Online scams. Classified ads Scams.
Welcome to our new Scam Warnings and Tips section. Read Sellitbuyit.ca users comments below to learn more about how you can avoid scams.
If you receive an e-mail reply from an ad at Sellitbuyit.ca or any other online classifieds site that looks to be a scam, Please post it here to let others know about it.
Please Note: We have moved posts from our old Scam section on SellitBuyit.ca to this new one, here.
“OverPayment” Scam”
The buyer is too eager to send money, goods were not inspected and the buyer is not worried about where they are located. the buyer will send extra money for the freight to ship to him and often a little extra for your “patience”. This “overpayment” scam consists in them sending the asking price (no questions or negotiating) and often adding more “for your patience” and for freight. The shipping person who they say will arrange delivery is in another country. They will send a cheque which looks good, but is counterfeit. By then you have forwarded on your own money to “the shipper” for freight. By the time your bank reverses the payment to you, your money for the freight is gone.
Great Idea Guys.
I received a few responses to my ad that were most likely scams and I thought what can I do about this… Then I realized. I can do nothing but warn others.
They are in such a hurry to sell.
As Nancy mentioned, they are in such a hurry to sell that they don’t ask for the details a ussually user would ask for.
Yes! Watch for spelling and grammar as well.
Their spelling is very poor and grammar just as bad. Watch for those types of things.
If in doubt you could ask….
I was not sure about an ad so I asked the staff at Sellitbuyit and they said that it was and they could tell instantly compared to how other responses are made. I just thought I’d point the one out.
Anyone else get this.
Dear Seller,
I am Mr. Lawrence D. Lewis from Randallstown in the US.I am a medical research program in West Africa in connection with the World Health Organization(WHO). I would need your item for my private usage here.I will like to know the present working conditions of the item.Does it have it’s accessories and it’s box.I need two and I will be offering 1,100 US dollars for the item including shipping via United States Postal Service(USPS) down here. I will be making payment via MoneyGram international Money Order which is only payable in the US.I can increase my offer if the offer is not enough.I need this item urgently so i would be expecting a quick respose from you.
Please reply with your email address where i could contact you to.
Regards,
Looks like a scam. Watch out!!
Trade Local
The best way to deal with “most” scams is to trade with local people. Meet with them let them see the item etc. If I were ti ship anything I would use a service like paypal for payment no cash or western union. too many tricks going on there. So lets recap be a local trader, deal face to face and use cash (hopefully) and if you have to ship get payment first using a service like paypal happy trading
Scam…
“Hello, I am interest in purchasing your item with no delay,but first? What is the final price of the item? Is the price firm? Will you be accepting a US certified Cashiers Check or Postal Money order?due to the fact that the payment you are going to recieve will include some excess fund on the check or money order which you going to be wireto the shipping company that will come for the pickup of the item,so here are the questions. 1). can we trust u with the money? 2.) will u be able to wire transfer the excess the same day you receive the check or money order? 3.) will u be available when the shipping company will be coming for the pickup? 4.) is the working condition of the ITEM okay? 5.)your email address? 6.) can we take u for ur words? Contact me with the present state of the item and your contact information to mail out the payment to you as soon as possible.Name you want on check: Home Address: City: State: Country: Phone Number/Office Number. Regards”
watch out.
no email confirmation?
this site does not use email confirmation when people sign up.
is that safe?
Corbit, How could it not be?
how could it not be safe. I don’t understand. Wouldn’t it be useless to a scammer anyways if he or she did not enter a real e-mail. The sites replies work through e-mail… Can anyone confirm this?
no email confirmation?
well most other sites use a email confirmation so they can track who is posting ads (I think)some other sites even make those replying to ads start an account again with email confirmation so they can be tracked. Maybe this would cut down on all the scams on this site.
Just asking the question
I have seen that
I have seen where they require e-mail confirmation for all types of things. I think all it does is slows you down.
Maybe Sellitbuyit could try it but if they do won’t it just lower the number of people becoming members. People are lazy, I am lazy LOL!
