Boat-Purchase Scam via Paddling.com

Advice
#1

Hey Everybody,

I have a used boat for sale in the classifieds on paddling.com. I was contacted by somebody interested about 3 weeks ago…conversation was weird and went in circles. Eventually the buyer sent me a check from a company in Oregon through a shipper in California for a person in Florida. And the check was written for 5 TIMES THE ASKING PRICE of the boat. According to the buyer, I was supposed to wire/western union/moneygram the left-over balance to a “shipper” to get the boat from the mid-Atlantic to Florida. So the “buyer” would end up getting a used boat for $5,000 that they could buy local and brand new for $1,000. Bottom line is that the whole thing stinks like some sort of wacky convoluted laundering scam. I could be completely wrong and it’s just a naive buyer (yeah right), but I voided the check and sent it back where it came from. So sellers be aware and cautious with buyers whose stories don’t add up.

Starker

#2

The formula of this scam has been around for quite a few years now. Long enough that it should be taught in grade school.

#3

Yep I didn’t pay any attention in grade school. Lesson learned.

#4

You missed a golden opportunity for “dirty deeds done dirt cheap” on scammer.

You never get to view the results but you can imagine them, if you have a good imagination, and I do. Just a few of my personal “get backs” I’ve played:

Returned some junk mail I received, in an envelope with a huge, dead spider.
Did same with huge, dead, smashed flat beetle, and once with a huge, rotting, dead worm…
Enclosed some dried cat scat in return envelope with junk mail I received.
Gave scam mail a “golden shower”, let it dry & put it in return envelope with scam mail.
Returned junk mail in envelope full of old, cigarette butts.

I have 3 or 4 super dirty deeds I’m saving for some people who really annoy me.
They’re so super nasty; I won’t even identify what they are. >:)
This message with self destruct…

BOB

#5

…and next thing you know a cop shows up at your door with a fine or arrest warrant, claiming “reckless endangerment” or “biological vandalism” or boring old “mischief”.

I often want to get back at people like this, but too often it can blow up in your face.

#6

It’s a standard, well known scam. I see it on Craigslist quite frequently.

Of course, the check he sent will…eventually…bounce.

I might follow it up with law enforcement even though the guys who try to pull this off usually do a good job of covering their tracks.

#7

My scammer only offered 800 over ask that I was supposed to use to pay shipper when he showed up to get boat. Guess your scammer really wanted the boat :slight_smile: Took check to bank to investigate and it took them 5 seconds to tell me it was fake.