This is a story told via email of a potential buyer (Ishmael - name changed to protect his ID) who came VERY close to losing money (thank goodness he found the Western Union wire transfer fraud warning page on The Auction Guild website and the MSNBC articles TAG worked on with Bob Sullivan, award winning MSNBC journalist). Read through to the end, where the scammer, David, admits to his scam. This is a really skillful scammer, doing all the right things to draw in the buyer and build his confidence, using every trick in his trade. In the face of the blatant warning on our site, the buyer was able to back away - PLEASE read this and take all the lessons from it, it should teach!
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NOTE: This was an ebaY Auction where the scammer had hijacked a high feedback account, and then used the preapproved bidder option to get the potential buyers to email them for approval to be added to the bidder list
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From: Ishmael Faud<****@rogers.com>
Sent: Oct 1, 2003 3:40 PM
To: ****@earthlink.net
Subject:
Hi,
I am interested in placing a bid for your listed item 3433692043 on
ebay. I checked out the dell website and found that the specs for a
factory DELL Inspiron 5150 differ from the notebook that you have
listed. Has this particular item been modified or upgraded??
Thank you,
Ishmael
================
From: **** [mailto:****@earthlink.net]
Sent: October 2, 2003 11:36 AM
To: ****@rogers.com
Subject: DELL Inspiron 5150 3.06GHZ + EXTRA DISPLAY +
Hello there,
Before any bidding takes place you must know that I am
currently in Rostock, Germany where me and my partner
supplied capital for the purchase of a bankrupt stores
stock. Now we are trying to sell the remaining stock.
The buy now price (*) would be 1900 USD for the
DELL Inspiron 5150 3.06GHZ, 2GB RAM including the
Dell UltraSharp 2000FP 20" Digital Flat Panel Display.
I have two systems available. I can sell them both for the
price of 3500 USD.
All the features mentioned in the listing are included.
The units are brand new still in their original package
factory sealed. They ship with all the accessories provided
by the manufacturer and have a 3 Year Limited Warranty plus
3 Year On-site Service and CompleteCare covered
Internationally by every authorized service center. All the
papers are blank and ready to be filled by the new owner.
You will receive your package in 3 working days through UPS.
I send all my packages having written on them "display unit,
no comercial value" or as a gift so you don't have to pay any
additional taxes. (VAT included)
Please let me know ASAP if you are interested and I will
allow you to bid or we can arrange a private deal to save
time and money. I have preffered this special type of auction
because of the multiple problems I've had in the past with
non paying bidders.
Best Regards,
David
* The prices are slightly negotiable
================
From: Ishmael Faud<****@rogers.com>
Sent: Oct 2, 2003 7:28 PM
To: '****' <****@earthlink.net>
Subject: RE: DELL Inspiron 5150 3.06GHZ + EXTRA DISPLAY +
Hello,
Thank you for your prompt reply. I am indeed still interested in
purchasing one unit and can pay the 1900 USD price. I assume that
this item is new? However, noticed you said the price is negotiable. As
mentioned I can pay the 1900USD for the notebook+display but would
appreciate any savings that you an offer; since I am still a student
and every penny counts. Aditionally I am in Toronto, Canada; what sort of
shipping costs am I to anticipate.
Thanks,
Ishmael
================
From: **** [mailto:****@earthlink.net]
Sent: October 2, 2003 4:42 PM
To: ****@rogers.com
Subject: RE: DELL Inspiron 5150 3.06GHZ + EXTRA DISPLAY +
Since you are a student I will make a price cut and sell the item to
you at 1700$. Please reply if you agree with the price. I just secured one of the units for you. You must know that for the moment I accept payment only in cash either through wire transfer or direct pick-up because I am currently in Rostock, Germany with business.
I want to take this opportunity to assure you that this deal is as
legitimate as it could possible be. I am a very serious seller with
a feedback rating of 230 and with 100% positive feedback reviews.
If you want to complete this transaction please confirm me your
full name with the middle name (if there is one) and your home address
because I'll be asked for it at the UPS center. The shipping will be
made through UPS and you will receive your package in 3 days. The package will be fully insured.
You can send me the money through Western Union.
Please visit http://www.westernunion.com/info/agentInquiryIntl.asp
to find the nearest Western Union office, or just go to your local
postal office and you'll probably find an Western Union office there.
