Scam?

[TaoJones]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

I was especially amused when the scammer said it was crated.

Heh . . . yeah, me too. I was thinking I could just re-sell the Wetsnail 32 and keep the shipping crate. If not as a guest house, then at least as a nice shop.

TaoJones

[Celestialsailor]

Yes...An Appalachia style home...

[David M]

The problem with these scams is that there are no conequences for the attempt at defrauding others. So all they have to do is to get away with it and they are free and clear.

[Bluewaters2812]

Originally Posted by David M

The problem with these scams is that there are no conequences for the attempt at defrauding others. So all they have to do is to get away with it and they are free and clear.

That's true ... and we have to acknowledge that they NEVER seem to part with money, so also never lose anything other than time and effort. Wish someone would come up with a way to make them feel it in their pockets.

[itsthatClaydude]

Hi all, Just received this reply to a vessel listed on sailboatlistings.com. Looks like a similar scam. If it's too good to be true it probably isn't true. Some of the wording is a clue as well.
Hi, My name is Alicia Chambers and I want to thank you for the interest in my boat. First, a few words about this 1989 Westerly Oceanlord:

I am the original owner, the boat is very clean, has been very well maintained, has no damage and is in great condition, never left in the water for a extended period of time.The boat comes with a dual axle trailer with disc brakes on all wheels. The trailer is in excellent shape. If you decide to buy it, you’ll receive all the papers, owner manual, keys, a buy-sell contract already signed by me and the clear title.
I have a low price ( $ 2,380 including delivery to your home address ) because I want to sell the boat very quickly. My husband died 2 months ago and I along with my daughter decided to sell the house and we moved to my sister. Unfortunately I can’t conclude this transaction personally because my work involves a lot of travelling but I left everything prepared for the sale. If you are really interested in purchasing the boat please contact me asap.

[itsthatClaydude]

Also under the "Avoid Fraud" section of the sailboatlistings website, Alicia's email address is listed.

[TaoJones]

Originally Posted by itsthatClaydude

Also under the "Avoid Fraud" section of the sailboatlistings website, Alicia's email address is listed.

Yes, that went on the list after the Westsail 32 fraud. The email address they're using on the Westerly Oceanlord fraud is:

palade432rw@gmail.com

Maybe a flood of CF readers' emails asking for details on this $2390 bargain (next cheapest Westerly Oceanlord on yachtworld is $101,848 and none of the five offered for sale are located in the US) would cripple their enterprise. I can't find the original source of the picture, so additional details on the vessel in the picture aren't yet available. Nice boat, though.

TaoJones

[denverd0n]

Originally Posted by Bluewaters2812

That's true ... and we have to acknowledge that they NEVER seem to part with money, so also never lose anything other than time and effort.

Well, as every businessman knows, time is money. That's why, just about the best and only thing you can do to screw with these scammers is to string them along and waste as much of their time as you can. Of course, that means you have to waste your own time, too.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by denverd0n

I read an article a while back, in a systems security journal, that pointed out that the internet scammers actually try to be a little bit obvious with their scams. It's a numbers thing for them. They contact thousands of people a week, and don't want to spend time with those who aren't going to fall for the scam. So they make it kind of obvious. That way, ordinarily, only the most oblivious--and therefore the most likely to fall for it--will bother to follow up. Everyone else sees it for the scam that it is, and doesn't waste time, their own or the scammers.

+1

Pretty obvious really - I think it is called "pre qualifying" . Plus even if an initial contact does not go anywhere they build a list of folks who might be up for something a bit "better" .....and sometimes that even real world (just because the e-mail may have originated from abroad does not mean that boots on the ground are not available down the road from "you", albeit all a bit less formal than the traditional organised crime model).

Always amuses me when folks think Nigerians etc have not discovered spell check etc . They want you to think you are smarter, until you prove you are not .

Oh, and the biggest lie ever told by a Scamster is............

........"you can't con an honest man" (you can just as easily, you just take a different approach and it takes more effort and time - hence most take the easier route).

[hellosailor]

Hmm, impersonating a soldier with intent to commit felony frauds...I wonder if the military would be interested in throwing her ass in the brig? I'd sure be willing to see my tax dollars used for that.

Better still "she" says she's about to be deployed. Hehe, find her & deploy her.

These people need to be collected & put in a bottle, and there are plenty of folks (AG, DA, military, state, federal, pick any or all) who get paid to enjoy doing just that for all of us.

[Bluewaters2812]

I am sure that I "prequalified" ... I sent the following message:

"Please let me have more detail. I am desperate to get out of the Uk and live a different life. Can I see the boat? Can I pay a deposit so I don't lose the opportunity?

Regards.

Len

Hahahahahahaha

[cheoah]

Originally Posted by Bluewaters2812

I am sure that I "prequalified" ... I sent the following message:

"Please let me have more detail. I am desperate to get out of the Uk and live a different life. Can I see the boat? Can I pay a deposit so I don't lose the opportunity?

Regards.

Len

Hahahahahahaha

Funny stuff. They prolly train for the counter-scam. I can see them now at scammer's forum, mulling over your response.

[Bluewaters2812]

Originally Posted by cheoah

Funny stuff. They prolly train for the counter-scam. I can see them now at scammer's forum, mulling over your response.

Haha, will see if this desperate homo sapiens gets a response. My big problem is I am not "local USA" .. hey, but who knows they might sense a gullible foreigner here. hahahahahahahahaha

[Blue Crab]

I was alerted to this as I'm boat shopping but when I checked there were many bidders, and the bidding was up to 2,000 USD something, which is more than I wanted to pay for a WS32.

I missed the free shipping bit courtesy of the gov't but I would have believed that given what we know goes on. Gov't oversight is the fox guarding the hen house.

[tropicalescape]

Originally Posted by denverd0n

Well, as every businessman knows, time is money. That's why, just about the best and only thing you can do to screw with these scammers is to string them along and waste as much of their time as you can. Of course, that means you have to waste your own time, too.

I received an email a few weeks back from a fellow in China named Simon Dong,he said he was looking for a collection agent for the Zhang electric car co.Before I could agree to anything ,I received a check for $81,000.00!! He said that I should keep 10% and send the rest to him!! It sure is a pretty check w /nice water marks and offical looking..I took it to the bank and they said it was good!! I emailed Mr .Dong(Dick) and told him that I cashed the check and asked what I should do next,he called me on the phone and said that "I had better send him his money" or he would send someone to "collect it"..He didnt sound like he was Asian and the phone number he called from was stateside California!! I told him to come on over and collect it ,that the FBI was interested in meeting him! I havent heard anything else out of him!! Oh well,I put the check in a frame that I have the first silver dollar my Grandpa gave me when I was a kid and a copy of my first check from the US treasury(DOD. contract)..My GF thinks I am going to be getting a call from the triads..I told her more like a visit from "The lords resistence army"(African thugs)..