Used boat buying scam

[Pierre Gremaud]

Having fallen in love with (and purchased) a Sabre 36, I have recently put my 1973 Cape Dory 25 for sale. The ad is on the buy/sell part of this board and at a couple of other places such as craigslist (which may have been a mistake, see below).

In two days, I have now received three (and counting) offers to buy the boat, sight unseen. In addition, the folks sending these messages are clearly (i) non sailors, (ii) not interested in the boat, (iii) very interested in pay-pal issues.

In the current economy, I understand it is a tall order to unload a 40 year old used boat, but I am amazed at the level of scams out there. Has anybody experienced the same thing?

By the way, let me know if you are interested in Pin-Up (CD 25). She is a nice boat.

Pierre

[Sea Hunt Video]

Wait til you get a call or email from Kalid in Lagos, Nigeria wanting to buy your Cape Dory 25, sight unseen, for your asking price with plans to have it shipped to Lagos. He will only need your banking information, bank routing number, social security number, mother's maiden name, etc. in order to insure that his "good as gold" funds are "promptly" transferred to your account. Once the funds have cleared to your satisfaction you can then release your sailboat to his agent.

[ronkberg]

I also had an interesting offer from someone wanting to buy a BMW I had listed for sale. They wanted me to take their old Mercedes in trade and they wanted me to drive the BMW to a Boston shipping company. I did not bite but a couple of weeks later I received a check for my asking price and a note saying they would followup in a couple of days. The check was written against a NC bank and when I called the bank, they said there was no such customer. I tried to get the Boston police and FBI office in Boston involved but they said no......"just trash the check"

Be very aware and cautious Pierre.

Ron

[Dixon Hemphill]

I have two boats for sale in GOB magazine and get good honest inquiries but ebay and/or craig's lists should not be used.

I have had about ten scam lettere most are so ridicious they are funny. Stay clear and just trash them!

[Maine_Buzzard]

The scams are ubiquitous. I get Nigerian General emails, offers for money dyed black, and even the Jamaican raffle winner phone calls. Did they write SUCKER on my back again??

I still use CL, but work from the phone only.

I'm amazed that so many people have time to pursue victims this way. I guess if it pays off once, they live like kings for a week.

Makes an ordinary street mugging look positively respectable.

[Neil Gordon]

A few months ago, I got an email saying that someone that didn't like me (obviously) had taken out a contract on my life. The hired hit man though, after a bit of a Google search on my name, concluded that I wasn't such a bad guy after all and so he offered NOT to kill me for a bit less than he was being offered to rub me out.

Despite it being hard for me to resist a bargain...

[Steve Laume]

That is a good one Neil. I know you are a good guy so I would not kill for even less than the other guy. This could become a bidding war on not killing you until it wasn't even worth not doing, Steve.

[Neil Gordon]

This could become a bidding war on not killing you until it wasn't even worth not doing, Steve.

Yeah, that's what I'm afraid of.

[Steve Laume]

This could become a bidding war on not killing you until it wasn't even worth not doing, Steve.

Yeah, that's what I'm afraid of.

Oh wait was that a double negative? You might as well just post up your bank info now. There is no way out of this one.

I might want to buy your boat though. I will give you way more than it is worth and have my shipping agent contact you to arrange delivery. Once we have determined the final cost you can sent me back a money order for the overpayment. At some point you will discover the check I sent you will not clear but by then I will have cashed yours. I know someone that fell for this while selling a nice Old Town wood canvas canoe. This was a long time ago but they are still trying this scam so it must work some times, Steve.

[ronkberg]

My check is in the mail for $25K, just changed the pay-to line from BMW to CD-28. You can trust me to back the NC check and as opposed to Steve, I will sail it back to Maine. No need for a middleman, shipping agent, to make the shipment. Don't need no shipping agent!

Come on Neil......deal?

Ron