# Do you think this is a con? Please advise.



## Franc (Jul 9, 2008)

Hi,

I am selling my HOBBY 540 Excellent Easy.

Today I had an exchange of emails with a 'Shawn Paul' which I think may be dodgy.
Can you tell me what do you think about it?
I am pasting it below for your opinion.

Thank you.
Franc

1st email

"Shawn Paul by name,I came across your Caravan 540 for sale which i am interested in,and i am ready to purchase it immediately.But i would like to know the present status and it's cost price so that I can proceed further on with payment, for the shippment I have a reputable shipping. Awaiting your favourable reply.Regards..Shawn"

2nd email

"Thanks for the mail. I really appreciate it. I'm presently on a business trip in Warsaw,Poland. i will like to know the present condition and the last price,as the add was sent to me by a friend, then we can proceed with the transaction. I'll also like you to give me your last offering price. Concerning the collection, my agent will come on ground for the pick-up as soon as the deal is done. I hope to hear from you soon. Regards, Shawn"

3rd email

"Hello, Thanks for your recent mail. The price is okay by me, and i am ready to purchase it immediately, but concerning the shipping, like i told you that my shipping agent will take care of that. So please if this is okay by you provide me with your contact address and phone number where the payment will be sent to. So that i will contact my client immediately that owes me 12,500pounds, and i will instruct him to pay you on my behalf ok, and as soon as the payment get to you i would like you to cash it immediately and deduct your money, and send the remaining balance to my shipping agent so that he can be able to pay and make an arrangement for the pick-up ok. And as soon as you provide me with your contact address payment will be made out to you immediately.. Hope to see your urgent reply soonest. My best regards to your family Shawn"


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## zulurita (May 9, 2005)

Dodgy


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## loddy (Feb 12, 2007)

Its a con he will ask for your bank details next ;

Loddy


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## viator (May 1, 2007)

Absolutely a con, a sham, call it what you like, everything about it should ring alarm bells.

viator


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## bognormike (May 10, 2005)

Don't have anything to do with it; ignore all correspondence. It's a con/ scam.


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## b16duv (Feb 14, 2006)

So you send him your address, where the caravan is, and he comes and nick's it. 

It's a CON.

Send him a care/of address and see if the cheque arrives? Then clear it into your bank and get written confirmation from the bank that there is absolutely no problem with the cheque - this can take some time.

Only then, give him the van.

Just thought, this could be a money laundering scam too. I'd steer clear if I were you.


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## colonel (Oct 11, 2008)

It's a scam. Tell him the only way you'll trade is if he comes himself with the readies in his hand.

I assume you advertised it on the web? There are hundreds of con artists waiting for your advert each day so be carefull out there


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## johng1974 (Jan 17, 2007)

keep communication going,


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## Alfa_Scud (Sep 27, 2006)

He's trying to take you for the fat lad. DO NOT REPLY AGAIN & certainly do not give them any personal details, address, bank etc

A very common & dodgy scam, apparently used quite a bit on fleabay.


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## chrisgreen (Jan 13, 2008)

con-he will ask for your bank details,so he can deposit the cash into your bank,he might even offer you twice as much as you want for the van,to cover shipping etc,just to get your bank details.


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## 117974 (Nov 4, 2008)

I THINK THAT IT ALL SOUNDS VERY IFFY.DONT DO IT ALL THEY WANT IS YOUR BANKING DETAILS WHICH THEY WILL ASK FOR NEXT !!!


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## ThursdaysChild (Aug 2, 2008)

Withput a doubt, this is an attempted fraud.

They will send you a cheque for more than the agreed price, and ask you to pay the "change" into another account. Then their cheque will bounce, and you will not be able to recover the "change".

It's an old Nigerian scam, being copied by lots of others.


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## GerryD (Sep 20, 2007)

The first email said con, the third confirmed it.
Gerry


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## WSandME (May 16, 2007)

Run Away!
Classic fraud.
If you were to go through with it, payment would be made to you via a means which WILL be reversed later*, so you lose the money. In the meantime, the "surplus" you pay to them will disappear without trace, so you'll lose that. Oh, and you'll lose your goods as well.

