Ebay Scam---Detailed Information

[ocaj11]

So, we all know ebay has tons of scams running each day. I bid on a Valtra 6400 Cab Tractor with loader. Of course my bid was too low. While the auction was still going on, I get an email offering me the same model tractor for $21,000. I let the sender know that I would buy the tractor. After a few emails back and forth, I got the following information:

you can make wire bank transfer . here are my bank account details . please let me know if you want that tractor or to contact others persons.
here are my bank details
Account Holder: Brandy P Warner
Bank Name: Davis Trust Company
Bank Address: 227 Davis Ave po box 1429 Elkins, WV, 26241
Account Number: 1319478
Routing Number: 051501134

please reply me when the transfer is ready also scan the receipt from bank so i can be sure that you have deposited the money. also please tell me when you can come to take the tractor... please reply asap because i must to have the deposit to know if must to keep it for you or must to sell to other. thanks, Ms. Brandy

Does anyone know if I can forward this information to someone that might investigate?? Would it be helpful in any way??

 

[fishman]

I'm not sure why you think that is a scam? Might be, but there aren't any obvious clues to me, at least. I wouldn't buy a tractor on Ebay, but lots of folks do. Of course if you buy like this, outside of Ebay, you will have no protection. Still doesn't mean it's a scam, they're just circumventing the Ebay listing fees.

 

[normde2001]

I don't see anything to investigate, unless it's their poor English /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif.

 

[coveredbridge]

You should forward this information to the bank - Davis Trust Company, www.davistrust.com, phone 304-636-0991. It seems very likely that this is an attempt to use an FDIC insured bank to perpetrate wire fraud. I think Davis Trust, upon receipt of your information, will be obligated by federal law to investigate.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Well I'm going to agree that something MIGHT be fishy but I won't go as far as saying I'm certain.

First is the lack of command of the English language. And I am not talking about spelling (I'd be locked up in jail for my spelling errors) or grammar, I am referring to sentence syntax and structure.

Second is the way it is signed: "Ms Brandy" As Brandy is her(?) first name, it is unusual for an American supposedly living in WV to sign that way. Now it is not uncommon to see that type of signature from English speaking Nigerians (home of many a scam) and a few other non-Americans.

Third is the need for the bank scan. Frankly I transfer money daily, it is one of the main things I do at work, and why I am on the computer so often. . . and there is no reason for someone to have to fax me, or for me to fax them a copy of the transaction. It is on the computer, both on my end and on their end! So that whole process she(?) is asking for is a red flag to me.

Fourth is the lack of a physical pick up address to retrieve the tractor, or at least inspect it. In fact, I'd probably follow up with an email back to her(?) saying I have a friend who will be doing a tractor inspection for me, where can he come and see it??? The reply to that question will be very telling.

Ditto what 'coveredbridge' wrote.

 

[ocaj11]

It's definately a scam, I didn't want to bore you with the details, but I'll list a few here for info:

The Valtra tractor I bid on was a 100HP Cab, 4wd, Front End Loader, lots of options. The bid was at 30,100 when it ended with "reserve not met". This is an EXPENSIVE tractor. The scammer just happens to have one that they will sell me for $21,000 dollars and they are nice enough to include free shipping from WV to AR.

I immediately knew it was a scam because I never contacted this person. They got my email info from the bid history on the legitimate ebay auction and solicited me out of the blue.

Original Message:
i can sell you 2003 Valtra 6400 Tractor 4WD with Valtra 740 Loader for 21,000$ , also free delivery . please reply me if do you want to kee for you or sell to other buyer.

I informed the scammer that I would most certainly buy his tractor, but he needed to give me directions.

Reply: i am located Elkins, WV. and tell me if you can make an deposit so i can keep for you that tractor because i have another customer who want to buy. do you want to keep it for you for sure. thank you. best regards, Ms. Brandy

I replied that I had a friend in Charleston WV that could come pick the tractor up but I needed directions and a phone number. No reply.

Finally, nothing to go on, so I just sent them a mail and told them I had decided to wire all the money and that I was excited about the tractor. The email above is their reply.

So, the question isn't whether or not it's a scam, but what to do with the information and could a law enforcement agency use it.

I'll take the advice and forward to the financial instution.

 

[GeneD14]

There is a branch of the FBI that is devoted to investigating internet fraud. It may worth it to report this to your local office and let them worry about it.

 

[JasonL]

If the email came through Ebay, you can forward it to spoof@ebay.com I had a similar experience when I bid on woodworking tools. After the auction (which I did not win) I received at least 13 emails saying that the item was still available and to contact them. DO NOT DO IT!! If you do through their links they can get your account info. I forwarded them to ebay, and they replied but I don't know if they really do anything. On the positive side, I recently bought my tractor and attachments on Ebay (550 miles away), and had a wonderful experience! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gifJason

 

[KenVT]

If anyone ever gets these phony '2nd chance offers'... do a 'view source' on the email, and find out where it actually came from, any email can be created to virtually look like any other email... if you know how.

Scams I've recieved or seen:

Dead relative in another country with money to give away(nigerian)
Ebay tractor: TC30 for $5500, New! reply Email in add was different than users Email, reply email was full of broken English, and the picture was of a TC30 sitting in front of Tarheel Tractor in NC! (his Email said he worked for an airline and could ship it for free, from england... huh, 4000 lbs flown in for free!)
Another is the Email that looks like Ebay, but asks you to input your user and password for verification.