I recently posted my computer for sale and got a reply from a man that sent me 2 money grams for large amounts of money, he then emailed me and said he wanted me to transfer half the amount to his”shipper” i got on his case and told him i am not sending any money to anyone til the money orders clear and even then im not sure i was going to. This shipper ironically was based in Nigeria!! Good thing i pay attention to the news and dateline nbc caus ei never wouldve known the scammers and fakes form Nigeria. Anyways this man was very persistant but i refused to send this supposed shipper money and i told him if he wants the computer to give me his apartment address and then i will ship it to his apartment instead he finally realized i wasnt joking cause i threatened to get my local police involved, so yes watch out people…these scammers are everywhere pay close attention to how they word their emails and the “instructions” they send you.
THIS IS PART OF THE EMAIL THAT WAS SENT TO ME FORM THIS MAN ..WATCH OUT FOR HIM HIS NAME IS MARK AND CLAIMS TO NEED HELP FORM NIGERIA
“I’m so sorry for not telling you ahead of time.I want you to know that i didn’t intend sending all the payment to you but it’s all b’cos i was unable to locate the shipper, and i want you to know that the shipper wants to help me ship some items too along side with the item i’m buying from you into my new apartment in lake land, Michigan,that is in the united state.So please help me send all the money to him and since your bank asked you to wait till 5days, well that’s no problem but i want you to know that the shipper is really waiting to start making all necessary arrangement, so i will like you to wire half of the balance to him today and i assured you that he would get to your residence within 48hours after getting his flight ticket today and as soon as he gets to your residence, you both can go to your bank and i assured you that he will help you get the money faster.Please wire half of the balance through western union today so that he can be at your residence pretty soon and i want you to reply me with the western union transfer details i requested for in the previous message.I’m so sorry for stress and all that, may God reward you greatly.Please help me get this done as soon as possible.Hope to hear from you soon.Thanks and stay blessed….”
Cool new section.
i got scammed large by a man and well i ahve learned my lesson his name is mark christensen…..so watch out for him …
I think the local thing is so important but even then I got ripped on a car. I over paid but I should have known better then the story I was told
THE PERSON SELLING THE 1965 CORVETTE FOR $4000.00 IS A FRAUD/SCAM ARTIST.
PLEASE CONTACT: fraud_scambuster@yahoo.ca for more information.
I to was targeted.I am Selling a car and the people
thoward@yahoo.com and g_shola2000@yahoo.co.uk emailed with a price and will send extra for shipment that I am to wire to the shipment company.I wrote back and said send the certified cheque and once it clears they may have the car,as for the shipment they deal with it,and guess what? lol no reply. Well i’d like to thank Nancy and her post.
I know have had 3 different attempts at people trying to scam me.Here are there email address.Do NOT trust them.g_shola2000@yahoo.co.uk,thoward101@yahoo.com and pastorfelixibru@yahoo.ca? They all want to buy the car unseen.This has got to stop.
Ann
I concur with a lot of these comments. I have recently learned the hard way that there are a lot of ads for bulldogs on other sites that are certainly scams. A general rule to follow that I have learned if it seems to good to be true it is. Never send money and ask for refernces from at least three different people. Ask for a photo with a specific item in the icture that can identify that the seller actually has the item. If shipping is required get all of their infomation and make them sign a written contract so that you have a legal document that could be used if it is indded a scam.
do not fall for the free dog adds they are a scam they want you to send the money first for a dog that is out of a magazine and no dog will show up dave anderson lives all over the world
The person selling the yorkie puppy want you to send $150 to his driver for shipping of his dog. When I asked him for confirmation he would not give it. His name is Sanchez Karnoval although he says that he has one dog he is on the site several times trying to sell differenct pictures of dogs with the same name. I doubt he has any dogs at all and was upset that I said that I was sending all the information to the RCMP.
The last week I got two phone calls from Telephone Relay Serice (TRS). One person wanted to get my address and send me an money order ($350) for a puppy I was selling in Classified ads for $250 and didn’t know when she would be able to pick the puppy up. When I replied back and said that we could meet somewhere or drop it off to her and keep the price at $250 there was no reply back. Her email is veronica543@gmail.com The 2nd person lived in illinois wanted to send an overdraft Certified cashiers check and would send extra for shipping through his own shipping company that he goes through for his company that is in New Jersey. His email address is colepeter4@gmail.com, this is want he sent:
Hi ,
Thanks very much for your email,you have to bear with me
as I have hearing problems,hence the use of relay.The reason I am
sending you this email is to make final reconfirmation of the
conpanionship
(puppy).Payment will be by Certified Cashier Check.
