Hey everyone, my brother is looking to get a car and found this deal on craiglist and received this e-mail from the seller. Does this sound like a deal too good to be true or a scam?

I think the next step is to ask him how he would like to receive payment. What's the best and most secure form of payment for a transaction like this?

Here is the e-mail response from the seller:





Hello,

Thank you for your interest in my car.This is a 2005 Infiniti FX35,All Wheel Drive, 6 Cylinder 3.5 Liter, Gasoline engine,Automatic Transmission,Black with Tan Leather interior,Non-Smoker,clean title.NAVIGATION!! BRAND NEW TIRES AND BRAKES.iPOD Connection, Rear-view camera. Technology package, Intelligent Cruise Control, Intelligent Key. Adaptable Xenon Head-Lights. Bose Sound System and Onboard Tire Pressure Monitor.Sunroof/Moonroof. The car has only 37,484 miles on it,VIN# is : JNRAS08W15X210242.


Here you can find more pictures of the car: http://s700.photobucket.com/albums/ww2/fx35forsale/
(if the above link does not work copy and paste it into a new web browser window).

The car has been well taken care of, always kept in the garage.Flawless exterior/interior condition,no scratches and no dents.It has never been involved in an accident.The engine starts and drives like new and the paint looks great.It comes with US clear title which will be signed and notorized in the buyer's name.Have all keys and manuals.

I'm an US Air Force Major currently stationed in the United Kingdom.The car is here with me. It was bought in the US and shipped to Europe, but it was never permanently registered here, the car is still registered in the US.The car is for sale locally as well, but there are slim chances of this to happen. In order to be able to register this car here in the UK the buyer would have to pay very high import/custom taxes that will double the price. So I decided to sell the car back in the US.

The price is $4,890.00 including shipping from the UK to the US and delivery to your home address.

So if you decide to buy this car or need further information please get back to me as soon as possible.

Thank you
Maj. Brett Carner

 

If it sounds too good to be true, it most likely is.

I'd avoid it like the H1N1 virus.

 

Found a car fax and after googling - 90% sure it's a scam.

 

+1.

Although, I've heard of this type of stuff happening. You might at least have someone check the VIN (I wouldn't waste any money on that though). But more than likely it's a scam.

 

He's asking less than $5k for a car that should realistically sell for at least three times that amount, and he's throwing in free shipping (and not just port-to-port either, since he said it would be delivered to your home address.)

Run like hell and don't look back.

 

100% scam. Common ploy on craigslist to get hold of your email address. Next come the vi@gra and male enhancement spam emails. Vin # may be real, but vehicle not owned by purported seller.

Run don't walk.

 

Dude report it. That **** is a freaking is man posing as a women scam.

 

This is so obviously a scam.

 

Do not send any $$$$$. You probably already know this is a rip off. That car can be sold in Europe as well as America.
I would put a call into the Air-Force and have this checked out. Maybe they will get this FRAUD,THIEF,CROOk,SCAMMER CREEP and put him in jail. He is the worst kind of crook using the Military as a front.
Ronnie948

 

I wouldn't waste the time... If the guy is a scammer, why would he list his real name and occupation? Saying "I'm in the Air Force" is only done to garner sympathy and invoke trust to help further the con.

 

First of all, doubtful he would be selling this on craigs list if it were true. Troops are rotated back to the USA every week, and all he would need to do would be to post a "For Sale" sign on base and the GI could bring it home with him/her.

Also, it is a Federal offense to impersonate a member of the US Military....file report to craigs list and see if they remove it. If they dont, considering all the flak they have been receiving, it will just end up being another nail in their coffin for NOT regulating their company.....

 

Agreed - there's approximately a 0% chance that the "seller" is really in the Air Force.

The reason the scammers often claim to be in the military is that it gives a plausible explanation for why there's a late-model, US-spec car overseas available for purchase. This also gives a somewhat-believable explanation as to why the price is so low ("I have to get rid of it before being transferred/going on deployment/etcetera".)

Of course, the whole reason the fictional car is located in Europe to begin with and not in the U.S. is that the delay while the car is "in transit" gives the scammer more time before the victim realizes he's been robbed, and locating the car overseas also makes it less likely that a prospective American buyer will ask to inspect the non-existent car in person or send a friend to look at the car.

 

Are you suggesting that Craiglist remove the ad because it has all the hallmarks of a scam, or because the "seller" is impersonating a military member?

I agree that it should be pulled for being a scam, but since Craigslist isn't in a position to determine whether a "seller" is actually a military member or not, I don't think it's fair to expect them to pull an ad for that particular reason.

 

Scam. Craigslist even says at the top of the screen, in huge letters: [ OFFERS TO SHIP CARS ARE 100% FRAUDULENT ]

 

Thanks for the responses guys - I knew it was a scam from the start being a member of (419eater.com)

I wanted to post this up for my younger brother so he can see for himself that it's a scam.

 

Nice job, looking out for your younger brother.

Take the time to explain to him how & why this is a scam so he can identify the next one that comes along.

 

And any car or vehicle that is in the UK is also a scam. For some reason all the fraudsters like to say the car is in the UK.

And what others said, unless the car is local, don't ever do a deal on Craigs. They are con games when shipped.

Oh, and one more thing, for some reason they always list the prices in the $4,000 range. Odd.

Hats off to checking on this.