Being interested in purchasing a certain kind of vehicle (Jeep Wrangler), I came across this ad on Craigslist today: http://newyork.craigslist.org/mnh/ctd/1648062538.html
The transcript of emails exchanged is below. The emails stopped after the last one I sent. By the time I sent the last one, I was really starting to think this is a scam. Now, after no reply to my last, I'm pretty convinced. At what point would you have smelled a rat? I gave him the benefit of the doubt at first, given what looked good in the craigslist ad + his intro as a soldier headed to Iraq + using eBay's Buyer Protection Program (which I haven't looked into yet, so I can't comment on). I may have make a mistake with sending my address, but ... If that's all a criminal needs, there are phone books everywhere. How would you follow up on this? Aren't scams like this actually attempted robberies? Is there an agency that looks after these things? Craigslist's interest seems to stop with flagging items. He's using an MSN account, but does MS care if one of their email accounts is used as an instrument in the commission of a crime? Who does care about these incidents? Is it the FBI? If it's ended now, I can't prove it was an attempted crime. I guess that's how they get away with it. Bill ------------------------------------------------- The email exchange from the inquiry forward follows: ------------------------------------------------- Hi, I'm interested in your Jeep Wrangler, if you still have it. http://newyork.craigslist.org/mnh/ctd/1648062538.html I'm in Floral Park, Long Island (near city line). Some questions: - mileage? - do you think it would run okay without any major repairs for a year or two? Thanks for your time and attention. Cordially Bill Arnold ---------------------------------------------------------- Hello, This 2002 Jeep Wrangler Sahara Coupe with 79,862 Miles, runs and drives excellent. This car has been extremely well maintained with a full service history. It has no leaks or drips and does not smoke at all. I have dropped my price to $3000 (purchase price), since this is an Urgent Sale! I will be deployed in Iraq with my platoon replacing the troops scheduled to come home. If you're interested to conclude this purchase in a timely manner, email me your full name and shipping address to open a case with eBay's Buyer Protection Program and they will contact you to explain the entire procedure. The financial part will be managed by them, which means that you will have a 10 days inspection period before committing to buy the vehicle. In this way both, buyer and seller are 100% covered during the steps of this transaction. Hope to hear from you soon, Capt. Mark Williams ---------------------------------------------------------- Hi Mark, Thanks for writing. Yes, I would like to move ahead with this. $3,000 sounds good to me, and I have the money. I'm William Arnold [address] ------------------------------------------------------------- Hello, Thank you for the info.I will register the deal with eBay and they will contact you in the next 24 hours.i hope today. Have a nice day ! Capt. Mark Williams ------------------------------------------------------------- Hi again Mark, In my earnest haste <g>, I didn't think to ask for some way I can identify you - that this isn't an Internet scam. Sorry for even having to think this, but I work in the Internet world, and the shit that goes on can be unbelievable. So please understand that before I transfer any money, I'll need to be sure I'm dealing with who I think I am, and it would be great to see the vehicle. I can travel to Chelsea (downtown nyc) tomorrow or any day this week (I'm retired now). I guess it's parked somewhere downtown, or? Cordially, Bill Arnold ------------------------------------------------------------------ Hello, At the moment I'm stationed in Reno,Nevada in a US Military AFB, making final preparations before deploying to Iraq. The vehicle is already at the shipping company, crated and ready to go. I had another customer who said it will buy and after I made all the necessary arrangements in advance and paid for all shipping & handling fees, changed his mind because didn't have all the money. Look!!! This is why I need to ship it since all transportation charges have already been paid by me. Shipping may take anywhere between 2 to 4 business days depending on the destination. All documents you need for ownership, title, manuals and bill of sale will be provided along with the vehicle. Thanks, hope to do business with you soon! Capt.Mark Williams -------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi Mark, I trust and hope you can understand that before any transaction takes place that I will need some way to know you are who you say you are, and the vehicle is for real. I'm really sorry for having to ask, but if you put yourself in my shoes - all I have are a few emails. I cannot make a transaction based only on emails. Cordially, Bill Arnold -------------------------------------------------------------------- _______________________________________________ Post Messages to: [email protected] Subscription Maintenance: http://leafe.com/mailman/listinfo/profox OT-free version of this list: http://leafe.com/mailman/listinfo/profoxtech Searchable Archive: http://leafe.com/archives/search/profox This message: http://leafe.com/archives/byMID/profox/94368743fc6144f8a81105455eb2c...@bills ** All postings, unless explicitly stated otherwise, are the opinions of the author, and do not constitute legal or medical advice. This statement is added to the messages for those lawyers who are too stupid to see the obvious.
