Using autotrader.com to sell a vehicle I was involved in a Nigerian scam with a person using the name Carl Winston at [email protected] (also similar case using [email protected]).
Do not believe this person PERIOD. I was told that the buyer wanted the car quickly for a client located overseas. He insisted that he wanted my address and the lowest price of the vehicle and he would ship a cashiers check.
The amount of the check would be more than the price of the car. I was told that this would be forwarded to a shipper, and I was to western union the money once the check was cashed. Do NOT BE FOOLED, once I recieved the casheiers check I was contacted by the shipper and he called FIVE times that day telling me to cash the check and it was urgent for me to wire the funds so he could pick up the vehicle. I did so and the check came back a Fraud!
I was able to get back the 2280.00 that I wired because I contacted Western Union quick enough and they returned to sender, but I did lose 138.60 that cost me to ship the funds, but very fortunate to not have lost ALMOST 2500.00! This man is a scam artist using Autotrader.com.
The shipper was using a phone scrambler that was coming from the VI, TN, PA area. They were using the name Sadiq Ayinla Omotosho, from Lagos Nigera to send the money too.
Words of wisdom, use Paypal, not Western Union, Don't only contact the buyer by e-mail, make sure you get phone numbers and physical address and confirm everything. Don't send funds out of the country, very hard to track down.
And use your head, if something seems to quick or to good to be true (selling the car with no-one looking at it) question the sale. Local and State Police are involved, as well as the BBB and FBI. Won't see the money ever again, but good wisdom gained.
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