Someone's trying to scam me!

[Cadenza]

Hi, guys.

I answered an ad (CANON EOS-1 D DIGITAL SLR CAMERA body w/WARRANTY - $1100) on Craigslist, and wrote the seller:


On 5/27/04 4:45 PM, "CC" <omnivore@sbcglobal.net> wrote:

Hello,

I would be interested in seeing your camera,
and possibly making an offer. Could we make an
appointment? Please send me your contact info,
or call me at (510)***-****

Thank you kindly, CC


THE QUICK REPLY:

> On 5/28/04 2:27 AM, "karla Roberta" <karlaroberta2001@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> Hello,
> I`m in Italy, and look how we will do the deal to be sure that you will have
> the camera, and I will have my money.
> You will give me your full name and address, I will shipp you the camera by
> UPS, and when the camera is in transit, the UPS Company will contact you,
> with
> a prove for the camera.
> When you will have the prove they will provide you a name and address of one
> of their agents.You will send the money by Western Union, on the name and
> address of the agent from UPS.
> When you have the payment ready, you will scan me the invoice of the
> receipent
> from western union, and mail it to me.
> I will print it, and go with it at the UPS office, and in maxium 4 hours
> they
> will call you and tell you the tracking number.
> Thanks,
> Karla Roberta!!


Scam, of course. But I write back and sign myself
Chuck C. Gullible:


On 5/28/04 2:40 AM, "CC" <omnivore@sbcglobal.net> wrote:


OK, that sounds great!

My Name and Address:

Chuck C. Gullible
P.O. Box *****
Berkeley, CA 94712



On 5/28/04 3:05 AM, "karla Roberta" <karlaroberta2001@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> Hello Chuck,
> I have just get back from the UPS Office.
> They should contact you in a few minutes.
> Now I will go at work and when I come back, I hope to have the scanned
> invoice from the Western Union Receipent in the e-mail.
> So when I will be back from the work 8 pm my our I will go at the UPS Office
> with copy from the western union receipent, and in max. 2 hours they will
> contact you with the TRACKING NUMBER.
>
> Thanks,
> Karla Roberta!!


On 5/28/04 3:07 AM, "UPS Italy" <ups@ups.it> wrote:

> <http://www.ups.com/content/gb/en/index.jsx>
>
> UPS Ship Notification and Payment Request Form:
>
> Name and address of receiver:
>
> Chuck C. Gullible
> P.O. Box *****
> Berkeley
> California
> 94712
> USA
>
> This package was delivered to us on 2004-05-28 from :
>
> Karla Roberta
> Via Del Sangue #47
> Milano
> 24100
> Italy
>
> Additional Details:
> Here are the informations for payment of our agent:
> FIRST NAME: Alex
> LAST NAME: Carlo
> ADDRESS: Via Casiliana #30
> CITY: Rome
> COUNTRY: Italy
> ZIP / CODE: 00100
>
> UPS Service Level: EXPRESS (Or other method)
> Packaging : PACKAGE IS IN GREAT CONDITION
>
> Description of goods: CANON EOS-1 D DIGITAL SLR CAMERA
> Transaction Date 28 May 2004
>
> Shipment Information:
>
> Service: UPS Express Plus
> Shipment ID: E813T2TP9DR
> Actual Weight: 2.69 lbs
> Package 1 of 1
> Tracking Number: Has not been yet issued
> Package Type: UPS Express Box
> Declared Value Amount: 1100 US Dollars
> Reference#1: 2 years warranty
> Reference#2: internet transaction
>
> Please note that this E-mail was automatically generated by UPS E-mail
> services at the request of Shipper and any attempt to reply to this E-mail
> cannot and will not be answered or received by UPS or Shipper.
> <http://www.ups.com/europe/it/itaindex.html>
>
> <http://www.ups.com/content/us/en/bussol/retail/index.html>
> <http://www.ups.com/>
>
> Trough this e-mail we have the pleasure to inform you that the package who
> contains (CANON EOS-1 D DIGITAL SLR CAMERA) was deposed to us on 2004-05-28 ,
> it is in transit to the address below:
>
> Chuck C. Gullible
> P.O. Box *****
> Berkeley
> California
> 94712
> USA
> When you have the payment ready, you must send to the seller a scanned copy of
> the Western Union Receipent to the seller.The seller will be at us in maximum
> 2 hours and the motorcycle will be realesed.
>
>
>
> Regards, UPS team.
>
> <http://www.ups.com/packaging>
>
> UPS Package Deposit Confirmation
> Important! The package was verified by UPS .


[2.69 lbs for a 1D? My G3 weighs more than that!]


On 5/28/04 8:38 AM, "CC" <omnivore@sbcglobal.net> wrote:

Hello, Karla Roberta.

Everything is fine, but before I send the money,
do you think you could e-mail me a couple photos
of the camera? Thanks.



> On 5/28/04 10:07 AM, "karla Roberta" <karlaroberta2001@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> Hello Chuck,
> In attach is a picture of the camera.
> I will wait your reply with the scanned invoice of the Western Union
> Receipent.
>
> Thanks,
> Karla Roberta!!

[Photo of 1Ds taken on the counter of a Best Buy type place!]

