Just got the same email!

He contacted me as well regarding my AutoTrader ad.  Got a text from 214-814-5169 asking if it was still for sale and to email him if it is.  His email address is danielcole1817@hotmail.com.  Like everyone else, he is willing to buy sight unseen, claims to be a missionary who is unable to make phone calls.  Wants to purchase it for his mechanic friend using PayPal.  

I recommend that nobody tell him about this forum.  If he knows about it he might change his email address.  It sounds like he has already changed his phone number.

This sick fxxx texted me too. Thanks

WOW! Just posted my car two days ago, and sure enough Daniel emailed me enquiring about my car, and wanted me to email him pictures of the engine, his phone number is 214-612- 3575, when I tried to call him, I was unable to get through, so I decided to investigate. All the post have been very helpful. His email is
danielcole1817@hotmail.com being unjust will never prosper.

Got the identical e-mail the day after I put the car on auto trader!
Purchase sight unseen, The good Reverend is on a mission trip, wants to buy ASAP, buying vehicle for another man who is a mechanic, will send a mover to pick up vehicle once his money clears my pay pal account, etc.
signed: Thanks and God Bless Reverend John (Smalling)
revjohnsmalling@hotmail.com
Phone number 214-814-5169
I left a message at that phone number telling Rev. John to google his name and see the other people he sent the same message to.
And I told him---thanks and God bless.
Anyone know how this scam works?  It sounded too good to be true and that sent up flags for me.

Please note that he is using the same email address the same but he has changed his  phone number to  214-814-5169 .

I got the same runaround as you guys have discussed. Wants to buy the car sight unseen he's a missionary out of the country and can't call himself. However he wants the car sight unseen price Inotnegotiated and Of course ASAP. He would send a mover to pick it up and he was not buying it for himself but a friend who was a mechanic so if there was any problems (which their arem't))and  this friend who he is buying it for is amechanic. I suggested -when he kept insisting on PayPal Transaction immediately That would go through escrow.com. I then did  a search and found your entries. I am glad that I did. It just reinforced the many doubts I already have

Same text message from this guy about a car I have for sale.  Forwarded it to fraudwatch@AutoTrader.com

I got the same type of text asking me to respond to revjohnsmalling@hotmail.com just hours after listing the car for sale. He didn't want to see the car and didn't want to haggle over the price just wanted a paypal account number and the address where he could send a transport company to pickup the car. It sounded to good to be true. BIG red flags!

Just got a message in what seemed mere hours after posting on AutoTrader.  It seemed suspicious.  Thanks for the post.

Well at least this person is consistent. Within minutes of posting my ad I received a text message from them (phone #214-612-3575 - which is listed as a land line from 360 Networks out of Red Oak, Texas) asking if the vehicle was still for sale, and if so, to contact them at revjohnsmalling@hotmail.com.

I ignored the message and flagged the phone number as a scammer.

Seller beware.

I got the same call last night. I wrote emailed him and let him know that there is only ons place for people who pretend they are missionaries or reverses. It's called "hell"

My wife received a text requesting for more pictures (switching up his game) of our car's engine. After posting our car on autotrader. See a pattern? Then proceeds to ask if we accept paypal as payment. Then rushed us to provide him with paypal information so that he can send payment ASAP, without even seeing the engine pictures. Didn't even try to bargain the price down (this sent off red flags) I don't know what stunt this guy is trying to pull off but I'm no sucker and my BS radar was off the chains. I was born at night, but not LAST NIGHT. Beware.

The text from 214-612-3575 followed by an email and a request to set up a pay pal account using a link provided by The Rev John Smalling.  Wanted to pay full price, sight unseen.  I told him to pray about it.  Sounded like a scam to me, then I googled his name and found these other posts.  It used to be "buyer beware", now it's "seller beware".

just got the small ploy from this guy as well, Rev John Smalling from cell# 21-612-3575 and email revjohnsmalling@gmail.com while using autotrader

Thank you! We just got a call from the same guy today...this is a HUGE help as we were very suspicious that he wanted to purchase the car sight-unseen

hello:  this guy is buying cars from  auto trader with  fake paypal acc and said the he paid for cars  with paypal and asking  to send  money  by western union  to confirm   the  you can get paid by paypal   who     hold the money  to protect himself  witch is not  real paypal info and if you deposit the money you screw  you will lost  you money this is a  big scam