I agree Justin

I got a very similar message, but has anyone researched the Google checkout or eBay buyer protection policy to make sure you can get your money back if the people are lying? If you can return it with a full refund, I do not see the downside. I definitely see how it probably is a scam, but I would like to know more about the promised full refund return if the buyer isn't satisfied.

Yea It's a scam. I just saw a 2005 Nissan maxima for $1984. Here is the story they sent me.

Hi Abby,
First of all thank you for your interest.The car is in perfect condition, no electric problems, no accidents/liens/loans. No scratches, never been repainted. I have all the car manuals, title, documents. I'm selling this car because my child of only 24 died 4 months ago in a car accident, a drunk driver hit him and his fiancee. He was with his fiance's car coming to our home at his little brother birthday of 16 years old. The car belonged to my son and it brings me bad memories and that's the reason I want to sell it. The final price is $1,984. Me and my husband travel a lot with our business and we want to make this deal through eBay Protection Program. We will take care of the shipping so don't worry.If you have any other questions, or need more info, please free to ask.

We hope to hear soon from you.

Here you have some pictures uploaded : http://www.use.com/18efda25129032ea209a

Details:
VIN: 1N4BA41E14C838345
Mileage: 77,901
Engine:  3.5L - 6Cyl Gasoline V6
Transmission: Automatic
Exterior color: White
Interior color: Tan Leather
Title: Clear

Thank you for your interest!

I got the same bull sh. Story. Im so glad I looked this up!

I came a across a deal that seemed too good to be true and after some investigation, mainly by googling craigslist and ebay buyer protection, I found that ebay says to ignore these and chalk them up as fraudulent.  Here is the story I got for my 2005 Audit with 35,600 miles that was selling for 2053 bucks.

I've received your email regarding the Audi A4 with 35,600 miles on it. The car is still for sale and my asking price is $2,053. It is a 2005 model loaded with everything. The car is very well maintained and it has just been completely serviced. The engine runs very good and the automatic transmission shifts perfectly.The car is in perfect condition with clear title,no accidents, no liens or loans.
I?m selling the car because I lost my husband and my son of only 19 years, with 2 months ago in a car accident. A drunk truck driver hit them. They were in my husband?s car and they didn?t had a chance. This was my son's car and brings me a lot of memories that make me suffer and this is the reason for what I want to sell it as soon as possible. If you have any other questions, or need more info, please free to ask.

Here are some pictures with the car: http://www.yogile.com/u1kgvxsb#

Sincerely,
Katie

I then replied with.....

can you provide mileage, condition, etc. thanks.

Thanks

and i got back this.....

Hi again,
As I told you in my first email, I recently lost my son and my husband. Currently I am located in Hartford, CT at my parents because they are the only persons that I have in my life at this moment. Unfortunately I can't conclude this transaction personally because my work involves a lot of traveling but I left everything prepared for the sale. I can't afford to take days off my work for this sale so I'm trying to sell it online. I will make the deal only trough eBay, because I am a member of  eBay buyer protection program and using this service you will get a 5 days testing period after delivery. During that 5 days testing period I will not be getting any money. Also the price is $2,053 with shipping included! If the car is not like described, it will be shipped back on my expense and they will give you a full refund. This way you will be able to inspect the car before committing to buy it and I know that you have the money and you are not just fooling around. If you want to make this deal I need the following details from you: full name, address, and phone# and I will initiate the transaction.Sorry for the long emails I have tried to touch all bases.
Sincerely,
Katie

Here is the email address used:   katiebraun37@gmail.com

Good luck shopping guys.  Thanks for all the posts.  These stories are all sooo similar.  Kinda lets you know these are truly scams.  

PS:  Oh, I did have to respond back to this address with a few choice words, nothing dirty.  I felt better anyway.

Hi, guys.

Thanks for info. This sounded too good to be the true offer. I'm still contacting them. Started from the Pittsburgh craigslist. Is there any way I may report this scam to catch those b*****ds?

