Ebay Scam!!!! Please Read!!!!

Two days ago I was contacted by an unknown party stating the tractor was available to me for $1500. I sent an email to the actual buyer and the seller, and both parties stated the tractor was sold with no other offers. I sent an email to the unknown party asking why the tractor was for sale and they returned my email without an explaination. They want me to send my personal information and stated ebay will email me strict payment instructions that must be followed. The last sentence stated the shipping for the tractor was included in the price. I found that statement amusing. The kicker is I'm a full time law enforcement officer and restore these old tractors for a stress reliever. I will be personally investigating this case. I've got a feeling the person conducting the scam lives outside the country. I'm gonna be contacting one of my FBI buddies with some contact information if my hunch is right. If any of you have been contacted with this scam be aware and don't give them any of your information. This includes your name. I will get a contact number and share it with all of you in the near future. Once I find out where this email is coming from I will contact ebay. I will keep you all posted and feel free to share any experiences or thoughts on this issue.

My problem with following up on this scenario was that I became so skeptical of any contacts, with or from eBay, that I gave up on the process completely and bought a new one from a warehouse via phone.

These folks are setting at their computer 24 hours a day watching our moves and making contacts. If one of us in 100 falls for the scam it is a good payoff.

Bob

These people are constantly changing their tactics. I think it is important to be aware and not let these individuals take advantage of others. Make no mistake, most of these people are quite intelligent. I believe in trying to stay one step ahead of them, not them one step ahead of me.

This is strictly my opinion and mine alone. I respect everyone's opinion and hold everyone on this forum in the highest regards. I posted this information because I like the friendships on this forum and don't want to see anyone hurt. I think we all work hard for our money. I believe everyone is right and no wrong answers or opinions exsist.

I happen to live near a major highway, a portion of it is visible from the house. Quite often I will see a car stopped with some sort of problem or another. I always try to go and see what I can do to help. I get reactions anywhere from great, thanks for the help, to closed/locked doors and windows. For the most part, it's just a matter of asking if they have a cell phone and if they have help on the way. I had one poor woman (2am on my way home from work) who would barely open the window enough to talk. I told her that I just wanted to know if she had a cellphone, and if help was on the way, otherwise I would call someone, or the police for her. Pointed out the lights on the house, told her that was where I lived. She asked me to call 911 and ask an officer be dispatched. An hour or so later a car pulled in the driveway, it was her and her husband. They got out, thanked me for calling, she had been sitting there over an hour and no-one had stopped, and she had didn't have a cellphone (forgot it or something I think). She also said she had been robbed years ago, and had been terrified to open the door or anything when I stopped. I told her that she had done the right thing, not to be sorry, and that I was just glad to help. Told her that if it ever happened again, to do the same thing again, that likely the 'good samaritan' would be just that, but you never know, especially when women are involved.

Sprout, keep after these scammers, and keep up the good work as an officer of the law. I'm sure the reason that you became an officer more than anything else was to help people.....and there are people out there that need it, either directly, as in my case, or indirectly, like trying to put a stop to scams such as the one that you are investigating.

Mark

I have a little story for all you guys that get on here shouting SCAM, SCAM, SCAM. My grand father had a sow hog with a 8 piglet litter. The young were about 5 weeks old. He went to barn for feeding one morning and discovered two little piglets missing. Two days later my grand mother said," George, I thought the sow had 8 little pigs and now there are only 6." To which my grand father responded, " she did but she laid on and crushed two of them." He said at time he didn't think she would buy that as 5 week old piglets are just too fast and can get out of way. But she apparently did. He raised the remaining 6 and by fall they were ready for market. One day a neighbor dropped in, he and my grand father were in the hog barn discussing other matters when neighbor discovered the market hogs. Told granddad what a fine pen of hogs he had. As he was leaving he asked," Say George, did you ever find out who stole your two little pigs." "Never until now", responded my grand father, " you see no one but me and the guy who stole the pigs knew about it."

That happened in the 1930s.

One time I had my farm sign at road stolen, had a good idea where it went. Called police as I felt it was their job to at least investigate. After the officer took a statment I got a phone call from someone 20 miles away. " Hear you have been loosing signs up your way overnight, was listening on police chanel with scanner and heard the dispatch send the patrol car to you." I knew right away the whole exercise was a waste. No way the officer was going to find that sign after that kind of advertizing.

I love the story and some great wisdom/advise. What you are saying is correct and detective basics. Common sense says, never show your hand.

With computer crimes however, it's like watching the crime and being a witness to it. What's happened is to late for the scammer. He/she cannot delete the information nor what computer or where he/she sent the information from. I'm just trying to get some contact information available and educate everyone else on the forum. I know lots of people here frequent ebay and I would feel bad if I kept my mouth shut and let someone here be scammed. This will not hurt the investigation. If for some reason this did hurt the investigation, oh well, maybe someone kept from being a victim. The scammers know they can be caught. It's the odds that law enforcement is able to devote the time, resources and money specifically to catch them. Remember, their are thousands and thousands of them. What is the chances that first, someone will report me and what is the chances that law enforcement will have the time to follow thru. Most people that report these incidents refuse to follow thru and go to court. It's easier to forget about the incident to most people then take the time off and go to court. Scammers know this and helps convince them they will not be caught. I look at this forum like a small community. Look out for each other.

I really do not have a whole lot of patience with people that get drawn into these scams. In my home growing up I doubt if anyone over the age of 12 needed such advice. You were given basic principles on doing businees by then.

If only that 5% could be reached and educated about this, the scams would dry up, and the rest of us wouldn't have to be pestered by them!