# Someone please explain the scam



## tonyt (May 25, 2005)

There's a MH advertised on a caravanselecta at a price around £20k below what it should be. Described as being in London with a London contact number. Being curious I enquired and after a couple of brief notes about bargain/selling because of divorce etc, I received this:

Hello again,
I`m located in Isles of Scilly, UK (the motorhome is here with me right now) because of the divorce i had to move here. I would like to complete the transaction by PayPal and using this service you will get a 7 days testing period after the delivery takes place . During the 7 days testing period I will not be getting any money. I need to know if you are interested in buying it so I can ask PayPal to send you the details on how this works. If interested please include in your next email your contact info ( name, address and phone # ) so we can get things rolling.
Reply asap.
Thanks

I'm tempted to string along for a while to see where it goes.

Too good to be true Trident? No - Gatcombe


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## rayc (Jun 3, 2008)

tonyt said:


> There's a MH advertised on a caravanselecta at a price around £20k below what it should be. Described as being in London with a London contact number. Being curious I enquired and after a couple of brief notes about bargain/selling because of divorce etc, I received this:
> 
> Hello again,
> I`m located in Isles of Scilly, UK (the motorhome is here with me right now) because of the divorce i had to move here. I would like to complete the transaction by PayPal and using this service you will get a 7 days testing period after the delivery takes place . During the 7 days testing period I will not be getting any money. I need to know if you are interested in buying it so I can ask PayPal to send you the details on how this works. If interested please include in your next email your contact info ( name, address and phone # ) so we can get things rolling.
> ...


It will go to a second email offering even more. The scam is I believe that the 'paypal' account you are told to send the money to is nothing to do with paypal.
This scam has been going on for years in the USA with a service lady about to depart for Afghanistan!!!
http://forums.ebay.com/db2/topic/Escrow-Insurance/Car-Scam-Beware/520186369


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## boringfrog (Sep 22, 2006)

*Cheap*

Not sure how this one works, maybe MH not owned by seller. Stay well clear.


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## rayc (Jun 3, 2008)

*Re: Cheap*



boringfrog said:


> Not sure how this one works, maybe MH not owned by seller. Stay well clear.


There will not be a MH, only some photos stolen from a genuine ad.

More about the scam:
http://community.ebay.co.uk/question/Trust-Safety/Buying-Campervan-Motorhome/900125195


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## Twm-Twp (Jun 14, 2012)

When something sounds to good to be true ....... it usually is !!! Stay well away is my advice.


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## tonyt (May 25, 2005)

*Re: Cheap*



rayc said:


> boringfrog said:
> 
> 
> > Not sure how this one works, maybe MH not owned by seller. Stay well clear.
> ...


Oddly enough, the MH name on the add does not match the pics.

I've just replied to say that I have a family member living in Scilly who can come and take a look at it for me.

I suspect I won't receive any reply to that.


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## Paludic (Apr 17, 2007)

If you're going to string them along....then ask how they got the motorhome to the Scilly Isles!!

We'd love to visit the Scilly Isles....but have been put off by not being able to take the van 

I've no idea how they work the scam, but I don't believe that it's all above board....

best wishes from another cynic....
Sally


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## Mrplodd (Mar 4, 2008)

Tony

Nice twist!! 

Are you taking bets on what (if any) reply you get???

Fun to wind these parasites up isnt it?? The next thing is to give them your mobile and ask them to call you, think how long you could string them along for and how much it would cost them !!

Do keep us posted please.


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## tonyt (May 25, 2005)

I've added the link to the ad on my first post


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## locrep (Dec 5, 2011)

Where is the telephone number from 02099150483 it is not a London number, googled it and it made no sense to me..


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## boringfrog (Sep 22, 2006)

*Another one?*

I thought this was the one you were looking at here


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## GROUNDHOG (Mar 7, 2006)

I live just across the water, happy to jump on the ferry for you and share the profit!!


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## tonyt (May 25, 2005)

*Re: Another one?*



boringfrog said:


> I thought this was the one you were looking at here


Interesting... maybe we could do some more stringing along.


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## tonyt (May 25, 2005)

GROUNDHOG said:


> I live just across the water, happy to jump on the ferry for you and share the profit!!


Ok, that's a good idea. If you send me your paypal details and bank account details, I'll send you the money for the ticket - honest.


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## rayc (Jun 3, 2008)

locrep said:


> Where is the telephone number from 02099150483 it is not a London number, googled it and it made no sense to me..


I thought from past experience that 02099 is the prefix for the London Emergency Services but could be wrong!!!


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## tonyt (May 25, 2005)

The latest e-mail from the "seller":

"Hi,
Sure, he can come and check out the motorhome. My phone number is 07730129328. But these days I will be outside of town with the moving and stuff. I thought the PayPal method could make thing more easy for both of us.

Thank you,
Lucy"

I know nothing about cell phone numbers - could be genuine?

I suggested a cash payment but "Lucy" still favours PayPal = I wonder why. 


