 or 5 contacts due to various vehicles I have for sale. Here is what happens:

You get a cashier's check, on a foreign bank, for more than the sale price, with instructions to refund the difference.

You take the check to your bank, they verify it is a good check, you deposit it. You get a check from your bank or Western Union for the difference and send it to the "buyer", whoc promplty cashes it.

2 weeks later your bank calls and says the big check bounced, they are reversing the deposit.

Usually, nobody comes for the car.

||>

||> Dear , ||> I am the director of Jane Automotives based in Germany (Europe).I ||> will Like to know if your Car is still available,also I will like to ||> see a recent picture of the Car ,I will also like to know the least ||> price for the Car . Please i will be expecting the above information ||> soonest as i have an interested party(Client). I will arrange for the ||> pick up as soon as we conclude the payment. ||> Thanks. ||> Jane...... ||>

||> To which I wrote back the following... ||>

||> Jane, ||>

||> The pictures are enclosed per request of the 1991 Jetta. The least ||> price for this car is $1800. If interested, my phone is 503-xxx-xxxx ||> for other information. ||>

||> Sincerely yours, ||> Thomas ||>

||> Finally, I received an email a day ago with the following... ||>

||> Dear THOMAS, ||>

||> Thanks for the response to our demand,and Happy to tell you that I ||> just concluded with our client and he has instructed to carry on with ||> the transaction,he said that I should inform you that payment will get ||> to you in a cashier check of $8,500.00 which is a refund payment of a ||> cancelled order earlier made by my client. ||>

||> Due to company policy this check has to be made out in this amount to ||> you ,because company policy only allows a refund payment on one ||> cashier check,so you are required to deduct cost of your (CAR) ||> $1,800.00 USD when payment gets to you and refund balance to my ||> client via western union money transfer or money gram transfer for him ||> to be able to offset shipping charges and also ship other cars which I ||> bought for my clients. ||> Please I want you to understand that I am entrusting the balance in ||> your hands,if this form of payment is not ok by you please don't ||> contact me. ||>

||> After payment has reached you and balance sent back to him,our agent ||> will come for the pick up and take to a prepaid shipper to be shipped ||> to my customer,while other necessary documents will be sent by you via ||> courier service to my client. ||>

||> Please Confirm this and provide NAME, ADDRESS and PHONE NUMBER for ||> check payment to be delivered to you via courier service. ||>

||> Thanks and God Bless. ||> Jane Martins... ||>

||> ------------------- ||> Now I don't want to miss an opportunity to sell my car, but this is ||> the strangest request I have ever heard of! Obviously, I am in need ||> of some more data to make a decision! Does anyone have any input? ||>

||> Thanks for the advice.. ||>

||> Thomas || ||

Rex in Fort Worth

This scam has become endemic to the point that many, if not most, US banks simply will not accept an out-of-state cashier's check any more.