ADVICE: Does this look dodgy?

AcIdBuRnZ · World Chat Champion Joined: 28 Jul 2003 Karma :

Hi guys,

I'm selling my old bike (NSR). I got a quick reply from a guy who is interested, but I feel something 'strange' about him.

Here are his 2 emails, I replied to the first, but only just got the second one. The ad is in Biketrader.

What should I do?

1ST EMAIL

ProXimaCore · Dougal Joined: 01 May 2003 Karma :

Definetely dodgy. I got loads of those emails when I was selling my car and my bike on autotrader. Pretty much worded the exact same. Tell him to Middle Finger

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Honda NSR125R -> Suzuki GSXR400R GK76a -> Kawasaki ZX636 B1H -> Honda CBR400RR NC29 -> Nothing Sad

NickD · World Chat Champion Joined: 20 Aug 2004 Karma :

Had a few of these myself. Don't even think about it. Thumbs Down

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I was only doing what it said on my licence officer....
Tear along the dotted line!

Demonic69 · The Pink Rhino Joined: 31 May 2002 Karma :

Dodgy as fook! Seems to be a new scam they have going around. I suppose if you got the cah it'd be fine, but I'm sure someone would be round to take it off you at a later date. The only thing you could try is cashing it at one of those Cheque clearance places and keeping quiet?
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Back on a Blade. Just feels so right.

Ninja · Caption Abuser Joined: 22 Apr 2004 Karma :

uhuh - we'll send you a dodgy cheque for £6k - you send us a perfectly good one for £4k - yours clears, ours doesn't...

Don't even waste time replying and carrying on the charade.
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James
4 wheels transport the Body ... 2 wheels transport the SOUL

AcIdBuRnZ · World Chat Champion Joined: 28 Jul 2003 Karma :

Cheers for replies - I didn't want to tell a legit buyer to fuck off, so thought it was better to get a few more opinions!

I've told him that I'm not interested and want to sell more locally.

I hope this highlights a new scam for anyone else trying to sell a bike/car Thumbs Up

While I was sending reply to this guy, I got another one like that from a guy in Holland. He's been to fuck off too.

MArk
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Past: Honda NSR125R >> Kawasaki ER-5a2 >> Kawasaki ZZR-600e1 >> Suzuki GSXR-750Y >> Honda VTR 1000 Firestorm
"Chickity China the Chinese Chicken..."

NickD · World Chat Champion Joined: 20 Aug 2004 Karma :

The way it works is that overseas cheques can take up to 4 weeks to cancel, so while it looks like the money is in your account, and you let go of the bike (and your cheque), the cheque has actually been cancelled a couple of days after issue, and when the world of banking actually catches up with real time you are left high and dry. And there's nothing you, or your bank can do about it. MCN did an article about this particular scam a while ago.
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I was only doing what it said on my licence officer....
Tear along the dotted line!

AcIdBuRnZ · World Chat Champion Joined: 28 Jul 2003 Karma :

Demonic69 · The Pink Rhino Joined: 31 May 2002 Karma :

Post it on some Gay Chat forums and IRC channels and sign up for Gay porn. Can do well pissing people off Very Happy

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Back on a Blade. Just feels so right.

AcIdBuRnZ · World Chat Champion Joined: 28 Jul 2003 Karma :

dainesefreak · World Chat Champion Joined: 04 Apr 2003 Karma :

Yep, been knocking around for a while that one. Even when you get the money in your account they cancel the cheque and the cash vanishes.

It's getting to be ridiculous trying to sell something these days, even cash is going to be counterfeit soon! Shocked

hellkat · Super Spammer Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :

There are people who expend a great deal of imagination and effort to wind up these scam guys. The results are often very funny.

The original scams are called "419" scams and people are warned against responding to them by almost every police force (including the FBI/CIA) in the (civilised) world. (They often allege to come from West Africa, predominantly Nigeria/Ivory Coast/Ghana - although sometimes I wonder just how many of them sitting in cybercafes in London are doing exactly the same thing, cos there are loads).

You should check it out, just for a laff. There are quite a few websites dedicated to 419 scammer wind-ups. They write back to the scam guys and get them into terribly complicated and ridiculous situations.

But DON'T agree to accept their cheques, don't give them any personal details, home address, bank account, fax or phone numbers ... and demand CASH ONLY for the transaction - they soon lose interest.

I had one myself - when I was selling a bike on behalf of a mate, and who I ragged along for a few emails, but when I started demanding cash up front, he lost interest.

He prolly thought I was even dodgier than he was Shocked

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Not nearly as interesting in real life.

getyerkneedow... · Trackday Trickster Joined: 25 Aug 2004 Karma :

Woah! Dont do it matey!

This is a scam. It was mentioned in MCN a few weeks back.

Tell him where to stick it and send copies of the email and his email address to the police.

hellkat · Super Spammer Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :

Git · Brolly Dolly Joined: 17 Dec 2003 Karma :

Run, run away very quickly, a very similar scheme also crops up on some animal forums where the target is the more expensive exotic types.
I would run a long mile.

Mrs Kickstart · Brolly Dolly Joined: 06 Apr 2004 Karma :

andrew · Mister Road Rage Joined: 03 Feb 2002 Karma :

It's a scam. How many times have we seen this? I think it's about time a sticky or something was made and put at the top of the forum. The amount of people who have posted about it. I bet there are probably a lot of bikers out there that have gone along with it... come on we need to do something to stop this.

Me points at Kornel.