Crimes of Persuasion

Schemes, scams, frauds.


West African Nigerian Scams Involving Counterfeit Cashier's Checks and Bank Fraud for the Purchase or Sale of Used Cars (International Car-buy Scam), Motorcycles, Horses (Export Scam Illegal Vehicle Transaction) and Online Internet Auction Items with Bogus Bank Draft Cheques


Keywords and Names Used

Automobile Procurement Company

Celebrity Auto Procurement Company

Emporium Auto

McCathy Holdings

Morgan Auto

Thomas Automobile Ltd

Valuable Procurement Concern

Confirm this asap for onward payment


I recently posted an ad to sell my used car which is a pretty basic

I received this letter from someone in Lagos Nigeria who is interested in purchasing my vehicle, for quite a bit more than I asked.

Pamela Herring 05/30/02


Hello,

I am willing to buy your 1990 Honda Accord LX if you can arrange for shipping to Lagos-Nigeria. I will pay $7,000 and also pay the shipping cost too.

If this offer is acceptable to you, go ahead and let me have the shipping quote

Regards
James


WOW. This would be cool! I would get more than I was asking and the shipping costs would be handled...I replied to James...

Hello James,

I am curious as to how you want to work this. How are you going to get this car from Las Vegas to Nigeria?

As soon as you have any idea as how and whom and etc. I will begin to ship the Honda. I haven't a clue on how to send anything that far!.

Thank you , Pam and David


Thanks for your response. I really appreciate it.

Well, as regards shipping, you can contact a shipping company. They can get you a quote and as soon as you get the quote, get back to me so that we can start making arrangements for payment.

Best Regards
James


You are always paid by check which is bogus but will initially clear the bank. This leads you to believe that you can send them an overpayment as rebate on a third party check, or in this case they may just take the car as the benefit to the scam.

Regardless, you are on the hook with the bank for the deposited check amount and your car is on the slow boat to Nigeria.


I want thank you for your info on used cars from buyers in West Africa.

I was contacted through email by Bokeem Amhad Johnson to buy my car. He wanted to pay what I was asking for it plus extra from a previous sale and I was to return the rest minus any deduction.

It just sounded bogus so I canceled the deal saying I couldn't part with my beloved MG.

He begged me to reconsider as it was for a government official who wanted a birthday present for his dad. He said payment had been shipped. It arrived today from Brooklyn NY and I rejected it.

Tim Burman 08/21/02


We are a procurement concern that specialize in the purchase of pre-owned vehicles on behalf of numerous customers in Africa. We are paid commission by our buyers once the cars have been sourced, purchased, shipped and cleared.

We have a customer interested in your above mentioned automobile and has offered to pay the sum of $3,400 to purchase it, if only you will arrange shipping by contacting INTERNATIONAL SHIPPERS and get a shipping quote to the port at COTONOU, REPUBLIC OF BENIN IN WEST AFRICA.

Kindly contact me if these offer is accepted with a shipping quote to the said port of destination, and payment for purchase + shipping/insurance/handling will be remitted to you asap.

Thanks

Bokeem...


I will take the offer of $3,400. Shipping can be done by a firm named www.shippinginternational.com. They quote $3195.00 to Cotonou, Republic of Benin, West Africa with a flatbed tow to Port of Oakland, Ca quote of $225.00.

I am checking on one other shipper to see if he has a better price for shipping the car. As soon as I find out I will let you know.

Timothy C. Burman


So I suppose the total cost of car + cost of shipping will come to $6,595. After discussing with my customer this morning as regards the total cost, he said he will make payment with US funds on cashier check, through a refund of purchase earlier made and the total amount on check will be $11,650.

So as soon as you get the check, pay in to your account for clearance and deduct the total sum and send the balance to my customer Mr. Marcus.

Acknowledge and provide your name, address and phone number that will appear on check to be delivered via Fedex courier service to you. Hope I can trust you on this.

