does this sound sketchy to you?

snowboardbride · February 2010

we found a jeep we want to buy on autotraders. It was listed in Texas. We called the phone number provided, but it was non-working. I sent an email providing my phone number and I got an email in return stating the jeep was in good condition, price, etc. I sent another email and told the buyer we were very interested and again left my phone # so we can work out transaction details. This is the email I got in return:

Hello again,
the car is located in Reno NV sealed and ready for the shipping. Shipping will be done via DAS and it will take no more then 2-3 days top (depending on your exact location).
I have a contract with Yahoo Finance so this deal must go through them. I'm very busy with my job and I'm left out of the town so I can't meet in person with you so this is the reason why I chose to sell my car over the internet. According to Yahoo Finance you have 5 days from the time you receive the car to inspect it and decide if you want to keep it or not.
Here is how it will work:
1.First of all I will need the following details from you:
- Full Name
- Full Shipping Address
- Working Phone#
2. After I will receive the details from you, I will forward them to Yahoo Finance .
3. After they will process your info, they will send us both invoices. The invoice will send you the details on how to make a refundable payment.
4. You will send the payment to Yahoo Finance . They will hold in trust the funds and advise me to ship to your address.
5. Yahoo Finance will contact me and I will ship the car to you. After you receive the car you will have 5 days to test, verify and do whatever you need to the car.. If you will buy, then I will receive the payment details from Yahoo Finance so that I can pick up the money.
6. If you will decide that you will not buy the car, Yahoo Finance will refund the money and I will have the shipping company come pick up my car. If you wish to make the transaction, please send me the necessary info so that we can proceed.
I look forward to hear from you.
Thank you!

WDYT??

phishphood · February 2010

I didn't even read the whole thing before the alarms in my head starting going off. Don't do it!

102503Natalie · February 2010

If it's all done through Yahoo! Finance, I don't think it's sketchy. Just make sure it's really through Yahoo! Finance.

I believe this is how most car transactions online work (via Ebay, etc).

CelticWife · February 2010

Very sketchy. If it were really going through yahoo finance or something, you would give them your info; not this guy.

ggbean · February 2010

Ehhhh...could be legit, but something sounds off to me too. Are you sure he has the title to the vehicle? The fact that he won't meet you in person and only gives you an email to contact him makes it sound like maybe he doesn't legally own the car. Perhaps it's stolen and hiding in a warehouse until shipment can be arranged to send it out of state. Those are my impressions.

GracieWK · February 2010

Scam! Scam! Scam!!!!

Don't do it. Don't send them any more information.

murphyec · February 2010

If done through yahoo finance I think it would be ok. However, I would have the vehicle delivered somewhere other than your home.

phishphood · February 2010

102503Natalie:
If it's all done through Yahoo! Finance, I don't think it's sketchy. Just make sure it's really through Yahoo! Finance.

I believe this is how most car transactions online work (via Ebay, etc).

I thought that Yahoo Finance was just a Yahoo website that provides financial information like stock prices, ect. Do they even provide a service like this?

mamamoos · February 2010

scam. someone posted something similar in the past asking what we thought.

Geekchick921 · February 2010

Ditto, Phish. I didn't even read all of it. Sounds like a big fat scam to me.

102503Natalie · February 2010

phishphood:
102503Natalie:

If it's all done through Yahoo! Finance, I don't think it's sketchy. Just make sure it's really through Yahoo! Finance.

I believe this is how most car transactions online work (via Ebay, etc).

I thought that Yahoo Finance was just a Yahoo website that provides financial information like stock prices, ect. Do they even provide a service like this?

I'm sure they do although I'ven ever done an online transaction like this.

Lerxie · February 2010

First of all, it reads just like those "Nigerian prince wants to have pay to you a sum of $1,000,000 dollars American. Please to be sending social security numbers" scams.

In no situation will you give all your info to a "seller" and then receive an "invoice for refundable payment." Please ignore and find a new car.

snowboardbride · February 2010

what if I tell the seller I am hesitant giving him my personal info since we have never met or talked on the phone & ask for yahoo finance's contact info so that I can verify all of this...??