The new phone number is 646-439-7014

Dont fall for this scam on craiglist, this is what they replied. I almost fell for it also.

Hi again,Right now I'm in a military base. We are training, getting ready for Afghanistan. I am only allowed to check my email several time a day. We have to stick to e-mail for now. Hope you can understand. The car is already at our Military Logistic Department form Fort Belvoir, U.S. Army base crated and ready to go. Like I already said, the delivery process will be managed by me. I think I can have it there at your home address within 2-3 working days. It will come with a clear title and reg. I am a member of the eBay buyer protection program and using this service you will get a 5 days testing period after delivery. During that 5 days testing period I will not be getting any money. I need to know if you are interested so I can ask eBay to send you the details on this deal. If interested please include in your next email your contact info  for eBay (full name, shipping address and phone number), so we can move forward with this transaction.Here you have pictures: http://jpegbay.com/gallery/003576372-.html#1Thank you.Sgt. Martha Weaver

hi Paul

hello paul my name is jeanelle nelson and i was just wandering if that toyota hilux is still for sales if you to can you please call me 0498356090 thats my number?

yes It is a scam, I received the same thing.

Almost got scammed by this person..Beautiful truck. The best part that through me way off. The picture of the truck was in front of her VA subdivision. I googled the subdivision. Well, it is in Nashville, TN...Thanks for slipping up corporal...LMAO jokes on you.

Hello,

Thank you for your interest in purchasing my 2002 Toyota Tacoma Limited 4x4, equipped with a V6 engine, auto transmission and only 176k miles. I am selling this truck because I am in the military and my unit will be sent back to Afghanistan and I don't want it to get old in my garage. The price is low because I need to sell it before March 3rd. The truck is in pristine condition, no accident history, clear title, no dents or dings and no scratches. Always adult driven and garaged, never abused or raced and never smoked in. If you are interested, it's still available for sale and the price, as stated in the ad, is $1890. The truck is in Fort Belvoir, VA and in case it gets sold I will take care of delivery. Let me know if you are interested, email back and I can send more pics.

Thank you!
Corporal Megan Bailey

Scam across the board!

I have just received an email from Lt. mark Hunter also in reference to a car advertised on UTV Drive. Thanks to this blog I have now stopped all communication. The email I received was as follows:


Hello and Thank You for your email,
My name is Mark Hunter. The price for my 2010 Audi A3 2.0 TDI is 6100 £. The car has been well taken care of, always kept in the garage. It has no damage, no scratches or dents, no finance. Meticulously maintained and hasn't been involved in any accident.
I sell the A3 because is our second car and recently i was promoted and transferred to RAF station in Gibraltar for a 5 years period, therefore we have to let it go.
 A meeting is possible, The car is in my garage in the UK and  I can take the first plane back home to complete the sale, just let me know if you are interested.

PS: I attached more pictures.

Thank you,
Lt. Mark Hunter

Wow Word for word! It must be a copy n paste reply! Hope people are smart enough to know if it sounds to good it PROBABLY IS!

Thank You! I knew it sounded fishy from the get go but OMG! the response I got initially was word for word what you have right here! And the same link for pictures too! There has to be a way to track this s*** down! And Send their A***s to Afghanistan! Shame on them for using our Good military men and women as a decoy!

Hello, sorry for mailing you so late!
Thank you for inquiring about my 2003 Land Rover Range Rover. The car has been well taken care of, always kept in the garage and it has only 178,500 km. It has no damage, no scratches or dents, no finance. It have all the papers and documents and it is in immaculate condition, meticulously maintained and hasn't been involved in any accident.
The price is AU $8,500 including the shipping to your home address. The car is registered (and located) in Australia. I bought it when i was serving in RAAF Melville Island, NT but i was promoted and transferred to RAF United Kingdom for a 5 years period, therefore I need a fast and reliable buyer. The car is already at our Military Logistic Department from RAAF Melville Island, AU Army, crated and ready to go, I've arranged the shipping and the papers transfer anywhere in Australia and the delivery will take approx 1 to 3 working days (with 7 days return policy). The shipping will be free of charge for you because I will transport it using the internal logistic department.
The sale will be managed only through eBay since they offer the highest rate of safety and reliability during online transactions, and only after you will receive the car, I will receive the payment; this way we are both 100% protected.
To start the transaction I just need a firm decision if you want to buy this or not and your complete name and shipping address. After that you will receive an invoice from eBay Motors that will tell you all the details you need to know about our transaction and also will give you the choice to proceed or not with the deal.

