OBRA: OBRA Chat: scam?

Michael O'Hair

2003-04-10

For the students in the crowd, the "Nigerian 419" scam is a variant of the

venerable Spanish Prisoner con. This "hot bike" hustle is a new one. One

of the many wonders of the "electronic global village" is that people all

over the world are looking to rob you. I spent a year with a company that

did phone fraud detection software and got to know more about electronic

crime that I wanted to. Identity theft is becoming a major industry.

Monster.com recently announced that someone had used their site by pulling

resumes and then conning people into divulging privleged information

on-line.

The bottom line is: Don't trust anyone you "meet" on-line until you verify

them.

Sidenote:

David -- There is possibly a research project on international crime in all

this. Check with your advisor.

==========================================

----- Original Message -----

From: <mike.m-@obra.org>

There has been talk on rec.bicycles.marketplace about a West African scam.

I am not sure about the details of how the scam works but I would stay

away

from it. I would regard it as much like the Nigerian 419 scam,

http://www.quatloos.com/scams/nigerian.htm.

wspe-@equitygroup.com

2003-04-10

That story on that link says they often want you to go to a loathsome

country. When the scammers were talking to me, they wanted me to go to

Toronto. Its not like they speak French or anything.

-----Original Message-----

From: mike.m-@obra.org [mailto:mike.m-@obra.org]

Sent: Thursday, April 10, 2003 6:51 AM

To: uo_cy-@hotmail.com; ob-@topica.com

Subject: RE: [OBRA Chat] scam?

There has been talk on rec.bicycles.marketplace about a West African scam.

I am not sure about the details of how the scam works but I would stay away

from it. I would regard it as much like the Nigerian 419 scam,

http://www.quatloos.com/scams/nigerian.htm.

Mike Murray

-----Original Message-----

From: David Johnson [mailto:uo_cy-@hotmail.com]

Sent: Wednesday, April 09, 2003 23:10 PM

To: ob-@topica.com

Subject: [OBRA Chat] scam?

I posted my bike for sale on BikeRide.com and recieved the following

response....has anyone else recieved such a response? A little odd to say

the least....Here it is:

HELLO I AM A BIKE DEALER IN WEST AFRICA, I BUY AND SELL

BIKES TO MY CLIENTS AROUND THE WORLD, I WILL LIKE TO

SEIZE THIS OPPURTUNITY TO TELL YOU OF MY INTEREST IN

YOUR 58cm Felt F1R Scandium, Full D/A, Like New

condition!PRODUCT, WORTH $2,000.00 , LET ME KNOW IF YOU

CAN ACCEPT A CASHIER'S CHEQUE FOR PAYMENT, YOU CAN

REPLY TO THIS MAIL IF YOU ARE WILLINGN TO DO BUSSINES

WITH ME, I WILL LIKE YOU TO GET BACK AT ME AS SOON AS

POSSIBLE,

REGARDS.

FERNAN.

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Joe Cipale

2003-04-10

norma-@aol.com wrote:

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Oh please....

This has Nigerian (aka 419) scam written all over it! A similar scam hit

a Beaverton reisdent in the last couple of months as he was selling a

computer online.

Joe

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mike.m-@obra.org

2003-04-10

There has been talk on rec.bicycles.marketplace about a West African scam.

I am not sure about the details of how the scam works but I would stay away

from it. I would regard it as much like the Nigerian 419 scam,

http://www.quatloos.com/scams/nigerian.htm.

Mike Murray

-----Original Message-----

From: David Johnson [mailto:uo_cy-@hotmail.com]

Sent: Wednesday, April 09, 2003 23:10 PM

To: ob-@topica.com

Subject: [OBRA Chat] scam?

I posted my bike for sale on BikeRide.com and recieved the following

response....has anyone else recieved such a response? A little odd to say

the least....Here it is:

HELLO I AM A BIKE DEALER IN WEST AFRICA, I BUY AND SELL

BIKES TO MY CLIENTS AROUND THE WORLD, I WILL LIKE TO

SEIZE THIS OPPURTUNITY TO TELL YOU OF MY INTEREST IN

YOUR 58cm Felt F1R Scandium, Full D/A, Like New

condition!PRODUCT, WORTH $2,000.00 , LET ME KNOW IF YOU

CAN ACCEPT A CASHIER'S CHEQUE FOR PAYMENT, YOU CAN

REPLY TO THIS MAIL IF YOU ARE WILLINGN TO DO BUSSINES

WITH ME, I WILL LIKE YOU TO GET BACK AT ME AS SOON AS

POSSIBLE,

REGARDS.

FERNAN.

_________________________________________________________________

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To respond to the whole group send to ob-@topica.com.

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norma-@aol.com

2003-04-10

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Watch out for this deal. Take the cashiers check, many are counterfeit, cash

it, WAIT for it to clear from the African bank, not yours. He may send you a

check that is larger to cover shipping, you send the shipper a cashiers check

you buy from the extra amount of the buyers check. Then you find out that

your bank makes you responsible to cover the full amount (bike and shipping)

after the bank has posted the money into your account, and let you buy the

cashiers check with the counterfeit money order.

This scam is more common for people selling cars out of places like auto

trader, I have not seen it with bikes.

If the check does clear, it is not a scam.

Norman Babcock

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<HTML><BODY BGCOLOR="#ffffff">Watch out for this deal. Take the cashiers check, many are counterfeit, cash it, WAIT for it to clear from the African bank, not yours. He may send you a check that is larger to cover shipping, you send the shipper a cashiers check you buy from the extra amount of the buyers check. Then you find out that your bank makes you responsible to cover the full amount (bike and shipping) after the bank has posted the money into your account, and let you buy the cashiers check with the counterfeit money order. 

 

This scam is more common for people selling cars out of places like auto trader, I have not seen it with bikes. 

 

If the check does clear, it is not a scam. 

 

Norman Babcock 



</HTML>

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David Johnson

2003-04-09

I posted my bike for sale on BikeRide.com and recieved the following

response....has anyone else recieved such a response? A little odd to say

the least....Here it is:

HELLO I AM A BIKE DEALER IN WEST AFRICA, I BUY AND SELL

BIKES TO MY CLIENTS AROUND THE WORLD, I WILL LIKE TO

SEIZE THIS OPPURTUNITY TO TELL YOU OF MY INTEREST IN

YOUR 58cm Felt F1R Scandium, Full D/A, Like New

condition!PRODUCT, WORTH $2,000.00 , LET ME KNOW IF YOU

CAN ACCEPT A CASHIER'S CHEQUE FOR PAYMENT, YOU CAN

REPLY TO THIS MAIL IF YOU ARE WILLINGN TO DO BUSSINES

WITH ME, I WILL LIKE YOU TO GET BACK AT ME AS SOON AS

POSSIBLE,

REGARDS.

FERNAN.

_________________________________________________________________

Add photos to your messages with MSN 8. Get 2 months FREE*.

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