Saturday February 18th 2006, 12:33 pm by Steve Portigal
I was looking on Craigslist for a car, and I saw one listed in nearby Santa Cruz, so I wrote the seller with a question. Hilarious response (if scary)
Hello there,
Thank you for your interest in purchasing my car . First of all I must inform you that currently I’m in Zagreb, Croatia and the machine is here with me .My faher, who died two weeks ago was the first owner of the car. The machine is in great condition ,no damage,no scratches or dents, no hidden defects,keept in our own garage. The machine is an US model with US specs,it passed the test emissions and comes with all the documents you need to register the item. It has a clear title and it can be registerd into your name. I recently ordered a new car from a dealer down here and i need the cash in the next few days to pay for it. The price I hope to obtain is $10000 USD (this price includes the shipping and insurance) and if you agree with this price we can start to complete the transaction. I have to tell you that I have other serious offers that I have to consider and I will make a decision regarding this sale function of
time of payment and price. i will shipp the car using KLM 7-10 air days delivery, and i will cover all taxes. We can make this COD, but if you want to keep the car for you, then you have to make a down deposit with 1,500 USD. So email me back if you are intersted and you have the cash. The car will be shipped from Croatia and i will cover the shipping costs and insurance.You will not have to pay additional taxes,just only the price for it.
Let me know!
I think Zagreb is pretty much the cue that something is wrong wrong wrong here. Anyway, the posting has been taken down so obviously someone else discovered as well the ridiculous scam. Doesn’t it always involve someone dying? Fortune from misfortune? Silly.
Tags: con, craigslist, croatia, mark, nigeria, scam, zagreb
This is a very common scam that crooks are now using… The only problem is that most people do not know any better and all of a sudden they start sending money to foreign countries. When ever buying a vehicle make sure that you can drive the vehicle, have it inspected by a mechanic, and check the history. The Ex-Car Dealer How To Avoid Car Dealer Scams
Comment by Dealer Invoice 06.12.06 @ 1:12 pmI saw one on craigslist for a 2004 volvo for 6k. After writing the poster he said the car was in Croatia and money would go through ebay so everybody was protected. I assumed the price was wrong in the posting.
Comment by Ted B 08.08.06 @ 8:56 pmI just saw the 1968 Coronet Convertible on Craigs List. Same Croatia dude. I’ll tell you though- He used a legitimate postal code, he got the detail on the car right and the VIN was off a real vehicle and coded correctly. They’re getting better and better.
Comment by Bev 08.12.06 @ 1:50 pmSame deal – wanted to go through Ebay to ’secure’ payment. I told him I worked for the FBI so he could trust me. HE HE
[...] Not as tragic but still disturbing is what you can encounter while transacting on Craigslist or other classified ad service. There have been reports of crime involving people who, in their interest to add to their collection of gang memorabilia, would seek their victims via Craigslist. Apparently, hoodies are considered a great collectible in some nefarious spaces, so beware what you decide to post on Craigslist. You never know what kind of morally challenged species you can attract. Better yet, carefully screen your buyers and just about anyone you meet over the net. [...]
Pingback by Silicon Valley Blog About Money, Finance, Geek Culture and Cyberspace 10.30.06 @ 8:12 amI responded to a Craig’s List 2001 Lexus ad for only $4.2K, (worth $18K). The email I got back explained the Croatia link, although this time the amount was only $4,000 which includes shipping from Croatia!! Too good to be true? You bet. It would cost more to ship it than what he’s asking. I’m considering responding by offering to pay with the money that I’m getting from the estate of a relative who was an employee of Shell Oil Company in Nigeria killed in a car wreck (at least that’s what the email claimed happened to him).
Comment by Rick 12.03.06 @ 9:07 pmMy letter said the guy was in the military in Croatia, but that eBay had a Buyer Protection Program that would keep the money until I was satified, but that he was sure he could sell it in the area if I didn’t want it. I checked. The eBay BPP doesn’t cover “deciding I don’t want it” and I couldn’t imagine how a guy in Croatia could resell the vehicle here. Who would store the car and manage the sale? The corker was that he said the military would ship it to me in about 5 days. They can’t get equpment to Iraq in months and months, if ever. How the hell are they going to get aq car to my fromt door?
Comment by Dick 05.26.08 @ 10:13 amMy story sounds exactly like Dicks. I found a car on craigslist and it sounded too good to be true. The guy was in Croatia and of course he said he was a Ltn. in the Air Force. (Who wouldn’t want to trust someone in the Air Force) Right??? He didn’t get my money thank goodness. I am reporting him to every agency that I can possibly think of. WE HAVE TO STOP THESE PEOPLE.
Comment by Gayla 06.25.08 @ 11:33 amIf is sounds too good to be true, IT IS! RUN!!!