Do not bother with shipping anymore. We have arranged with our agent who will pick up the car and deliver to a prepaid shipper. Please once again let me have the sell off price of the car and provide name, address and phone number to appear on cashier's check payment.

Also note that all mails from now should be sent to emporiumauto\\email.com as we have incessant log-in problems with these address.

Tim, I really have to trust you with my customers funds, the sum of $6,500 will get to you on American cashier check, which you will deposit in your bank to clear, then deduct cost of car and send the balance to my customer Mr. Marcus via western union money transfer, also deduct the cost of transfer changers from balance.

Bokeem
+234-17760445


BEWARE !! Recently someone from Nigeria answered an ad for a car on www.motorzoo.com. The vehicle had been sold but the owner had another for sale. The person answering the ad was instantly (and strangely) interested in the new vehicle.

The deal was as follows: "I will send you a cashiers check for $9000.00 and when it is deposited in your account you call me and I will come pick up the car and you will give me back the difference between what you are asking for the car and the $9000 I have sent you."

The check was fraudulent and the person with the car is now in the middle of an investigation.

Mike Troutman 10/26/02


Upping the Ante

Recently received an email about purchasing several properties on my sites. (Real estate sites)

This came from Chinedu Janet at Lord's Property Consultant Nig. and asks to deal with a Dr James King in Toronto, Canada.

They want to give me a large deposit on properties. 10/03


Would Have Lost This Race

I had recently posted on numerous message boards and auto sites that I had a Dale Earnhardt Sr. collection for sale in the hopes of selling it or trading it for a vehicle.

I get a response from some dude named "Abiodun Davies". I figure he is interested in my collection and first thing he asks for is my full name and mailing address along with my cellphone number so a check for $8000 can be made out and sent via FedEx. I mean he didn't even want to dicker or anything. (first red flag)

I check the header on his email and it comes out as "kamilu\\evansdale.net" I figure fine I will give him my cell number so we can talk about my collection since he is apparently from Indiana based on the ISP.

I didn't respond then like a half hour later and with no explanation, he emails again and states that he will give me 12,500 dollars for the collection!!!

We talk back and forth via email for a few days, then I get a phone call at 4:30 a.m. this morning from him. I didn't answer the first two times but he kept calling so I answer and don't say anything. He sounds like he is in a room with about fifty people (all foreign accented too)

I look on the caller ID and it comes up a phone number in Des Moines, Iowa, about 80 miles north of me. I do a reverse phone lookup and it comes up belonging to an "Evelyn and Lawrence Davis".

Then twenty minutes later I receive an email (from his evansdale.net~ Indiana) and he gives me his phone number and tells me I can call him if I like.

It's a funny looking number with a "234" prefix. (234 802330 2703) I do another country code search and sure enough.... Nigeria.

He keeps asking for my FULL NAME and MAILING ADDRESS so he can get my check out via "FedEx" right away. I sent him a listing initially of what I had in my collection and he hasn't even wanted to look at it or anything. Just wants to send me this "big check" for it all the time.

He tells me that FedEx will deliver the check and pickup the collection at the same time too. Now I may be a little naive, but ain't nobody gonna just plunk down $12,500 dollars for a collection, sight unseen. Not any "real money" anyway.

Thank you so much for such a wonderful and well laid out and, most importantly, INFORMATIVE site. Sites like yours really make the internet a more pleasurable experience.

John Iowa (almost scammed) 11/02/02


Commission Clearance Favour

Tony,

i will like to tell you that my client is interested in the car i gave him all the conditions of the car and also the model and he is okay with it all so that is why i am still transacting with you for the sales of the car.

First i will like to tell you that the check that my client will send to you will certainly clear before the pickup of the car is made from your place and also my client will be issuing a cashier's check which will clear with 24 hours.

So all i will like you to do is to give me the name to write on the check and also the address to send the check to because he is ready to issue payment and also i will like to tell you that i am an agent looking for car for my client here in africa and my name is Steven Dean and my mobile number here is 2348023404326.

i should have given you a call but i am mostly busy and i do not have the time to get to the phone. i will be expecting from you with the name to write on the check and also the address to send the check to,

also if you can call me, thanks.