Kind Regards,
Lt Evelyn Quiz

This is the latest one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

we also had this name he changed his name half way through talking to me,

To see messages related to this one, group messages by conversation.
Paul Cohen (paul.cohen43@gmail.com)Add to contacts 17/11/2013
To: ashleigh ward
Picture of Paul Cohen
The car is already at our Military Logistic Department from RAAF Melville Island, NT, AU Army, crated and ready to go. You wont be allowed to enter in the military base except if you are in the army. I've made this deal simple and secure for the 2 of us.
I can have it shipped at your door and give you 7 days to inspect it before eBay release the payment to me. If you find anything wrong with it or different that I've described, I will have it shipped back, free of charge!

The car is in great condition, you will not have any problems with it, and it has no exterior&interior scratches or scuffs. It drives like new and it has not any mechanical or electrical problems.
You will receive the car along with all the papers and documents that you need so you will not have any problems when receiving the car to register it in your name.

I will briefly describe the eBay Buyer Protection Program transaction steps, as to make things as clear as possible for both of us:
1. Buyer and seller reach an agreement (price and delivery conditions)
2. Buyer sends money to an eBay Motors Account.
3. eBay Motors confirms to seller that the amount has been received.
4. Seller performs the required services (shipping, insurance).
5. Buyer accepts delivery and informs eBay Motors about the acceptance.
6. eBay Motors releases the money to seller.
They will hold and insure your payment until you receive and test the car for 7 days.

If you want to buy it please email me your full name and shipping address so I can reserve the car for you and register the transaction with eBay and they will contact you with all the instructions step by step, explaining how to complete the transaction.

Kind Regards,
Lt. Paul Cohen

i just got this one

Thank you for inquiring about my 2005 Nissan Patrol ST. The car has been well taken care of, always kept in the garage and it has only 161,000 km. It has no damage, no scratches or dents, no finance. It have all the papers and documents and it is in immaculate condition, meticulously maintained and hasn't been involved in any accident.
The price is AU $10,000 including the shipping to your home address. The car is registered (and located) in Australia. I bought it when i was serving in RAAF Melville Island, NT but i was promoted and transferred to RAF United Kingdom for a 5 years period, therefore I need a fast and reliable buyer. The car is already at our Military Logistic Department from RAAF Melville Island, AU Army, crated and ready to go, I've arranged the shipping and the papers transfer anywhere in Australia and the delivery will take approx 1 to 3 working days (with 7 days return policy). The shipping will be free of charge for you because I will transport it using the internal logistic department.
The sale will be managed only through eBay since they offer the highest rate of safety and reliability during online transactions, and only after you will receive the car, I will receive the payment; this way we are both 100% protected.
To start the transaction I just need a firm decision if you want to buy this or not and your complete name and shipping address. After that you will receive an invoice from eBay Motors that will tell you all the details you need to know about our transaction and also will give you the choice to proceed or not with the deal.
I attached some photos and let me know if you like the car.

