Scammers are getting really bad...... Fighting back...

A buddy of mine is looking for a 51 series
Detroit. A few weeks ago he was contacted
by a guy that said he had one for sale.
The guy was very knowledgeable about the
engines, what they were used in, etc. In
other words, there were no red flags, nor
real reason to doubt his sincerity.

So, my buddy sent the guy a $200 check,
through the mail, as a deposit, as agreed.
When the engine didn't show up as
promised, he tried calling the guy, but
never got an answer. After several
attempts he started getting suspicious and
researching the two numbers he had for the
guy.

I don't have a name, but think he said he
found one of the numbers on here, where
others had been scammed too.

Longer story short my buddy isn't the kind
of guy who likes to be jerked around.

Given the check was sent through the mail,
the guy is now guilty of mail fraud, on
top of his little $200 scam, and now has a
felony warrant out for his arrest.


On the subject of scams, we all know
Craigslist is a known haunt for them. With
that in mind, I've been looking for an
enclosed trailer. I've seen so many of
them listed using the same pics, but
different cities, contact info, etc, it's
scary.

In other words, keep your eyes out when
looking to buy, or sell, and if you do
happen to get taken, fight back.....

To bad your not closer I know of a trailer like your looking for but it is way out here in Missouri

"the guy is now guilty of mail fraud"

"has a felony warrant out for his arrest"

He hasn't been arrested yet, much less tried in court, and is "guilty".

I am not a lawyer, but I don't think that's how things work!

Would be nice sometimes if the did, tho!

Then let me put it another way. If the mail service is used in any way to further a scam, it's mail fraud.

If you take money from someone for goods you have no plan to deliver, it's fraud.

If the individual you thought would be just another mark, who was willing to give up his money without fighting back doesn't like being treated like a sucker, and files charges, a warrant is issued.

Because of that warrant he can now be arrested.

Given the ease with which these types of charges can be proven....You can imagine the rest....

Given the going price for some of them around here, it might be worth the trip.


With that in mind, what are the particulars, sand the asking price?

I would be very suspicious of anyone willing to ship a 51-series Jimmy diesel with only a 200 buck deposit. The shipping alone would be more than that!

Given that the guy apparently provided his real address, he doesn't sound like a scammer so much as an unreliable seller. And I don't know how hard the postal inspector is going to pursue a case of someone getting stiffed out of 200 bucks when there's no evidence of fraudulent intent.

This is a case where doing the transaction via Paypal would have paid off.

Think about it.Say you have a $1000 motor for sale and someone across the country wants to buy it that you know nothing about.Would you ship it to them for a $200 deposit and no way to collect the rest? Sometimes a little common sense needs to be applied.

I get those scams all the time. Trying to sell me generators. I had one guy that claimed he lived in Centerville. I told him since we live in the same town. Lets meet on the square.He moved to Rogers in his next letter.Dad alwats told us. You bring cash and the seller brings what he has. If you like it. You pay for it and take it home. None of this give me the money. And I will deliver it BS.

"....... I've seen so many of them listed using the same pics, but different cities, contact info, etc, it's scary."

Guess I'm naive. I understood what you posted was the way a person with something for sale posted it in as many places as they thought might get an answer so that they could broaden their perspective positive reply base. Shipping containers are a good example of that. I have seen the same commercial in many parts of the country. Now, are they an outfit with a large purchasing/distribution network to provide products to potential customers, will they ship anywhere from one location, or are they as you say, scams.....who knows, I surely don't. Quite a few boats for sale in areas where cities are close together which is what I would do if I were selling something that might get overlooked by someone in another city's listing area within driving distance.

I have purchased several items locally, including "an estate sale" (best reason for something being for sale) that was 50 miles away, a 1988 Ford 3910 diesel with 900 hrs, new rubber, good paint, started faster than I could get my fingers off the key, excellent hydraulics, smooth shifting, straight tin, on and on at $7500....after haggling (from 9k original listing) on the spot, money in hand and a trailer to take it home.

On buying something far away, and not "kicking the tires", I would indeed be careful.

When I see something like that on craigslist I flag it, I hate to see gullible people taken advantage of!

I don't know a lot about it I just know it is likely to be for sale. I think it was made form a box off a IH 1700 truck.

