Find your diamond
Find your jewelry
shape
carat
color
clarity

Need advice on scams

Status
Not open for further replies. Please create a new topic or request for this thread to be opened.
B

bpwagner

Rough_Rock
Joined
Mar 27, 2004
Messages
9
My engagement was broken and now I am selling a ladies diamond ring. I got a recent reply from a classified ad regarding my diamond, but to me it sounds a bit fishy. Can I get some of your opinions on this prospective buyer, Mr. Alex? Thank you so much in advance I really want to get that part of my life behind me.

The emails are pasted below with the first one being at the bottom.

-Brian
-------------------------------------------------

Hello,

Thanks for your urgent response to my request,i am honestly interested in buying those items of your,i will want payment to be fast as it can,so i would not lose it to other prospective buyers like myself.

I will like a supply of the goods at your asking price of $3,500 plus $500 to clinch this deal if necessary.

Payment will be made out to you through my client in the USA. who is supposed to pay me $2,650 usd (US.Check), being the amount of goods supply by me, so i will like my client to send the total money to you which you get your money and send the excess of $2,650 to my shipping agent through western union transfer,after which funds must have been cleared in your bank.

I will contact my shipping agent immediately and i would be needing your phone number so that my shipper can contact you easily when he coming donw to do the pick up from its location.

I will be needing your full name and postal address infomation details on how to address the US.Check to you.

I await your response to this mail.thanks and God bless.

Best Regards,

Mr Alex

Brian Wagner url]"> wrote: Mr. Alex,


Thank you for your interest in the diamond.


I was extendend an offer on Saturday for $3500.00.
However, I have not accepted their offer.
Within the next 2 days, I will send you electronic
copies of the EGL certificate, appraisal, and pictures
of the ring itself. With the EGL (European Gem Lab)
certificate number, you can cross-reference the
diamond with the cert via the EGL website. I will be
sure to also suppy this internet address. You can
look these things over, and extend an offer if you
would like.
I hope we can work out deal and I look forward to
doing business with you. I am ready to move on from
that part of my life.
If you feel better about talking over the phone,
please call me in the evenings at (410) 627-5015.

-Regards,


Brian






--- importer exporter
wrote:
>
>
>
> Hello,
>
> I''m Mr Alex,i saw your advert place on the net, that
> you want to sell your ( Diamond Ring/Loose
> Diamond)which i am highly interested in it. i have a
> shipper who will take care of the shipment, so
> shipping will not pose any problem.
>
> Before payment will be made i need to be sure of who
> i will be dealing with and also i will want to know
> the condition of the (Diamond Ring/Loose Diamond).
> if you are going to be honest and sincere throughout
> this transaction i will be very glad.
>
> So to start with let me know your asking price,after
> which we can continue with this transaction and i
> promise if all condition and agreement are accepted
> and reached on time,payment will be made out
> immediately.
>
> Please do reply me my private email account
>
> I await your urgent response.
>
> Regards,
> Mr Alex
>
>
>
 
it''s a scam.. don''t fall for it!!
 
Maybe it''s me...maybe I don''t know how the process works, but I would not give a stranger my banking information for them to wire money into the account! I would state they have to provide you with a cashier''s check or money order before you''ll release the merchandise to them. Even a Paypal account would work here as it keeps your information private. I wouldn''t provide personal information to a stranger like this!!

Just MHO...
 
Sounds like a scam.

When it is too good to be true, it usually is.

I would not give my banking info, but, do you have a paypal acct?

Have them send it to your paypal acct, once you receive money, you can withdraw it to your checking acct and then send the diamond, but don''t give up the goods before you are paid.
 
It sounds like the potential buyer not in the United States, any chance Africa? This is a scam - a friend of mine did this for a piece of her art, she got the payment, she shipped the merchandise, and the payment was somehow cancelled. She was out both the money and her art. You have very little recourse if you ship outside the United States.
 
Date: 5/24/2005 11:45:02 AM
Author:bpwagner

I got a recent reply from a classified ad regarding my diamond, but to me it sounds a bit fishy. \

-------------------------------------------------

Hello,

... Payment will be made out to you through my client in the USA. [...] i will like my client to send the ($2650) total money to you and send the excess of $2,650 to my shipping agent through western union transfer, after which funds must have been cleared in your bank.
...
Click to expand...
Wait a minute... are these guys saying that you get to see the cash before sending the diamond to them ? That sounds awfully trusting of them, no ? Too bad the message is so winded, if they confirm this and money shows up in the bank, why not.

Perhaps just ask for coordinates (shipping address if not already given) and give them a timeframe for payment if there is no other offer.

It does sound a bit weird, but the English is not quite right either. Payment in advance does not sound like a scheme though.
 
From time to time, I get similar unsoliticited emails whose author has just as poor English skills.

