Scam Alert!

[korg_geek]

I'm currently selling one of my Datsuns on collector car trader and a few other online/magazine sites and I've run into the following quandery: A man who runs a vintage car dealership offers me the asking price (or MORE than the asking price) for the car, and says that the buyer will be sending me a check directly. Sounds simple enough, right? Only the guy wants to send me a refund bank check that he got from some other transaction, so it'll be about $5,000 MORE than what the car is being sold for, so they want a refund check from my bank account for the balance.

This is the part where I told the dealer to go to hell unless he showed up with cash in a briefcase.

For those of us selling cars (especially beloved cars) to others, be wary of offers that are too good to be true. I've been reading recently about a number of people who fall for this scam: as it turns out, the cashier's check they send you is an excellent counterfeit, and by the time your bank finds out (6-8 weeks later), you've sent the guy 5 grand of real money, while you've lost it, plus probably your car.

Its hard to turn down money, especially when you think you're getting a much better deal than the other guy. Just make sure he's legit - and your check is definitely REAL - before signing anything over.

[Bambikiller240]

Thanks for the warning. If it sounds too good to be true, IT IS!

Cash or Certified Funds only. If you don't know the buyer, contact the bank that the check is drawn upon before accepting it.

Better safe than sorry! A real, honest buyer will understand your concern.