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Scam information

SCAM INFORMATION

• INFORMATION ON CHEQUE-BASED SCAMS

• TIPS ON AVOIDING SCAMS

• SEND US YOUR SCAM EMAILS


If you get an unusual / different scam (or if you are not sure if the email IS a scam) Please email us the message to be checked:

scamhelp@oldbikemart.co.uk

Please also refer to:

• Metropolitan Police Vehicle buying alerts

INFORMATION ON CHEQUE-BASED SCAMS

BEFORE WE BEGIN! A NOTE ON ANY CHEQUE-BASED SCAMS

Where scammers get you is that bankers drafts or Western Union Cheques can take up to 2 weeks to be of any value, and if you ask the bank 2-4 days after banking it "Has it cleared?" - You will get a YES! - It may also appear in your account!!

HOWEVER!!!! - 'Has it cleared' does NOT mean it 'has value' (i.e. its worth anything) - you must ask if the Cheque 'has value' to be sure.
Its an annoying quirk in bank-speak that many fall for, and banks never make clear to its customers.
(If you want, ask your bank for express clearance - for just a few pounds more to confirm the cheque 'has value')

IMPORTANT: Cheques deposited MAY show in your balance even though it is uncleared - and when the fake cheque bounces (and it will, trust me) YOU will be liable for overdraft fees and a possible bounced cheque fee.

IMPORTANT: Scammers using 'certified' cheques - there's no such thing! They also often use fake foreign cheques, watch for these.

TIPS ON AVOIDING SCAMS

ULTIMATE TIP #1

Unsure about a buyer?
To put off any scammer, insist on payment by cash in person only.

ULTIMATE TIP #2

Scammers ALWAYS ALWAYS want to send you way MORE then the item is worth and get you to send on the difference to a shipping agent

NEVER - *EVER* accept overpayment of ANY kind.

OTHER TIPS

• DON'T be fooled by a UK email address - anyone can apply for them / they can be easily faked!!

• Treat ANY buyer who asks you to send A SHIIPING AGENT money as a scam!!

• Scammers will NEVER want to come in person (after all , they're in Nigeria, or some place) - so ALWAYS insist on cash in hand.

Don't fall victim to greed, as scammers never haggle, always ask top price and offer several hundred pounds more for the hassle of sending their accomplice the difference to the huge fake cheque they've just sent you.

• Scammers use bad english, and are inconsistent. Ask them where they live, then in another email ask them for an address for the V5 and see what happens.

• Scammers seem to love buying on behalf of people, so they'll mention their client at some point - even though they've started off by saying its them that's interested.

• USING 070 telephone numbers. Watch carefully for premium rate 070 numbers being used by scammers. They look too much like mobile numbers, but are not.

HOW IT GENERALLY WORKS:
These scams normally involve poor written English by foreign 'buyers'. They offer MORE then you are asking - and ALWAYS try to send you a cheque for thousands more then the cost - and then ask you to deduct your payment and post the remainder on. They also try to get you to SHIP the goods out to them.
*** You'd have to ask yourself - "Why is this buyer buying a £700 bike - and then paying £3,500-odd quid just to get it shipped to them?"

Needless to say, the original cheque will bounce (and this can take up to 2 weeks or more to bounce) and you will lose your money AND possibly your bike.

PLEASE use caution when replying to any email from overseas (or in UK!) - any offer that is too good to be true IS. Any offer that doesn't make sense, or seems 'strange' - ignore it. Any buyer who doesn't know what he's buying or what the price is.

TIP:
If in doubt, request cash - any decent biker is going to want to SEE and RIDE your bike after all!!! Remember to hold onto the FULL cash amount and paperwork if you let someone come and test ride your bike (Don't settle for holding onto a 'deposit' whilst the person test-rides your bike (into the sunset))

You have been warned. Do not LOSE your bike to greed or ignorance.
PLEASE, PLEASE! Send us a copy of the email if you are in doubt. Be safe - be sure!!

SCAM STYLES

Example 1

Hello i am interested in buying you

PART

so i will like you to mail me this infomations below

GENERAL CONDITION OF IT
PRICE AND PICS OF IT

WHEN DO YOU USED IT LAST

WILL YOU ACCEPT UK CHEQUE AS MY MODE OF PAYMENT I WILL WAIT TILL THE CHEQUE CLEARS BEFORE THE PICKING UP OF THE PART

I AM FROM HOLLAND

Thanks and hope to read from you soon

TIP:
The word in red is replaced by BIKE or another word in some cases. The poor english could be explained by 'I AM FROM HOLLAND' - but its a scam.

REPLY EMAIL :
Here's the standard reply you'll get if you do email them with pictures etc:

Hello thanks for the mail well i am ok with the condition of the bike and also i will like to you to know that the asking price of the bike is ok with me too..... Yes i will wait for the cheque to clear in your bank before the picking up of the bike so i will like you to mail me this informations below

NAME ON THE CHEQUE.....................

 ADDRESS WERE TO SEND THE CHEQUE......................

 PHONE NUMBER BOTH HOME AND CELL.......................

 Thank and hope to read from you soon.

Example 2

Hello mate!

Hello Mate, I came across your ads and am so much intrested in buying it, so if it still available, i would want you to get back to me with the asking price, condition and also get to me with at list two pic, so i hope you understand me? so i await to hear from you soon. Thanks alot and speak soon. Kind Regards.

TIP:
It's easy to become relaxed and off guard from a single greeting - but 'Hello mate' above doesn't hide the poor english and usual beginnings of a scam.

NOTE: Many opening scam emails do not contain any details about your item for sale - it will only appear in the subject.
This is because the scammers use automated emailers. They only respond when YOU do! (So, don't!)

TIP:
• The opening email scam is short and badly worded, asking for confirmation of price & photos and will have cut & paste in the exact headline from your advert.
• The second email is better written, and they now offer just slightly more the your asking price - the extra being a "deposit"
• Payment by bank (they'll list every bank going) or by the usual fake cheque.
• Scammer has a wild life!!! :
"I'm from Aberdeen in scotland, i live by the sea side in The Republic of Denmark cos am a SAILOR. I always come home (uk) every 4 Months and travel back to my place of work in Porto."
• Still very bad English.

More scams in the same style

Thanks to Guttie, Martin, Angelo, Adam and others - the following two scam emails - which you'll see are VERY similar to those below.
• Note the item for sale is in brackets. Their using a standard template and just filling in the blanks.

STD SCAM STYLE #1

"My name is FORTUNE SCOT,
IT is my honorable pleasure to let you know that am  highly interestedin buying your (PX125- 1984 Malossi 166 kit - Cheap.), which the last price is £400,so if you are willing to sell it to me,let me know the present condition .i will like you to know that i have a business partner who is owing me and agreed to make payment back to me in form of a certified check,so if you are willing to sell it to me,mail me back asap, if the items is still available for sale,and also like to know this information from you as to forward it to mybusiness partner to issue out the check to
YOUR FULL NAME:
YOUR ADDRESS:
YOUR STATE:
YOUR ZIP CODE
YOUR PHONE NUMBER:
i will be canting to read from you and will be well please if you
back responds back soonest
ASAP.thanks.
BEST REGARDS"

SEND US YOUR SCAM EMAILS

We see these scams daily, and can save you a lot of time and potential loss of money by looking over emails you have received - and checking if they are legit.

Just send us any suspicious email offers using the address below and we'll email you back to say if we think its a scam.

OUR EMAIL ADDRESS

scamhelp@oldbikemart.co.uk

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