COBRA ROADSTER REPLICA FOR SALE

[Dave A]

Now all we need is someone looking to buy a Cobra Roadster

[Martinco]

I have rec'd the following email.....................what do you think, does it smell ?
I have sent her mails with my name, why does she refer to me as "DEAR SELLER" ?

DEAR SELLER,


Thanks for the information. I am at sea at the moment because I work as a
Marine Engineer but I still have my family house in South Africa where I
lived for many years before relocating to the United States of America to
join my husband, and accordingly, I will be pleased to make the payment in
the United States dollars equivalent which is easily convertible to South
African Rands.


I will however be paying you by PayPal and insist on this payment medium
because I don't have access to my bank account online as I don't have
Internet banking. But I can pay from my PayPal account because my bank
account is fully linked and attached to it, and besides, the payment system
is perfectly secured for both of us. I will therefore need you to give me
your PayPal email address and your acceptable exchange rate of South African
Rands to United States Dollars so that I can make the payment as soon as
possible. In case you don’t have PayPal account, you can easily set one up
within a minute at any branch of First National Bank in South Africa or go
to www.PayPal.com <http://www.paypal.com/>. Should you also wish to have
more information about PayPal which is now widely used for payments in South
Africa, the First National Bank in South Africa would be glad to help, you
could also obtain first hand information from FNB website on thins link
https://www.fnb.co.za/news/archive/2...325paypal.html Please don’t
worry about the PayPal charges because it is my responsibility to add it to
your price so that you can have your complete money. I need only your PayPal
email address to make the payment, and nothing else.

There is already a shipping agent for the vehicle to ship it to our family
house in South Africa after you have satisfactorily received your payment.
The shipping fee will however will be included in my payment to you
according to PayPal requirements and it will be their ultimate
responsibility to ensure the successful shipment of the vehicle .


Please let me know any other relevant conditions about the machine and the
total amount of your price in United States Dollars equivalent. The vehicle
is a surprise birthday gift for my father’s forthcoming birthday during
which every members of the family will be celebrating with him. Therefore, I
will be pleased to make your payment immediately so that you can thereafter
release the car to the shipping agent as soon as you have your money in your
bank account through PayPal.


I will be pleased if you could still send me some few more pictures of the
vehicle for my personal viewing.


MRS DANELLA WILSON .

[AndyD]

Nothing immediately jumps out as being dodgy but maybe google sections of the email and see what comes up. The only thing that would worry me about Paypal (apart from the costs incurred by using the system) is that I think the buyer has a grace period where they can cancel the transaction without the sellers approval.

[daveob]

I smell a rat

This 'buyer' seems to know just a little too much about what you need to do to get a paypal account in SA.

I would find out what that grace period is that the buyer can reverse the transaction, and advise the buyer that you'll only release the vehicle after that period has passed.

Also, "to our family house in South Africa" doesn't sound right - I would have told you that I have a house in Durban / Bloem, etc.

Also, "as I don't have Internet banking" sounds like a crock of krap. Anyone that is away from home for any length of time, like a Marine Engineer, would definately have internet banking - she's got e-mail and internet access, so that's a lame excuse.

Maybe even suggest that as she still has family in SA, she can paypal the funds to a family member and they can do an EFT to your account.

Make up some excuse that you can't open a paypal account and insist on an EFT - if they want it so desparately as a surprise gift, they will find a way.

Also ask for a copy of her ID as you need it to deregister the vehicle from your name.

[daveob]

oooops. looks like I did smell a rat :

http://www.scamchecker.com/report/da...on-buying-scam

[Martinco]

Thanks Dave,

Yes if you look at the email, there is simply too much irrelevant detail, but again thanks for your input and effort.
Shall we have some fun and continue the "negotiations" ?

[daveob]

Tread carefully Martin.

You don't know who they are ( probably a syndicate ), but they won't have too much trouble tracing you.

For example, Unit 1A, Phithaba Industrial Park is very easy to find.

Piss them off enough and they may just decide to 'visit' and collect the car anyway.

[Martinco]

I catch your drift ! Oops sorry its sold !

[Dave A]

Reading that scam checker report, they're not after the vehicle. It's a variant of the 419 scam. Ultimately I think they're looking for people who don't understand PayPal.

[Martinco]

Care to see some ID of Mrs Wilson ???