Here's a Few Tips on Scammers
I’m adding a little humor to this one because I've been doing this for decades and it's the same ole template.
Common sense will ALWAYS be your friend during this process. If you have to ask any of these questions, those are your red flags:
I’m adding a little humor to this one because I've been doing this for decades and it's the same ole template.
Common sense will ALWAYS be your friend during this process. If you have to ask any of these questions, those are your red flags:
-Would I make a vehicle purchase this way?
-Sight unseen?
-No questions about my vehicle?
-Pay full price?
-Pay full price?
Why is this person contacting me from different information than what they originally included on their inquiry?
Why are they telling me they are in the hospital/on an oil rig/too busy and can’t do a wire transfer yet they can contact their “shipper” and send you a cashier’s check for more money so you can send money to the shipper for them?(I hope you’re starting to see how silly all of this sounds).
Now, let me get serious. With all of the new tools available for ANYONE to use to disguise their email address, phone number, etc, it is very difficult for our software to catch these types of scams.
The scammers pray on the desperate. The folks that know it is "too good to be true" but hope that this one will be different. They talk a good talk but if you pay attention, none of it makes sense.
Please pay attention to your correspondence with a potential buyer and avoid sharing sensitive information (Don't send a copy of your driver's license, don't give them your physical address to send a fake cashier's check to, no social security number, no fingerprint card, do not tell them the name of your first pet.... Hopefully you get the point now). No one is going to send extra money for shipping, and cashier's checks are easily counterfeited. DO NOT ACCEPT A CASHIER’S CHECK FOR PAYMENT.
We have already heard many many stories about folks that almost got scammed. Unfortunately, there have also been some that ignored the warnings and were scammed.
The scam, in a nutshell:
Scammer: “Hey, this is. I sent you an inquiry from my other email address. I want to buy your car, blah, blah, blah, etc. I’m in the hospital/on an oil rig/ stationed overseas/whatever other nonsense. I’m going to send you a cashier’s check for the cost of your vehicle plus shipping. Once it clears, send the extra money to my shipper .”
The cashier’s check with look legitimate. It is NOT. Remember way back when thieves used to “wash” personal checks and try to pass them off? Same thing. Most banks will release a certain amount of money in good faith that the check you deposited will clear. This will give the appearance that the cashier’s check was good. It is NOT. It can take your bank up to a month to get confirmation whether the check is real or not. You, not realizing that the money has not been confirmed yet, withdraw the cash, send the extra shipping money to whomever they ask you to, your bank catches up to you to say the cashier’s check was fraudulent and you owe them the money you have withdrawn.
The lesson:
DO NOT ACCEPT A CASHIER’S CHECK FOR PAYMENT
I apologize for the lengthy email but WeBeAutos.com cares about its sellers and we do not want to see any of you fall victim to a scam.
If you have any questions, please feel free to call or email me.
Stay sharp and vigilant my friends,
Michael Runnalls, President
WeBe Autos Ltd
[email protected]
631-339-0399
Why are they telling me they are in the hospital/on an oil rig/too busy and can’t do a wire transfer yet they can contact their “shipper” and send you a cashier’s check for more money so you can send money to the shipper for them?(I hope you’re starting to see how silly all of this sounds).
Now, let me get serious. With all of the new tools available for ANYONE to use to disguise their email address, phone number, etc, it is very difficult for our software to catch these types of scams.
The scammers pray on the desperate. The folks that know it is "too good to be true" but hope that this one will be different. They talk a good talk but if you pay attention, none of it makes sense.
Please pay attention to your correspondence with a potential buyer and avoid sharing sensitive information (Don't send a copy of your driver's license, don't give them your physical address to send a fake cashier's check to, no social security number, no fingerprint card, do not tell them the name of your first pet.... Hopefully you get the point now). No one is going to send extra money for shipping, and cashier's checks are easily counterfeited. DO NOT ACCEPT A CASHIER’S CHECK FOR PAYMENT.
We have already heard many many stories about folks that almost got scammed. Unfortunately, there have also been some that ignored the warnings and were scammed.
The scam, in a nutshell:
Scammer: “Hey, this is
The cashier’s check with look legitimate. It is NOT. Remember way back when thieves used to “wash” personal checks and try to pass them off? Same thing. Most banks will release a certain amount of money in good faith that the check you deposited will clear. This will give the appearance that the cashier’s check was good. It is NOT. It can take your bank up to a month to get confirmation whether the check is real or not. You, not realizing that the money has not been confirmed yet, withdraw the cash, send the extra shipping money to whomever they ask you to, your bank catches up to you to say the cashier’s check was fraudulent and you owe them the money you have withdrawn.
The lesson:
DO NOT ACCEPT A CASHIER’S CHECK FOR PAYMENT
I apologize for the lengthy email but WeBeAutos.com cares about its sellers and we do not want to see any of you fall victim to a scam.
If you have any questions, please feel free to call or email me.
Stay sharp and vigilant my friends,
Michael Runnalls, President
WeBe Autos Ltd
[email protected]
631-339-0399