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Car "buyer" is pregnant lady from Channel Islands who has offered to pay me more than the value of my car without seeing it: is this yet another variation of advanced fee fraud?
I received an email from a Mrs. Annabel Lawence who asked questions about my car for sale on Auto Trader. I gladly answered her initial questions but the response I got back was strange and I guessed from them it must be a scam! She basically said she was from the Channel Islands and was heavily pregnant with triplets so could not come and view the car. She said she would send me £7800 for my car even though it is advertised for £7650. She would arrange for shipping herself as soon as the bankers draft had cleared into my bank account: all she needed to know was my full name and address so she could send the bankers draft...
It's an advanced fee fraud. They are getting slightly more sophisticated in that they give an (almost) credible reason for not viewing it and they purport to come from a "safe" location (Channel Islands) but if you strip it out you are left with the following:
- person is happy to buy car unseen
- person offers a higher price that the asking price
- car is being "shipped" by a third party negating any need for direct contact with "buyer"
- payment is promised by "bankers draught" [sic] which they allege will clear in "3-4 days" (it won't)
- English is dodgy and there are no personal details contained in the mail
This is a scam and under no circumstances should you get involved with it.
Sell the car to the first person who views your car, makes a decent offer and pays for it by a method which guarantees you have value on the money before your release it.
Always closely follow the guidance contained in our sellers' guide to ensure a safe and secure transaction:
http://www.carscams.co.uk/seller-protection/
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