Kind Regards,
Lt. Michael Tyson

This is what I received! Hi and sorry for the late reply. My 2002 Toyota Landcruiser GXV HDJ100R is still available, it has been well taken care of, always garaged and it has only 130,100 km. It has no damage, no accident and no finance, I have all the papers and documents.
 The price I am asking is AU $8,000. I was serving in RAAF Melville Island, NT but I was just promoted and transferred to RAF United Kingdom for a 5 years period, therefore I need a fast and reliable buyer. Before leaving for England I left the car at our Military Logistic Department from RAAF Melville Island, AU army, all crated and ready to go. I've arranged the shipping and the papers transfer anywhere in Australia. The shipping will be free of charge because I will transport it using the internal logistic department.
 I want the transaction to be handled through eBay because they offer the highest rate of safety and reliability during online transactions, both for buyer and seller. You will make the payment to eBay and they will keep the money in a secure bank account until you will receive and inspect the car. You will have 7 days to inspect it. If the car is not as described it will be shipped back on my expense and eBay will refund the money to your account. This way, you will be able to inspect the vehicle before committing to buy it and I know that you have the money available for purchase.
 In order to move forward and register the transaction with eBay I will need your full name and address, after that they will send you the instructions on how to safely make the payment to them.


Kind Regards,
Lt Col. Dale Green


PS: Here is a photo album of the car:
http://s1328.photobucket.com/user/02land/library/

We nearly fell for a similar scam just today! I also sent my details :(

Received this message today: thought it was to good too be true!

Hi again,
As I've told you, at this moment I am in Alaska in a military base. I do a special training program each day and I am not allowed to get out of the unit or call whenever I want. The reason I'm selling this vehicle way below market value, is because I would like to help ease the burden of my sisters medical expenses, which she has acquired due to a serious illness.
The shipping will take 3 to 5 days and it?s not a problem because I will have the car shipped by an Air Force cargo plane so there won't be any additional shipping costs. Also I will arrange for a military tow truck to transport the vehicle to your home address. You will receive it along with all the documents including title, bill of sale, 2 set of keys, full service records and more. Because it is a large transaction, we will complete the deal only using an authorized third part like eBay because I already prearranged the whole process with them. The vehicle is located in their warehouse in Anchorage (sealed and ready for delivery). The money must be sent first to an eBay Attorney and will be kept safe until the buyer receives and inspects the vehicle. I will offer a 5-day period to inspect the car from the moment you receive it (and the option to accept or reject the vehicle on my expense). I think this is more than fair for both of us.

If you are still interested just send me your full name and shipping address. I will forward your info to eBay and they will notify you about our deal. They will let you know what you have to do for the payment. Like this you'll be able to talk directly with them and ask all you want to know

Cynthia Spalding, Staff Sgt USAF

SCAM SCAM SCAM . . . same person selling 2006 auto with almost identical story except son was 22 and brother was 16.

This person is actively scamming and stealing money from people.  google the email address and you can see multiple complaints and listings where the person has lied and stolen from people. Getting rich off of innocent people. I had contacted Amazon to see if the offer was legit and they told me they do not sell any vehicles online or store vehicles. Please report all transactions to authorities and get this person caught for hurting so many people.

These clowns go by just some of these names
Lisa Patrick email lisapatrick90@gmail.com
Evelyn email evelyn@brtsap.com
Michael Tyson email Michael.tyson43@gmail.com
This type of scamming has even made it here to Australia via sites like gumtree and eBay . They generally only deal in motorbikes and cars .
I've had them all trying to scam me while I'm trying to sell my bike and they even put in bogus adds when your tryin to buy one as well .
They will tell you they are part of the eBay buyer protection scheme which is complete bull dust and then follow up with their life story and how your purchase weather it be a car or motorbike will be delivered free of charge . Forget about trying to inspect it before you pay as their story is so elaborate you won't stand a chance .
BEWARE of sellers and buyers that only communicate via email and strange phone numbers with different country codes from the one your in and remember " if it smells like s*** it probably is "
I hope I've helped at least one person from having their hard earned $$$$$ dissapear !!!
GOOD LUCK

It's now spread to Ireland... and the name now is Mark Hunter.
The following is the reply I received when I made an enquiry about a Nissan Qashqai on a local car sales site...UTVdrive. I was suspicious from the off as the car was priced well under value, but I had to check it out just to satisfy myself that I wasn't missing a bargain!!