10 minutes later, another e-mail:

"By the way if I dont answer my phone please him to come to this address: 21 St Marys, Belmont, Isles of Scilly TR21 0LE, United Kingdom
Because I dont always keep my phone with me.

Thank you,
Lucy"

Sounds a bit like "Went the day well?"


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## Patrick_Phillips (Aug 17, 2006)

locrep said:


> Where is the telephone number from 02099150483 it is not a London number, googled it and it made no sense to me..


It is allocated to a company called Callagenix for use by London Emergency Services!
http://www.phonecodeinfo.co.uk/areacodes/areacode/London+Emergency+Services-02099.html

Patrick


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## Kups (Sep 22, 2009)

*Motorhome on Scilly - You cannot be serious!*

Ho Ho Ho - very poor scam. 
Motorhome on the Isles of Scilly - you cannot make it up!

We've been to Scilly many times and hardly ever seen a car being freighted on The Scillonian from Penzance. Freighting a motorhome would cost a fortune that is if the Steamship Company would allow it! Then you have the cost of the long drive up to London.

The address on St Mary is also a scam as it doesn't exist! 
The Belmont B&B is on Church Road and its post code is TR21 ONA. Very nice B&B if you are ever over there.

So a shambolic scam trying to be clever with a very thin smokescreen that is easy to see through.

Wind him up by asking to meet him in Penzance to ensure that the MH is offloaded from The Scillonian without damage!

Keep well clear of this pathetic attempt to scam money off the motorhome community.


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## tonyt (May 25, 2005)

*Re: Motorhome on Scilly - You cannot be serious!*



Kups said:


> Wind him up by asking to meet him in Penzance to ensure that the MH is offloaded from The Scillonian without damage!
> .


I like it - I've done exactly that! I've also offered to pay for the shipment and an extra £1000 for him/her to do the booking.


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## Patty123 (Oct 4, 2010)

Hi just read this thread, I was born and brought up on St Mary's, and go back every year to visit my brother. St Mary's is only 3 x 4 miles so there is no way there would be a MH there, as you can drive around in half an hour or so. I am flying over on 25th July for 2 weeks so if there is anything I can do to help please let me know. I know a couple of friends from Scilly who have MH's and they store them on the mainland.


Patty


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## HeatherChloe (Oct 18, 2009)

People like this need to be stopped. 

I remember there was one like this last year, the motorhome was in Spain. 

Don't the websites have a note of the IP addresses? 

Should someone write to the website and get it taken down?


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## tonyt (May 25, 2005)

HeatherChloe said:


> ....................
> 
> Should someone write to the website and get it taken down?


Already reported.


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## HeatherChloe (Oct 18, 2009)

I've just e mailed them too.


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## motormouth (Jul 3, 2010)

The postcode seems to belong to St Mary's hospital. Perhaps it is a mental hospital :lol:


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## tonyt (May 25, 2005)

The ad has now been pulled but she/he continues to try their luck.

Just arrived:

"Hi,
I can get the vehicle transported to your address. I am going to benefit of some discounts, therefore you will have to pay just £500 for the delivery. The delivery cost will have to be paid once the motorhome arrives at your location. You will have to make the full payment of £6000 into PayPal's account prior to delivery. They will keep the funds until you confirm that you agree to keep the motorhome. PayPal will release the funds to my account only upon your approval. In order to get the things rolling I will need your complete name, address and a contact phone number.

Thank you,
Lucy"

Still a touch of "Went the day well?"


Any thoughts of where I can take this now?


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## rayc (Jun 3, 2008)

tonyt said:


> The ad has now been pulled but she/he continues to try their luck.
> 
> Just arrived:
> 
> ...


They have all the patience in the world and a pre set of responses to anything you suggest. You will not annoy them, for them it is a business and costs them nothing to send a response to you.
What do you want to get out of taking it anywhere?


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## tonyt (May 25, 2005)

rayc said:


> They have all the patience in the world and a pre set of responses to anything you suggest. You will not annoy them, for them it is a business and costs them nothing to send a response to you.
> What do you want to get out of taking it anywhere?


Well I just took it one last step and supplied them with a name and address - I've now received "PayPal" message with instructions of how to pay, including their bank account details.

I think this is the end of the game for me - getting boring.

I'll just forward it all to PayPal - maybe they'll be interested, maybe not.


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## HeatherChloe (Oct 18, 2009)

The main solution would be to find out who this person is, where they are, and report them to the authorities. 

You have obviously worked out that the phone number is fake, the address in the Scilily Isles is fake, and that the person in question just wants the Paypal money (or fake paypal) and run away having fooled a sucker into giving them money. 

This person could be in Nigeria for all we know. Or anywhere in the world. 

The best you can achieve is knowing that they are lying and we already know that. 

Sad, but true. We just all have to watch out for this kind of scam, and never part with money unless we are absolutely certain of who it is going to.


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## HeatherChloe (Oct 18, 2009)

Oh whoops - I just found this http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/


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