We spotted a caravan advertised at a very attractive price (£4000 but should have been about £7000) with only a very brief description and a request to email for more details. The reply we received said that the price was low because they wanted a quick sale to buy a property and they were in Spain on business and so was the caravan. The van would be shipped directly to our address and the payment would be held by a third party (the shipping company) until we were satisfied. The full description of the van sounded excellent but we have done nothing about it because it seems too good to be true and I suspect it is a scam though I dont know how it would work. Has anyone else come across this? Jim.
Is this a scam?
- Thread starter JandP
- Start date
Damian
Moderator
Quote"it seems too good to be true " that is because IT IS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE!!!!!
How many times this kind of thing comes up is unbelievable, and even more astounding are the number of people who actually believe it!!
How it works, simple, you agree to send money to "shipping agent", who in fact is the scammer, he promises you delivery of the van, but ,,,,,,oh god,,,,,,some time later,,the van fails to materialise,,,,,,,,,,,,,what a surprise.
You then try to get your money back, only to find, the same day you paid the money in to the "shipping agent", the account was emptied and closed,you have lost your money and got no van,simple.
How many times this kind of thing comes up is unbelievable, and even more astounding are the number of people who actually believe it!!
How it works, simple, you agree to send money to "shipping agent", who in fact is the scammer, he promises you delivery of the van, but ,,,,,,oh god,,,,,,some time later,,the van fails to materialise,,,,,,,,,,,,,what a surprise.
You then try to get your money back, only to find, the same day you paid the money in to the "shipping agent", the account was emptied and closed,you have lost your money and got no van,simple.
Damian
Moderator
Forgot to add, he probably "sold" the non existant van to several other punters who were on the look out for something which seemed too good to be true, and it was, too good to be true as it never ever was available in the first place.
I thought about asking for the details of the "shipping agent" so we could check it out but there were so many other things that didnt ring true that I lost interest.
A friend advertised her car for sale for
A friend advertised her car for sale for
Don't waste money on a phone call. It's a common scam probably originating in Nigeria. Pretend you never saw the ad. and forget it.
Just contacted AutoTrader about this. They confirm that this is almost certainly a scam and they will investigate and withdraw the ad. They dont advertise anything that is not available in the UK. I just hope nobody has been taken in by this and lost their money. Jim.
This scam was aired on here about three months ago and the 'seller'even had a picture of the van that was in a yard clearly taken at some dealers premises,steer well clear.
Unless you can actually view the caravan (or any other vehicle/property) in person do not lay out any cash. Even on viewing don't be fooled. It could still be stolen. Take note of all the possible numbers on/or around the van. Also make a note of the address where you view the van and also the registration of any vehicles in the vacinity. Taking particular note to a 'towing' vehicle. Always better to be safe than sorry.
Ann
Ann
Ok thats sorted, now does anybody know where I can buy a nice Abbey Freestyle 540, 2003, in excellent condition, with a new awning etc for
I dealt with a job once where a chap had 'bought' on Ebay a smart car for a large sum of money and, at the request of the seller, had transferred the money to an account in Eire.
Strangely enough the car never appeared...when i checked the index number on the photograph advertised on Ebay the car in question was still on the dealer's forecourt in the midlands !!!
Moral of the story is: "if looks too good to be true IT IS, walk away"
Strangely enough the car never appeared...when i checked the index number on the photograph advertised on Ebay the car in question was still on the dealer's forecourt in the midlands !!!
Moral of the story is: "if looks too good to be true IT IS, walk away"
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