With Western Union, your money is transferred immediately,
and usually arrives at the receiving end in 10 minutes while other
services can take days or weeks. There are no complicated
procedures and you don't need a bank account or credit card.
To send the money bring some identification and fill in a short,
simple form. Pay for the amount of money you want to send, plus the
Western Union service fee. You will be given a MTCN (Money Transfer
Control Number). After you make the wire transfer just mail me the
MTCN to allow me to check the payment on-line.
As soon as the payment verifies your package will be shipped and you
will get your tracking number to be able to track it for yourself.
Here are my details that you need for the money transfer:
****
Address: Schwaansche Strasse 11
City: Rostock
Zip: 18055
Country: Germany
I look forward to complete this deal successfully and hopefully more
in the future.
Best regards,
David
================
From: Ishmael Faud<****@rogers.com>
Sent: Oct 2, 2003 11:22 PM
To: '****' <****@earthlink.net>
Subject: RE: DELL Inspiron 5150 3.06GHZ + EXTRA DISPLAY +
Hello David,
I do agree with this price of $1700 USD, and thank you for your
considerate reduction. I will make arrangements to have the payment
wired to you tomorrow sometime after 3PM Toronto time. Prior to doing
so, please clarify to me whether or not this item is new or used, and
if used what sort of condition is it in? Your reply also states that I
should mail you the MTCN, I assume you meant email as opposed to snail
mail? In the meantime here are my details.
Full Name: Ishmael Faud
Address: 46 Brimstone Rd
City/Province: Scarborough/ON
Country: Canada
Postal Code: XXX XXX
Telephone: 416-XXX-XXXX
You have been a great seller so far, and I as well look forward to
further dealings in the future.
Cordially,
Ishmael
================
From: **** <****@earthlink.net>
Date: 2003/10/02 Thu PM 06:08:09 EDT
To: ****@rogers.com
Subject: RE: DELL Inspiron 5150 3.06GHZ + EXTRA DISPLAY +
Hello Ishmael,
The units are brand new still in their original package
factory sealed. They ship with all the accessories provided
by the manufacturer and have a 3 Year Limited Warranty plus
3 Year On-site Service and CompleteCare covered
Internationally by every authorized service center. All the
papers are blank and ready to be filled by the new owner.
After you complete the wire transfer please provide with with the
MTCN number that you will receive on the money transfer form
and also with complete wire transfer info.
I'll use this number to verify the transaction and see if everything
was done properly.
Very Important. Please do not tell at the Western Union office that
this is the payment for an auction because I'll might be charged with some
extra fees when I receive the money. If they ask you anything just tell them
that you are sending money to a friend of yours and everything will be just
fine.
Kind reagards,
David
================
From: ****@rogers.com
Sent: Oct 3, 2003 12:21 AM
To: **** <****@earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: RE: DELL Inspiron 5150 3.06GHZ + EXTRA DISPLAY +
Hi David,
Well everything looks good so far, and as mentioned I'll provide you
with the MTCN once that is completed. I do have one last question which
concerns the power supply for the notebook and monitor, are they set up
for European or North American currents? I appologize if I have
bombarded you with a lot of queries, but this will be my largest
electronic purchase and I want to ensure that it is a good one. If you
could also please provide me with an outline of the specs of both items
similiar to the one you had posted on ebay. I appreciate all your help
and patience.
Thanks,
Ishmael
================
From: **** [mailto:****@earthlink.net]
Sent: October 3, 2003 9:30 AM
To: ****@rogers.com
Subject: Re: RE: DELL Inspiron 5150 3.06GHZ + EXTRA DISPLAY
Hello Ishmael,
It's ok that you are asking me a lot of questions, after all it's your
computer and I want to make sure everything
is ok and you will be ompletely satisfied.The power is set for the US
electric standard and there is also an adaptar for the European electric
system.Please reply with any other questions that yoy may have,
Kind regards,
David
================
From: Ishmael Faud<****@rogers.com>
Sent: Oct 3, 2003 7:19 PM
To: '****' <****@earthlink.net>
Subject: RE: RE: DELL Inspiron 5150 3.06GHZ + EXTRA DISPLAY +
Hi David,
Well I went into my local Western Union agent to wire the money over.
He informed me that he can only send funds over to Germany in Euros.
The amount that he calculated equates to 1700USD = 1437.79 EUR.
Apparently if you want the funds in USD he can only do that when sending
to a military base!! Please advise if Euros are OK with you and if you
agree to amount.