Ken

 

[Tollster]

First off. Always review all ebay feedback left from other purchasers. If they have zero feedback do not permit yourself to be sucked into the oppertunity of a lifetime.
Second. Never purchase anything from anyone that has first contacted you. Its likely to be a scam.
Third. Always follow ebay protocal, there are built in preventive measures to ensure the person you are dealing with is legit.
Forth. from time to time change your passwords and write them down somewhere for recall, and do not have the same passwords for all your accounts.
Fifth. Do not respond to ebay notices or paypal notices through hyperlinks that where sent to you in your mail box. It may be a spoof allowing personal information to be accessed. Instead use the link you always have used and then contact the correct member or personel within the organization. Also cut and paste the erronious email for investigation.
Second guess everything, if it doesn't seem right its probally not.

 

[KiotiJohn]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( If they have zero feedback do not permit yourself to be sucked into the oppertunity of a lifetime. )</font>
All of this is great advice, but also be careful even with the ones with good ratings as they have often been highjacked and the real owner doesn't know sometimes until it's too late.
We've had posters post some scams where the real owner had inadvertently given out his/her password to a scammer, and they in turn used that account to put up a scam. They also did it as a "private" auction so no one could see the bidders names and let them know it's a scam. They would have a different e-mail address in the body of the auction to try to keep people from contacting the real owner.
Thanks for this informative post Tollster

 

[mark1]

Hi Ken..Your note says do a "View scan" what's that and how do you do it?? Thanks
mw /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[KenVT]

</font><font color="blueclass=small">( Hi Ken..Your note says do a "View scan" what's that and how do you do it?? Thanks
mw /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif )</font>

I know on Navagator mail, if you highlight mail before opening it and click on view on top toolbar, then down to message source, you can then view all source code,
if on outlook express, I belive all you need to do is highlight, right click and it is either document properties or message source.

EDITn outlook, highlight mail before reading, right click, properties, then message source. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Which Mail program do you use?

Ken

 

[newcountry]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( All of this is great advice, but also be careful even with the ones with good ratings as they have often been highjacked and the real owner doesn't know sometimes until it's too late... )</font>

A great reminder KiotiJohn. You can't always go by the positive ratings.

When I was looking for my tractor I found a recurring theme online- once on Ebay and once on a classifieds on IronClassifieds. Both were Kubotas that were about 1/2 price. I e-mailed the seller and got the same story on both. He claimed he had moved to England and had no need for his tractor and needed to sell it fast. They even claimed free shipping and if I didn't like it I could send it back and I'd get refunded /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif!! Yeah, RIGHT!! Shortly after conferring with these idiots my Ebay account was suspended as I may have put my account at risk by e-mailing this thief.
I'll also repeat what someone else said - DO NOT click on a link in any e-mail sent to you by any seller-- the thieves set up mirror sites that look just like ebay or any other site and can steal your password.

Lastly here's a site where scammers are getting a little of their own medicine. Very funny stuff! www.419eater.com/

 

[mark1]

Thanks Ken..I'll give it a try..I use Internet explorer and sometimes Mozilla firefox /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[buckslayer129]

This is more than likely a scam. When someone contacts you instead of you bidding on the item combined with the fact that they are circumventing Ebay's normal payment procedures is a red flag. I'm a Police Officer and while working in our Investigation division I worked an Ebay scam. Most of the scam are ran overseas with a mule in the U.S. picking up the money. During my Investigation I contacted the F.B.I. and they stated they would not get involved unless an actually loss exceeding $30,000.00 had occurred. The victim in my case lossed $2100.00 and I traced back a total of $12,000.00 in losses to the same suspect. The IP address used was located in ****** and was suspect to be ran a Russian crime syndicate. I would advise you to contact Ebay and explain the situation.

 

[TORQUIN]

For any large purchase you are not willing to lose the money for, insist on using an Escrow Service. It's as simple as that. The fee will be worth it if you don't lose your money. If the seller does not agree to using an escrow service then you can pretty much count on them being fraudulent.
I purchased a Harley rake from a member here. I did not know this fellow from Adam, and he contacted me about buying the rake after seeing my post on here asking about a Harley Rake. We corresponded a few times and I asked if he would have a problem going through an escrow service. He said that he would not. He suggested his bank forth eEscrow service, which I checked out with the FDIC first, to make sure it was a legit bank. I then went to the bank's web site and compared the info from their web site to the FDIC info, phone numbers, addresses, etc., and it matched. I called an spoke to the bank president also, per information I found independent of the seller. I used his bank, with a letter of intent/instructions to the bank president. Once the funds were there the seller shipped the rake.
The Harley rake arrived as advertised and I faxed a letter to the president of the bank to release the money to the seller.
All went well with this transaction and I took no chances on losing my money.
The seller understood, as this was thousands of dollars and neither of us wanted to get screwed. I told him, nothing personal, it's just business. I had a very good experience with this sale, but had to go into it suspicious since he solicited me. Regardless, with the large a sum of money, I'd use and Escrow service anyway, because it si wirth the fee for the protection you get.
I believe Ebay offers escrow services for the big ticket items. You'll have to decide for yourself how much money is too much to lose, and worth the escrow fee.

Chris