Nigerian Scam Alert!!

Latest on Scammers   Update 5/18/07
Scammers in the Pets and Bird section are a fact of life, the main things to be aware of are:

MORE ON SCAMMERS    Update 5/18/07
As you know, we try to keep you up to speed on scammer activities. We're getting pretty upset with these scumbags as are most people trying to advertise vehicles on the Internet these days. At best they waste our time, and at worst they seem to be able to pull the wool over on some pretty nice people. Let's put a stop to these guys. The only way to shut them down is to starve 'em out. When everybody is alert to what they're up to, they'll be out of business.

We just came across a website that is trying to form a database of the email addresses and the phone numbers which these scammers use. The website is ScamChecker.com. The link to their Scam Data Search Engine is: http://www.scamchecker.com/index.html  You can type in the email of a possible scammer and see if it's in their database. You can do the same for a phone number.

If a potential buyer contacting you is in that database you'll know that it is a scam. You can report a scammer at this website also, both by email address and phone number.

The problem with this service is that it is so new that they don't have a big database yet. We have typed in emails of known scammers and the database said it did not have information on these guys. So if your buyer or seller is not in this database it does not mean they are okay. You need to be vigilant.

Since many of the recent scammers are using Yahoo mail addresses, if you find out you are being contacted by a scammer using a Yahoo address just contact: http://add.yahoo.com/fast/help/us/mail/cgi_abuse  Let them know about the scam and what you have experienced with this scammer. They need to know the email address which was used to contact you. They may need all of the header information in the email as well. They will shut them down.

CRIMINALS EXPAND THEIR SCAM BASE   Update 2/6/04
Cars are such a great hobby and I've met the best people through car shows, car clubs, etc. It's just a shame someone is always wanting to spoil a good thing. We've been posting warnings about the Nigerian scam for five years now. That's the one where a "broker" from overseas contacts you and says he's going to buy your car for his client. Then they send you a cashiers check for more than the amount you are asking for your car and ask you to refund them the overage. (See below for more on how this works.)

But just recently there is a new twist on the scam and it works like this. A "seller" acquires the credit card identity of someone in the U.S. Then he uses it to place fake ads on Internet web sites. The purpose of the scam is to get you to send him a "deposit." They will promise to sell you a car or motorcycle at a price that is way below the average value on that vehicle. Often they will tempt you by including shipping. Of course, the car does not exist and they are simply trying to get your "deposit" money. These sellers may say they are from somewhere in the U.S. or Canada, but when we track their IP addresses they are always from Romania, a former Eastern block country.

Sometimes these scams are easy to identify because the scammer does not want to talk to you by phone. They usually give fake phone numbers or the phone number of the person whose identity they stole to place the ad. They want to deal only by email. However, more recently we have noticed that people who are running these scams have become so bold as to take phone calls and pose as the person whose identity they stole. The way to shut them down is to ask if Cars On Line can inspect their vehicle. That usually stops them dead in their tracks.

We want our readers to be forewarned and armed with the right information to do business on the Internet. The Internet provides you with the ability to reach out to the whole world. But it also allows international criminals access to you that they would never have had before. Be vigilant and it will make us all safer.

THE CLASSIC NIGERIAN SCAM    Update 1/1/04
A con game we call the "Nigerian scam" is prevalent on the Internet. Most people who are trying to sell something on the Internet have already run into this situation. You are contacted by a "buyer" who wants to send you a cashiers check for an amount that is more than you are asking for your vehicle. The check looks so authentic that your bank can't tell it is a fake. Then the "buyer" asks you to refund the overrage to help him out.

The problem is that the original check will be a fake and when you refund the money, it will come out of your pocket. Last year, we had issued warnings for our advertisers not to be taken in by this scam. The scam is being run on anyone who may be selling something, i.e. real estate, jewelry, boats, etc. But cars are a natural for this scam because cars sell so frequently over the Internet that buyers and sellers who are intently focused on the sale don't often stop to think that they are being taken for a ride.

The way it works is like this: the buyer (usually claiming to be a broker representing a wealthy buyer or group of buyers from "whereever" (Sierre Leon, Israel, United Arab Emirates, South America or even London, England) sends a check for payment for the car. The check is for too much money, so he asks the owner of the car to cash the check and then send the overpayment back to the him. So the sting is that they get you to send the money back before you know if their check has cleared. Banks can't tell if the check is real for up to 17 days.

It used to be that the scammers all identified themselves as being from Nigeria, perhaps the most corrupt country on the planet. Now they will tell you they are from somewhere other than Nigeria, but when we trace the IP address of these emails they are almost always sent from a Yahoo mail account and the address always starts from Nigeria. The reason for that is that this scam is protected by the Nigerian government. Some say it is the fifth largest industry in Nigeria.

If you are contacted by buyers who identify themselves as being brokers from overseas, refer to this link: http://home.rica.net/alphae/419coal/

Please understand that any offer you get from a broker should be looked at with some skepticism. Then if they say they're going to send you a check for an amount that is more than the price you are asking for your car, tell them you will only accept the exact amount. It is best if you receive your payment in a Western Union money order. That way you don't have to give out your bank account number. They will use your personal information and your bank account number to scam other individuals. Additionally be advised that 100% of their credit cards and 100% of their bank drafts are phony.

Please don't get so excited about selling your car that you fall victim to one of these "criminals." Here at the Cars On Line office we want to make sure that none of our advertisers gets caught in the "pigeon drop."

The world is full of real buyers. Don't get suckered in by this scam.