Thanks,
Ishmael
================
From: **** [mailto:****@earthlink.net]
Sent: October 3, 2003 3:10 PM
To: ****@rogers.com
Subject: RE: RE: DELL Inspiron 5150 3.06GHZ + EXTRA DISPLAY +
Hello Ishmael,
It's ok to send the money in EURO since EURO is the currency here in
Germany.I agree with the amount and I am waiting for the money transfer
info so I can check the transaction and be sure that everything was done
properly. Please proceed with the wire transfer,
Kind regards,
David
================
From: Ishmael Faud<****@rogers.com>
Sent: Oct 3, 2003 9:43 PM
To: '****' <****@earthlink.net>
Subject: RE: RE: DELL Inspiron 5150 3.06GHZ + EXTRA DISPLAY +
Hello David,
Thanks for replying. It's good to know that the currency will not cause
a problem. However the Western Union agent that already has half of my
money (I hate banks!!) was gone for the day when I arrived to give him
the other half. And since he already has half of my money I cannot go to
another agent. I will email you the MTCN shortly after 12PM Toronto time
(16:00 GMT). I apologize for the delay, but everything *will* be
completed by that time. In waiting I would appreciate being provided
with the specs similar to the posting on ebay for the item then numbered
3433692043. Your patience (which is probably running short) is very
much appreciated.
Ishmael
================
From: **** <****@earthlink.net>
Date: 2003/10/03 Fri PM 05:33:37 EDT
To: ****@rogers.com
Subject: RE: RE: DELL Inspiron 5150 3.06GHZ + EXTRA DISPLAY
Here are the unit specifications:
Inspiron 8500: Mobile Pentium? 4 Processor,2.5GHz,15.4 WUXGA
Memory: 2GB,DDR,266MHz 2 Dimms
External Keyboard: Performance USB Keyboard with 8 Hot Keys
External Monitors: 19 in (19.0 in viewable) 1900FP Digital Flat Panel
Display
Video Cards: 64MB DDR NVIDIA? GeForce 4 4200 Go AGP 4X Graphics
Hard Drives: 60GB Ultra ATA Hard Drive
Floppy Drive and Additional Storage Devices: 64MB Dell USB Memory Key and
Floppy Drive
Operating System: Microsoft? Windows? XP Professional,
Integrated Nic And Modem: Integrated 10/100 Network Card and Modem
Modular Internal CD/DVD Drives: 24X CD-RW/DVD Combo Drive
External Speakers: harman/kardon? HK395 Speakers
Wireless Networking Cards: Dell TrueMobile 1300 WLAN (802.11b/g, 54Mbps)
miniPCI Card
Cables and Accessories: Multimedia Cable Kit
Productivity Software: WordPerfect?Productivity Pack with Quicken New
User Edition
Additional Hard Drive: 40GB Ultra 2nd ATA Hard Drive for Modular Bay
Security Software: Norton Antivirus? 2003,12-month subscription upgrade
Digital Music: Dell Jukebox Premium powered by MUSICMATCH (90 day trial
Radio MX service)
Primary Battery: 72 WHr Primary Battery
Carrying Case: Dell Leather Carrying Case
Limited Warranty, Services and Support Options: 1 Year Limited Warranty
plus 1 Year Mail-In Service
Internet Access Options: No ISP Requested
Digital Imaging Software: Dell Picture Studio, Combo Image Expert Premium
and Paint Shop Pro
Wireless Broadband Router: DellTrueMobile1184 Wireless Broadband Router
Port Replicator: Advanced Port Replicator
Notebook and Monitor Stands: D-Bay for External Modular Devices (Requires
Advanced Port Replicator)
Color Choice: Graphite Swirl QuickSnap Cover
Wireless Personal Networking Card: Dell TrueMobile 300 Bluetooth Internal
Card
Additional Battery: 48WHr Additional Battery for Modular Bay
Video Editing: Dell Movie Studio Essentials
Headphones: Dolby? Headphone Solution
Kind regards,
David
================
From: ****@rogers.com
Sent: Oct 4, 2003 1:21 AM
To: **** <****@earthlink.net>
Subject: RE: RE: DELL Inspiron 5150 3.06GHZ + EXTRA DISPLAY +
Hi David,
Thanks for providing me with those specifications. I would like to point out a couple of inconsistencies that I noticed. Your last message said the
following:
External Monitors: 19 in (19.0 in viewable) 1900FP Digital Flat Panel
Display
Limited Warranty, Services and Support Options: 1 Year Limited Warranty
plus 1 Year Mail-In Service
whereas a prior message said this:
DELL Inspiron 5150 3.06GHZ, 2GB RAM including the
Dell UltraSharp 2000FP 20" Digital Flat Panel Display.