MEJ2008 · February 2010

Scam.

preg_amy · February 2010

snowboardbride:

Hello again,
the car is located in Reno NV sealed and ready for the shipping. Shipping will be done via DAS and it will take no more then 2-3 days top (depending on your exact location).
I have a contract with Yahoo Finance so this deal must go through them. I'm very busy with my job and I'm left out of the town so I can't meet in person with you so this is the reason why I chose to sell my car over the internet. According to Yahoo Finance you have 5 days from the time you receive the car to inspect it and decide if you want to keep it or not.
Here is how it will work:
1.First of all I will need the following details from you:
- Full Name
- Full Shipping Address
- Working Phone#
2. After I will receive the details from you, I will forward them to Yahoo Finance .
3. After they will process your info, they will send us both invoices. The invoice will send you the details on how to make a refundable payment.
4. You will send the payment to Yahoo Finance . They will hold in trust the funds and advise me to ship to your address.
5. Yahoo Finance will contact me and I will ship the car to you. After you receive the car you will have 5 days to test, verify and do whatever you need to the car.. If you will buy, then I will receive the payment details from Yahoo Finance so that I can pick up the money.
6. If you will decide that you will not buy the car, Yahoo Finance will refund the money and I will have the shipping company come pick up my car. If you wish to make the transaction, please send me the necessary info so that we can proceed.
I look forward to hear from you.
Thank you!

WDYT??

Spelling and grammar errors are a huge red flag to me. I realize that he just could not be great with grammar. But they are so common in e-mails from people that are trying to scam you.

This looks like a scam to me.

Also, he wants your working phone #, but he won't give you his own?

snowboardbride · February 2010

Lerxie:

First of all, it reads just like those "Nigerian prince wants to have pay to you a sum of $1,000,000 dollars American. Please to be sending social security numbers" scams.

In no situation will you give all your info to a "seller" and then receive an "invoice for refundable payment." Please ignore and find a new car.

LOL. ugh. DH is in love with this jeep

GracieWK · February 2010

snowboardbride:
what if I tell the seller I am hesitant giving him my personal info since we have never met or talked on the phone & ask for yahoo finance's contact info so that I can verify all of this...??

I wouldn't do it. Seriously, there are other deals out there. Skip this one and keep looking.

inbetweendreams · February 2010

I swear I've seen that exact email from another poster around here (or maybe on another board). Total scam.

Geekchick921 · February 2010

Lerxie:
First of all, it reads just like those "Nigerian prince wants to have pay to you a sum of $1,000,000 dollars American. Please to be sending social security numbers" scams.

LOL! Yes, I thought this, too. Sidebar - The newest game DH and I played, it's set in the future and you receive a form of e-mail. We actually got a parody of this scam as a message from an alien. We also got penis enlargement scam, and a version of the "footprints in the sand" religious chain letter. Lulz.

jenerally? · February 2010

skkkkkkkkkkkkkkkketch.

look for another car.

Do you have a carmax nearby? I love carmax.

snowboardbride · February 2010

your right. I just googled yahoo finance and a million scam links came up. people suck:(

Lucky_Dragonfly · February 2010

DO NOT DO IT!! MH was goign ot buy a VW Toureg off ebay that turned out to be a scamm. MH told the person that he wanted the car shipped to a dealership to have it inspected and then once everythign was ok the funds would be send to the guy. One the guy received the funds then the dealershipw oufl release the car. The guy said that he didn;t want to do that andthe funds needed to be sent before the car could be shipped so pay for shipping. We never heard fromthe guy when we said that to us this sounded like a scam.

ggbean · February 2010

snowboardbride:
your right. I just googled yahoo finance and a million scam links came up. people suck:(

There are lots of reputable places you can get a good deal on a Jeep (especially in this economy). Keep looking and good luck

snowboardbride · February 2010

ggbean:

snowboardbride:
your right. I just googled yahoo finance and a million scam links came up. people suck:(

There are lots of reputable places you can get a good deal on a Jeep (especially in this economy). Keep looking and good luck

thanks:)

102503Natalie · February 2010

Bummer.

Good thing you asked! I'm a dumbass and totally thought it was legit. I thought most online transactions happened that way, but what the hell do I know?

At least I wasn't duped by that Nigerian Prince who emailed me a few weeks ago!

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