In view of this I need you to email me any information that may be
required to send the check, as I do not want to send the check to a
wrong location lest they gets into the wrong hand.Am in illinios where
i live with my kids,i run a store i own,I really want to get the Puppy
to my Home for companionship.I will still need you to send me pictures
ok, I am not
currently in town,am on vacation…..
Regardin g the shipping, I have a company th at takes
care of the pick up of my consignments for me and ship to my
destination anywhere in the U.S.A, you do not worry about shipping,
the company will send down a representative to arrange the sales
documentation and the pick up from your end for onward transfer to my
destination.
I also want to alert you on the fact that you will be recieving an
overdraft Certified Cashier Check, which will cover the money
for the pickup (pickup and shipping to the final destination) as well
as the money to be paid to the company that will take care of the
pickup and the documentation with you. So please, as soon as you
receive the Certified Cashier Checkr, go and cash them
immediately, deduct the money that accrues to you, and send the
balance to the Head Office of the company that handles the shipment is
in New Jersey via the nearest Western Union agent in your area.
Deduct the Western Union charges from the balance and sen d the
remaining to New Jersey immediat ely .
The CHECK will be in your name to make it easier for you
to receive payment, deduct your money and send the balance via
Western Union as regards my earlier direction, please reconfirm your
details one more time.I will give you the details of the company that
you will send the balance of the money to in New Jersey, New Jersey
State once I get a reply and agreement that you will send the money
to New Jersey , New Jersey State via Western Union money transfer
immediately you cash the Certified Cashier Check.
Once the money is received by the agent in New Jersey , the shipping
agent will contact you immediately to arrange the documentation as well as
the pick up immediately. So in view of the above, here are
some of the details I will need for final issuance of the
Certified Cashier Check
to you.
(1) Full Names
(2) Mailing addr ess, No P.O.Box Please
(3)&n bsp; Your direct Telephone Numbers(Home and Office and Cell)
(4) Acceptance of my offer and agreement to send the balance of
the money to my shipping agent in New Jersey, New Jersey Via
Western Union Money Transfer.
Once you get back to me with all the above, the Certified
Cashier Check will be issued out immediately and it will be sent
to you .
Hope to hear from you immediately.
N.B I WOULD GIVE AN EXTRA $100 IF ONE PUPPY IS RESERVED FOR ME
I believe I have received an email scam in answer to my ad…
It came from brucepartdealer00000@yahoo.co.uk and he was asking for a lot of the same information as I have read in the emails above.
there is a person posting ads for winnipeg and all over saying nice puppies for adoption, then they want you to wire them the money then they will ship the dog they say.they are on every site that i know,there is 3 ads on right now,thats in winnipeg sellitbuyit
PETS ON LINE.
Here is the email address of a scam Artist from Cameroon using this web site to post his add for a Hyacinth Macaw.
Wallace atu
Protect yourself
Manouska
Lets try that again Wallace atu email 8000people@gmx.com SCAM
I never saw so many Hyacinth Macaw from Ontario almost in every town. Trust me they all are Scams.
I check a couple of them and they came back all from Cameroon.
Protect yourselft
yes I have a website in selling chocolates and I was contacted by mail and he wanted to overpay me for his own shipping compnay. We never got past this point because I kept on telling him to order and pay for his rather large gift purchase on my site. He kept telling me he was busy and he needed me to process the payments also sending me 2 credit/debit cards with an email with the numbers telling me to process the payments along with the 650 shipping feel. I told him I would not accept the money, he can do it himself. I called to verify the bank cards and the names did not match the card numbers. I emailed him back and said that i would not process the order due to the fact that the names did not match. He emailed me on Thursday wanted to p/up the order on Monday. No way to reach him by phone either. his name was Scott A, and his email address was queboy112@ymiall.com, also very poor english.
I have found this on almost every ad I looked at in my area. This is very frustrating because you know this is certainly a scam and they turn around and put it on other peoples ad’s as a response. Terrible, wish they could be stopped.
