Just to help you all out, here's a message I got today about a bike I've just sold. This is without a doubt a scam e-mail (I used to frequent anti e-mail scam boards in a previous life, so stuff like this just screams scam to me).
> HELLO SELLER,
> I SAW THE ADVERT OF YOUR BIKE ON AUTOTRADER. WHICH IS FOR SALE. I AM OKAY
> WITH THE CONDITIONS OF THE
> BIKE AND I AM READY TO BUY FROM YOU. I AM BASED IN DUBLIN Ireland ,BUT
> AT THE MOMENT AM ENGAGED IN ALOT OF THINGS TO COME FOR THE VIEWING OF
> THE BIKE. AM OKAY WITH YOUR PRICE AND AM READY TO GIVE YOU EXTRA'S OF
> ?100 EXTRA FOR SECURING OF THE BIKE SO IT WOULD NOT BE SOLD TO ANOTHER
> BUYER,AND FOR YOU TO KNOW HOW COMMITED I AM IN BUYING FROM YOU.I WILL
> LIKE YOU TO KNOW THAT I CAN'T COME FOR THE VIEWING OF THE BIKE AS
> EARLIER STATED CAUSE I'M VERY BUSY AT WORK RIGHT NOW, BUT WITH WHAT I
> SAW ON THE ADVERT I AM SATISFIED.I WILL LIKE YOU TO SEND ME SOME
> PICTURES OF THE PRESENT LOOK OF THE BIKE.I LOVE THIS PARTICULAR MODEL.I
> WILL BE VERY HAPPY IF THE BIKE IS MINE. I WILL ALSO WANT YOU TO KNOW I
> WILL BE PAYING YOU WITH A BANKER'S DRAFT, THE AMOUNT ON THIS DRAFT WILL
> BE MORE THAN THE PRICE OF YOUR BIKE[OVERPAYMENT].THE EXCESS FUND ON THE
> DRAFT WILL BE FOR MY SHIPPING COMPANY THAT WILL COME FOR PICKUP OF THE
> BIKE AND SOME OF MY OTHER ITEMS I ALREADY BHOUGHT INSIDE AND OUTSIDE UK
> .ONCE YOU HAVE FUNDS CLEARED IN TO YOUR ACCOUNT YOU WILL DEDUCT YOUR
> TOTAL MONEY PLUS THE EXTRA'S FROM THE FUNDS AND WIRE THE EXCESS TO MY
> SHIPPING COMPANY FOR PICKUP, SO THAT THEY CAN PROCEED WITH THE
> NECESSARY PAPERWORK AND ARRANGE WITH YOU A CONVINIENT DATE AND TIME FOR
> PICKUP.IF THIS IS OKAY BY YOU,YOU WILL HAVE TO GET BACK TO ME WITH SOME
> NECESSARY INFORMATION WHICH WILL BE NEEDED FOR THIS TRANSACTION TO
> PROCEED.THE INFORMATION IS AS FOLLOW; YOUR FULL NAME....YOUR FULL
> ADDRESS WITH POSTCODE......YOUR TELEPHONE NUMBERS BOTH OFFICE AND
> MOBILE/HOME NUMBERS...N:BTHE NAME YOU GIVE WILL BE THE NAME YOU WILL
> SEE ON THE CHEQUE AND IT WILL BE SENT TO THE ADDRESS YOU MAIL TO
> ME.YOUR PHONE NUMBERIS FOR TIME TO TIME CONTACT.ALSO IF ANY BUYER
> CONTACT YOU ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR BIKE, PLEASE TELL THEM IT'S ALREADY
> BEEN SOLD CAUSE AM READY TO MAKE PAYMENT AS SOON AS I GET THOSEal
> DETAILS NEEDED FROM YOU.. I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO A HAPPY
> TRANSACTION.HOPING TO READ FROM YOU SOON. REGARDS
Beware of anyone offering to overpay and either let you keep the balance or use the extra to pay the shipping company on their behalf. A little Googling will tell you a lot more about this type of scam and do it more eloquantly than I can.
