C-List Scam: "NEW MacBook Pro 15" Glossy 2.8 GHz i7 1TB 8GB

Reporting scam operation. I didn't go through with the transaction, but this may help other know what to look for.

Email: [email protected]
Name: "Louis Ginger"
Address of company/organisation/other persons involved:
81 Kingswood Rd
SW2 4JN
London, United Kingdom
Other business names involved: Freight Co. (www.freight-co.x10.bz) and Dapson International Shipping & Marketing Co (business listed at address where money was supposed to be sent) number 020 86741998. When I called Dapson, I got a short message machine with a Pakistani/Indian sounding voice, which was difficult to understand with ok, but not great English. This would match the previous e-mails and Freight Co. writings which are in good English, but not quite perfect.

So this has all the marks of a blatant scam. Highly desired product way under market price, won't meet in person, wants Western Union transfer and is pushy about it, cannot identify person or business independently via website or other means, uses unknown escrow service with .bz url.

So I saw an ad on craigslist Amsterdam with the title: "NEW MacBook Pro 15" Glossy 2.8 GHz i7 1TB 8GB - EUR500". This is a €2300 machine so I was suspicious from the beginning.

I had never been scammed before, and indeed, I have had very good online purchasing experiences even when I was a bit un-trusting at first. But all the signs came, and the more I looked around, the worse it got.

First, he said he was not in Amsterdam afterall (which is the Craigslist city he posted in), but in London. He used only the first name of "Louis" in his e-mail. I said I had to ask how he came about such a nice laptop and was willing to sell it. He said he had been doing wholesale of computers for awhile. However, when asked for more info on his business (website, amazon seller id, etc.), he said he could not provide any.

He was very pushy to have the deal go through. As soon as I sent him my name and shipping address, I had an e-mail from "Louis" requesting Western Union transfer and also a confirmation e-mail from the escrow service "Freight Co. Services" (http://freight-co.x10.bz/). Freight Co had a decent website. However, the .bz ending should tip one off. It is a url for Belize, but it is commonly mistaken for simply a business address, and I think that at one time there was an attempt to make it the new business ending.

Below is full correspondence with both the scammer and his Escrow service "Freight Co.":
____________________________________________________________________________________
Freight Co

We have a package in our custody on your name and address.

The package contents have been verified by our technical team for the purpose of content certification. The package contents is certified by Freight Co.

Complete your Freight Co. transaction in 3 easy steps:

1) The merchandise will remain in our custody until the buyer send the payment.
2) Once the funds are verified, the merchandise will be delivered to the buyer.
3) Buyer receives the merchandise and has five days to inspect it.
- If the buyer will not be satisfied with the merchandise, Freight Co. will send the merchandise back to the seller and a full refund is immediately sent to the buyer.
- If the buyer accepts the merchandise, the transaction is complete.

Transaction details:

Service: Freight Co. 2nd Day Air

Shipment status: In custody

Package 1 of 1: Packaged and inspected by our technical team

Contents: NEW MacBook Pro 15" Glossy 2.8 GHz i7 1TB 8GB
Including: Accessories, Receipt, Warranty.

Authenticity: Genuine

Condition: New

Tracking Number: 2112142
You can track your shipment on our website: www.freight-co.x10.bz

Return policy: 5 days after the buyer receives it

Refund will be given as: Money Back

Amount: EUR 500,00

Shipping: EUR 0,00 (The shipping fee was paid by the seller)

Total: EUR 500,00

Buyer's delivery address:

Name: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Address: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
City: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Country: Netherlands
Zip: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Seller's verified payment address:

Name: Louis Ginger
Address: 81 Kingswood Rd
City: London
Country: United Kingdom
Zip: SW2 4JN

Payment instructions:

Next step to be taken: The buyer must send the payment.

Payment Method: Western Union Money Transfer

*** NOTE *** The merchandise is located in our custody.

Once the payment is verified, you will receive the merchandise within 2 days.

You have to pay with cash at any Western Union Agent Location.
Go to one of them and send the money using the above seller's details.

Once the payment was sent, provide the seller the following information:

1) Money Transfer Control Number (MTCN):
2) Exact sender's name and address:
3) Amount sent:

Note: The seller was informed about this transaction being started and is awaiting your e-mail.

Thank you for using Freight Co !

Here are the e-mail exchanges: Hello,

I'm still waiting your response.
Let me know if the payment was sent.

Thanks


On Mon, Jan 10, 2011 at 3:28 PM, Louis <[email protected]> wrote:
Hello,

The shipment is arranged. The tracking number is 2112142
Please check carefully all folders of your email address (inbox, junk, bulk, etc...)
The confirmation from Freight Co should be in your email by now. There you'll find all info you need.
Now you have to send the payment.

Western Union is designed mainly for sending cash to friends and relatives for personal purposes. It's fast and very easy.
So, as a friendly advice, when you send the money through Western Union, to avoid paying a very high additional fee (about 150 euros), don't tell them that the money is for a business transaction.
Just tell them that you send the money to a friend of yours for personal purposes.

