! SCAM ALERT !

[liyi_92 37]

Hi guys, PLEASE BEWARE.

There is a scammer who sent me a text message on +27613166101 to email "[email protected]" in regarding the the car I listed to TradeMe.

After I emailed this "Julian Perk", this is his first email to me:

Thanks for the prompt reply. My name is Julian Perk,i believe my Son

sent you a text message to email me for the sale. I will like to know

the lowest price for it and i want you to get back to me with more

pictures and its current condition because i can’t come over to

inspect it. I am buying it for my Son that is studying/working in

abroad (Malaysia).

I work at sea as i am a marine biologist (I work on South Pacific

Ocean in East of New Zealand ) and due to the nature of my work, phone

calls is restricted,i can only communicate via email with my Ipad.

My Son will be very happy if i am able to purchase it from you

because this is what he want and chose from all the AD.

You need not worry yourself about how it will get to him there in

Malaysia as i have a contact of shipping company there that will be

handling the pick up and all the paper work.

--- I replied---

Then his second email was:

Thanks for the information,It was a great help.I am really interested

in buying it and i want to go ahead with the purchase,i am pleased

with your asking price but i can only conclude the transaction via

PayPal for our own protection.PayPal act as a neutral third party,it

is safe,secure and reliable.

I insisted on PayPal as my mode of payment because that is the only

process that is convenient for me to pay from my PayPal account as i

have my bank account linked to it. I won't be able to make payment by

cash,cheque or bank to bank transfer because i am currently offshore.

PayPal is easier,secure and the best online transfer of sending or

receiving money into bank account via PayPal account. All you need to

do is register an account with PayPal using your credit or debit

card(your card or bank details are never seen by the seller or

merchant,so your financial information is safe).

It is very easy to set up,it only takes few minutes and any money

transfer into your PayPal account goes through into your bank account.

After you have set up a PayPal account,all i needed is just the full

name with the email address of your PayPal account for the transfer.

For more information visit www.paypal.com

--- I replied ---

Then his third email:

Okay,i got the details and i will transfer the money for the price of

it inclusive with the shipping fee for the shipment.

It is after you have receive the payment in your bank account and

cleared before the shipping agent will come for the pick up at your

given time,date and location and he will handle all the necessary

paper work for it (Purchase and sales agreement).

--- I replied ---

His fourth email:

What i am saying is that i will send the money for it with the

shipping charges needed to shipped it and all you just have to do is

help me hand the shipping fee over to the agent that is coming to your

place to pick it up,that is just it.

It is after you have receive the payment in your bank account and

cleared before the shipping agent will come for the pick up at your

given time,date and location and he will handle all the necessary

paper work for it (Change of Ownership papers).

I will email you as soon as i transfer the money.

--- I replied ---

Fifth and latest email from him so far:

Hi,

I just want to inform you that i have just completed the payment and i

hope you must have been notified in your email about the payment i

made through PayPal, you can check your e-mail for confirmation of

payment,so make sure you check your Inbox message folder and Spam/Junk

folder for the confirmation email because i have received the receipt

here and the money has been completely deducted from my PayPal

account.

According to PayPal's instructions, I have added extra $2,950 to

take care of the shipping bills ( I had to do that because you are the

one to pay the shipper since you are the seller and they are going to

pick the item up from you), so email me immediately you receive the

confirmation and kindly make sure you read thoroughly through the

payment confirmation messages as they should contain guidelines on how

to clear your funds into your account immediately.

Thanks for the business and get back soon

*******************************************

I then received their PayPal instructions saying $17150 has been put into my PayPal account but will only be released to me AFTER I pay this shipping company. I was then told to pay the $2950 to

Name: TINESHKUMAR THUYAMANI

Address: No 10, Jalan Sultan Ismail,

City: Kuala Lumpur

State: Selangor

Postal code: 50250

Country: Malaysia

Extract from their PayPal message "

Once the fees has been sent, a receipt of transfer will be given to you by the Western Union Agent.

