AutoTrader Paypal Scam

Got the same via autotrader yesterday. I think the same number using [email protected]. He sent almost the exact same response as a few posts above. Knowing right away it was a scam, I responded with:

"Excellent. To answer your questions: yes, yes, self, no, and no. Price is firm on $13,200. I owe my bookie some money for my gambling debt. Right now I owe $5,200 from losing the Packers and Chiefs games yesterday. I was told they were sure bets. Could you include that in the PayPal payment?"

Thinking he would get the hint I am on to him, I wasn't expecting a reply. I checked my spam folder and he did reply with "Yes i will include that." Good thing I am smart enough to catch these emails and to not gamble on football.

Hello Rajko4,

The scammer has your real information and in this case we encourage the victims to stop all contact with the scammer by just going silent. Don't even tell him that you know he is a scammer.

To learn how to bait these scammers safely check our sister site www.419eater.com.

Listed my car on Autotrader, got a text the next morning from unnamed person saying they were interested in "my vehicle" I listed and to email at ryanseltmann30@gmail. I emailed and asked "what vehicle are you interested in" to see if they respond with correct listing. But now I see this scam post and I'm glad for Google search! They won't know which vehicle I listed if they're just scanning new listings and spamming numbers en masse. But even if they do respond, now I know.

Well well, glad scamwarners exists. The first time I would not have guessed, but then getting the second email with similar request raised suspicions and a quick google later, here I am.

#1:

from: kenneth wilson < [email protected] >

Do you have the extra keys, Do you have the spare tire, Where did you get your car serviced, Have you ever had any transmission repairs and Is there any rust on the vehicle? I'm ready to pay your asking price but not cash in person because I am serving in the US army and currently been deploy to NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen, Germany and calls are restricted at the moment and my only quickest payment option is PayPal, its safe fast and secure and i will be responsible for the PayPal transaction charges so you can get your expected amount. If you don't have an account with PayPal, its pretty easy to open one, Just log onto http://www.paypal.com and sign up. I hope we can make the purchase as fast as possible? As I am buying the vehicle for my dad and I'm very sure he will love this vehicle, his a mechanic and a handy man, so if there is anything that need to be fixed in it just let me know he will handle it. I have a mover that will come for the pick up once payment clears in your account and he will handle the title for me. I look forward to hear from you with the information below.

Your PayPal e-Mail Address :
Full name:
Firm Price:
Zip code for pickup:

Cheers,

Kenneth.

#2

from: Ruth Miles < [email protected] >

Thank you for getting back to me,can you assure me that i will not be disappointed if i buy this vehicle as a Birthday gift for my Dad? as I’m ready to pay your asking price but not cash in person because I’m software engineer in Hewlett Packard,(HP) and a contract staff so i cant handle this in person.My only means of payment is PayPal,its safe fast and secure and i will be responsible for the paypal transaction charges so you can get your expected amount.If you don’t have a paypal account,its pretty easy to open one,Just log on to their web and sign up.I hope we can make the purchase as fast as possible? as the day is fast approaching. I have a mover that will come for the pick up once payment clears in your account and he will handle the title for me.I look forward to hear from you with the information below.
Your PayPal e-Mail Address :
Your last asking price:
Your Zip code for pickup:
Your Cell phone

OK so I couldn't help myself. I answered back:

I just learned that your inquiry is a scam. How? Another person sent me the same email asking about the car.

I have posted your email on a scam site and will be forwarding your email to Autotrader and the authorities. No doubt you will just get a new email and try again. But be warned that the technology now exists to track you even if you use an anonymizer. As we speak, there are people looking into you and your scam and they may in fact be honing in on your location.

You will forever be looking over your shoulder for the karmic payback. Be warned: stop this foolishness now and act like a grown up and stop stealing other people's money and property. It's not worth it.

Knock knock.

^^^^ Welcome to Scamwarners,

Please do not this in the future. Your warning to others is now useless.

We will only find the scammer again when a victim reports it or possible victim reports it.

I have a vehicle up on autotrader and have had two paypal scammers try to contact me within a week of posting.

One goes by the name of Eric Morgan with the e-mail address [email protected]. Originally texted me from the phone number 289-779-7212. Claims he is out of country buying a car for his son.


The other one was a direct reply through Autotrader. Name of Sharon James. Email of [email protected]. Asked me very vague questions and offered to buy it right away.

Both offered to buy my car without looking at it. And offered payment through paypal.

At it again. Email I received was from Ruth Miles [email protected] as follows:

Thank you for getting back to me,can you assure me that i will not be disappointed if i buy this vehicle as a Birthday gift for my Dad? as I’m ready to pay your asking price but not cash in person because I’m software engineer in Hewlett Packard,(HP) and a contract staff so i cant handle this in person.My only means of payment is PayPal,its safe fast and secure and i will be responsible for the paypal transaction charges so you can get your expected amount.If you don’t have a paypal account,its pretty easy to open one,Just log on to their web and sign up.I hope we can make the purchase as fast as possible? as the day is fast approaching. I have a mover that will come for the pick up once payment clears in your account and he will handle the title for me.I look forward to hear from you with the information below.

Your PayPal e-Mail Address :
Your last asking price:
Your Zip code for pickup:
Your Cell phone

Welcome to Scamwarners,

Thank you for posting the new email address and script.

I got a txt from the same email [email protected] the day after I posted on autotrader. They said they're very interested and asked if it was still available if yes kindly mail me at [email protected]. I wasn't aware of these scams so I emailed him but had a bad feeling so I googled his email address and I'm so glad I did!!!! Saves me a lot of frustration and a headache and not to mention time. They waste our time with their scams when we are just trying to sell as quickly as possible. So irritating. I'm glad I found this site. Now how do we get them to stop?

I got an email from
[email protected]
and [email protected] ths second one had a google photo of a man in military and he was going to deploy to NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen, Germany

[email protected] uses a mobile phone number 501-481-4729 based out of Little Rock AR.

Thank you for posting this, I got almost the exact same email and it seems suspicious. I'm glad I found this site. His "name"is Robert Paul and his email is [email protected]. I just got another one with the exact same email his name is Wendell Emery and His email is [email protected]

Julie,

I signed up just to reply to you (I thought the user name I picked was pretty clever).

I just wanted to say thank you for posting this. I listed a car on autotrader.com last night and right away got a text message from [email protected].

All he did was ask me to email him but I decided to google his email address first and that is when I found your post.

Thanks again.

Jerry (not really a John at all)

[AlanJones]

I also recieved a text from Ryan Seltmann:

From phone: 512-400-0952

Am very interested in the vehicle you listed on AUTOTRADER, do you still have it? if yes kindly mail me at [email protected]
Thanks

I did not respond to him. I've seen the same type of scam using Craigslist. My best recommendation is to avoid anyone who sends you a text with their email address, and asks you to email them rather than texting a reply.