Regards

Steven

Dear Tony,

I have read from your mail and I have forwarded the name to be written on the check to my client, and also the address to send the check to.

I will like to tell you that the check should have been sent to you today because my client have already made the check out in your name and all that is left is for him to go and send the check down to the address you provided, but there is something I will like you to agree with before my client send the check down.

My client prepared the payment for this transaction with you, with the payment for the transaction that I have done for him, and all the payment is made into one check and this is the check that my client wants to send down to you and my own part of the money on the check is $7400 so the total check that will be made out to you is $9400.

So all I will like you to agree with is that, the check would be sent to you and you will deposit the check in the bank so as soon as the check clears you will deduct the payment for your transaction and then you will send the balance on the check down to me via western union money transfer or moneygram.

So I will like you to agree on this and then I will make my client send the check down to you. I will really appreciate it if you could do me this favour because you would be doing me favour of the clearance of my commission and I will really appreciate your effort on this.

I will be waiting your reply soonest.
Regards
Steven

sent in by Tony 04/16/03


Low Self Esteem

i saw your advert via the internet and i am interested in the purchase of the auto, i am a business man in West-Africa who is into buying and importation of auto on request by my clients,

i have a local shipper that takes care of my shipping so shipping is no problem, as soon as the transaction is completed my shipper will come to pick it up.

my only request is if you will accept a cashier check drawn in American bank, so if this is ok by you kindly let me know the following information via the e mail, your last offer for the auto and your phone number.

expecting your urgent response.

thanks.
Joe Godspower aka Tolu Ikhie


Valuable Procurement Concern

We are valuable procurement concern that specialise in the purchase and shipping of CARS / BIKES to our numerous customers worldwide. We have a customer interested in purchasing your (1973 KARMANN GHIA COUPE ) car mentioned above for the sum of $5,400.00.

We will arrange a pick up of the car once payment is confirmed by the seller. Please acknowledge the offer and we will instruct the buyer to have the funds remitted to your account as soon as possible.

Thanks

Gerald Jackson


More Bullship

We are valuable procurement concern that specialise in the purchase and shipping of CARS/BIKES to our numerous customers worldwide.

We have a customer interested in purchasing your 1976 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO mentioned above for the sum of $6,500.00. We will arrange a pick up of the car once payment is confirmed by the seller.

Please acknowledge the offer and we will instruct the buyer to have the funds remitted to your account as soon as possible.

Export director

Thanks for your mail. Yes my customer still needs the car and the price quote you gave was what we saw on the advert, but really we have to negotiate for a better price that could suit our customer. Like we offered to pay $6,500 for the chevrolet.

If that is okay, then I will have to instruct my customer to make arrangement for payment. But if not okay, you could tell us the list you would go and see if my customer will be willing to pick it up.

I will have to get across to my customer anyway, but while I do this, could you send me the pix of the chev in different views so that we could access the facial value of the car.


Hey Jude, Don't Get Me Down

We are LONDON based valuable procurement concern that specialise in the purchase and shipping of CARS to our numerous customers worldwide.

We have a customer interested in purchasing your car mentioned above for the sum of $12,000.00. We will arrange a pick up of the car once payment is confirmed by the seller.

Please acknowledge the offer and we will instruct the buyer to have the funds remitted to your account as soon as possible.

export director [Jude Egobia]

Thanks for your mail, I have spoken to my client and he has instructed me to inform you that payment will get to you in a cashier check of $20,000.00 which is a refund payment of a cancelled order earlier made by my client.

Due to company policy this check has to be made out in this amount to you, because company policy only allows a refund payment on one cashier check, so you are required to deduct cost of car $12,000 when payment gets to you and refund balance $8,000.00 to my customer via western union money transfer for him to be able to upset shipping charges down here and from there.

After payment has reached you and balance sent back to him, our agent will come pick up title and drive to a prepaid shipper to be shipped to my customer, while title papers and other necessary documents will be sent by you via fedex courier to my customer.