Email Us the MTCN (Money Transfer Control Number) which is inside the receipt with your full name use at Western Union Office and the $17,150.00 NZD will be released into your account within few hours after the MTCN is received from you and verified. All your money will be available for pick up in your personal account immediately." - So they pretty much want me to pay $2950 up front.

ONLY VIA WESTERN UNION. This alerted me as no legitimate companies use Western Union. I did a quick Google Search of the email and I found many similar stories; all buy for a son in Malaysia willing to pay full price and not intending to view goods at all. Name has varied and locations have varied but still using the same email. Here are the results of Google:

http://www.dia.govt.nz/diawebsite.nsf/wpg_...am-online-scams

http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-202-505-6406

http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-484-352-3083

DO NOT TRUST ANYTHING THAT ONLY USES WESTERN UNION!! It is untraceable kind of like sending a wad of cash to a given address.

Sorry for the long read guys but I felt its important to post it.

[NZ BMW 368]

Looks like the address is also the head office for Prudential in KL:

https://www2.prudential.com.my/corp/prudent...ices/index.html

[M5V8 337]

I see these all the time in my line of work.

very common scam.

All they are after is the $ for the shipping. Either the $ is stolen from someone else or the paypal email is a fraud too.

You are either left out of pocket for the shipping fee in expectation of the full amount or get left holding the bag if they actually do transfer the $ as it's stolen.

I got physically sent a bank cheque for a trademe listing a few years back. It was 'sent' from the same bank I work for. Idiots.

Edited September 17, 2013 by M5V8

[liyi_92 37]

Time for me to start the trolling.

[lord_jagganath 421]

HAH! The gentleman named is a friend of mine who works in Singapore. He was mugged about six months ago in Laos so I wouldn't be surprised that his ID was spoofed.. He got a real kick out of this when I showed the thread to him today. Thanks for the heads up.

[M5V8 337]

at least you recognised the scam before becoming a victim.

unfortunately we see cases where they sent the $. Even some where when presented with the evidence they still refused to believe us and wanted to contact the scammer again.

note: we are seeing this more and more from Asia. So don't think these only come from Nigeria!

Edited September 17, 2013 by M5V8

[liyi_92 37]

at least you recognised the scam before becoming a victim.

unfortunately we see cases where they sent the $. Even some where when presented with the evidence they still refused to believe us and wanted to contact the scammer again.

note: we are seeing this more and more from Asia. So don't think these only come from Nigeria!

My partner got scammed a few years back for a cellphone paid via Western Union. That's why I just don't trust it anymore. As soon as I saw that name pop up... I knew what was happening. Lucky our first encounter was a small one. I just think of it as paying for the experience; obviously if the amount was a bit larger I wouldn't have been nearly as calm.

EDIT: Also seemed a bit odd when someone named Perkins wanted money paid to: TINESHKUMAR THUYAMANI

Edited September 17, 2013 by andy_e39

[Palazzo 477]

Same thing from "Lyn Burley", must be another stolen id.

[yng_750 247]

i had one recently from a guy looking at a flatmate wanted ad i had listed.

he said he was an engineer on a cargo ship and had work lined up in taupo.

wanted to know how much bond plus 3 months rent would be.

never got to the point of him asking me for money as it was a give away that he said his cargo ship would be mooring at the port of taupo....

[MD13 494]

i had one recently from a guy looking at a flatmate wanted ad i had listed.

he said he was an engineer on a cargo ship and had work lined up in taupo.

wanted to know how much bond plus 3 months rent would be.

never got to the point of him asking me for money as it was a give away that he said his cargo ship would be mooring at the port of taupo....

That would be a neat trick

[euroriffic 607]

Yea I've had two of these in the last month, but the txts came from a 4 digit number so bit of a give away.

[efirty 0]

Haha have had the same scam email before from a similar name, stating they were a marine engineer in the bahamas. Threatened me with police and interpol for weeks after I didnt reply