Wanting to see how long Signorina Karla Roberta was going
to keep this up, I wrote back:


On 5/28/04 4:17 PM, "CC" <omnivore@sbcglobal.net> wrote:

The photo is of the camera only. What accessories does it come with?
Do you have the original manual?




On 5/29/04 1:41 AM, "karla Roberta" <karlaroberta2001@yahoo.com> wrote:

> Hello Chuck,
> This is the only picture that I have.
> Yes I have the original manual.
>
> Thanks!!!!


So I send her my final e-mail:

On 6/1/04 5:26 PM, "CC" <omnivore@sbcglobal.net> wrote:


Here’s the scam of the Western Union Receipt,
please send the camera!!!!


Chuck Gullible [w/ attachment of large tiff file with noisey
image of the word "SCAM!!!"]



On 6/2/04 5:02 AM, "karla Roberta" <karlaroberta2001@yahoo.com> wrote:

> Hello,
> Please send it in JPG, because I can`t see it.
> or send me the MTCN#.
>
> Thanks,
> Karla Roberta!!!

[nosquare2003]

Thanks for sharing.

I've seen some ad. of EOS1D showing strange description like 10x zoom power!

[karusel]

Interesting. I don't really understand what has UPS to do with it, I mean, is it a common thing for them to practicaly guarantee what's in the package?

I hate scammers. And you were not playing her hard enough, you should have kept this going on until she would have lost her nerves. If it really is a she, which I doubt. Or, you should have falsified the Western Union thingie, send it from anonymous address, phony name, etc. sit back and watch the show. :lol:

[roanjohn]

Ha ha ha!!!!

Poor Ms. Karla.

Ro1

[Haifidelity]

the only thing UPS guarantees is that whatever package their paid to deliver is delivered on time.

-hza

[Andy_T]

What exactly do you expect if someone offers you a 1D for $ 1,100?

That camera in good condition normally brings around $ 2,000 used on eBay.

If it sounds too goo to be true, then maybe it is.

Best regards,

Andy

[cmM]

you should have reported the scammer. Fraud is a pretty serious crime. A lot of people get ripped all the time. I hate these parasites :evil:

[cecilc]

Yes, scammers are everywhere ...

Everytime that I would bid on a 100-400 L on e-bay, I'd get e-mail after e-mail from people in Romania, Bulgaria, Italy, .....

And they all had such good pricing .... a brand new 100-400 L lens for $800.00 ..... and they would pay for the shipping ....

If it's that good a deal, you gotta believe something's just not right.

[slejhamer]

A very good read. I didn't realize that UPS ships cameras via motorcycle. Or maybe they copied and pasted from a prior scam? Nah ...
:wink:

> When you have the payment ready, you must send to the seller a scanned copy of
> the Western Union Receipent to the seller.The seller will be at us in maximum
> 2 hours and the motorcycle will be realesed.

[typer77]

The western union payment thingy is always a good give-away for a scam. Tons of people selling expensive camera from Europe use the same scam. I almost bought a camera but decided to search the internet for scams. Every description fits the profile and I just didn't even bother to find out more...

[Bruce Hamilton]

A very good read. I didn't realize that UPS ships cameras via motorcycle. Or maybe they copied and pasted from a prior scam? Nah ...
:wink:

> When you have the payment ready, you must send to the seller a scanned copy of
> the Western Union Receipent to the seller.The seller will be at us in maximum
> 2 hours and the motorcycle will be realesed.


Sounds like "Ms. Karla Roberta" is running multiple scams at the same time, and can't remember what she's "shipping" to whom... :lol:

[SoCal69]

It certainly is fun stringing these guys along, isn't it?? :lol:

I did the same thing with an almost identical scam when I was interested in purchasing my 10D... I had the guy going for about two weeks before I let him know I was on to him. I still email him occasionally, telling him I miss corresponding with him, but alas, he does not respond :roll:

[where1]

I thought UPS won't ship to a PO Box.

[cmM]

I did the same thing with an almost identical scam when I was interested in purchasing my 10D... I had the guy going for about two weeks before I let him know I was on to him. I still email him occasionally, telling him I miss corresponding with him, but alas, he does not respond :roll:
A very touching story :P

[sp00g3]

I thought UPS won't ship to a PO Box.

UPS will not take a package unless already paid for. They will not confirm contents, They will never 'not' have a tracking number (This is how they determine the package destination and weight.)

[FJC]

For a fun read of an entire forum working together to scam a scammer, check out this link:

http://pages.sbcglobal.net/dumbmrblah/Scamming%20the%20Scammer.htm

Very entertaining - just download the .pdf for the shorter (but still very long) version. Much easier than trying to read through all the forum threads.

[SoCal69]

For a fun read of an entire forum working together to scam a scammer, check out this link:

http://pages.sbcglobal.net/dumbmrblah/Scamming%20the%20Scammer.htm

Very entertaining - just download the .pdf for the shorter (but still very long) version. Much easier than trying to read through all the forum threads.

I read that one earlier... too funny! Would love to have been in on that one!

[EoSD30fReAk]

it was a long story but worth reading :lol:

[Bruce Hamilton]

...but alas, he does not respond :roll:

Probably thinks you're trying to scam him. :lol:

[edistophoto]

I am a police investigator in my day job. You'd be suprised to see how many people fall for just such scams. This is the first one I've seen involving a camera. Most of the ones I've seen are much more convincing than this one. Good job stringing them along