Hello ,sorry for mailing you so late!
Thank you for inquiring about my 2011 Nissan Qashqai N-TEC + 2 DCI.The car has been well taken care of, always kept in the garage and it has only 19,000 miles,HPI clear.It has full service history.It has no damage, no scratches or dents, no finance. It have all the papers and documents and it is in immaculate condition, meticulously maintained and hasn't been involved in any accident.
The price is £6,800 including the shipping to your home address. The car is registered (and located) in Northern Ireland. I bought it when i was serving in RAF Northern Ireland but i was promoted and transferred to RAAF Melville Island, NT for a 5 years period, therefore I need a fast and reliable buyer. The car is already at our RAF Northern Ireland, crated and ready to go, I've arranged the shipping and the papers transfer anywhere in Northern Ireland or Ireland and the delivery will take approx 1 to 4 working days (with 7 days return policy). The shipping will be free of charge for you because I will transport it using the internal logistic department.
The sale will be managed only through eBay since they offer the highest rate of safety and reliability during online transactions, and only after you will receive the car, I will receive the payment; this way we are both 100% protected.
To start the transaction I just need a firm decision if you want to buy this or not and your complete name and shipping address. After that you will receive an invoice from eBay Motors that will tell you all the details you need to know about our transaction and also will give you the choice to proceed or not with the deal.
I attached some photos and let me know if you like the car.

Kind Regards,
Lt. Mark Hunter

I was looking on ebay AU and I came across a 4x4 Hilux  about $10,000 under priced and received the SAME email from a 'Lt. Eric Prenderville' I googled the base he said he was at and also his name, he is a legit guy, so this is clearly somebody taking other's identities to scam people of their money.

Hello, sorry for mailing you so late!
Thank you for inquiring about my 2002 TOYOTA HILUX SR5 model. The car has been well taken care of, always kept in the garage and it has only 115,000 km. It has no damage, no scratches or dents, no finance. It have all the papers and documents and it is in immaculate condition, meticulously maintained and hasn't been involved in any accident.
The price is AU $9,000 including the shipping to your home address. The car is registered (and located) in Australia. I bought it when i was serving in RAAF Melville Island, NT but i was promoted and transferred to RAF United Kingdom for a 5 years period, therefore I need a fast and reliable buyer. The car is already at our Military Logistic Department from RAAF Melville Island, AU Army, crated and ready to go, I've arranged the shipping and the papers transfer anywhere in Australia and the delivery will take approx 1 to 3 working days (with 7 days return policy). The shipping will be free of charge for you because I will transport it using the internal logistic department.
The sale will be managed only through eBay since they offer the highest rate of safety and reliability during online transactions, and only after you will receive the car, I will receive the payment; this way we are both 100% protected.
To start the transaction I just need a firm decision if you want to buy this or not and your complete name and shipping address. After that you will receive an invoice from eBay Motors UK that will tell you all the details you need to know about our transaction and also will give you the choice to proceed or not with the deal.

Kind Regards,
Lt. Eric Prenderville

And another one from Lt Mike Tyson.
This email was a response to my enquiry for a car that was advertised on tradingpost.com.au.

Hello, sorry for mailing you so late!

Thank you for inquiring about my 2004 TOYOTA TARAGO GLX. The car has been well taken care of, always kept in the garage and it has only 143300 km. It has no damage, no scratches or dents, no finance. It have all the papers and documents and it is in immaculate condition, meticulously maintained and hasn't been involved in any accident.
The price is AU $6,200 including the shipping to your home address. The car is registered (and located) in Australia. I bought it when i was serving in RAAF Melville Island, NT but i was promoted and transferred to RAF United Kingdom for a 5 years period, therefore I need a fast and reliable buyer. The car is already at our Military Logistic Department from RAAF Melville Island, AU Army, crated and ready to go, I've arranged the shipping and the papers transfer anywhere in Australia and the delivery will take approx 1 to 3 working days (with 7 days return policy). The shipping will be free of charge for you because I will transport it using the internal logistic department.
The sale will be managed only through eBay since they offer the highest rate of safety and reliability during online transactions, and only after you will receive the car, I will receive the payment; this way we are both 100% protected.
To start the transaction I just need a firm decision if you want to buy this or not and your complete name and shipping address. After that you will receive an invoice from eBay Motors that will tell you all the details you need to know about our transaction and also will give you the choice to proceed or not with the deal.
I attached some photos and let me know if you like the car.

