Fraud alert! In relation to selling bikes.

If you're selling a moderately expensive bike, beware of people
like Mike Adams sending you a forged
or stolen cheque, especially if it arrives in an envelope with
Nigerian stamps.

The other part of the scam is the "shipping cost" will be
significantly larger than the value of the bike. The scammer will
ask that the "shipping cost" is transferred via (someone like)
Western Union to an address (probably) in the U. S. of A.

There will appear to be a great hurry to transfer the funds, because
the cheque will _appear_ to cash Ok. One/two weeks later the cheque
will be returned as stolen/fraudulent and the money you _thought_
you had in your account will evaporate instantly.

[I've not lost any money or bike, as the fraud guy at Western Union
alerted me. Thank you J!]

The 15 email messages I received in relation to this scam, all came
from just four Wi-Fi modem/routers. The IP addresses a 81.199.6.63 ,
81.199.83.148 , 212.199.109.82 , 81.18,33.124

One of the things that smelt bad about this whole thing, was that some
email messages from Mike Adams also, came from the same IP address as
"the shipping company"[1].

[1] This is just a "front" to receive your money, in my case Mike Adams
invented or colluded with "Tony Lloyd"


Naturally, I've informed both my bank and the local police about all this.

Regards, and safe shopping.

The Slacker (who can be very cunning if it becomes necessary).

slacker wrote:

The Slacker (who can be very cunning if it becomes necessary).

Just not cunning enough not to fall for one of the oldest tricks in the
book.

;-)

slacker wrote:

The other part of the scam is the "shipping cost" will be
significantly larger than the value of the bike. The scammer will
ask that the "shipping cost" is transferred via (someone like)
Western Union to an address (probably) in the U. S. of A.


Thanks for the heads up - but why is he charging you shipping for a bike
you are selling to him?

Tony

Tony Raven opined the following...
Thanks for the heads up - but why is he charging you shipping for a bike
you are selling to him?

Apologies if the above was sarcasm on your part but...

This is one of the greatest scams.

a) You advertise a product for sale.
b) "Bob" contacts you and agrees to buy it.
c) "Bob" would like it shipped abroad, but agrees to pay the postage.
d) "Bob" has a contact ("Charles") in the UK who owes him money so he
has agreed that "Charles" sends you a cheque (In your name) for the
money that he owes "Bob".
e) You are to deduct the agreed amount + the postage and use Western
Union to transfer the remainder to "Bob".
f) If you get this far without smelling a scam, you post the product to
"Bob", cash his cheque and transfer the appropriate some, wondering at
the trusting nature of some individuals and at how easy it would have
been to scam him.
g) The cheque bounces, you have paid "Bob" a considerable sum of money
_and_ he's been sent whatever it was you were selling for free!

Search for the P-P-P-Powerbook to read a very funny story of the guys
who got even!

Jon

"Jon Senior" jon_AT_restlesslemon_DOTco_DOT_uk wrote in message
...

g) The cheque bounces, you have paid "Bob" a considerable sum of money
_and_ he's been sent whatever it was you were selling for free!

The whole thing sounds crazy, as a seller gets funds *in* not *out*, but the
stupidest thing would be to count an uncleared cheque as "cash"!

Jon Senior wrote:

Tony Raven opined the following...

Thanks for the heads up - but why is he charging you shipping for a bike
you are selling to him?


Apologies if the above was sarcasm on your part but...

This is one of the greatest scams.


I know that scam but it didn't seem to tally with the OP's comments
about the shipping charge,

Tony

Adrian Boliston wrote:


The whole thing sounds crazy, as a seller gets funds *in* not *out*,

That, of course, is why people (apparently) fall for it.

but the
stupidest thing would be to count an uncleared cheque as "cash"!

Well, AIUI, cheques can appear cleared initially and then subsequently
bounce. Ie "cleared funds" are only cleared on the assumption that the
cheque will not subsequently be found to be fraudulent. Not sure about
this but it's what I've heard.

James
--
If I have seen further than others, it is
by treading on the toes of giants.
http://www.ne.jp/asahi/julesandjames/home/

Well, AIUI, cheques can appear cleared initially and then subsequently
bounce. Ie "cleared funds" are only cleared on the assumption that the
cheque will not subsequently be found to be fraudulent. Not sure about
this but it's what I've heard.

AFAIK you're right. The bank will (normally) even allow you to withdraw
all or some of the value of the cheque on the strength of the cheque[1] on
the understanding that you pay the fine if it bounces.

[1] Yes, I know that may not make sense, but it's one thirty in the morning
and I'm pleasantly drunk. I'm working on the assumption that anyone that
reads usenet is intelligent enough to know what I'm prattling on about, and
those that read this ng through cyclingforums are second class citizens so
no one cares if they can't understand :-P

Tony Raven opined the following...
Jon Senior wrote:

Tony Raven opined the following...

Thanks for the heads up - but why is he charging you shipping for a bike
you are selling to him?


Apologies if the above was sarcasm on your part but...

This is one of the greatest scams.


I know that scam but it didn't seem to tally with the OP's comments
about the shipping charge,

I must confess, I just jumped to that conclusion based on what I'd seen
and read earlier. I assumed that the OP was was referring to the large
payment that would be made for a relatively small charge and the rest of
the post seemed to tie in with that particular scam!

Jon

"Mark Thompson" wrote in message
93.157...
: Well, AIUI, cheques can appear cleared initially and then subsequently
: bounce. Ie "cleared funds" are only cleared on the assumption that the
: cheque will not subsequently be found to be fraudulent. Not sure about
: this but it's what I've heard.
:
: AFAIK you're right. The bank will (normally) even allow you to withdraw
: all or some of the value of the cheque on the strength of the cheque[1] on
: the understanding that you pay the fine if it bounces.
:
: [1] Yes, I know that may not make sense, but it's one thirty in the
morning
: and I'm pleasantly drunk. I'm working on the assumption that anyone that
: reads usenet is intelligent enough to know what I'm prattling on about,
and
: those that read this ng through cyclingforums are second class citizens so
: no one cares if they can't understand :-P

Aye, your prattle is about right :-). I sold something to an ebayer, cheque
cleared according to my internet banking, then a week later the bank
returned the cheque to me saying that it'd bounced. Took me 2 months to get
the money, but got it in the end.

Rob