Please let me know when the money transfer is done and send me the details.

Thanks
_____________________________________
On Mon, Jan 10, 2011 at 10:40 AM, XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX wrote:
XXXX
XXXX
XXXX, NL

___________________________-
--- On Mon, 1/10/11, Louis <[email protected]> wrote:

From: Louis <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: NEW MacBook Pro 15" Glossy 2.8 GHz i7 1TB 8GB - EUR500
To: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Date: Monday, January 10, 2011, 12:05 AM


Hello,

I'm sorry but I don't have a website.
First, I'll arrange the shipment.
So, If you're ready for this purchase, just let me know your full name and delivery address so that I can arrange the shipment.

Thanks

________

On Sun, Jan 9, 2011 at 9:58 PM, XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX wrote:
Dear Louis,

Still interested.

Price is fine.

Do you have website / address / ebay seller ID / other info for the business?

We'll talk more tomorrow. I'm going to bed for now.

--XXXX

______________________________________

--- On Sun, 1/9/11, Louis <t> wrote:

From: Louis <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: NEW MacBook Pro 15" Glossy 2.8 GHz i7 1TB 8GB - EUR500
To: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Date: Sunday, January 9, 2011, 10:23 PM

Hello,

Still available. BRAND NEW with receipt and warranty.
The price is not negotiable.
But I'm willing to pay for all shipping and insurance fees because I'm in London.
I have my own wholesale company here and I sold a lot of products all over the world.

Just let me know your full name and delivery address then I'll send it to your address (2 days delivery) and you'll pay with cash.

Thanks
________
Dear Seller,

I have been looking to buy a Macbook. These are good specs and price for me, especially since I have been going back and forth on getting one based on the retail prices.

I must ask though, what are the circumstances that led to you needing to sell a new Macbook?

XXXX
XXXX, Netherlands

Welcome to Scamwarners.
The fake website makes it a more elaborate scam than most CL ones. I'm trying to get it closed.

So, as a friendly advice, when you send the money through Western Union, to avoid paying a very high additional fee (about 150 euros), don't tell them that the money is for a business transaction.
Just tell them that you send the money to a friend of yours for personal purposes.

The additional fee is nonsense of course, but it does show that WU does challenge some transactions.

Hi!

Thanks for the information. I just got luck not to do a similiar deal.

She gave me this site: http://www.freightco-deliveries.x10.mx/home/index.php On it - Michael

It was about a Pioneer Laserdisc Player HLD-X9 with value of 2000 euro and he wanted to sell for 600 British pounds.
I asked if he can make a video with a camera of the working unit. Then she said, she had to visit suddenly her ill dad, and uses freight co for her goods to send to her. her camera was packed in the good suspiciously. She said she is in divorce progress.

She said transaction will be secure and i can get money back, when item not arrives. When i looked at the website, and searched a bit more, i saw that the firm was a nursery in this street. Phone number was also incorrect. And no response to mails.

For luck i found this site here.

His e-mails: Sabina Brooks [[email protected]]
Nicola Rua [[email protected]]

Very suspicous was this:

His sites: http://london.craigslist.co.uk/art/2319176165.html
http://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/pione ... d/77752232

And a week beforre the same description and pictures here: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... I4WMU%253D

He just copied a good decription. When i asked, he said a cousin had the same player.

Hello,
thanks for existing! I was doing such an unforgivable mistake.
She wanted to sell me under-priced stuff because her father was ill. I couldn't get a picture of the stuff and she gave me that strange web site which I couldn't always access. this was strange to me, and also that Google find other domains with "freightco".
She is Sabina Brooks, the email is a bit different, but here she is!!!
Today I was feeling so lucky in finding that good offer, now I feel lucky to found this site!

Same Sabina Brooks ([email protected]) tried to sell me tickets to the Euroleague Final 4 in an amazing price (cheaper than the face price) using same FreightCo.
Almost fell into the trap, thank you guys!!

Welcome to ScamWarners cisa and mikibe We are pleased that the information posted here was helpful to you. If you come across any other too good to be true deals please check them out here or ask about them here. Be safe on the internet.

The fake courier site has been closed down thanks to the reports here

Please let us know if a new generation pops up!

^^

Here's a new webpage that I got from a Craigslist offer:

http://freight-shippingco.x10.bz/

Thanks to a google search, I found your post.

On it - Michael

Domain Dossier says:

Creation Date: 30-Dec-2009
Expiration Date: 30-Dec-2011

"Shipping company" claims:

"Freight Co. was formed in 2005"; "Copyright: ©2005-2011 Freight Co. Inc. All Rights Reserved"

I took a text passage:

full-service freight logistics company whose primary focus is using web-based tools to help both businesses and individuals

Loads of Google hits (including a fraud warning), I gave up on page two, all companies are registered for two years only.

This is the legitimate site they copied from:
http://www.truckingwebs.com