I vote scam. Are they asking for your bank routing information? I wouldn''t even consider it unless you protect yourself w/ an escrow account.
 
Date: 5/24/2005 12:05:53 PM
Author: valeria101
Date: 5/24/2005 11:45:02 AM

Author:bpwagner



I got a recent reply from a classified ad regarding my diamond, but to me it sounds a bit fishy.



-------------------------------------------------



Hello,



... Payment will be made out to you through my client in the USA. [...] i will like my client to send the ($2650) total money to you and send the excess of $2,650 to my shipping agent through western union transfer, after which funds must have been cleared in your bank.

...
Click to expand...

Wait a minute... are these guys saying that you get to see the cash before sending the diamond to them ? That sounds awfully trusting of them, no ? Too bad the message is so winded, if they confirm this and money shows up in the bank, why not.



Perhaps just ask for coordinates (shipping address if not already given) and give them a timeframe for payment if there is no other offer.



It does sound a bit weird, but the English is not quite right either. Payment in advance does not sound like a scheme though.
Click to expand...

Actually Ana...

Your highlight of the email really pointed something out!!!

It looks like this person is willing to pay $2650 ($1000 less than the selling price), expect the goods, and then will provide the remainder of the payment through Western Union into his checking account...again, I wouldn''t provide a bank account number to this guy...but I also wouldn''t release the ring until you have your full asking price in hand and the money is cleared!! Set your own demands...if this buyer REALLY wants it, he''ll play by your rules...otherwise "SEE YA!"
 
This is definitely a scam. He is going to send you a check for more than you asked for the diamond and then asking you to send the overage somewhere else. I ran into something like this before and here is a quote from the response.

The scam works because the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) requires banks to make money from cashier's, certified, or teller's checks available in one to five days. Consequently, funds from checks that might not be good are often released into payees' accounts long before the checks have been honored by their issuing banks. High quality forgeries can be bounced back and forth between banks for weeks before anyone catches on to their being worthless, by which time victims have long since wired the "overpayments" to the con artists who have just taken them for a ride.

The safest way to get paid if you are keen on selling your diamond to someone in a foreign country is to insist on Western Union before you send the diamond to them.
 
Date: 5/24/2005 12:12:33 PM
Author: AChiOAlumna

Date: 5/24/2005 12:05:53 PM
Author: valeria101

Date: 5/24/2005 11:45:02 AM

Author:bpwagner




I got a recent reply from a classified ad regarding my diamond, but to me it sounds a bit fishy.



-------------------------------------------------



Hello,



... Payment will be made out to you through my client in the USA. [...] i will like my client to send the ($2650) total money to you and send the excess of $2,650 to my shipping agent through western union transfer, after which funds must have been cleared in your bank.

...
Click to expand...

Wait a minute... are these guys saying that you get to see the cash before sending the diamond to them ? That sounds awfully trusting of them, no ? Too bad the message is so winded, if they confirm this and money shows up in the bank, why not.



Perhaps just ask for coordinates (shipping address if not already given) and give them a timeframe for payment if there is no other offer.



It does sound a bit weird, but the English is not quite right either. Payment in advance does not sound like a scheme though.
Click to expand...

Actually Ana...

Your highlight of the email really pointed something out!!!

It looks like this person is willing to pay $2650 ($1000 less than the selling price), expect the goods, and then will provide the remainder of the payment through Western Union into his checking account...again, I wouldn''t provide a bank account number to this guy...but I also wouldn''t release the ring until you have your full asking price in hand and the money is cleared!! Set your own demands...if this buyer REALLY wants it, he''ll play by your rules...otherwise ''SEE YA!''
Click to expand...

I could not understand whether that is the case or he says he will send the remaining 1k to his client etc...

CC payment can indeed be canceled on the way and so can wire transfers, especially if the local (foreign) banking system is slow to process payments.
20.gif
So "as soon as money cleared" should be replaced with "as soon as the payment becomes final - which is not always the same. Your bank could clear that detail and it is something good to know regardless.

Giving away your account number is not great. I tend to forget that... but do keep a separate bank account for oddball payments.

Now I realize that the previous post sounds like an encouragement to go through with it. It really is not. This one sounds odd and need an oversized amount of caution, even if you do need to follow up, IMO
7.gif
 
Date: 5/24/2005 11:45:02 AM
Author:bpwagner

My engagement was broken and now I am selling a ladies diamond ring. I got a recent reply from a classified ad regarding my diamond, but to me it sounds a bit fishy. Can I get some of your opinions on this prospective buyer, Mr. Alex? Thank you so much in advance I really want to get that part of my life behind me.

The emails are pasted below with the first one being at the bottom.

