MM951

<img border="0" alt="[crying]" title="" src="graemlins/crying.gif" /> Well guys, I was being careful this time, but I still ****ed up! I found a guy with a '91 Kawasaki Ninja 500 for really cheap as he had to fet rid of it. I talk to him alot, we call each other, talk, etc...We agree I send him some money, he sends the bike, I send the rest of the money. I was late in sending the money but he said he sent the bike, so I went ahead and sent him the money using western union (not escrow, as I wanted him to get the money quick...) Yesterday I get a confirmation email from "FedEx" saying my package is ready to be picked up, so I send him the rest of the money online using WU. I reread the email one more time and check this out:

Dear customer,
this is a notification that a package has been sent to you using our services . Here are the package details :
Sender : Michael Alves
Sender's adress : xxxxxx
Country :
Sender's email : flexklan@yahoo.com
Reciever :Michael Markota
Reciever's adress :35 Grandmour Drive,Reed Hook , NY , Zip :12571 , Country : United States of America
Reciever's email : airmanone@hotmail.com
Package type : Own Packaging
Package size : 1200x2200x700mm
Package description :1 bike
Package ensured value :1500 USD
Sending date : 04.06.2003
Arrival date : 07.06.2003
To pick up the package you will need the tracking number , wich the sender should provide you with .

This email has been sent to you at the request of the shipper , if you feel that it isn't addresed to you or think this is spam , please contact us at fedex@fedex.co.us .

This is an automatic email , please do not reply to this address !
©2003 FedEx Corporation

Notice the spelling errors? I didnt notice it at first. I send him an email demanding a valid tracking number (he refused to gimme one till I get a WU tracking number) as I aclled FedEx and they have no records of ANY package going to my house at all in the past month or anything. He replies there must be a mistake. I demand it, he says no, I demand my money back he doenst write back...So I'm out $700...****ing scams...my fault though, I shuold have been more careful after my last expirence like this...

-Mike Markota

PS: Just venting

Rich Sandor

You have his phone number right????

MM951

No, refused to give it to me, he called me. Typed it wrong sorry rich

thedyingiraffe

I'd hunt him down. Is he real far away?

It makes me so mad reading stories like that.

MM951

He is located in Texas <img border="0" title="" alt="[Frown]" src="frown.gif" />

Perry 951

NEVER use Western Union for product purchases. Once the money is picked up, Western Union is off the hook.

Get in touch with someone at Western Union and see if they have any personal info on the person that picked up the cash.

Sorry to hear this Mark. Sucks the big one.

Rich Sandor

So you sent $700 to someone who wouldn't give you his phone number? ouch. buyer beware.

Keep a look out for this guy - lets see how long it takes him before he advertises the same bike again - or advertises something else on the same space he advertised the bike.

If you spot him again, set it up so you can nail him.

Tabor

I am sure that with a lawyer you could subpena the phone company for thier records.

SamGrant951

i would get some contacts in texas or grab a buddy for a road trip/plane ticket. 700 bucks is alot of money. (at least to me)

sorry to hear man...

IceShark

Sorry to hear about this, Mike

I agree with Perry951 about Western Union use. That is a so, so, so common company used by scam artists. If anyone asked me to Western Union money I would immediately conclude they were crooks. Unless it is a friend/family that is in trouble somewhere and needs money, Western Union is out.

Tabor, he is out $700. Hiring a laywer for long distance pursuit of an amount that "small" is hard to come out ahead. Maybe he could file a complaint with the guy's local police department and at least damage his record.

MM951

Urgh, $700 is a ****load of money to me right now as I am out of work and was looking for cheap and easy transportation...Goddamn it..Thakns for the guys, I'll see what I can do...I can't believe I was that gullible

MM951

Here are some emails...my god..he is still trying to get me to send MORE money....

Heres his last email (Today)

someboky try to enter in my compute.hes name is Mike.sorry if I do a mastake.
send the tracking number and I will give you my tracking number.
if you don'y send me that number I will retreat my package.
thanks

Mike &lt;airmanone@hotmail.com&gt; wrote:
"why do you try to enter in my computer???????"

what do you mean?

FedEx has NO records of the bike or hte package like you said it was shippped...as far as thier concered I was scammed
----- Original Message -----
From: a r
To: Mike
Sent: Sunday, June 08, 2003 4:44 PM
Subject: Re: Wasnt sure if I sent you email...ex500

I have not recive the money or the tracking number.if you don't have the tracking number from the package you can't see the transaction to FedEx.
so..... please send me the tracking number and I will give you the tracking number from the package.
please contact me asap
another persson is very interested by my bike so .. if you want this bike please contact me with the tracking number.


why do you try to enter in my computer???????
Michael

Mike &lt;airmanone@hotmail.com&gt; wrote:
i have not recieved bike or tracking number. fedex has no records of it..

thank you
mike

EDIT: Ima specialist now hehe

IceShark

Let's see. English clearly second language. Western Union use. Vehicle scam. I'd give you pretty good odds that the guy is Nigerian, or one of the copycat africans.

You are screwed unless you get ahold of someone's neck and start drawing a straight razor across it to get them to cough up the cash.

Tabor

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Originally posted by IceShark:
<strong>Tabor, he is out $700. Hiring a laywer for long distance pursuit of an amount that "small" is hard to come out ahead. Maybe he could file a complaint with the guy's local police department and at least damage his record.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Well, I am pretty sure it would only take a few hundred dollars to get this done and it could be beneficial.

Once he know where the guy is located, he can talk to the police in his (the offender's) home town. Requirements for pursuing this sort of crime vary greatly from department to department. He won't know if they are interested in pursuing this guy until after he gets the phone records to find out where he is located.

Eric Smith, a 21-year-old student at the University of New Orleans did something very similar with a Macintosh related fraud case. In the end the guy was charged in a criminal court, not taken to civil court. Now, the trick is getting a detective interested in your specific case.

MM951

I read about that Tabor, very cool read. I asked him where he orginally came from, as english wanst primary and I came from a different country too (Croatia) he said he came from England! LOL