Confirm this and provide name, address and phone number for check payment to be delivered to you via fedex courier.


04/03 New Jersey - A senior citizen was scammed out of almost $14,000 when he thought he was actually going to make $7,500 by selling his 1996 Saab.

The trouble started when Shyam Bhatnagar, 66, placed an advertisement to sell his car on the Internet site The Big Lot (www.thebiglot.com).

After the ad was placed, he was contacted by a man who identified himself as Andy Baker, who said he was the export director for a company that buys and ships vehicles around the world.

He told Mr. Bhatnagar he had a buyer interested in his Saab, someone who would pay him $7,500 for the vehicle.

Mr. Bhatnagar received a check in the mail March 20 for $13,950. The Nigerian company's policy, he was told, called for Mr. Bhatnagar to deposit the check and then return the $6,450 overpayment via Western Union.

When he took the check to his bank, the bank said they would honor it, and sufficient funds existed to cover it. Four days later, the amount was credited to his account.

As instructed, the senior citizen used Western Union to wire the overpayment to an address in Nigeria. Mr. Baker contacted the victim again March 27, claiming the original buyer had fallen ill and needed to cancel his purchase of the Saab.

To compensate Mr. Bhatnagar for his trouble, Mr. Baker said he could keep $1,500, or 20 percent of the purchase price.

Two days later, Mr. Bhatnagar wired the remaining $6,000 to Nigeria.

Mr. Bhatnagar's bank notified him via letter April 3 that the original cashier's check was a fake.

The bank also delivered a stunning blow: Mr. Bhatnagar would be dunned for the entire $13,950.


Pulls Out in Time

I am in the process of being scammed. The guy in Lagos Nigeria already sent a check and I am to receive it soon for my motorcycle, which I will not be shipping to him now.

He is sending $3500 extra on top of the $2000 that I was asking.

The fraud is an identical match to one on your website,

Mark Puls 04/09/03


Out of Country Car Scams

I recently advertised a 1948 Studebaker truck on the internet. I received four email offers for triple the asking price. All seemed legit. Most fit the Nigerian scam profile though one is from Sweden.

They promise a money order, quick pick up, and send too much money which is to be returned via Western Union. Phone numbers are preceded with the 234 area code.

The names I remember should be red flags to any other prospective sellers. Collin Walker, Joel Halloway, and Henry Jude (Sweden). The fourth is Fred at 234-802-354-588.

Dewey Y. in Oceanside California 04/22/03


Ben Tired after a Dayo Mocking

"COS i HAVE A CLIENT WHO IS INTERETSED IN YOUR CAR AND HE LIVES IN WSET AFRICA"

I’ve been receiving LOTS of suspicious email in regards to a car listing posted on autotrader.com.

My wife and I were pondering just how the criminals would benefit by wiring three or four times the asking price of the car, and now that I found your site, it makes much more sense.

Just as a FYI, here is a sampling of some of these emails. Most of them came through autotrader.com’s buyer interface, but a few have come directly once I replied.

The general email thread goes from them asking to have the money wired to me – then I ask them why they don’t wire the funds directly to their American contact and have him pay me cash for the car – then I get a new inquiry from a new name with the same phone number.

Scott

4/28/03
BUYER INFO
Name: john ben
E-Mail Address: evatrade01\\yahoo.com
Evening Phone: (405) 592-0892
Best Contact Time: evening
Comments: I AM INTERESTED IN YOUR CAR KINDLY GIVE ME THE FINAL PRICE OF THE CAR AS I HAVE A CLIENT IN AFRICA WHO IS INTERESTED IN THE CAR.

