SCAMMERs ALERT and WARNINGS
I would recommend we start a SCAMMERS ALERT and WARNINGS forum... so that folks can learn about the techniques used, and if they actually run across a SCAMMER post their email(s) on the site so others won't get caught in the same trap. There would of course have to be some rules on posting some ones email on this site and I would suggest that a full posting of the email traffic between the seller and the buyer/scammer to establish in fact its a scam. And a forum where they can get advice from other members of the forum. Most SCAMS become pretty obvious as the discussions progress, as they refuse to give personal contact information, and if they do, you CAN'T contact them, they love email and text only, and they insist on doing the deal their way.
- They love email but hate phone conversations (as most are foreign and have accents that are giveaways) and they won't give good addresses, or other contact information.
- They often use their first and last name followed by numbers in the email header but NEVER sign their emails as its too difficult for them to track which name/nickname, etc. that they use because they normally are hitting a lot of people at once.
- Also if they give a phone... call it and talk to them... if they never answer, this is a huge red flag. Most scammers will use a throw-away phone that can't be traced to them.
- They love pay pal as they can temporarily place the money in the account, then once the bike is picked up and all the paperwork is signed and gone as well, they contact pay pal and say they never made this deal or that they never received the property. Pay Pal will return their money and you are out both money and property.
- They often use a third party to pick up the item like a vehicle, and once its gone, and they have confirmed this, they cancel the pay pal payment. By then its too late to stop the vehicle from leaving, and you have signed all the paperwork over to them, it is very... very difficult to file theft charges and it's at a significant cost to you even if you do. And the likelihood of getting your property back is nil next to none.
- They often CANNOT come and view the item, state they will give what your are asking and want to deposit the money right now, some want additional pictures but they start to put a lot of pressure on to get the deal done THEIR WAY
- They also use FAKE: Cashiers checks, personal checks, money orders, and stolen credit cards as well. They will gladly issue a fake check and send it to you for deposit... Once you deposit it, it can take several days to clear or be determined as fake. They normally look legit with all the proper markings etc. Your bike is long gone by the time the bank determines the check is fake, or the Credit card was stolen, and takes back the money. Same with stolen credit cards... its usually several days later that the real owner challenges the charge, and again you are the one out the funds and your property.
- Just as often as not, the Scammer will add money to the check or pay pal or whatever means they use to pay.... so that YOU can pay the pick up folks at the time the third party picks up the property.... beware this as it is a huge indicator that this is a SCAM. If this succeeds, you are now out your money for the delivery ... as well as your property and the money paid for it.
BOTTOM LINE... if its to good to be true... Its probably a SCAM. Never allow the scammer to dictate HOW its paid, or when you release the property, watch for the third party pickup, and never let your property out of your hands until you have "CASH" in your hand. have your bank check ALL the cash to ensure its not counterfeit. Some will hide fake bills inside bundles of real ones... so when a scammer give money... normally the top and bottom twenties and hundreds are real, and everything in between is fake. Have your bank check the bills.
Don't get caught up in one of these schemes... if you have questions, ask the folks on these forums because their are a lot of people on this forum who are Law Enforcement, Federal Agemts om intelligence / investigators, and Cyber / Internet security professionals who deal with this sort of thing all the time. Tell them how the deal is going down, and get their advice before you loose your property and/or money.
Regards
cpmack1

Wow, I knew some of that but I just learned a thing or two. Thanks for taking the time to post it all.

Well they just keep coming:
Got a call from a guy claiming to represent E-Bay Motorcycle sales. He said that for a fee of $299.00 E-Bay will guarantee both the seller and buyers deal, and would keep the bike posted until it sold, and there would be NO additional fee's for selling the bike on E-bay... and will issue insurance to cover any losses if there are any. Sounds really good, and totally in line with SOME of what E-Bay advertises.... BUT I told him to send me the info via email... and guess what... never got a response. The phone he called from was registered to the Atlanta area, and guess what... comes back anonymous... go figure. Glad I didn't buy into his scheme, as once they get your credit card number and codes, they will just simply bill you some astronomical amount. If you want to use E-Bay go to their OFFICIAL site to make this arrangement... don't do it from an unsolicited phone call.

I also just recently received calls from 809 and 876, During the day when I'm not home... asking for more info on the bikes I have for sale and wanting me to call soonest... left a number to return the call... and guess what... they are on the below list.

SOOOOOO... CHECK all numbers before returning their calls.

Scams Coming from Area Codes: 809 , 284 and 876
809, 284 and 876 area codes are the source for a large number of scams.
"809" - Dominican Republic. "284" - British Virgin Islands. "876" - Jamaica.
Scammers in these areas can make money two ways:
1. Consumers are tricked into dialing these international phone numbers, which would result in substantial long-distance charges. That is possible because there a few regions outside the U.S., which includes the Caribbean and Canada, that can be dialed directly without the usual "011" international prefix.
2. The phone numbers appear to be in the United States, but of course, the same laws don't apply. This makes these areas ideal for scammers who which to target U.S. citizens.
And since these numbers are outside the United States, the U.S. requirement to inform callers in advance of any special rates or fees doesn't apply. Scammers typically trick victims into dialing the numbers by leaving a message that claims that a relative has been injured or arrested, an unpaid account must be settled, or a cash prize can be claimed, etc. When the victim returns the call, they are kept on the line for as long as possible to run up additional charges.
And since YOU originated the return call YOU WILL PAY THE FULL BILL.

Regards
cpmack1

Thanks for the heads up I am sure the community will benefit from your post!