Classified Scams

Please be cautious when you receive a reply to your ad from somebody you do not know.

Here’s a list of red flags…

1. horrible English (worse than mine)
2. method of payment (beware check purchases)
3. long-distance purchaser (shipping company scam)
4. asking for return funds (*this is where the scammer collects your money)
5. asks for your personal information (all pertinent info is already in the ad)
6. nonstandard e-mail address

Avoiding Scams & Fraud

The overwhelming majority of BFB users are trustworthy and well-intentioned.

Nevertheless, it's very important to take the same common sense precautions online as you would offline.

When meeting someone for the first time, please remember to:

• Insist on a public meeting place like a cafe
• Tell a friend or family member where you're going
• Take your cell phone along if you have one
• Consider having a friend accompany you
• Trust your instincts

You can avoid scammers with these common-sense rules:

• DEAL LOCALLY WITH FOLKS YOU CAN MEET IN PERSON OR VERIFY THE PERSON'S IDENTITIY WITH ANOTHER BFB MEMBER
• ANY DEAL OR REQUEST FROM 'OUT OF COUNTRY' IS PROBABLY A SCAM.
• NEVER WIRE FUNDS VIA WESTERN UNION, MONEYGRAM or any other wire service
• FAKE CASHIER CHECKS & MONEY ORDERS ARE COMMON, and BANKS WILL CASH THEM AND THEN HOLD YOU RESPONSIBLE when the fake is discovered weeks later.
• Big Fat Bass IS NOT INVOLVED IN ANY TRANSACTION, and does not handle payments, guarantee transactions, provide escrow services, or offer "buyer protection" or "seller certification"
• NEVER GIVE OUT FINANCIAL INFORMATION (bank account number, social security number, eBay/PayPal info, etc.)
• AVOID DEALS INVOLVING SHIPPING OR ESCROW SERVICES
• ONLY A SCAMMER WILL "GUARANTEE" YOUR TRANSACTION.

Who should you notify about fraud or scam attempts?

• Send the email to BFB and we'll post it here.
• FTC toll free hotline: 877-FTC-HELP (877-382-4357)
• FTC online complaint form (http://www.ftc.gov)
• Canadian PhoneBusters hotline: 888-495-8501
• Internet Fraud Complaint Center (http://www.ic3.gov)
• Non-emergency number for your local police department.

If you suspect that an item posted for sale on Big Fat Bass may be part of a scam, please email the details to "abuse@Big Fat Bass.com". Be sure to include the URL ( ID number) in your message.

Recognizing scams

Most scams involve one or more of the following:

• inquiry from someone far away, often in another country
• Western Union, Money Gram, cashier's check, money order, shipping, escrow service, or a "guarantee"
• inability or refusal to meet face-to-face before consumating transaction

Examples of Scams

Distant person offers a genuine-looking (but fake) cashier's check

• you receive an email (examples below) offering to buy your item.
• cashier's check is offered for your sale item, as a deposit for an apartment, or for just about anything else of value.
• value of cashier's check often far exceeds your item - scammer offers to "trust" you, and asks you to wire the balance via money transfer service
• banks will often cash these fake checks AND THEN HOLD YOU RESPONSIBLE WHEN THE CHECK FAILS TO CLEAR, including criminal prosecution in some cases!
• scam often involves a 3rd party (shipping agent, business associate owing buyer money, etc)

Someone requests wire service payment via Western Union or MoneyGram:

• Scam "bait" items include apartments, laptops, plasma TVs, cell phones, tickets - but could be almost anything
• Often claim that an MTCN or confirmation code is needed before he can withdraw your money - this is FALSE, once you've wired money, it is GONE.
• Common countries currently include: Nigeria, Romania, United Kingdom, Ukraine, Spain, Italy, Netherlands - but could be anywhere
• Apartment listing may be local, but landlord/owner is "travelling" or "relocating" and needs you to wire money to them abroad
• Deal often seems too good to be true, price is too low, rent is below market, etc

Distant person offers to send you a money order and then have you wire money:

• this is ALWAYS a scam, in our experience - the cashier's check is FAKE
• sometimes accompanies an offer of merchandise, sometimes not
• scammer often asks for your name, address, etc for printing on the fake check
• deal often seems too good to be true

Distant seller suggests use of an online escrow service.

• most online escrow sites are FRAUDULENT, operated by scammers
• for more info, do a google search on "fake escrow" or "escrow fraud"

Distant seller asks for a partial payment upfront, after which he will ship goods

• he says he trusts you with the partial payment
• he may say he has already shipped the goods
• deal often sounds too good to be true

Foreign company offers you a job receiving payments from customers, then wiring funds

• foreign company may claim it is unable to receive payments from its customers directly
• you are typically offered a percentage of payments received
• this kind of "position" may be posted as a job, or offered to you via email

Examples of spam/scams from BFB Classifieds

Hello,
>
> I just came across your Item and I'll like to know the following questions regarding the ad.
>
> Q#1. How long have you owned the Item?
> Q#2. a) Have you owned it from new? b) If not how many previous owner?
> Q#3. Why are you selling it?
> Q#4. In your opinion, what sort of condition is it?
> Q#5. Any new available photo?
> Q#6. What is the final asking price that you are asking for it now?
> Q#7 Do you accept a ( Cashier Check / Money Order)as a mode of payment?
> Q#8Will you let a shipping company come to your house for the pick up of the Item?
>
> If you are through with this i will like you to get back to me with the present state of the Item and your contact information to mail out the payment to you as soon as possible.
>
> Name you want on check:
> Home Address:
> City:
> State:
> Zip Code:
> Country:
> Phone Number/Office Number:
>
> I'll like to have the response to these question in your earliest convenience. Hope to hear from you soon.