3 Year On-site Service and CompleteCare covered
Internationally by every authorized service center. All the
papers are blank and ready to be filled by the new owner.
Can you please clarify? Additionally I would like you to check out a couple
of interesting web sites for your future
reference
http://msnbc.com/news/773280.asp?0si=-
http://www.auctionguild.com/generic.html?pid=65
In light of the information provided by these articles, I would prefer to
wire transfer the money directly into a bank account. I have checked with my financial institution and all I would require is the branch number, account number and the international transfer number of the branch.
Please advise on how you would like to proceed, assuming this is not a scam. Your failure to do so will obviously lead me to conclude that this was indeed a scam.
Thanks,
Ishmael
================
From: **** <****@earthlink.net>
Date: 2003/10/03 Fri PM 08:42:33 EDT
To: ****@rogers.com
Subject: RE: RE: DELL Inspiron 5150 3.06GHZ + EXTRA DISPLAY +
Hello Ishmael,
Ishmael, I am reading the article right now and I can't belive it! I completed a lot of deals using Western Union money transfer and there was no problem ever.All my customers are completely satisfiend with their purchase and I had no ideea about those scam using Western Union. About the specs I must admit that I did a mistype or something.There is a 3 year warranty for the unit .and the external monitor is of course a Dell UltraSharp 2000FP 20" Digital Flat Panel Display.I am sorry about those mistakes. Now about the wire transfer..I just don't know what to say. It's obviously that now you are not very keen in making the transfer but I must assure you that this is not a scam My name is **** , I am an engineer in electronic and communications and I graduated from University of Wales Institute .I am 31 years old I have a wife and 2 daughters which are my everyday light in this world.I prefer to receive the money in cash to avoid all the bank related formalities and bureaucracy. You will find enclosed in the package along with all the original documentation, the blank warranty card and a detailed list of the goods shipped with an account of all costs and the receipt for the goods delivered. (This should be more than enough as a proof of payment.
I must say again: I understand your concerns but you have to understand my
situation too, this deal will be completed at best of my knowledge and you will be satisfied.If you are ready to proceed I'll be very happy.If not I perfectly understand you , in the light of that article even a saint will look as a scammer, I can't do anything about that.
Waiting for a response from you ASAP,
Kind regards,
David
================
From: ****@rogers.com
Sent: Oct 4, 2003 4:06 AM
To: **** <****@earthlink.net>
Cc: ****@hotmail.com
Subject: RE: RE: DELL Inspiron 5150 3.06GHZ + EXTRA DISPLAY +
Hello David,
I'm glad that you understand that I am being cautious after having read those articles. However, you have been a class act so far and, personally, I would be surprised if you were scamming me. I as well am studying to be an engineer, and all engineers worldwide must abide by a code of conduct.
I will go into my western union dealer tomorrow to complete the transaction. I will then release a substring of the MTCN, the remainder of which will be released pending one final condition. I require to have a digital picture of the items in question in the box as well as opened. Please ensure to capture the serial numbers, as well as the warranty cards. I will obviously accept the items as such. I would also like a picture of you (no fetish, I promise) beside these items. Finally a picture of both the front and back of a piece of photo ID. What would also be a nice "wax seal" of confidence is a proof of membership to a professional engineering society.
Please advise me if this is possible so that I do go into the Wester Union
tomorrow. Thank you for understanding my caution, as the amount that I am sending is half a years worth of tuition fees for me. Getting scammed out of that would really set me back.
Best regards,
Ishmael
================
From: **** <****@earthlink.net>
Date: 2003/10/03 Fri PM 08:42:33 EDT
To: ****@rogers.com
Subject: RE: RE: DELL Inspiron 5150 3.06GHZ + EXTRA DISPLAY +
Ishmael...Stay home tomorrow...Good luck in life from now on.I hope the best for you, sincerely.really sincerely..you are a kind and honest man, and above all an intelligent one.when you will have kids tell them to be cautious, it's a dangerous world out there.I don't know if you will ever
understand this e-mail and the ones before it but I'm not doing this for fun or to get rich...
My deepest and good willing regards,
A Human
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