5/1/03
BUYER INFO
Name: jeff mock
E-Mail Address: jeffautos\\yahoo.com
Day Phone: (415) 909-6973
Best Contact Time: day
Comments:
i am interested in buying you car do get back to me your last offering price i will take care of shipping my self i will want you to also tell me the present condition so that i can tell my client to go ahead and issue you the check asap

This one came direct:

From : jeff mock <jeffautos\\yahoo.com>
Subject: urgent respond............
Date : Fri, 2 May 2003

Thanks for your mail, since you said the cost of your car is $2,700 my client says there is no problem about the price, but like i told you in my first e-mail i make you to understand that my client is owing me $6,300 and he has just issued you a certified cashier check of $9,000 which you will be expecting while you deduct your $2,700 and wire me back my $6,300.

So you will be expecting a cashier check of $9,000 while you wire me back $6,300 via western union as soon as you receive the check which i will be using for settling my shippers. After my balance has been wired to me i will then instruct my shippers to come to your destination to pick up the car.

So let me have your full contact information to where the check will be sent to like this.
name............
full address..........
city..............
state............
country..............
zip code............
cell telephone number......
Looking forward to your respond and don't forget the photos of the car cos my client will like to see what is paying for,

Best Regards

5/9/03
BUYER INFO
Name: anita ben
E-Mail Address: parkertrade01\\yahoo.com
Evening Phone: (405) 592-0892
Comments:

I HAVE A CLIENT WHO IS INTERESTED IN YOUR CAR AND HE LIVES IN WEST AFRICA, SO I WILL LIKE TO KNOW YOUR FINAL PRICE OF THE CAR AND THE CONDITIONS, DO GET BACK TO ME ASAP.

THANKS

5/9/03
BUYER INFO
Name: dayo evans
E-Mail Address: caretrade01\\yahoo.com
Evening Phone: (405) 592-0892
Comments: I HAVE A CLIENT WHO IS INTERETSED IN YOUR CAR AND HE LIVES IN WEST AFRICA, SO I WILL LIKE TO KNOW YOUR FINAL PRICE OF THE CAR AND THE CONDITIONS, DO GET BACK TO ME

5/12/03
BUYER INFO
anita ben
E-Mail Address: parkertrade01\\yahoo.com
Evening Phone: (405) 592-0892
Comments: AM INTERESTED IN YOUR CAR KINDLY GIVE ME THE FINAL PRICE OF THE
CAR. COS I HAVE A CLIENT IN AFRICA WHO IS INTERESTED IN THE CAR.

THANKS.


To High Heaven

I've attached an e-mail that I just received, after advertising my son's car on the Internet. (It's a nice 2000 Mustang) My asking price was only 7000, yet he's willing to pay 9600.

This is the third one like this that I've received from different people, and I'm not sure what the scam is ... but it smells awfully fishy to me. Any ideas?

-BJ Rowley

Subject: confirm this asap for onward payment.
Date: Fri, 7 Nov 2003
From: morgan woods <morgan_auto101\\yahoo.com>

BJ Rowley ,

My client has finally accepted your price and the pics were great too, he hopes the engine is serviced and oil changed too. He cant wait to see the car parked in his garage.

However, My client made out a certified cashiers check of($16000) before he travelled to japan on a business trip, for a previous car and its shipment charges etc,but it was unfortunately sold.

The amount on the check he deposited for the car is bigger than what should be paid to you now, so the check is now meant for the total expenses which includes the purchase of your car, the pick up of the car from its present location and the shipping charges/other necessary shipping arrangements. However he has instructed us to carry on with this transaction.

So you're required to deduct the cost of your car ($9600)and send the balance of($6400) to my client via western union money transfer to enable him offsett shipping charges/arrangements. once the transaction is concluded,

My agent will be coming for the pick up of the car from its present location, on an open vehicle and then drive to a pre paid shipper for shipment, and also conclude other necessary shipping arrangements. so you dont have to bother yourself about the pick up and shipping arrangements, while title papers and other necessary documets will be sent by you via fedex courier to my customer.

Please Confirm this and provide name, address and phone number for check payment to be delivered to you via fedex courier service immediately. Thanks and God bless, have a nice day.

Morgan.


Darn Nice of the Bank

01/04 - Heather Myers thought she'd found a buyer for the truck she was selling on the Internet.