From: Tim Jimmy (tim_jimmy19@yahoo.com)
To:
Sent: Sunday, December 07, 2008 9:16 AM
Subject: EMAIL ME.

Hello

I just place a look on your item and i am interested in immediate
purchase of this item,but before i proceed on this transaction i will
like to ask some question as follow.

1.What is the condition of the item?

2. Do you accept a cheque as a mode of payment?

3. What is the final asking prize you can go at last?

4. Will you let our shipping company to come to your house for the
pick up of the item cos we don’t want you to worry yourself about the
shipping of the item.

5. Will you be able to send the excess fund back to the shipping agent
who will be coming to your doorstep for the pickup?

6.if okay You are to provide your NAME,ADDRESS,CITY,STATE,POSTCODE,TEL
# to mail out the payment as soon as possible .

Regards

Yi Xu.

yi xu
yixe56ujjgu106@yahoo.com

The email address everyone is getting these from is tim_jimmy19@yahoo.com

Hello, Interested in your item very badly, Final price of the item needed from you Do you accept cashier check and money oder as a mode of payment Kindly get back to me with full name and address you want me to issues out the payment for you? Let me have attach of the picture of the item you want to sell for me How long you have been owned the item you are willing to sell for me. Hope the item still available for sale. Will you be available when the shipping company will Be coming for the pickup? Let me hear from you soon with your urgent respond needed. Regards.

hello
my name is Tom Brown am i reside in UK am very much intrested in buying
your boat kindly get back to me if available and i will like to know
the condition of the boat and your asking price asap.

Actual scam emails found on the internet as examples

From:Mr Peter Ben
Manchester M27 5FX,
United Kingdom.

Dear Sir / Madam,

This is to inform you that your funds of Eleven Million United States
Dollars (US$11,000,000.00) have been approved for immediate delivery to you. For the purpose of clarification, you are advised to reconfirm
your Full Names, Direct Telephone Numbers, Physical Address with Zip Code so that there will be no error during the delivery of the funds to you in your country of residence.Your quick response will be highly
appreciated.

Mr Peter Ben.

Operational Manager,
Intercontinental Security and Delivery Company,
United Kingdom.

Hello
Thanks for the mail,
Am okay with the Boat after i ascepted on your price at which you accepted on selling it out; apparently, i need the Boat soon as possible becuase i will be moving to the united state with my wife i will like you to know that the earnest payment will get to you in a Money order of $4, 000.00,which you will have to deduct $500.00 (NON REFUNDABLE) from the $4,000.00.

The $500.00 you are deducting from the $4,000.00 is (NON REFUNDABLE) but show that am very much intrested and for you not accept offers from another intrested buyer's due to the fact that i do not want to lose this Boat. and you will send a total of $3, 500.00 via western union money transfer to my agent to make trip to the states for Boat inspection and other necessary relative expenses that may involve during my agent trip to your location my agent will handle all paper works and also the money is for my agent to render service in your location, the money will be send to my agent via western union money transfer.

when the payment gets to you and make available of $3,500.00,which is the balance after you must have deduct your own share $500.00 (NON REFUNDABLE) you are require to send the balance to my agent via western union money transfer, to enable him come to your location and other relative expenses.

Note: you are required also to deduct the cost of money transfer charges from the balance and send the rest to my agent as adviced.All the informations needed in this- transaction will be forwarded to you after you must have received the payment from UPS,my agent -informations as soon as you received the payment package. After payment has reached you and balance sent to my agent.

i will be coming as well immediately my agent update me about the present condition of the Boat and your $65 000 will be payed to you via bank transfer.

Here is my physical address in the UK:
Tom Brown
49 barth road plumstead, se18 1sh United Kingdom

Please confirm this and provide payment informations for Money Order payment to be delivered to you via Courier..Payment Information:

1,Your legal name,
2, Full contact address
3, Cell Phone#

God Bless you

Police in Jefferson County, West Virginia is looking for a fraudster in Alaska when a local man complained he was duped by a man calling himself Jack Stevens from Alaska.

The victim said he encountered the ad placed by the man at Big Fat Bass. The ad offered a 2007 Honda CBR 600 motorcycle for $2400. The cost included shipping charges from Alaska. At the time, the offer seemed attractive.

The victim decided the deal was worth pursuing. He answered the ad and after a few exchanges struck a deal with Stevens. He sent across the $2400 asked by Stevens.

