Escrow - Range Rover - deal to good to be true

[raffles]

Looks like this scam is popular. The person I emailed was mark svenson tatspeed009@hotmail.com He was a health department inspector who use to work here and went back to London. He was selling a 2003 Range Rover for 41000 ringitt advertised on Mudah including the shipping from London, the cars sells her for over 300000 ringgit in Malaysia. Details of the car are below.

Price: RM41 000 Reg. year: 2003
Mileage: 75 000 - 79 999 Make: Land Rover
Model: Range Rover Transmission: Auto
Engine Capacity: 4400 cc
Accessories: -

2003 Land Rover Range Rover Vogue V8 Black 5 Speed Automatic Wagon
Capacity 4.4
Gears 5 Speed
Gearbox Automatic
Odometer 79499
Drive Type Four Wheel Drive
BLACK, BEIGE LEATHER UPHOLSTERY, NAVIGATION, SUNROOF, PARKING SENSORS, 19" ALLOY WHEELS, LOW KM, SERVICE HISTORY.

I started getting very concerned when I asked him questions and he would get defensive or aggresive. I have outlined the email replies from him for peoples reference.

Email One

First of all thank you for your interest in my car. The total cost of the car is RM 41 000. The car is in perfect condition, no damage, never been involved in any accidents, has always been garage kept. It is still registered in Malaysia but now the car is in United Kingdom with me. The reason that the car is in United Kingdom is because I worked in Malaysia as a consultant inspector for the Department of Health for a few years in exchange of experience and now I am back at my home from United Kingdom - Liverpool. If you are still interested please e-mail and and I will get back to you with more details.

Email Two

I can not come with the car to Malaysia. If you are interested and want to buy the car you will not have to pay any taxes in Malaysia because the car is already registered there. To make the deal I propose to use the escrow service. I already have the car in their custody,prepared in a contained to be shipped to the address where I will make the transaction. Shipping charges, documentation and bureaucracy will not be a problem because I work with them for a few years and to ship the car to you. I will pay only a few fees to them (I have a lot of discounts because I am an old client to their agency). You will pay only the money for the car. If you are interested to make the deal please let me know and I will try to provide you all the necessary details to make the transaction. I will wait your answer.

Email Three - is my favourite and the one that made it obvious something was wrong as I asked for the registration details as I wanted to confirm with range rover that the car had been serviced or had no accident in Malaysia.

"I've spoke with our insurance company. I was advised not to provide you a copy of the car documents or other kind of confidential information's . That is not a necessary request according to the insurance company. Again, i'm a legitimate dealer.
I will not disclose any informations about the certificate of registration of this vehicle to anyone except the one who will purchase the vehicle. I'm sure that you will understand this situation and hope to satisfy your request.
I've done this once and I've discovered my car listed on mudah.my with my papers on it by a thief. So I'm afraid , I will ask you to understand this. I don't want problems with police or something like this. I will not trust anybody until payment is received and I will be convinced that he is a serious buyer."

Email Four

You must make the advance payment of 30% and the rest is the loan. I know what is the procedure to make the papers and you will not have any problems. Here you have all the necessary details to start the transaction with the escrow service:
1. To start the transaction I will need your full name and address.
2. The car is already in the company custody and ready for shipping, also with all the documents for registration. We do not have access to the documents of the car until it will arrive to your location. They will need your signature to open them and I will not be able to give you any kind of information regarding the car.
3. After I will pay all the necessary fees to them you will receive an e-mail from them with the details of the transaction (shipping and payment).
4. You will have to pay to them in advance 30% from the price of the car and send the details of your payment to them. The shipping procedure will not start until you will not pay the money to the escrow service company.
5. After the payment is verified the escrow service will ship the car to your location and it will arrive in maximum 12 working days. The payment will remain in the escrow service company trust account until you decide if you want to keep the car or not.
6. You will have the car in your custody for 2 weeks to test it. Also you will have the papers so you can go and verify them so you can see you will not have to pay any taxes. The escrow agent responsible with the transaction will make all the papers to take the car on your name.
7. After the 2 weeks of inspection if you decide to keep the car you will close the papers with the escrow service and give them the rest of the money for it(you will have a limit if 500km to drive the car). If you do not want to keep it the escrow service will take the car back and you will receive your money in 24 hours.

He used the escrow to make me feel like the deal would be secure however as soon as I asked which escrow company he would not give me an answer. He then also told me that I could drive the car in Malaysia for two weeks to test the car however that is impossible without it being insured under my name.

All the emails were in such rush to close the deal. Also as you can see above one minute he is a health inspector next he is a car dealer. I left by telling him that unless he gave me the details of the registration the deal is off.

I hope this is helpful in avoiding someone else getting lured in by them. As the famous Warren Buffett likes to say "What is to good to be true is usually is to good to be true".

[lightfair]

Well spotted, well done.


Yes, he's definitely a scammer. I have a ton of similar emails myself. Examples:

Code: Select all

I am originary from London, United Kingdom .
I had a work contract in Germany and I needed a car so I bought this one .
I have to sell it because I have moved back to UK and it's quite hard to
drive an european car with the steering wheel on the left side .The car is now in
London . This is a garage kept car, very well maintened . The price include
shipping and insurance .


Code: Select all

Thank you for your interest in purchasing my car. I have worked in Germany for 3 months and I've purchased the car there. My company wanted me back home, so currently I'm in United Kingdom.I've brought it home with me but I sell it because the car's steering wheel is on the left side, and so it's difficult to drive it in United Kingdom. The vehicle is in good condition, has no technical damage at all, no scratches or dents, no hidden defects, no smoking,remaining warranty available. Technical inspection and emissions testing it's passed and stamped as well. It has title of ownership cleared of any obligations or fees and comes with all the documents you need to register it. The price I am looking for my car is EUR 7400 including the shipping costs,insurance and handling.


Code: Select all

The vehicle is in good condition, has no technical damage at all, no scratches or dents, no hidden defects.
I have worked in Germany for the last year and I've purchased the car there.The car have german documents and will come with full service history. My company wanted me back home, so currently I'm in England (UK). I've brought the car home with me and it's now located in England.
I'm trying to sell it at this price because I don `t use it anymore (the steering wheel is on left side and it' very difficult for me to drive it), it `s a pity to keep such a car and not to use it.
I tried to sell the car in UK, but nobody want`s to buy a left side steering wheel car.
My car is already at the one shipping company from here, from UK, at their local representant.(I paid this company to take care about transaction).
We can have a deal if you are really interested to buy it.
The price is correct and it's not negotiable and it also includes the transport.
Please write me back to discuss only if you are interested because I am tired of people that ask questions and are not interested at all.

and various more. Yes, this scam is very popular; many of the scammers are from Romania but they operate all over the world.