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Looks like a SCAM Attempt

I'm not crazy about posts like this one, but at least a once a month reminding about buying and selling on the internet, seems worthwhile to me. I hope nobody falls for these scams and I realize that's wishful thinking but we'll keep making mention of it as long as the activity exists. Back in July of 2008 it was reported that the community was coordinating on identifying potential frauds, and that was followed up about a year ago today. Here is where we are at in August 2009.

By Michael Dorausch, D.C.

I’m not crazy about posts like this one, but at least a once a month reminding about buying and selling on the internet, seems worthwhile to me. I hope nobody falls for these scams and I realize that’s wishful thinking but we’ll keep making mention of it as long as the activity exists. Back in July of 2008 it was reported that the community was coordinating on identifying potential frauds, and that was followed up about a year ago today. Here is where we are at in August 2009.

scam emails money order requests
It’s the same game from those that like to send out offers to purchase peoples equipment. It doesn’t matter if you’re selling expensive camera lenses, motorcycles, sewing machines, laptop computers, or in the chiropractic classifieds case… chiropractic tables, scammers just want to separate you from your money.

In many cases (like this one) scammers only slightly modify their e-mail address and name. The pitch to separate people from their products is still the same. Here’s some information, that was forwarded to me, with a scammer using nearly the exact same e-mail address used in a similar scam months ago.

========================================
From: <[email protected]>
Subject: Reply To Ad
Sender IP: 204.106.8.120 (in this case the IP address traces to Canada)

Hello,

I just place a look on your item and i am interested
in immediate purchase of this item,but before i proceed
on this transaction i will like to ask some question as follow.

1.What is the condition of the item?

2. Do you accept a ( Check / money order) as a mode of
payment?

3. What is the final asking prize you can go at last?

4. Will you let our shipping company to come to your
house for the pick up of the item cos we don’t want you
to worry yourself about the shipping of the item.

5. Will you be able to send the are remaining
fund back to the shipping company via western union
money transfer same day you receive and cash the
Check or the money order for the arrangement of the home pick up from your house

6.if okay You are to send your NAME,ADDRESS,CITY,STATE,POSTCODE,TEL #
to mail out the payment.

Regards.

Smith

smith
[email protected]
========================================

So Matt Smith is still at it. I would hope that anybody selling any product online, would recognize the above e-mail request for information as a scam. Unfortunately, people still do reply to such e-mails, I believe mostly because they’re excited by the thought that they may sell their item and make some money. Anytime somebody e-mails a reply for something you have posted on a forum or classified ad website, always best to pause and review the e-mail for anything potentially fishy. It’s also very easy to perform a search on the name and/or e-mail address you are contacted by in a way to discover if there is any previous knowledge posted about the individual being a scammer.

Use common sense and know you’re doing business with online.

planetc1.com-news @ 12:28 pm | Article ID: 1249327741

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