The complainant panicked when the bike failed to turn up and there was also no sign of the man calling himself Stevens. He reported the matter to the local police.

Police in Jefferson County took out an investigation into the scam. After studying the case, it believed the scam to be the work of overseas fraudsters. In the meantime, they came across a court warrant against a man named ‘Jack Stevens’ in Anchorage, Alaska. They decided to pursue the lead if for nothing else but to rule out the possibility of him being in anyway connected to this scam.

The police have not reported yet whether they found their man or not. But this should make people trading at Big Fat Bass wary of any user going by the name of “Jack Stevens” there.

Good day
i am an auto dealer based in TAIWAN,i am interested in buying your
( Comic book collection - 500 comics )I will like to know if you
would accept acertified cashier check for the payment of the,i also
need to knowthe price and your full name and address including your phone
is alsoneeded in which payment will be sent to . i have a shipping
company who takes cares of my shippment .So don't bother about the
shippment.I will also like to know if is still in good condition
and shape.urgent response is needed for procedure of payment of the (
Comic book collection - 500 comics )
REGARD

> Thanks for your mail,Since the cost of your bike is $800 i just contacted
my client about the cost of your bike and it present condition and he said
there is no problem about that.So my client said he will be issuing you a
Certified Check of $4000 while you wire 3000 to me through Western Union
Money Trasfer and you deduct the cost of your bike $800 and keep the
remaining $200 which my client said you should take for the terms of
Transaction and Agreement between you and my client.So i will like you to
send me your full contact information to where my client will be sending you
> the Certified Check like this:
> name.........
> full address.............
> city...............
> state.............
> country..........
> zipcode............
> cell/office/home phone number.......................
> I will look forward to the requested information as soon as possible so
that the check can be sent out to you immediately And do get back to me
with the Pics of the bike so tha! t my client will be Able to see What he
is paying off.Get back to me immediately. Looking torwards your
> respond,
> Best Regards.

> Good day
> i am an auto dealer based in TAIWAN,i am interested in buying your
> ( 1989 Jetta GL 4 door )I will like to know if you would accept
> acertified cashier check for the payment of the,i also need to
> know the price and your full name and address including your
> phone is also needed in which payment will be sent to . i have a
> shipping company who takes cares of my shippment .So don't bother
> about the shippment.I will also like to know if is still in good
> condition and
> shape.urgent response is needed for procedure of payment of the (
> 1989 Jetta GL 4 door )
> REGARD

> Thanks for getting back to me,i will be
>purchasing the motorbike Like i said earlier i am based in the
>netherlands(holland).there won't be any probs about the shipment,after
>payment ,the pick up will be made at your place. i have made arrangements
>with the prepaid shipping company. As regards payment,this is what i am
>going to do;I have a client in ENGLAND who is owing me 5800POUNDS i would
>instruct him to make out a money order/certifiedcheck to you in that
>amount and as soon as it clears your bank. you can now deduct your money
>from it and send me my balance,i will using use part of the money to pay
>for the shipping and other expenses .you will then send my balance by via
>western union money transfer.Although the value of the check is more than
>the asking price but i think i should be able to trust you with my
>balance. The reason why i am doing this is that it would take a check
>sent from over here in HOLLAND 21days to clearover there,whereas a check
>sent from the US would clear tops within 48hrs. So i would like you to
>deduct the western union charges from my balance.So if my terms are
>acceptableto you,i would like you to give me your fullname,address and
>phone number so that i can instruct my client to make out the check to
>you. Pls get back to me as soon as you get this mail so that we can
>round things up in a timely fashion..i willbe trusting in this business
>transaction.

Hello ,
Thanks for your mail back concerning the inquiry mail i sent to you.
The price,condition also the pics i viewed is okay by me .And my client
confirm there is no problem about the price($975 ) ,my client do pays with
a {USA}cashier check,he has agreed to mail out as bank cashiers check of
$3500. to you on my behalf to cover the shippment fees.About the shippment,
that we be taken care by my me & my personal assistant,my personal assistant
will be using his shipper to do the quick processing of the shipping of
the(1987 Toyota Celica) to my client.
So all you are to do after you will received the check in your mail,
Just take out your sale amount and refer the remaining money to my shipper
immediately through the westernunion or the money gramm outlet so to get the
money fast and start the fast arrangement for the pickup of the
(1987 Toyota Celica).Since you are the original owner of this item,and i
am buying the item directly from you i will like you to write your full name
to be on the check,with the mailing address which my client will be using
to issued out the check to you.I do wish to trust you by refering the rest
balance back to my shipper and also your fast doing to this transaction.
I will like to hear fromyou if this is okay by you and you are ready to
process ,if you aready to sale your item and promise refering the rest
balance to my shipper immediately you received the check so can start the
quick arrangement for the pickup. Any body that want to buy this item
this item just tell therm that it as been sold. I will like to copmplete
this transaction befor the new year. I be at my computer waiting to see
your epky to my payment method mailed.
THANKS AND MAIL ME BACK WITH YOUR DETAIL AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.