I know this is a scam, but how does it work?

Rot 911 · 02-22-2012, 05:15 AM

Have our 2006 Mini Cooper up for sale on Craigslist. Get an email from "Kathy" asking if it is still for sale. I reply with "yes." Then she sends this email back:

kathy smith kat.kat.055@gmail.com

12:54 AM (7 hours ago)

to me
Thanks,i am a U.S. Navy as a nuclear reactor operator on board the USS Donald Cook Roosevelt out of Norfolk VA (DDG-75). i am at sea right now so l wont be able to check the item so whats the present condition, because am buying this for my son as a surprise gift so am willing to offer you the amount you required. I can only pay through PayPal at the moment as i don't have access to my bank account online(i don't have internet banking with it), but i have it attached to my PayPal account, and this is why i insisted on using PayPal to pay, all i will need is your PayPal email address to pay for it,Present condition and some pictures of it.But if you don't have a PayPal account yet, you can set one up at www.paypal.com it cant take you less than 3mins to do that, i will be expecting your PayPal email so l can pay. I have a pick up agent that will come for the pick up after payment has been sorted. l will be waiting for your reply asap

Now I have an account that I just use for paypal. When I get money in it I sweep the account. Seems like if she actually sent any money at all I could just sweep the account and she couldn't do anything about it. So how does this scam work?

stomachmonkey · 02-22-2012, 05:21 AM

Check the paypal link she put in the email. It may say paypal.com but it most likely links to a site that is a paypal spoof. It'll be some subdomain like paypal.westealyourmoney.com

You'll be "required" to link the new paypal account to a bank account or credit card.

You'll enter the information..........

or the deal will change,

http://www.zx-10r.net/forum/showthread.php?t=93956

svandamme · svandamme's Garage

Can you even send that much money with paypal?? (i'm assuming a 2006 Mini goes for at least 5-10 grand , prolly more?)

dtool242 · dtool242's Garage

First off, the only nuclear powered surface ships are aircraft carriers.

svandamme · svandamme's Garage

i'de mess with them
See the scamalot blog in my sig

Haven't had a decent scammer in a while though... and i do prefer the russian girls scams.. coz i get pictures.

Rot 911 · 02-22-2012, 05:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

Check the paypal link she put in the email. It may say paypal.com but it most likely links to a site that is a paypal spoof. It'll be some subdomain like paypal.westealyourmoney.com

The paypal link is legit.

stomachmonkey · 02-22-2012, 05:38 AM

The source of any money sent via PayPal will be either a hacked PayPal account or was funded using a stolen credit card.

Given your profession you are aware that there are ways to get that money back from you. Then you are out the difference.

krystar · 02-22-2012, 05:46 AM

yea they'll use a hacked/stolen paypal to send u money. u give the car to carrier. paypal revokes the transaction and takes back the money. they get free car.

email them back. ask em where their son is. "oh! i'm actually going to be taking vacation to ______ next month. i could just drop the car off at that location"

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

I got the exact same email for a gun I had listed on Backpage.

coldstart · 02-22-2012, 06:01 AM

Why is their English so poor? If they could only write the generic e-mail correspondence in proper English, they would be successful on a greater number of people. Plus, the story is way too detailed and implausible.

When are these scammers going to get their act together and pull off a good scam? I should advertise to do proofreading for the scammers.

Dear Scammers from Nigeria, India, Pakistan, Russia and other foreign nationalities,

Please send me your Paypal account e-mail address and credit card information and I will proofread your scam e-mails for both grammatical correctness and plausibility with potential North American suckers. I offer 25% discount for scammers willing to pay Interac direct deposit!

Laneco · 02-22-2012, 06:01 AM

I checked several sources, the USS Donald Cook is a gas turbine powered ship, not nuclear.

Liar, liar, pants on fire.

angela

Bob Kontak · Bob Kontak's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rot 911

so am willing to offer you the amount you required.

Required is past tense. You be looking for money in the present tense "require".

That should be all you need to see before cutting them off.

Rot 911 · 02-22-2012, 06:08 AM

My response:

To kathy
It is in excellento condition and pictures are in the add. You are a very generous mother to be giving him such a fine product for a present. Where does he live?

Bob Kontak · Bob Kontak's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rot 911

So how does this scam work?

If you are asking 15k, she will send you 17k and ask you to wire her back the difference. You will wire the difference before "her" source of funds is detected as bogus.

dennis in se pa · dennis in se pa's Garage

Tell you want pics.

Bob Kontak · Bob Kontak's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laneco

I checked several sources, the USS Donald Cook is a gas turbine powered ship, not nuclear.

They could have changed it out. They change engines in the M1 Abrams real fast.

Couldn't be that big of a deal.

Zeke · 02-22-2012, 06:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob Kontak

Required is past tense. You be looking for money in the present tense "require".

That should be all you need to see before cutting them off.

It was all in the first few words:

"i am a U.S. Navy as a nuclear reactor operator"

Awkward.

cashflyer · 02-22-2012, 06:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laneco

I checked several sources, the USS Donald Cook is a gas turbine powered ship, not nuclear.

True, but she is on the USS Donald Cook Roosevelt.
The Navy cleared the deck of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, and now have the USS Donald Cook parked on top. This is part of the Navy's effort to save petroleum by car-pooling their ships.

I think this is completely legit. Kathy is a U.S. Navy, and if you can't trust a U.S. Navy then who can you trust?

Laneco · 02-22-2012, 07:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob Kontak

They could have changed it out. They change engines in the M1 Abrams real fast.

Couldn't be that big of a deal.

Yep - piece of cake. From gas turbine to nuclear can't be much harder than an LS1 into a well setup 944, right?

angela

Rot 911 · 02-22-2012, 09:04 AM

So after a few more emails back and forth I get this:

kathy smith kat.kat.055@gmail.com

11:22 AM (41 minutes ago)

to me
I was just about to pay when i had this problem with the pick up, my pick up agent says i will need to pay for the pick up before they can schedule a pick up time, they charged me $900 for pick up and delivery and also with the insurance fee, and payments for pick up made through them is made to their corporate international headquarters and the payments is made through western union money transfer,i will add the $1,000 to the money i will send through paypal as soon as i have made the payments, iwill email you and let you know and please i will need you to help me send the money to my pick up agent Hq in the USA through western union money transfer, this can be done from any post office ,there is always western union money transfer section in most post offices or at the bank. I would have done it myself but we cant bring some of our personal effects along,i am a little incapacitated.....I will appreciate your help here.