The Classic Car Scam

I have a classic car that doesn't run, that's been parked for several years. A couple prospective buyers have looked my big piece of Detroit iron over, and passed. It's just sitting here, and I'd like to give it a home where it might be returned to running condition. I placed a classified ad in the on-line version of a well-known car hobbyist magazine, price negotiable. There was an offer in my in-box the next morning, for more than the lowest amount I had decided to accept.

This really is too good to be true, I thought.

The giveaway was the method of payment, spelled "cheque" as it is in English-speaking places outside the United States. The rest of the message text also didn't resemble American-style English. But you never know. There might be someone overseas watching and waiting for a certain make and model, who'd figure out a way to have it shipped. I sell on E-Bay, and have sent things to parts of the world where I never thought they'd find homes.

I also thought something was up when the buyer wanted me to accept a certified "cheque" on behalf of his client for more than the car's purchase price. I was to deposit the payment, keep my share, and send the rest back via an electronic payment service.

Why don't you send me the purchase price only? I asked. No answer. Just more instructions re what to do when the check arrived, as it would in a few days via an express delivery service.

Any reputable auto broker will also have a Web site and/or a reserved domain name. "SoAndSo@NameOfBroker.com." My mystery man had no Web presence; just an e-mail account with the word "broker" in his member name.

So here was someone not in the United States, interested in a big American car, who never asked about the car's condition, whose only concern was having the check deposited as soon as possible and the balance returned, who obviously wasn't an auto broker.

I searched the Net and found out how the scam works.

The scammer monitors web sites for newly-placed cars for sale ads, and contacts the sellers. Unsuspecting sellers do as the scammer instructs; deposit the check, keep the purchase price, and return the balance to the buyer. Only there are no clients, and the checks are worthless. But even certified checks drawn on American banks can take two weeks to work their way through the system. By that time, the scammer has vanished, and the sellers who cashed the phony checks are liable for the amounts they sent the scammer.

I e-mailed my mystery man and told him the game was over, mostly because I'm a cranky old malcontent who doesn't like being played for a fool. I also, for what it's worth, forwarded his messages, with full headers, to his e-mail provider. His account was closed, but he'll pop up somewhere else. Different e-mail program, different name, same scam.