curious boat sale

[GettinKnotty]

Has anyone ever had any experience with selling a boat over the email? we have a boat on bajaboatsforsale and we got an email from a guy who never told us where he is from asking about our boat and for some more pictures. We never heard back for a few days, then tonight we received a weird email asking for our name, address and telephone numbers to receive payment for the boat. He plans to send us a check through US bank made out to us, then we are to send the extra money by western union to an international shipping company.
Does this sound fishy to you?

[BOWTYE8]

yes sounds fishy. My bud is selling a 78 Sea sprite and recieved a few emails similiar to this. Any transaction that gets serious ....you should be at least be talking to someone over the phone. Dont give out your info just your number and area of location via email at first. (like city,state.)

My buds email was for full asking price no questions ask'd and had a similiar payment type of a international bank check. I told him the above. Mainly get a phone number. He never got another repsonse.
These are just the basics . But would start from there.


Dennis

[ckmansell]

Oh yeah.....

Common scam. He sends extra, you send that back to third party(probably him). By the time you find out they check was no good, to late to recover the money you sent back. Your stuck.

[mowjinx]

No I never have sold a boat but something sounds strange. There was another post about a boat sell, with the e-mail they recieved was that you too? I say get their number if they will give it up. Tell them you have to meet and exchange paperwork and money (cash or certified check). Maybe meet at a bank? It's probably a scam so nothing will happen.:cool: They haven't even seen the boat? :confused: I guess they are hoping you are dumb enough to send the shipping company a check, without seeing if their check was good. The shipping company would of course be them.:shakehead Just my thoughts. I'm sure others will have better experience with it than me.

[Dr Dread]

I've heard of this too:eek: :nono: :eek: :bloated:


Tell him to wire the money.......that is like cash and your bank can confirm that it is in your account:sly: .

I have heard of people getting scammed this way. The world that we live in really sucks sometimes!!!!

We just had our credit card "copied" and was being used in California as we spoke to the fraud department at the bank........we are in Ohio!!!:angryfire

[mowjinx]

WOW I such a slowwwwwwwww typer , I got in about 4th. Anyhow looks to be a scam. All you guys on here usually know your stuff. I read every post and I have learned a lot. Thx

[Twin-Kyle]

Does this sound fishy to you?

Yes...VERY.
As ckmansell said very common scam. I have read about similar situations on eBay.

I wouldn't even respond to his emails.

[GettinKnotty]

Thanks for all your responses!:wave: I just didn't feel right about it when I got the email. It had SCAM written all over it! I spoke with the Sheriff's department and they won't do anything until you actually are scammed. So needless to say, this guy isn't going to hear from me. :nono: I'm going to do a little more investigating, I have a few friends that may be able to shed a little more light on this!:cool:

[Surfhound]

I've heard of this too:eek: :nono: :eek: :bloated:


Tell him to wire the money.......that is like cash and your bank can confirm that it is in your account:sly: .

I have heard of people getting scammed this way. The world that we live in really sucks sometimes!!!!

We just had our credit card "copied" and was being used in California as we spoke to the fraud department at the bank........we are in Ohio!!!:angryfire

DO NOT tell him to wire the money - that would require releasing your bank account number, which would cost you the contents.

[LKSD]

DO NOT tell him to wire the money - that would require releasing your bank account number, which would cost you the contents.

Actually we are very particular about the way we get paid with things.. A wire transfer for USA citizens is actually as safe as getting cash in hand. The banks heavily monitor it.. Especially after 9/11.. It is actually one way I dont mind getting paid for big things..

The Check writing is the biggest problem EVEN cashiers checks & Bank checks can be phony!! I didnt realize that unitl a few years ago our banks warned us about them as they are not watched as heavily as wire transfers..

Lastly YES the scenario that Gettinknotty described is almost certainly a scam.. Because of the visibility of our businesses site we get emails like that regularly.. What they will do is mail a bad check usually a bad bank or cahiers check for several thousand more than what you are asking. They will also ask you to send them the boat or what ever with the extra money. The remaining money you get to keep. Their hope is that you deposit the check & before the bank can verify the funds overseas you release the stuff to a carrier... BANG you lose your stuff & are left holding the bag because either the bank or money or both dont really exist.. It actually almost worked on a guy we know here a few years ago when the scam was new.. Luckily before his stuff actually left the bank let him know the money was funny, just in time too!

Lastly when you get a wire transfer it is verified by each incoming bank & it is not reversable. It is watched heavily & has to be on the up & up & done exactly or the banks refuse it.. It is no more unsafe than your account # being seen on a check you write to pay a credit card or car loan with.. Your account number itself is fairly useless without other confidential info about you to use it..

I rarlely do out of the country sales, but when I do it's wire transfer only.. You guys may want to talk to your banks about them for doing bigger deals on boats, cars, property etc...

Happy Turkey day guys.. :sunglasse Jamie / Lakeside