Has anyone had an offer like this??

Art Cockriel · Post by **Art Cockriel** » 9 Oct 2003 3:52 pm

Afer having my guitar for sell on the forum, and having corresponding with this person he sent me this e-mail.
This is verbatim.
"Hello, Thanks for the response. I will really want to have it, i don't know whether you can do me a favour. The payment will be made via Cashier Check drawn on a US Bank,cos there is some-one in the United-States who is owing my client some money,who i can instruct to make out the check payment to you, but the funds he his owing my client is $5.000 USD, and he has made me to understand that he cannot issue a double check for payment of a single debt and so i will want the check issue directly to you ( I believe this is the fastest way the payment could be made,because if the check is sent to me,it will take about 30 days to clear here in my country,but if it's paid directly to you, it will take 1-2 days to clear) an i am willing to entrust you with the excess funds on the cost, which you must send to me via Western Union as soon as you cash the check in your bank. Please give me the name in which the check will be issued and the address also the telephone number ASAP!
Concerning the shippment, My shipper " Federal Express" based in florida will be on ground to pick it up from you or your location as soon as the payment is made, so you do not need to worry about the shippment..
Please advise?
Best Regard
smith "

Larry Beck · Post by **Larry Beck** » 9 Oct 2003 4:37 pm

Really don't think I'd trust this deal and I'll bet you don't either

[This message was edited by Larry Beck on 09 October 2003 at 05:39 PM.]

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 9 Oct 2003 4:40 pm

As soon as you see those words, "I am willing to entrust you with the rest..." run like the dickens! This has 'scam' written all over it.

Jon Light (deceased) · Post by **Jon Light (deceased)** » 9 Oct 2003 4:42 pm

Don't even consider this. If this person really and truly wants this guitar he can put CASH money in an envelope and have it delivered to you via fedex. Or via a wire transfer. Then you can ship the guitar however this person wants. If this person cannot or will not put cash into your hand you need not take this person seriously.

C Dixon · Post by **C Dixon** » 9 Oct 2003 4:51 pm

ALL of the above,

carl

Joey Ace · Post by **Joey Ace** » 9 Oct 2003 4:55 pm

Is this the post? http://steelguitarforum.com/Forum3/HTML/018089.html

Calvin Walley · Post by **Calvin Walley** » 9 Oct 2003 5:54 pm

this was on our local news just a couple of days ago. it is a scam... as soon as you cash it at your bank you become responsabe for the full amount of the cashiers check so when it turns out to be bogus you are stuck for the full amount

David Decker · Post by **David Decker** » 9 Oct 2003 6:18 pm

I had this thing happen to me with a high dollar stereo preamp. I did research on the net and found out that what they are going to send you is a counterfiet check. Drawn on a bank in Texas. Then you deposit it and sent them your money before you find out it is not a good check. I told my buyer I would not do business this way. He sent me a check Federal Express anyway. I would not except the Federal Express delivery. Do a search on the net for your buyers name, you might find some interesting reading.

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 9 Oct 2003 7:08 pm

If it smells like ...., it is ....!

David Cobb · Post by **David Cobb** » 9 Oct 2003 7:19 pm

Is there any way the authorities can be brought in on this?
Otherwise they just move on to the next "mark".
The people in question sound like candidates for the crossbar hotel.[This message was edited by David Cobb on 10 October 2003 at 06:50 AM.]

Richard Plummer · Post by **Richard Plummer** » 9 Oct 2003 7:45 pm

Hello Art:My 2 cents if I may and I think this will clear it all up.
This is indeed a scam.I deal alot in pinball machines and this is a scam ring.If you go to the mr pinball website,you will see that the same ring of people have ripped off people in iowa and other places.It is a counterfit cashiers check.They have stolen the paper to print it on and it is so authentic looking that it even can fool the people at your bank.They will ask you to send them the difference and the steel.in about 14 days you will find out that it is bogus and you are not only out your steel but also the money that you sent to them.You will also be disheartened to find out that they are enjoying your steel guitar also.Apparently they are a ring out of nigeria and also operate out of egypt.You could probably tell them that the price of your guitar would be $12000 and they wouldnt blink.
I was told that you could have them send you the cashiers check and you could frame it and put it on your wall cause thats all it is good for.At least in that case you would do a little to deplete their supply of paper.
A word of warning to you.In no case do you attempt to cash it.cashing a bogus money order is a federal offence.Your bank may even suspect you as being part of it.
Deal with someone here in the states and close to you if possible.your state of mind and your wallet will thank you.
sincerely
Ricky Ricardo Plummer
Hosta la vista

Richard Plummer · Post by **Richard Plummer** » 9 Oct 2003 7:49 pm

another addition to my post.The united states secret service has a website that this can be reported,This falls in the catagory of mail fraud I do believe,They have been working hard lately to try to shut down these types of rings. Richard

Ole Dantoft · Post by **Ole Dantoft** » 9 Oct 2003 10:02 pm

[This message was edited by Ole Dantoft on 26 February 2004 at 10:46 AM.]

