Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

On another (local) website dedicated to music, I have been occasionally putting advertisements of things for sale. I first started posting these ads in what they call "Band Classified" section. So, I give my email address and I get these emails from "Interested People." You can tell these are scams because they sound so rediculous.

EX: Hi. My name is Mr. John Perkins and I am interested in your [Hamer 12-String Bass]. I live in Austria, and I am on call for many business trips. I need this item on an emergency basis, so the asking price is OK with me. I would like you to delete your posting, as you should consider it sold. As for shipping, I have a shipper of my choice that I feel very comfortable with, so you should not have to worry about that. As for payment, my client who happens to live in your area, owes me a very large sum of money. I will instruct him to send you a bank cheque made out in your name for $3,500. I trust that you will deduct out what is owed to you for the [Hamer 12-String Bass] and send the rest back to me.



I started posting on that website this past May. I know these scams are not at all new. I just want to know anyone else's stories with these scammers. I actually find myself posting a fake advertisement (on that website only) just so I can get a good laugh at some of these rediculous emails.

"asking price" and these stupid cash offers are the obvious scam techniques from some guy in Indonesia. He uses several names and emails and when he has written to me I always have the same response: "G-F-Y." He must know me by now. All my auctions, regardless, if their child clothes, say "No Indonesia."

All these scam emails I've been getting all sound the same, as if they're pre-made up and the scammer just fills in the blanks. All the guy does is make up a different name. Or it could be a bunch of people with this pre-made scheme.

On one email, there was a line in there that was a little different. "Please send pictures, if any." Just before I hit the delete button, I noticed my camera right next to me. I just had to take a picture of my hand showing him that he's number one!

Has anyone received a "someone left me $3 million dollars which I will split with you if you provide a U.S. bank account" e-mail from Africa yet? They are hilarious.

Oh yeah. I get those too. "I am Sabhu Shirad, King of Zambabwe....." Goofballs.

These are Nigerian 149 scam letters and you would not believe how many people have lost their lives over this. The FBI has a special team on this. I get three or four of these a week! It is fun, although time-consuming, to string these guys along.

One recipient of two of these letters, actually got both guys interested, get their descriptions, and arranged a meeting at Amsterdam airport between the two of the scammers, each one thinking the other was his "mark". He had a friend videotape the meeting from a distance, and he posted it on his website.

And the website would be...? I'd love to see that!

http://www.scambusters.org/is where I originally found the story.

You can also Google "Nigerian 149"