Shipping out of the country, does this sound like a scam?

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Shipping out of the country, does this sound like a scam?

Posted: 9/20/2004 1:07:45 PM EDT

I'm selling a laptop and I've adverstised it on the EE Everything else forum and a local paper (which also has an internet site). I got a reply from a buyer through the local paper ad, who says he is from Nigeria. He says he needs a laptop urgently and would like me to send it to him when he sends the MO (not after I receive it) and they will cross paths in the mail.

This was his reply to me:

Hello
i am very happy to hear that the laptop is still available for
sale. i must tell you that i am very serious and i need it urgently. i will want
you to sale this tv to me. i do not stay in the USA i reside in nigeria with
my family. the only possible means i can pay you with is with a money order
through western union auction payment (bidpay) a subsidary of western union. it
is obvious that a typical money order gets to you the in close 7-10 business
days. if you are satisfy with my terms of payment pls let me know so that i can
make paymet immediately. i must tell you that it will cost you nothing on
shipping the shipping charges will be on my Fedex account number i will give it
to you as soon as possible. pls cos of the urgency, you are to ship the
immediately you rec eive a comfirmation approved email from western union that
your money order has be proccessed t o your address. ur full name, address
number and telephone number is needed to make payment.
Thanks

Does this sound like a scam, or am I just being paranoid? Because I know alot of internet scams seem to originate from Nigeria...

Posted: 9/20/2004 1:11:00 PM EDT

[#1]

Tell him you want a WU money transfer or hit the fuggin road.

Posted: 9/20/2004 1:11:26 PM EDT

[#2]

Nigeria...check
Money order...check
Western Union...check

The only thing I'm surprised he hasn't asked is if he can send you a check for more than the amount of what you're asking and then have you send the rest back to him via Western Union.

In other words, YES this has SCAM written ALL OVER IT!!! Do not do business with this guy.

Posted: 9/20/2004 1:11:31 PM EDT

[#3]

No shit. A nigerian scam artist?

Edit: Send him the fucking thing...just add a little tannerite and a cap.

Posted: 9/20/2004 1:13:30 PM EDT

[#4]

The moment you read "Nigerian" you should have e-mailed him back with the simple phrase "fuck off, shitstain."

Posted: 9/20/2004 1:13:40 PM EDT

[#5]

I wouldnt ship it unless I had cash clear in hand .....

probably not worth the risk ....

What are you selling?

Posted: 9/20/2004 1:18:28 PM EDT

[#6]

Here's a big clue, you're selling a laptop and in his email he is asking about a TV. Not only is it a scam but he's even using a cheap form letter.

I say fill a box full of dog crap and send it to him. Should be nice and ripe by the time he gets it.

Posted: 9/20/2004 1:23:33 PM EDT

[#7]

Quoted:
No shit. A nigerian scam artist?

Edit: Send him the fucking thing...just add a little tannerite and a cap.

I like that idea!

Posted: 9/20/2004 1:23:55 PM EDT

[#8]

Yes, scam.

Posted: 9/20/2004 1:24:22 PM EDT

[#9]

Quoted:
Here's a big clue, you're selling a laptop and in his email he is asking about a TV. Not only is it a scam but he's even using a cheap form letter.

I say fill a box full of dog crap and send it to him. Should be nice and ripe by the time he gets it.

Yeah, I wondered why he said tv in the middle of that.

I'm just gonna let this guy know that I cant do business with him.

Posted: 9/20/2004 1:25:37 PM EDT

[#10]

Scam him back, he is in Nigeria what can he do?

Posted: 9/20/2004 1:27:16 PM EDT

[#11]

Ok, where's the laptop scamback story?

Posted: 9/20/2004 1:36:38 PM EDT

[#12]

Quoted:
Ok, where's the laptop scamback story?

http://www.easynetworknyc.com/powerbook/pdfhtml.php

This the one?

Posted: 9/20/2004 1:37:49 PM EDT

[#13]

I went looking for the laptop scamback, but I couldn't find it.

The gist is, you make a deal with him and send him Trapper Keeper "Notebook". Buy a white one at office depot. Take a black marker to it and draw a keyboard and monitor on it.

Ship it to Nigeria...with the full cost of your laptop on the invoice. They will end up paying customs duties of a few hundred bucks on a paper binder. When your money order gets here, frame it.

EDIT: Ooop. Spent Casing found it.

Posted: 9/20/2004 1:47:41 PM EDT

[#14]

Definitely a scam. The money order will bounce.

Posted: 9/20/2004 1:48:41 PM EDT

[#15]

Quoted:
Definitely a scam. The money order will bounce.

Ditto. If u had to ask. its a scammmmm

Posted: 9/20/2004 1:50:08 PM EDT

[#16]

I wasn't aware that a money order could bounce. I thought they were like a cashier's check.

Posted: 9/20/2004 1:50:25 PM EDT

[#17]

Sounds like a variant of the "I'll send you a foreign money order (which bounces in a few weeks) for you whatever and you send me the whatever and cash difference because [lie lie lie]"

Posted: 9/20/2004 2:08:48 PM EDT

[#18]

hahaha!!! I like the scamback story. That is exellent!

Posted: 9/20/2004 2:12:57 PM EDT

[#19]

Some technology is illegal to ship out of this country.

edited to add... without proper paperwork.

Posted: 9/20/2004 2:14:46 PM EDT

[#20]

SCAMALAMADINGDONG!

Posted: 9/20/2004 2:18:57 PM EDT

[#21]

No it doesn't sound like a scam.............................................It is a scam.

Posted: 9/20/2004 2:20:07 PM EDT

[#22]

Quoted:
I wasn't aware that a money order could bounce. I thought they were like a cashier's check.

Forged............................ good for AR-15's, bad for money orders.

Posted: 9/20/2004 2:24:32 PM EDT

[#23]

Tell him you only take money orders from Circle K

Posted: 9/20/2004 2:40:23 PM EDT

[#24]

One of the groups I support at the bank I work at is Loss Management. They have so much trouble with Nigerian fraud that they have a dedicated team to deal with it. I wouldn't touch anything from Nigeria with a 11 foot pole.

Posted: 9/20/2004 3:19:16 PM EDT

[#25]

Quoted:
I wasn't aware that a money order could bounce. I thought they were like a cashier's check.

Cashier's checks can bounce as well. As pointed out above, they can be forged, so they eventually bounce, and your bank where you deposited/cashed it comes looking for you. Do you know what a valid money order/cashiers check from Nigeria looks like?

The scammer claims to be in a hurry so you don't wait for the money order to clear before shipping.

Besides, if you were in a hurry for a laptop, would you really order one from overseas?

Posted: 9/22/2004 9:04:04 PM EDT

[#26]

Is it time for Tannerite?

I told the guy I wasnt going to deal outside of the U.S. Plain and simple.

Now I got two more emails from different people (but it is the same guy or 'group', all the emails are originating from "webmail-outgoing.us4.outblaze.com" with different addys.) They must be hard up for a score.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Shipping out of the country, does this sound like a scam?

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