-Brian
-------------------------------------------------

Hello,

Thanks for your urgent response to my request,i am honestly interested in buying those items of your,i will want payment to be fast as it can,so i would not lose it to other prospective buyers like myself.

I will like a supply of the goods at your asking price of $3,500 plus $500 to clinch this deal if necessary.

Payment will be made out to you through my client in the USA. who is supposed to pay me $2,650 usd (US.Check), being the amount of goods supply by me, so i will like my client to send the total money to you which you get your money and send the excess of $2,650 to my shipping agent through western union transfer,after which funds must have been cleared in your bank.

I will contact my shipping agent immediately and i would be needing your phone number so that my shipper can contact you easily when he coming donw to do the pick up from its location.

I will be needing your full name and postal address infomation details on how to address the US.Check to you.

I await your response to this mail.thanks and God bless.

Best Regards,

Mr Alex

Brian Wagner <[email protected]> wrote: Mr. Alex,



Thank you for your interest in the diamond.



I was extendend an offer on Saturday for $3500.00.
However, I have not accepted their offer.

Within the next 2 days, I will send you electronic
copies of the EGL certificate, appraisal, and pictures
of the ring itself. With the EGL (European Gem Lab)
certificate number, you can cross-reference the
diamond with the cert via the EGL website. I will be
sure to also suppy this internet address. You can
look these things over, and extend an offer if you
would like.

I hope we can work out deal and I look forward to
doing business with you. I am ready to move on from
that part of my life.

If you feel better about talking over the phone,
please call me in the evenings at (410) 627-5015.

-Regards,



Brian











--- importer exporter
wrote:
>
>
>
> Hello,
>
> I''m Mr Alex,i saw your advert place on the net, that
> you want to sell your ( Diamond Ring/Loose
> Diamond)which i am highly interested in it. i have a
> shipper who will take care of the shipment, so
> shipping will not pose any problem.
>
> Before payment will be made i need to be sure of who
> i will be dealing with and also i will want to know
> the condition of the (Diamond Ring/Loose Diamond).
> if you are going to be honest and sincere throughout
> this transaction i will be very glad.
>
> So to start with let me know your asking price,after
> which we can continue with this transaction and i
> promise if all condition and agreement are accepted
> and reached on time,payment will be made out
> immediately.
>
> Please do reply me my private email account
>
> I await your urgent response.
>
> Regards,
> Mr Alex
>
>
>
Click to expand...

Hey BP, I have to agree with others on here that this sounds like a scam. Again ALWAYS trust your instinct and you will never be sorry. Also, just out of curiousity how has the process been for you trying to sell your stone via the classifieds? Did you receive alot of crap responses? Did you receive many responses at all? Had to meet people anywhere to show them the stone? Goodluck!
 

Let me be sure I understand. The offer is $2650 from a 3rd party check followed by $1,350 via western union. After all funds have cleared, you ship to a US address and some shipping agent processes the export. Correct?


3rd party checks. This is often a problem if there is a collection issue or if the check gets bounced. Do not accept this. This other transaction for $2650 worth of something has nothing to do with you and they should work out the payment details themselves. Don’t get involved.


Western Union. Be careful of what service you are using. WU has several choices. WU money orders are ok. WU direct bank transfers can be a problem.


‘Shipping Agents’. Many potential problems here. Make sure you understand who this is, what service they are offering and what they are being paid to do it. What happens if the stone arrives at Mr. Alex’s site and there is a problem? Who is responsible? You, that’s who. Even if the client is overseas, deal directly with them and have nothing to do with this shipping agent. If they want to include translators, secretaries, personal assistants etc, this is entirely up to them but it doesn’t change who your customer is.


Choose a qualified independent appraiser that is acceptable to both of you and get the thing appraised. Have that appraisal delivered directly via email to both of you and have the appraiser keep the merchandise. If acceptable payment arrangements are made, have it shipped directly from the appraiser to the client via bonded carrier (like FedEx). If a deal isn’t made, have the appraiser ship directly back to you.


The proposed $500 premium is probably not worth the trouble unless you really like this sort of thing. It can be time consuming and stressful. The appraiser will, of course, expect to be paid for this service, as will FedEx and the banks involved.


I agree with the previous posters that this is probably a scam and not worth the brain damage to persue. I include this mostly for the benefit of other readers with similar issues. It is possible to do a private transaction with a stranger internationally, but it’s not as easy as people wish and it’s not for the faint of heart.

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ISA NAJA
Independent Appraisals in Denver
 
"Hi. I'd like to buy the ring. Can we meet / take it to an appraiser... I"ll pay cash or certified bank check"..... That's how it should go...(with you never going alone btw) Forget this crap.

Also, I want to add that I wouldn't use an "escrow service" and that i wouldn't offer any refunds....the risk is reflected in the price...you know there is no issue with fake goods...you want to prevent someone from getting it and sending you back another stone or you having to go get it appraised to make sure it hasn't been switched.
 