Discussion
ritamesah_00@yahoo.fr ritamesah00@yahoo.frMy DearI am Mrs Rita MesahI am the wife of late Dr David Mesah.I have sum fund valued 15.500000Us to retrieve from a security company which my late husband deposited. I have the documents and i am the next of kin and heir.I have nobody to help me please if you can help me kindly email me back on ritamesah00@yahoo.fr for more details.Your prompt reply will be highly appreciated.RegardsRita Mesah
We have had “Wallace” and “Cesar” from the below email addresses willing to give us a free puppy for adoption. We just have to pay the $300 adoption fee and $50 to the Notary in Cameroun for the adoption. They want full names, address, i.d details and signature. They claim to have 1 x male & 1 x female english bulldog for adoption.
Cesar Ga
Wallace atu
There is a user on this site called Prinz Joe who seems to have an abundance of puppies that are looking for homes - he has placed ads on a number of other web sites looking for a home for his poor little puppy (different breed on every site) etc etc etc - what a scam. You must send money for shipping and the little pet will miraculously arrive on your doorstep the following day! People like this need their heads read…
I couldn’t stop a scammer from sending me an overpayment check. I won’t deposit or cash it. What do I need to do with it to protect myself?
Got same scam from:
Nicole Baker
First a relay call, saying deaf, asking to email with more info regarding shape of swamp cooler. I did. Received following email scam:
Thanks very much for your response,The reason I am sending you this email is to make final reconfirmation of the Swamp Cooler which is okay by me,and also to let you know that payment will be by certified check or Money Order .In view of this I need you to email me any information that may be required to send the payment as I do not want to send the check to a wrong location lest they get into the wrong hands and regarding the shipping,I have a company that takes care of the pickup of my consignments for me and ship to my destination in anywhere in the U.S…A, you do not worry about shipping, the company will send down a representative to arrange the sales documentation and the pick up from your end for onward transfer to my destination.
I also want to alert you on the fact that you will be receiving an overdraft check, which will cover the money for the pickup (pickup and shipping to the final destination) as well as the money to be paid to the company that will take care of the pickup and the documentation with you so please, as soon as you receive the check payment,go and cash it immediately,deduct the money that accrues to you, and send the balance to the Head Office of the company that handles the shipment via Western union.The check or Money Order will be in your name to make it easier for you to receive payment, please reconfirm your details one more time..I will give you the details of the company that will be shipping the Cooler as soon as we seal this deal.Once the money is received by the agent , the shipping agent will contact you immediately to arrange the documentation as well as the pick up immediately so in view of the above, here are some of the details I will need for final issuance of the certified check or Money Order to you.
(1) Full Name
(2) Mailing address,
(3) your direct telephone number both home and cell..?
{4} Acceptance of my offer
(5} Final asking price
Once you get back to me with all the above, the certified check or Money Order will be issued out immediately and it will be sent to you .Hope to hear from you immediately.Looking forward to your swift response.i will also be offering you extra $50 for keeping the Cooler for me till the shipper comes for the pick up.I will be looking forward to your swift response..
Thanks
Nicole
I put the email addy in, and this site auto took it out. It was nicolebaker55 at yahoo dot com.
I rec’d an email from this woman(?)who is going by the name Alameda Diego. Alameda is Spanish but living in Ireland.
She is supposedly looking for accomodation for her 19 yr. old daughter as she says she will be attending school for 4 months, here in Ontario.
The daughter is suppose to be living with her aunt in the USA. She will pay 4 months accomodation upfront through a Canadian friend by the name of Alex Lutter who is loaning her the money.
I sent an email telling her that I could rent her a bedroom and supply food, linens, etc. but I needed to know what school her daughter was to attend and how would she get there as we are out in the country and a car is needed. She told me that Alex Lutter would provide a car as well. No other contact information is available.
She seemed overly anxious to have her daughter move in and I decided to search online to see if there were any complaints. I found several variations of basically the same emails but some of the names were different. All the complaints were on one site.
The email addy she is using is alamedadiego@gmail.com.
I have reported this to the police.
really have to wonder what can be done to stop the scams so many it just goes on and on not sure its worth trying to sell anything here too many scams on this site - I like it but it was better when it was only a local site now I think too many people know about it
The person who’s selling the $200 bulldog is a scam, her name brithany12 she said she is in Africa she want to ship you the dog she ask for the money, ITS A SCAM, i realized it after she send me a website for pet travel, the website have been tricked, wrong address,wrong name
be carefull!