View Single Post
tdw28210 tdw28210 is online now
Cars and Cappuccino
 
tdw28210's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: NorCar (North Carolina)
Posts: 5,243
Garage
Sorry for the OP's financial loss. I too have been looking for another decent 911 and have had my share of scammer interactions. A couple things I have learned:

ALWAYS tell the seller you know someone local who can come by and look at the car. ALWAYS. In fact, I have posted on the marketplace forum asking Pelicans in other parts of the country to go look at a car - and without fail, someone has always offered, even in scary old NYC.

In all cases the seller NEVER replied with a physical address for my local "friend" to go look at a car and just stopped communicating. If this happens it is 100% scam.

Learn the how to do Reverse Image Searches.

Almost without fail, all the Craigslist scammer ads that show pictures of 911's have been lifted from an earlier, often legitimate advert by a previous sellers. A reverse image search can tell if that exact or very similar picture has ever been posted on a web page before. If it has been posted before, take caution. There is high likelihood this is a "lifted" picture that a scammer is recycling in order to reel in unsuspecting buyers.

I like to use the Chrome browser to do this, as I find it the easiest method. Simply right click on the image in the suspicious ad and select "Search Google for this image".




If you don't or won't use Chrome, see the link below for other ways to accomplish a reverse image search below.

How]How to do Google Reverse Image Search|Reverse Image Search Google|Reverse Google Image Search? - Video Dailymotion to do Google Reverse Image Search|Reverse Image Search Google|Reverse Google Image Search? - Video Dailymotion


Now, I did this trick on several of Smokey's images in his "inventory". Guess what? His images come back as original. So note this is NOT a foolproof method. 'Ol' Smokey, as has been previously noted, is a waaaaay more sophisticated than your average Craigslist scammer. I consider reverse image search as the "first line of defense", not an unbreachable wall.

This trick did however "smoke" out a scammer that I was interacting with regarding a BMW 2002. He was pushing for a deposit as he was a "US Army soldier shipping out to the Midddle East in a few days" and needed to sell this car quickly. I ran the reverse image search and the results show it was posted previously on a legitimate on a major on-line auction site. Every last image in his Craigslist ad and the subsequent ones he emailed me came back as previously posted images.

After he kept pressing for a deposit , I wrote back to the guy with my fake routing and account number and stated that my bank was Fundamental United bank based in Fukoffifstan.

Bottom line. BE SUPER careful when buying remotely. Use reverse image search as a quick way to fend off scammers and the local "friend" as the next step. If those both check out, then get an absolute dossier on the seller and conisder using a legitimate escrow service.

Stay safe out there.
__________________
http://www.carsandcappuccino.com
1987 Grand Prix White "Outlaw" Turbo Coupe w/go-fast bits
1985 Prussian Blau M491 Targa
1977 Mexico Blue back-dated,flared,3.2,sunroof-delete Coupe
1972 Black 911 T Coupe to first factory Turbo (R5 chassis) tribute car (someday)
Old 02-25-2015, 05:42 AM
  Pelican Parts Catalog | Tech Articles | Promos & Specials    Reply With Quote #196 (permalink)