Scam. There''ve been similar things going around on craigslist. Don''t do it!
 
Run as fast as you can.
 
Scam- 100% for sure- we get these requests every day.
Same with the foreign escrow services- RUN - DANGER WILL ROBINSON!!!!!
 
Why are legitmate escrow services problematic? They hold our money all the time when we are buying a house.

From a consumer''s point of view, I wouldn''t pay for anything from an individual (this expensive) with cash. No paper trail. The goods could be stolen. You end up with the goods & no proof that you actually purchased it w/ a paper trial.

These are all the reasons why individuals have trouble selling something.

But, this is a scam. As DBLauren points out, these come by email from time to time.
 
Thanks for all of your replies. I figured I would ask you guys before I decided what to do from here. Your sentiments are in line with my instincts.

And to LadyLuvsLuxury.......

I only have received two inquiries for this diamond, and they were both very shady, this being the least shady of the two. Overall, it has been a horrible experience. It''s hard not to have all of the bad feelings that come with this sort of thing. I have only been able to find jewelers who will give me roughly 1/3 of its value (unmounted). I really don''t know where to turn or how to sell it without getting taken for a ride.
 
Date: 5/24/2005 3:48:29 PM
Author: bpwagner
Thanks for all of your replies. I figured I would ask you guys before I decided what to do from here. Your sentiments are in line with my instincts.

And to LadyLuvsLuxury.......

I only have received two inquiries for this diamond, and they were both very shady, this being the least shady of the two. Overall, it has been a horrible experience. It''s hard not to have all of the bad feelings that come with this sort of thing. I have only been able to find jewelers who will give me roughly 1/3 of its value (unmounted). I really don''t know where to turn or how to sell it without getting taken for a ride.
Click to expand...
Have you tried to put in on consignment w/ a jeweler? Maybe listing on ebay with a seller that specializes in jewelry?

Sorry for your situation.
 
what about on ebay with payment to a paypal acct?
 
Date: 5/24/2005 4:09:33 PM
Author: baltneu
what about on ebay with payment to a paypal acct?
Click to expand...
I think if the item is put on ebay he will probably get the same value as selling to a jeweler, merely because of the abundance of jewelry that is sold on e-bay, in addition to the fact that EVERY person looking on e-bay for jewelry is looking for "the deal of a lifetime" so they are not willing to pay the "true worth" of a stone. Particularly to a private seller..... BP take a look on e-bay for similar stones to yours and see what they have been going for, see if it is in the ballpark of what you are looking for. I know it''s hard holding on to stone but maybe try putting it in a safe deposit box until around November when the Christmas rush begins to pick up. You might get more serious dealers at that time....I am sorry for your horrible experience
emsad.gif
 
I think you see the general direction the advice is going.

But still: Don't give your bank account information to somebody you don't know, outside the country. It doesn't take much to take that, talking about a transfer in, and turn it into a transfer out, for one thing.

The extra money in the deal is to spin up your greed factor enough to overcome the gut instinct that tells you something is wrong. If nobody usually does business that way, there is probably a very good reason.


> if you are going to be honest and sincere throughout
> this transaction i will be very glad.

Very, very, glad.

(now where's the "run away screaming" smiley face icon?)
 
*sung to the monty python tune of Spam*

SCAM, SCAM, SCAM, SCAM, SCAM, SCAM, SCAM, SCAM, SCAM, SCAM, *breath*
SCAM, SCAM, SCAM, SCAM, SCAM, SCAM, SCAM, SCAM, SCAM, SCAM, *breath*

:)

have seen many of these types going on... have have seen them played along by the seller.. does get rather amusing... even cheques forwarded to sweeten the deal - and the end result of those cheques is... they are fakes... they go through clearing... money enters you account - only the person who has had their cheque book duplicated notices, and puts in an investigation - gets money back - you get a charge of fraud against you.

upshote? have fun stringing him along...

or

run like blazes!
 
hi there--it is most certainlya scam--possibly one of those counterfeit check generating scams anyway.................

i sold my diamond through selljewelry (selljewelry.com). i got a great price and i did my homework by taking my stone to numerous dealers in NYC to get a general idea of what i would get offered. I also referred two friends also trying to sell loose stones and they both had very good experiences. They advertise in town and country and the nytimes. I know they have an office on madison avenue in nyc and i know they have a couple offices elsewhere like chicago and atlanta.............anyway i couldnt have been more pleased
 
Status
Not open for further replies. Please create a new topic or request for this thread to be opened.
GET 3 FREE HCA RESULTS JOIN THE FORUM. ASK FOR HELP
Jewelry Blog
PriceScope-Concierge-Ad
Find prime cuts.
Top