Yup, been seeing a LOT of equipment being listed lately dirt cheap claiming to be just up the road and to contact they want you to use there G mail Nope i did not fall off the turnip wagon just yesterday . Now i have found and bought items off Craig's list but i do not go alone to pick them up i get a sales bill with there name address save the phone Number and i also write down license plate numbers street addresses . I get the bill of sale with price paid for my records and tax purpose . If they start back pedalling then it is time to stop talking . I will not advance any money all deals are CIF ( cash in FIST ) . Ifg i feel the price of the item is fair then there is no wheeling and dealing i will pay the man's price if the price is to much then i don't bother him and try and talk him down. If i go after it and it is NOT as claimed i walk . when i sell something i tell it like it is and the price is what it is . I don't jack people around and will not tolerate being jacked around .

Having read all the responses thus far....

When you have a long conversation, with a knowledgeable individual, especially on something as odd ball as a 51 series Detroit,. your thinking on things is going to be a bit different than buying something sight unseen from someone who's 'selling Dad's XYZ that they know nothing about'.

As for the $200 deposit, it's really not alot of money, so you don't really expect a scammer to ask for so little....but it is what many would expect for two like minded individuals to agree on, as a show of faith, before putting forth the effort to ship the item (freight collect).

Thing is, that's the very reason so many scammers get away with their crimes. Even with an address most folks would rather write off the money, rather than go through the trouble of going after someone in another state.

My point here is that it's not about the money, it's the principal of the matter. Sadly the attitude I'm seeing seems to be that if someone gets scammed, they deserved it, and should just write off the money and move on. Again, that's why these scammers get emboldened to do something as brazen as giving a real address, and cashing a check for goods/services they had no plan to provide.

If the guy was just an unmotivated seller, vs a scammer, he'd have accepted calls, and returned the money. That's one thing. In this case, he did neither. That makes him a criminal, and his actions should be treated as such, as a matter of principal if nothing else, period.

As far as the same item being sold in multiple places, I understand the concept. However, when there are different email addresses associated with each picture, the wording in the add just doesn't jive, a Google image search shows it being a pic from a dealer site, etc, these adds tend to stand out.

Don't think so, contact one of them, and see what kind of response you get. In my case the woman had 'moved to Montana', was in the military, the trailer was ready to be shipped because someone else couldn't get a loan to buy it, it held bad memories of her deceased Dad, etc, etc. In other words, it was pure BS, and it was obvious to anyone who knows anything.

That's what got me looking harder at the other adds. That's when I began seeing different views of the same trailer, different contact info with them, listings in several states, etc. Then I started seeing the same thing with numerous other trailers.

In the end, my advice holds. Watch out for scammers, because they are getting smarter, and emboldened..... presumably because far too many feel like they are at fault for being taken, and don't care to put forth the effort to get back a small amount of money.

My point is, once it's all over will the "perp" actually ever serve any actual jail time, or get off with a "slap on the wrist" as so often happens.

I agree on dirt cheap and one picture with a one liner ID......run. Other thing is if you see a picture of something sitting in the back of somebody's shed, piled high with junk you can bet the condition of the item is just what you see in the pic......run. Agree on the sob story.......then there is the case of the boat which has Ohio registration and is for sale in Montanna....could be legit, somebody moving with their job, but that can be tested. In my case on the Ford, seller told me the name of his business which was just what he was doing, and I did a www. Then called the phone number in the listing and got him on the phone......that checked out.

Thats a good question.

Thing is, you can't let an unknown outcome dictate your actions. Wrong is wrong, and you know if you do absolutely nothing, then absolutely nothing will happen to the guy.

On the other hand, he might get a slap on the wrist this time, and the next time. Eventually though he'll be known to the local LE, who can then handle him as a career criminal, rather than a one time screw up.

Too, if everyone he's scammed within the statute of limitations on his crimes could all get together and hit him on it at the same time, I imagine multiple counts of the various charges would mean more than just one.

The main thing is to not let him get away scott free.

Successful Con Artists just like all people that are successful at their chosen profession are very good at what they do,but the small amount of money required for the seller to ship the motor should have sent up an immediate red flag.

You assume that the name and address are "real" in that they are the scammer's real name and address, and that they are sitting there holding their hands out in front waiting for the police to arrive and slap on the cuffs.

The name is fake or stolen. The address belongs to someone else. Your scammer never lived there, never existed.

(quoted from post at 23:37:50 11/16/19) Then let me put it another way. If the mail service is used in any way to further a scam, it's mail fraud.

If you take money from someone for goods you have no plan to deliver, it's fraud.

If the individual you thought would be just another mark, who was willing to give up his money without fighting back doesn't like being treated like a sucker, and files charges, a warrant is issued.

Because of that warrant he can now be arrested.

Given the ease with which these types of charges can be proven....You can imagine the rest....

Click to expand...

Given that it is only $200 how mush effort will the police put into finding this person? I say your friend got off easy with only that much lost.