* typically a stolen or forged cheque or bankers draft. No use complaining to the issuing authority, they'll just claw their money back.

Look here for a more detailed explanation:

http://www.snopes.com/crime/fraud/cashier.asp

http://www.holiday-rentals.co.uk/index.cfm/tgt/scams_frauds?leftnav=none


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## locovan (Oct 17, 2007)

*con*



b16duv said:


> So you send him your address, where the caravan is, and he comes and nick's it.
> 
> It's a CON.
> 
> ...


Defo a con and i agree money laundering of some kind Im sure ASPRN will tell you when he comes on line :lol:


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## sideways (Jun 2, 2008)

Dont you provide your bank details when you give anyone a cheque? Is your sort code and account no any good to anyone? I ask as ive just sold a car on ebay(£900) and the woman has paid the money into my bank. i still have the car as she cant come for some time.


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## colonel (Oct 11, 2008)

Sideways. Be VERY careful. It might be all legit but I would check with your bank and ensure they are cleared funds before you give her the car. Maybe retaining the V5 form until you're happy will also give you extra insurance although posession of the V5 does not guarantee ownership of the vehicle. As I said before the only safe way is to get the cash in your hot little hands. Banks have no liability for telling you the funds are there and then changing their minds. There are hundreds of horror stories around about this kind of con. Please take care.


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## sideways (Jun 2, 2008)

Thank you it was cash and i withdrew it straight away. i am more worried by the fact i gave her the sort code and a/c number


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## johng1974 (Jan 17, 2007)

hi Sideways sure you will be fine

I have payed and been payed for plenty of things via direct transfers.. very handy way to do things..

Dont think there is much you can do with Acc and Sort


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## cabby (May 14, 2005)

It is obviously a scam, to save you any more problems send him an email with apologies and tell him that you have accepted a cash offer locally.and the vehicle has been sold.

cabby


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## pneumatician (May 1, 2005)

*Scam*

It is a con. I have had similar corespondence on two occasions. First when trying to sell a Large Model Aircraft and the second was a motorbike.

Steve


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## 107349 (Sep 30, 2007)

It's definately a money con. They're not interested in your address to come an steal your van as they're probably operating from abroad. they want your finance details and as has been said before they'll give you too much money to cash on their behalf give them the remainder and hey presto the whole lot dissappears.


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## 97201 (Jan 7, 2006)

If they send a cheque, they don't need your bank details, only who to make the cheque out to.

So the cheque clears and you pay the 'agent'. The caravan goes, all done and dusted.

THEN two months later their cheque is cancelled.

YOU have lost everything and PAID out the 'fee' to the agent.

A cheque can be cancelled up to six months later.

DO NOT touch this, it IS a SCAM


Ian


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## 90725 (May 1, 2005)

Definitely a scam - why would a Pole want a right hand drive vehicle? The problem with this con is that the cheque does appear to clear for a while, yet the bank can bounce it six months later when it eventually turns out to be forged. So you lose the excess 'change' you have sent to the conman as well as your van. This scam is quite well documented and is one of the dangers of selling on e-bay. My daughter lost £300 when she could ill afford it and e-bay weren't interested.


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## Lennondayz (Sep 23, 2008)

*Con*

Extremely dodgy - there have been many e mails circulating warning re this type of approach


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## Blueflag (May 16, 2007)

It is indeed an extremely well known scam. I have had a couple of there myself.....
Don't worry, they aren't going to come and nick your 'van.


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## Blueflag (May 16, 2007)

I know why a Pole would want a right hand drive motorhome........
To come here!
Easy when you think about it.


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## suffolkian (Jul 25, 2007)

Report the scam to whoever you used to advertise your motorhome, they are well aware of such practices and will alert the police.


