This was strange

[sixbanger]

So I come home today about 3;30 and back my truck in my driveway as an mini van was driving down the street. I see as he drives by while looking up my drive way my at 89 944 in bright red. I could tell he stopped and was backing up. So as I'm pick up a few things and he is waving and say's hey is that a Porsche. I walk down my long drive and stand so he can't see anything in the drive. He starts is that car for sale? I said no. He hands me a sheet of paper and on the top it says European Car Buyer with a phone Number of 516-595-4618. He says he buys european cars. Well I live on the state line of Missouri and Kansas. The area code is NY. I've also been getting things in the mail stating that they are looking to buy cars also. Is this a scam. Why would he be driving around here looking for cars? I'm wondering if now he has a plan. I've got two other Porsches in my driveway he couldn't see. He tried to get me to tell him what Porsches I own. They look foreign like arabs of some sort. Anybody ever heard of these people. Now I wish I had taken pictures of them. He said he'd pay cash today.His name on the add says Alfie. Had I not come later he might have bee up my drive way.

[mhackney]

Fishy but he's been around for over a year: https://www.instagram.com/p/sQc_Xqop_G/
and is consistent. But you would think a google search on his phone # would turn up a business. It doesn't.

I might be tempted to call the local police and report his vehicle and #.

[Mike80911]

They are Gypsies and the drive around NY all of the time doing this. I think the basis of the scam is they ask to get a better look at the car and then take a lot of pictures. They then make a low ball offer that they know you won't take. I am not sure but I think they use the pictures to create fake for sale ads and rip off unsuspecting buyers. By using the pictures they take themselves they do not show up anywhere else on a reverse image search. Every time I leave my garage open one of them stops and asks is your car for sale so now I leave the car covered in the garage with a bunch of sheets.

[Pstallo]

My thought is that is he was a European car buyer, he would know a Porsche when he saw one.

[sixbanger]

I did google the number and nothing came up
I already know a guy from GERMANY FOR YEARS. HE JUST TOOK A 71T over to have a total restore. He has never seen my cars but knows I have them. I don't think he would tell anyone about me or my cars. he would love to have them.

[nvr2mny]

Thanks for the heads up. I'm in KC too. Be on the lookout.

[gtc]

Generally I don't think these people are scammers.
There are lots of car dealers out there that pay people like this a finder's fee.

I usually give them a moderately high price and don't hear from them again.

[dicklague]

this is pretty creepy.....I am glade I have a long driveway and a steel gate at the street....

think I will up my security cameras!!

[steve84]

My wife has complained that, on several occasions when I'm at work and she's home with our young kids, a man has knocked on the front door asking "if my Porsche is for sale" when it was parked on the driveway under a cover. She finds it very creepy. As a result, she strongly requests that I bring it back to the storage unit on Sunday evenings rather than let it sit in the driveway unused during the week.

[Charles Freeborn]

Could be finders fee trolls or if no sale they'll tip off thieves. I'd put 'em all under lock and key and or get very conspicuous security cameras with signage.
Maybe just me being paranoid, but....

[matthewb0051]

I posted about this roughly a year ago. I was approached in a big box store parking lot in DC with an unsolicited offer to buy. I say no but guy insists, I say $100k. Guy makes a phone call to his "partner" then tells me my '69 911E is not worth as much as a 912E or SC. I would have taken $100k if he pulled out crisp 100 dollar bills. This is not the first time either.

Glad my experiences have been out and about and not at my house. Just keep your eyes open and take a photo or two of them and vehicles. But do it discretely as possible so as not to upset them. You then have a record if anything goes sideways.

[jlex]

Good time to check up on your insurance coverage....

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by matthewb0051

II would have taken $100k if he pulled out crisp 100 dollar bills.

Just read (well, was told from the newspaper in Akron) about a "regular" car being sold for $6,500 or so. Buyer had cash.

Counterfeit.

Title signed over right there. Surely never registered.