RUMCars Forum

General Category => RUMCar Mart => Topic started by: Alastair on October 08, 2012, 07:13:52 PM

Title: WARNING - Scammer using the Forum
Post by: Alastair on October 08, 2012, 07:13:52 PM
A word of warning for forum users.
Back in 2008 I posted a wanted ad for Bond Mk C parts and a couple of days ago I received an email purporting to be from someone who was “breaking a 1955 Mk C in our warehouse”. I was immediately put on my guard because the title of the email was simply the text of my advert (or at least as many characters as is allowed) pasted in.
There followed an exchange of emails (in slightly suspect English and a lot cut and pasted from my own emails). Each email demanded my home address “for the courier”- strange as at that point no sale had been agreed.
Eventually after many requests to see photos of the parts under discussion I was sent one head-on view of a Mk D with no registration number.
To cut a long story short it was about the 5th email before the “seller” said his warehouse was in California (well that really pins it down and California obviously has so many tidy Mk C & D models that they break them!). He quoted $1550 for some parts including carriage and I told him I wasn’t interested. Then I got the “how much will you offer me” line.
Given that a very large part of the price would be carriage it’s hard to see how the price could be reduced but then again he had constantly refused to actually put a price on the parts.
I’ve strung the email exchange along for the last 4 days often getting 3-4 emails a day and often within minutes of me sending one – that intrigued me given that he must have been working a nightshift! Eventually today out of interest I did a trace on his emails and they originate in Georgia (USA – but the wrong side!).
I’ve had my fun and strangely won’t be buying anything but I thought I should pass this info on in case wanted adverts in the Forum are now being targeted by a scammer.
We aware – be very aware if David W Smith emails you!

P.S. I’m still looking for parts!   
Title: Re: WARNING - Scammer using the Forum
Post by: Jim Janecek on October 08, 2012, 09:08:25 PM
can you forward me the email address used or if possible the IP address used (since you were able to tell it came from Georgia)

best would be the long headers if you know how to show those.

jim@microcar.org