Hi, Is your vehicle still available for sale? Text I got at 4:07 am.
Yes it is. It's in hartford sd. Where are you located at? Text I replied.
clean title?? Text they replied right away
I'm truck driver currently in Kentucky, I would like to know the present condition, what's the mileage? Are you the first owner of the vehicle? Do you have
text right after the above one.
Clean title. Where did you see it listed? My last text. Then I Googled the number and seen this all. I've got in the ad all info on the truck. Think I may do some playing with them!
Received the following text messages from 1-407-289-8142.
"Hi, My name is Steve. Is your vehicle still available for sale. I would like to know is present condition and how much is your asking price?" (2:39 AM, Nov 23)
I replied via text with text of condition and asking price for my vehicle. (8:35 AM Nov 23)
Received reply. (8:51 AM Nov 23)
Thanks for your response, I'm ok with your asking price, I have a carrier agent coming to look at the vehicle after payment has been done. Do you have paypal?
I responded that I did not have paypal. Cash or money order please.
Received reply (1:05PM,Nov 23): "Sorry I,m not comfortable for paying with any other method that is why i brought up this idea via PayPal is very easy and fastest way to pay online transaction"
My response to this was, Sorry sounds like a scam to me.
I have had no further text message or response from this number and will report this to PayPay.
I just got a message from the same number and he said mostly same stuff but says his name is Steve .... the make a fake account and write convincing bad checks and then get you to ship the car with signed title then days later the bank calls you for the money back and then suddenly the other person didn't exist and the shipping company is usually the buffer between scammer and victom so when its comes down to financial obligations they aren't liable. And usually the scammer tries to say the money for shipping is included with your money so you pay them to steal your car and drop it off to someone that has a fake name and they'll never meet. .In the mean time you gave your car away and paid someone out of pocket to deliver it to someone who has nothing better to do but make up elaborate stories to overexplain why they can't call or talk to you. I've heard from ppl claiming to be everything from doctors to peace corp to a prince visiting the US with bad English ...... all scams. . Also usually they won't actually respond correctly to questions you ask its like a qued response trying to seal the deal . Very persistent and getting it done fast ... actually one of the girls on that show "teen mom" Farrah got scammed the same way on an episode ... its a very common scam these days .. a month ago I had a guy try it and the same number was reported with 5 different names wanting to buy a plane . Several cars a motorcycle and a semi ... all by shipping scams
Started feeling suspicious almost immediately about this contact and sure enough, the messages I received are identical to the ones mentioned here.
Hi, My name is Steven. Is your vehicle still available for sale. (1:52 AM, DEC 2)
I said yes.
Thanks for your response, I would like to know is present condition and how much is your final asking price? (5:25 AM, DEC 2)
I stated the condition of the vehicle and my asking price.
I'm ok with your asking price, My shipper agent coming to look at the vehicle, taking care of Signing of paper work and changing of ownership after the payment has been done. Do you have paypal account? (5:41 AM, DEC 2)
I said I wasn't accepting paypal.
Sorry I'm not comfortable for paying with any other method that is why i brought up this idea via PayPal is very easy and fastest way to pay online transaction (5:56 AM, DEC 2)
I mentioned the fee I would incur for receiving payment via paypal.
I'll take care of paypal charges fee.. I'll only need the e-mail address you use for registration with paypal so as to put the money through and include your physical address in reply? (6:25 AM, DEC 2)
Did some quick research after this message and discovered that my suspicions were correct. BEWARE!!
Wow. So glad I saw this thread...although I was already quite suspicious of this guy. I too posted a vehicle on www.cars.com
First "Steven" texted me at 11:30 pm at night (odd time!)...same dialogue "Hi, My name is Steven. Is your vehicle still available for sale." Then same questions, "I would like to know it's present condition and how much is your final asking price?"..I told him how much I would come down on the car and instead wrote back, "I'm ok with your asking price, my shipper agent coming to look at the vehicle, taking care of signing of paper work and changing of ownership after the payment has been down. Do you have a paypal account?"....little bells went off as this quick response sounded super fishy.
Anyways thanks everyone for posting...what a scam!!!!