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## 101405 (Oct 15, 2006)

Dont even reply. Which you should not have done in the first place, Its probably from Nigera


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## stevenjonathan (Jan 28, 2008)

definately a con - look at the "English" in the emails - nothing really makes sense and do you really spell Shaun or Sean with a W? Give him the address of a Police Station!


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## viator (May 1, 2007)

Hi Franc,
Another con to look out for when selling your van. So called "agents" scour the motors for sale ads including motorcaravans, get your phone number, call you and say they have a buyer for your van and for an up front fee (usually about £70) will put you in touch with said buyer, this is another scam. Someone wanting to buy your van should want to visit and view or at least meet you halfway if distance is a problem, it is a good idea to have company with you and do not ever allow a "buyer" to test drive on his/her own, a genuine buyer will always want to haggle on price, get a deposit. Do not part with your van until the money is secure in your bank. a secure method of transaction called escrow can be arranged through escrow agents or your solicitor for a fee. An escrow is an contract/agreement that both parties enter into where you are bound legally to honour your commitmennt.

viator


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## Mashy (Apr 28, 2007)

*Is this a con?*

This is definitely a con as others have stated, the English, buying something without viewing etc.
All they want is for you to "repay" the excess monies and then surprise surprise their cheque does not actually clear.Cease communication with them immediately.
Regards
Mashy


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## TJ101 (Oct 12, 2008)

100% scam, as stated in all the rest of the replies

I still have a Barclay's cheque somewhere here, which came from the states via DHL for a rally car, about 3 years ago,, 
Same story,, about the shipper owning him money, and asking for the balance to be sent on, 
Even googled the bank in London, and asked them, they said they were know to them, and were all OK,, 8O 

Mailed them back, with a "sorry its sold" excuses, and was destroying the cheque,, never heard a dickey bird after that !!

If its too good to be true, then normally there's a catch !!!


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## asprn (Feb 10, 2006)

*Re: con*



locovan said:


> Im sure ASPRN will tell you when he comes on line :lol:


Someone rang? 8O

As has been said (lot of times ), do not correspond any more with this person. Common sense dictates that supplying your bank details to a complete stranger under tenuous circumstances, is extremely inadvisable. It happens amazingly often though - I dealt with an elderly couple recently who were persuaded to part with £12,000 in similar circumstances. They'll never see it again.



suffolkian said:


> Report the scam to whoever you used to advertise your motorhome, they are well aware of such practices and will alert the police.


They won't. There is as yet, no evidence of an offence being committed (even an attempt). In any case, even if it proceeded further, the offence would be against the seller, not the advertising agent; the victim would have to make the complaint.

Dougie.


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## normaa (Sep 20, 2007)

*con men*

HI it a con same thing happened to me same guy he preys on motor home seller tell him to get a live dennis


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## Tucano (Jun 9, 2006)

Same thing happened to me, IGNORE IT.
Take care,
Norman


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## locovan (Oct 17, 2007)

*Re: con*



asprn said:


> locovan said:
> 
> 
> > Im sure ASPRN will tell you when he comes on line :lol:
> ...


Yes I rang I knew you were the best man for the job :lol: :lol:


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## Denboy (Oct 11, 2005)

*is this a con*

Definately a con.
I've had the same type of reply to my current ad in ' motorhomes for sale/ coachbuilts ' on this forum.
I ignored it.
Some time ago I advertised on another motorhome forum and had a reply on the same theme . I was suspicious because the E mail said he/she wanted to buy it and where to send the money. No questions about the van.
The site administrator showed me how to trace the senders E mail address for country of origin ( I regret that I've forgotten how ).
It turned out to be from Maylasia ( a country well known for it's passion for RHD coachbuilts with no aircon ).
Nuff sed.
Denboy


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## robrace (Jun 30, 2005)

*scam*

did he by any chance give you a mobile phone number?


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## Denboy (Oct 11, 2005)

*Is this a con*

Yes he left a mobile number but I have since deleted the E mail.