Jerry Roller · Post by **Jerry Roller** » 9 Oct 2003 10:46 pm

Hi Ole, what year model is that great looking Emmons guitar?
Jerry

Richard Plummer · Post by **Richard Plummer** » 10 Oct 2003 3:55 am

Ok Ole didnt want to offend you.I was making an observation thats all and my two cents thrown in. Richard

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 10 Oct 2003 4:53 am

Ole,

It's not for me to speak for Richard, but the implication of his 'post' was not a reflection on (European?) peoples' honesty, but simply a practical one - it's easier to control a transaction if there are only a few miles (and no ocean) between the participants.

That was the impression Richard gave me, anyway. Living as I do in Florida, I'd feel a little vulnerable dealing with someone on the US west coast that I didn't know.

I'm from the UK where I lived until '96, so I can sympathise with you; playing steel, I felt like an alien in Britain, and very far removed from the source of everything pertaining to the instrument - I can only imagine it's even more pronounced in mainland Europe.

------------------
Roger Rettig

PS: There were those that said I SOUNDED like an alien, too......[This message was edited by Roger Rettig on 10 October 2003 at 05:55 AM.]

Tore Blestrud · Post by **Tore Blestrud** » 10 Oct 2003 4:56 am

Please don't shut someone down if they are not from the US. There are so few steelplayers in Europe that everybody knows everybody, so a scam from one of us is not very likely, is it? Every steelplayer I know here in Norway are fine people whom I would not be afraid of dealing with any time. Buying stuff from the US is often the only option we have.[This message was edited by Tore Blestrud on 10 October 2003 at 06:01 AM.]

John Fabian · Post by **John Fabian** » 10 Oct 2003 5:39 am

We deal with Europe, Japan, Australia, and other parts of the world on a regular basis. There have not been any problems except for a set of E9/B6 strings sent to Russia where the buyer used someone else's credit card.

This deal sounds like a take off on the Nigerian Scam. Something like "I am Dr. Hokum. I was the assistant Minister in charge of the treasury. I have access to $1bazillion but I need $50,000 to bribe the officals to get it out of the country. I will split it with you..........."

I would not recommend getting in the middle of a three way deal. There is no logical reason the other party couldn't issue 2 checks.

John Fabian

George Kimery · Post by **George Kimery** » 10 Oct 2003 6:09 am

The reason scam artists use FEDEX or UPS instead of mailing through the postal service, is they can avoid mail fraud charges since they didn't use the mails. This is sometimes a tip off, so beware. This deal might be legitimate, but it has red flags waving everywhere. It is their problem, not yours. Let them deal with it to meet your terms and if they can't, move on to finding another buyer.

Ole Dantoft · Post by **Ole Dantoft** » 10 Oct 2003 9:23 am

[This message was edited by Ole Dantoft on 26 February 2004 at 10:47 AM.]

George Kimery · Post by **George Kimery** » 10 Oct 2003 9:41 am

As luck would have it, I just opened our local newspaper, The Johnson City Press. Lo and behold, there is a story about a scam where a local guy lost $6300.00 in an internet deal selling a dog, of all things. You could have substitued the word dog for steel, and it would be exactly the same pitch. So, this is DEFINATELY A SCAM!

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 10 Oct 2003 9:51 am

Well, Ole, I'm SURE I didn't offend you! I didn't say it in the first place.....

I was trying to smooth ruffled feathers....

Richard Plummer · Post by **Richard Plummer** » 10 Oct 2003 10:33 am

Hi Ole and everybody again.Yes I didnt mean against you personally but the Nigerians and the rings going on over there,Yes they do use fed ex to avoid the mail fraud charge.I should have fowarded this on the forum but I again got and email today from the supposed former interior minister of nigeria offering me about 6 million bucks if I would supply them with my address and bank information.I understand there has been a number of people either out of greed or being ignorant actally fly out of the country to meet them and either got killed or severely injured.
I had a vintage addams family pinball machine for sale on Ebay and a dude from egypt emailed me.He claimed his shipper was from west africa and wanted to know my address to ship to cashiers check drawn on can you guess a US bank.I told himthe price would be almost $4k and he didnt even blink.I could have told him $12k and he would still have agreed to it.point is the cashiers check is no good to begin with so what do they care.
I had a person buy a peavey 1000 from me off the forum and he paid me with a personal check.He was from Boston and wasnt happy when he was told he would have to wait till it cleared.It would have been immediate with a money order.
Yes it does make it easier on the mind to be able to control the transaction due to distance limits.The last person I bought my peavey 1000 from wayne Dahle simply dropped it by the house and was payed cash.Actually that is my favorite method of course cause I know it is good.
Of course realizing that europe has absence of steel guitar resources I might be tempted to deal with the person as long as their reputation was good.Hopefully they have dealt with enough people that they could be trusted.
All in all be careful with the cashiers check thing.[This message was edited by Richard Plummer on 10 October 2003 at 11:35 AM.]

Joey Ace · Post by **Joey Ace** » 10 Oct 2003 10:40 am

Scams can happen anywhere.

I've had a Forum member refuse to sell me some tapes that he had on the Buy&Sell here because I'm in Canada.

I'm in the US often and could have easily had it shipped there, but decided I'll spend my money elsewhere.

Of course I've bought and sold a lot of items across US and European borders without incident.

I'm glad I don't live in Nigeria and need to order something.

Frank Parish · Post by **Frank Parish** » 10 Oct 2003 12:56 pm

Hi Ole,
Glad you still have that fine guitar. I didn't know there were any steelers in Egypt or Nigeria. Wonder what their tab looks like?