Complaint Review: SSgt. Susan Williams USAF1 SOMOS/MXOOA Maintenance Analysis DSN 579-1794 - Madrid Internet

Hi, I just put in a very similar report - only the names are different. Diane Martin selling a Prius (reduced to $4,900 from $5,000) and a probably 'bogus' agent for eBay to hold the money. There were several red flags and it took ALL OF THEM to stop a naive person like myself from sending the money. The final fact that I was going to transfer money to an unknown person in Italy of all places made me do some research in EARNEST. She is supposedly leaving the country (not sure if Canada or US) to go to Libya with her 'platoon' in a matter of a week.           

Two weeks ago I noticed another ad on Autotrader that seemed too good to be true - a lexus in LONDON, ON $4,600 with very low mileage and the owner was 'transferred to the UK' and couldn't get it licensed there. When I contacted him the car was 'crated in Thunderbay ready for transport'. They are counting on your desire for 'the dream' and the distance to travel to make you fall for it.

The names don't matter - they are all BOGUS. They are not who they say they are.  The eBay is a front - not connected in any way to the real thing (notice that it wants you to reply to the e-mail itself and not to go into the actual website for help). Mine even had the advert for the Trucking Company they were using (with no link - so I researched it as well - see Flag 3). The only real thing is the number you transferred your money to - everything else is bogus. (Unfortunately). These people do not work. This is their 'work'.

Flag 1 - the car is just under $5,000 (and obviously thousands of dollars below normal). Authorities won't bother themselves with anything under this. The picture has absolutely no license plate on it.

Flag 2 - the seller won't give you their actual location nor their phone number.

Flag 3 - the car is already warehoused and ready to ship in one form or another. Note: Carriers/movers do not house unsold cars for individuals like this. Also, the car is advertised in one city and 'mysteriously' is warehoused hundreds/thousands of miles away within a week. Really?

Flag 4 - they encourage you to send money via transfer (like Western Union) to an individual person whom, if you look closely, is not associated at all with any representation of eBay. On it's website Western Union says ABSOLUTELY NOT to send money through them to a person unknown to yourself - especially if they are coaching you on how to answer their questions. One ploy I got was that it was cheaper to say you're sending to a relative/friend (1-3%) charge rather than up to 10% for business or using the internet with your credit card. All bogus and misleading. I checked.

I'm so sorry you learned after the fact. There are hundreds, possibly thousands of people being conned like this every day. Don't be embarrassed. Advertise. Advertise. Advertise. Tommorrow the names and 'pretty special circumstances' will change but the scam won't. The only thing I don't know is if it's more than a handful of people doing this. I have a feeling they may be all in the same building in Asia or it could be the guy next door. Someday we might know. I think I might start a new career.

 I'll have to admit this was the first time I;ve heard of this one. I saved you some time by going on Military.com and posting that phoney stuff they gave you.

The AF mod printed one using your info almost word for word. As I said, I'd never heard of this one. I don't fall for psychics," Your uncle Muhammed Muhammed died and left you a gazzillion dollars," or any of the others. Personally, I test drive my future cars and buy them from legitimate dealers.

The part I like in this scam, is where they're gonna put the vehicle ON A PLANE and ship it to THE NEAREST AIRPORT in her area. Like it's a puppy or a package. Lord, another shot me in the head post. I guess the OP has no idea that putting a vehicle on a plane and shipping it would cost MORE then the value of the vehicle. I can see it now? Would you like your car overnighted or second day for an EXTRA $18? Then to top it off she threatens "them" with a lawyer. Let's just hope she isn't contacted by a "lawyer" who requires a retainer UP FRONT, to go after "them".

Everytime I see a post like this it amazes me what people "fall" for.  You went through Craigslist which has warnings all over their site that describe your situation almost point for point.  But you choose to IGNORE the warnings completely.

I am sorry but really the only one you have to blame is yourself, and don't bother with the lawyer because they won't get your money back either.

This is not the persons name, they are not a member of the military, the chances of them even being a US Citizen is about zero.  In fact they may not even be a "she".  You didn't get anything from eBay so that "Invoice Number" is worthless.  Any address information they gave you is fake or belongs to someone who has nothing to do with this.  If they gave you a phone number it is either to a throw-away cell phone or Internet based phone, both are basically untraceable.  Any e-mail adddress they gave you is also to some generic e-mail address that anyone can get, again untraceable.  The only thing that they told you that was probably true is that they are in Europe, which in addition to everything else makes catching them next to impossible.

You didn't say how much you lost, but my guess is that they were selling the car for well under "Blue Book".  There is an old saying "If it is too good to be true, it probably is".

 

  Every Craigslist post has the following text highlighted at the top :

Avoid scams and fraud by dealing locally! Beware any deal involving Western Union, Moneygram, wire transfer, cashier check, money order, shipping, escrow, or any promise of transaction protection/certification/guarantee.

   I underlined the applicable parts.

"Well I paid the money to a Western Union"

  Big mistake.  Anyone that you don't personally know that asks you to send money this way is a scammer.   Scammers know that it's the only way to get your money without leaving a paper trail.

"and got a payment confirmation back from eBay Financial Dept."

  Actually, you got an email back from a scammer.  Why would Ebay have anything to do with a car for sale on Craigslist?

" I have sent several emails and told them to return our money or we would get a lawyer."

  Why?  You sent untraceable cash to an unknown person.  Unless it is a psychic lawyer, he's not going to know where your money went either.

"  This is the eBay Motors Purchase Invoice #5721126609 that was sent from eBay Financial Dept."

  No, it's actually just a fake document that a scammer made up on a computer. 

" I think that if she is in the military she sould be proscuted if this is a scam."

   People who steal money on the Internet rarely tell the truth about who they are and who they work for.    Bottom line, you have no idea who posted the ad on Craigslist, or who collected your money.   The best you can do is to take this as a very expensive lesson to heed the warnings on Craiglist posts.  They're there for a reason.

 As a 12 year AF veteran you lost me at USAF1. Never heard of it. What you can do is go to Military.com Air Force General discussion and ask what all those letters mean. Something doesn't look right about that.
And you can't mention this website or any other site or unfortunately your post will be locked. Good luck to you.

I can't believe people still fall for this.  You've been scammed and your money is gone.  You ignored every warning Craigslist puts on their site.  Craigslist and Ebay have nothing to do with each other.  Why would you purchase a car sight unseen?  Why would you wire money to someone you've never met?  Forget the attorney, you have no one to sue.  I'd be surprised if the Air Force Staff Sargeant even exists.  And if she does, I'll bet she knows nothing about this.  You've just learned a tough and expensive lesson, if it's to good to be true, it probably is.