Denboy


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## robrace (Jun 30, 2005)

*Mobile tel nos*

I asked if you had a mobile tel nos because the wording was similar to an email I received when I replied to a Ebay listing for a Herald Aragon.The guy claimed to be Frenchman now back living in Paris.The bargain!motorhome was with the shippers and would be shipped to the Uk when I sent £2k to the "shippers"Only if I was happy with the vehicle when it arrived in the Uk would I have to pay the balance of £8k.Only problem was the vehicle he was advertising was one and the same as one being advertised by a Motorhome Dealer in the UK.He had lifted all the info inc all the photo's from their website.He gave me is mobile phone nos which began 0044.... It was only a day or two later that I realised that 0044 is a UK nos.I contacted the local police and Ebay.There are a lot of CROOKS out there!!!


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## dora (Jan 23, 2008)

*Definately Dodgy*

You've probably guessed it yourself but this is def dodgy. A couple of years ago I advertised a car and had an almost exact same request. Can't remember exactly what problem was something about having your bank details and withdrawing the sums - as I say can't remember, but don't touch it.


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## Denboy (Oct 11, 2005)

*Is this a con*

Hi Robrace ,
I've retrieved the Email fom our mutual ? friend .

I'll put it in a pm to you.

denboy


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## 117332 (Oct 10, 2008)

A big fat con, weldone for not falling into the trap.


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## 109481 (Jan 25, 2008)

I trade a lot on Ebay
The best way to get paid is to open up a Paypal account (OK they do charge commission) and you get protection and the money arrives before you release the goods
You can use it to buy things as well
It will certainly sort out the con merchants


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## JohnsCrossMotorHomes (Jul 21, 2007)

skimbo said:


> I trade a lot on Ebay
> The best way to get paid is to open up a Paypal account (OK they do charge commission) and you get protection and the money arrives before you release the goods
> You can use it to buy things as well
> It will certainly sort out the con merchants


Only problem with that is they can then lodge a spurious claim with PayPal who invariably take the buyers side and the money gets frozen.

Ebay and Paypal are ok when dealing with honest buyers and sellers.


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## VanFlair (Nov 21, 2009)

Hi All

As others have said it is a scam, but the way it works is that you cash the cheque at the bank and then send off the balance to the shipping agent who cashes your cheque and runs away THEN the bank stop the £12.500 to your account as the original cheque is a fraud and you have lost the balance that you send to the shipping agent.

End of the day it all ends up with you out of pocket and they do a runner.

Happy Christmas everbody


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## VanFlair (Nov 21, 2009)

Hi All

As others have said it is a scam, but the way it works is that you cash the cheque at the bank and then send off the balance to the shipping agent who cashes your cheque and runs away THEN the bank stop the £12.500 to your account as the original cheque is a fraud and you have lost the balance that you send to the shipping agent.

End of the day it all ends up with you out of pocket and they do a runner.

Happy Christmas everbody


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## CliffyP (Dec 19, 2008)

I sold a Range Rover last year, I was contacted by a German man, living in Dodoma Tanzania, who wanted to buy it. He transfered the money into my account and two gentlemen came and collected it and to it to the shipping agent.

At first I thought con, but all was well, so check up who you are dealing with before you disgard out of hand. This fellow does seem a bit vague though :roll:

Have him T&T the money ito your account, and when the bank confirm the funds are there release the vehicle.


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## Gorman (Nov 24, 2008)

just found this is in www.caravanselecta.co.uk

In an older scam, a potential buyer will ask you if you will accept a cheque drawn on a UK bank. The cheque will be for more than the item you are selling, so they will ask you to wait until it clears, then transfer the balance into their account. About 3 days after the cheque has cleared, the bank will inform you that it is a fake cheque and withdraw the money. You will then be out of pocket the amount you transferred to them and if they arrange to collect the item then you will also have lost that.

Sounds iffy to moi!


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## teal (Feb 23, 2009)

I was selling something on our local Friday add and got almost the same words, i reported to them and they said its a scam.


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