Kind Regards,
Lt. Michael Tyson

Thank you so much for your submission, now you have saved me from this scam. This individual send the exact same email but the car and the specs were different:

Hi,

My name is Patricia Bouton and I'm emailing you regarding the 2003 Toyota 4Runner that I have for sale. It is in perfect condition, with no need for any additional repairs. Flawless exterior condition, no scratches and no dents. It has never been involved in an accident. The interior is in very good condition, also the exterior. No accidents, clear title, great mileage: 131,963 and automatic transmission. I'm selling the suv because my 22's years old son died 3 months ago in a car accident. A drunk driver hit him and his fiancé. They were with her car on their way to his little brother's birthday. It was his suv and it brings me bad memories and that's the reason I want to sell it as soon as possible. The price that I'm asking is $2.350
Just let me know if you are interested and where are you located.

Total scam!!! Got the same situation. I am glad I stopped in time.
NO ONE SELLS CARS 3 TIMES AS CHEAPER AS THEY ARE IN OUR WORLD.

Well, looks like I'm added to the list of being saved from this scam.  Here's the email I just received back from my inquiry about a 2004 Maxima on craigslist listed for $2,400:

Hi,

My name is Patricia Bouton and I'm emailing you regarding the 2004 Nissan Maxima that I have for sale. It is in perfect condition, with no need for any additional repairs. Flawless exterior condition, no scratches and no dents. It has never been involved in an accident. The interior is in very good condition, also the exterior. No accidents, clear title, great mileage: 134,459 and automatic transmission. I'm selling the car because my 22's years old son died 3 months ago in a car accident. A drunk driver hit him and his fiancé. They were with her car on their way to his little brother's birthday. It was his car and it brings me bad memories and that's the reason I want to sell it as soon as possible. The price that I'm asking is $2.250
Just let me know if you are interested and where are you located.

Thank you,
Patricia

It was sent from patriciabouton129@gmail.com

I'm glad I had the sense to google the email address!  Hope this helps someone else not get scammed as well.

I just got the same email but from Lt. Michael Tyson

From: Michael Tyson [mailto:michael.tyson43@gmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, 17 September 2013 1:29 AM
Subject: Re: Enquiry from carsguide.com.au [#1369316]

Hello, sorry for mailing you so late!
Thank you for inquiring about my 2003 RANGE ROVER HSE. The car has been well taken care of, always kept in the garage and it has only 107,000 km. It has no damage, no scratches or dents, no finance. It have all the papers and documents and it is in immaculate condition, meticulously maintained and hasn't been involved in any accident.
The price is AU $16,900 including the shipping to your home address. The car is registered (and located) in Australia. I bought it when i was serving in RAAF Melville Island, NT but i was promoted and transferred to RAF United Kingdom for a 5 years period, therefore I need a fast and reliable buyer. The car is already at our Military Logistic Department from RAAF Melville Island, AU Army, crated and ready to go, I've arranged the shipping and the papers transfer anywhere in Australia and the delivery will take approx 1 to 3 working days (with 7 days return policy). The shipping will be free of charge for you because I will transport it using the internal logistic department.
The sale will be managed only through eBay since they offer the highest rate of safety and reliability during online transactions, and only after you will receive the car, I will receive the payment; this way we are both 100% protected.
To start the transaction I just need a firm decision if you want to buy this or not and your complete name and shipping address. After that you will receive an invoice from eBay Motors that will tell you all the details you need to know about our transaction and also will give you the choice to proceed or not with the deal.
I attached some photos and let me know if you like the car.

Kind Regards,
Lt. Michael Tyson