" They e-mailed me directly at my Yahoo address," Myers said. "They wanted to know what the buying price was." Myers was a little skeptical about an overseas buyer.

"I was still 'I'll believe it when the check comes.' A few weeks later they did send me a check through the regular mail," Myers remembered.

It was a cashier's check for more than the asking price, and Myers was asked to forward the extra money to the shipping company.

She deposited the cashier's check and three days later wired $5,000 to the company that would supposedly ship the truck overseas.

Then she got a call from the buyer saying they no longer wanted the truck and they wanted a refund.

"So I went to my bank, where I deposited my check, and said, 'They want me to send the rest of the money back to them. Is this check cleared? Is it alright?'" Myers said. "

The manager said it was a counterfeit check -- that the whole check had been bogus -- and he said 'I'm sorry, but you've been the victim of fraud and you now owe $5,775 to our bank,' and that was a week before Christmas."

The bank has offered Myers a home equity loan to pay back the $5,000.

Nigerian Auction Fraud - article


Sale of car exposes man to online scam

By Patti Rosenberg - Daily Press

03/19/04 - YORK, VA -- A Dare family became victims last week of a $6,000 scam so ingenious that a spokesman for the York County Sheriff's Office said he could have fallen for it himself.

It started with Jeremy Sjoblom advertising his 2001 Volkswagen GTI, a sporty hatchback, for sale on the Internet for $15,500. He received an e-mail from someone representing herself as a broker for a man in London.

They offered the full price, sent him a cashier's check for $21,300 via Fed Ex and asked him to wire $5,800 of it to a person in Canada who would arrange the shipping.

Sjoblom, 24, said he was suspicious. But after consulting with his parents, they decided that if the check cleared, that would speak for itself.

He received the check March 7 and deposited it the next day, asking the teller when it would clear.

He was told it would clear by midnight, he said. Relying on that, he wired the money to Canada on March 9.

On March 12, he said, he was contacted again by the "broker," who said the buyer had changed his mind. But she said Sjoblom could keep 20 percent of the cost for himself.

Sjoblom had already arranged for the rest of the money to be sent to the Michigan bank that held title to the car. He got on the phone to try to get the money back.

That's when he learned the check had been determined to be counterfeit - and that when the teller told him the check would "clear" at midnight, she meant the bank would front him the funds until the check did clear.

He said he wondered how long it would have taken the bank to tell him the check was phony if he hadn't happened to call.

He assumed the bank would take responsibility for the loss of the $5,800 it allowed him to withdraw.

Capt. J.E. Richardson, a spokesman for the York County Sheriff's Office, said he also would have thought the bank would be responsible for accepting the check.

However, both the FBI and U.S. Secret Service told him Congress has written the banking laws so that banks have up to 30 days to reject a check.

Richardson said the check appeared to be a legitimate cashier's check from the Bank of America. "I would have taken it," he said.

Sjoblom said the Wachovia bank branch where he deposited the check has maintained that it's not legally obligated to reimburse him for the loss, but that it might, considering his parents have been longtime customers.

The check was deposited into his parents' account.


Road Rage on the Internet

I researched a Car on Ebay and found the one! It was a 2003 BMW and very nice, to say the least.

The seller, EmilioTeros\\MSN.com emailed me back and let me know that I would need to wire a deposit via Western Union.

To protect me, I was to simply put the money in my wife's name and once he shipped the car, I would change the name over to his for payment.

So dumb I was...I sent the money to Italy in my wife's name and sure enough...someone in Italy had a fake ID made and went to the Western Union office pretending to be my wife and picked up the money.

So I'm out $3000.00 and am so angry.

JC 03/04


Note: Even offers to purchase horses using this scam have been recorded.


News article on International Car-Buy Scam

Nigerian Cashier's Check Internet Car-buying Scam - article

Sophisticated Foreign Scam Artists Target Victims - article

Motorcycle Scam Western Union Canada Cashiers Check - article

Car, Truck, Motorcycle Buying Scam - website


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