Below is an e-mail string in response to an ad I placed in the classifieds a week or so ago. It was a Parts Wanted Ad for a 5Z 1172 Rear Wheel Hub Puller.
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My name is robert from Chewelah, WA 99109, i saw your advert I want you to know that i have what you wanted for sale. get back to me and i will provide you with more information. Rob
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My response:
Rob;
Thank you for writing.
Please send me a picture of the hub puller and let me know how much money you want for it.
Thanks again.
Bill Everett
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"Rob"'s response:
Thanks for your message, i want you to know that the hub puller was remove from my car, i would have love to send you more pics for the hub puller but my camera is bad, i donot know how i can send the pics, i donot know if you can be able to stop by and see for yourself before
we can agree on price....as soon as we agree on price i will mail it to you over night... hope to hear from you soonest...rob
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My most recent response to "Rob":
Rob;
Yes, I'm happy to stop by to see the hub puller and give you the cash if we can agree on price.
Where are you?
Let me know, please.
Thank you, Rob.
Bill Everett
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I'm genuinely curious as to what response "Rob" will give!
Do I detect carp, ripe salmon, or ......?
Once upon a Time, the classified ads were the greatest thing since sliced bread. When I put in my wanted-ad for a 1914-15 Touring, I was in touch with the gentleman who sold me my car within two days. True, I did receive one or two calls from con artists, but they were so obvious, it was entertaining. Perhaps the good response was because my telephone number was in the ad. Guess you don't get too many responses from exiled Nigerian princes that way.
But from what I've been reading in recent months, the classifieds are thoroughly infested with con-artists. I told my wife that in the event I get vaporized by a bolt of lightning and she'd like to sell the Model T, the best thing to do is let you guys know about its availability through the forum.
Never, never, trust a guy who only uses the name "Rob".
Hmmmm, wait a minute.
Disregard
That's funny. At least he removed it from his car. Maybe he was using it as a hub cap. You should ask him what year car he has so you can be sure it fits.
I know Rob Flesner. This was NOT written by him. Someone is using his identity.
"Rob" just responded.
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I live in 2194 wright valley road, chewelah. WA 99109 usa thanks rob
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Now I feel as a dog must when he actually catches a car; "What Do I Do With This"?
Does anyone live near this address?
These guys (scammers) are in every aspect of classifieds on the net. You just have to be aware that they are.
Misspelling and odd wording in their sentence structure are a direct tip-off.
That is Rob's address. That reply was probably not from Rob. See my post above.
Bill Everett: That address he gave you lookslike a storage unit. Al
Actually, I stand corrected, that isn't Rob's address, some of the numbers are transposed.
Just a plain old scammer, or some nut trying to have some "fun" at others expense. Again, as I've said before, when I place ads, I require full name, home address, and landline number before even going any further with the transactions. Usually stops 'em in their tracks.
I vote for scam, Ask for his Phone number and talk to him in person.
Google can't find Wright Valley road at all in Chewelah. WA
Fred, There is a Rob Flesner, and he lives in Chewelah on Wrights Valley road. I've been to his house many times. These messages are surely not from him. He is likely a victim of identity theft. No need to vote. It IS a scam (just not Rob's fault).
Interestingly Tom I see that you posted the address at "Wrights Valley road" instead of
'Wright Valley road". The later does show up as being in Chewelah Wa. I wonder if they are copying these addresses off of our Classifieds?
I must be dumb. I can easily see that this "Rob" (not Heyen, the other one) is probably not who he says he is. What I don't get is why. What scam could he possibly be promoting when Bill is the seller of the item, and in particular an item that is not a high dollar item? It doesn't seem that it would be worth the trouble to just cheat him out of a hub puller, and certainly a guy like Bill is not going to send this guy money to make the sale of such an item.
I'm sure he has an angle. I just don't see it.
Bill I have one of it if you still want it.
It will only cost you 2 Goats and a small Camel, not including shipping and handling of course.
L&K Rob
I have yet to get a scam offer that properly used Standard Edited American English as its language. These buzzards have actually done me a favor, as I share them with my students and tell them that avoiding scams is one more reason to learn SEAM.
Duh, what's SEAM?
Standard Edited American English. It's what used to be called "proper grammar" but like everything else, the PC crowd stuck its shovel in.
Every comment pointing out what they are doing wrong just gives them more information to polish their craft until they get to the point that their scam will be undetectable until it's too late.
Google Earth does not have that address in Chewala, WA
Why do they do it? To get someone to send them money. What better way than to steal the identity of a known person who has advertised parts for sale before. Seems legit for a minute or two. Luckily Steve Tomaso and Bill Everett had the circumspection to suss out the situation. Hopefully no one (besides Rob) will get burned.
Once again... Use phone numbers only in your ad and this stuff will not happen.
Sorry, Mr robert from Chewelah, WA 99109 lies because there is no such street or street number in that City..
Give him a couple of days then e-mail him that you went to his address and couldn't get him to the door. Tell him how pissed you are at him.
Thank you R.V.
Just a note here fellas. I am chiming in here on another note. I am paranoid on the computer nowadays! Not only does Goggle get to record all of your transactions to "help you" of course search for whatever you have been searching for on the net but China IS eavesdropping!!!!! I found this out a couple of years ago when I supposedly passed along a virus to one of my New York friends. He had a fella work on his computer with a dial-up box that he used after my friend kept having the same problem within a week or so of his working and running a cleaner on his computer. He found that it was a "university" in China when he ran the dialer box. It seems that they use the free porno sites to attach hidden dial-ups inside some of your files on someone's computer. He sent them a message I do not know what it was but I think it would destroy their computer as a code like (0101...). ????? I know this sounds silly but he worked for the federal government in DC for several years monitering their computers and my friend Bill seems to believe that he could have done that. Bill has not had any more trouble with his computer but we don't communicate that way any more only his immediate family. I do deal with purchases from China directly so I do not like anyone anywhere researching my computer. Let alone the government searching for terrorists. I don't mind them (our gov.) even viewing my e's but there are other nations eavesdropping on us too. So whatever we send out make sure it is not something that would give out any pvt information. Your scammer?? You can tell by our colloquialisms if they are foreigners just like in the old films of our servicemen at night having codes etc. But they will soon learn and even be more difficult to catch. Good luck on getting a hub puller cheaply. We had a fella a couple of years ago selling a whole box load of them at our annual Ozark Antique Auto August swap meet in Springfield, Mo.
Funny I just had another spammer on the phone while writing this for free $$ for my business!! Free money!!!! Unknown appeared on my Droid.
Lets keep on top of this stuff guys.
Please excuse me from voicing my paranoia.
Please keep us updated. I'm sure that this is going to get even better!
You know, a while ago, I posted a want ad for an '09-25 transmission brake drum with the shaft attached to it. I got a lot of bogus replies, of course, but not too much later, someone replied saying he had one in good shape for $100, and he'd send pictures if necessary. Of course, I had to ask him for the pics, and it looked to be in fantastic shape. I sent off a money order for $100, and about a week later, the brake drum came in, exactly as described. That's how it should be!
It's a shame that there are so many that live off of scams... Basically, my philosophy is "No pics, No deal."
But as the scammers get better,they will fiqure out how to take pictures from our forum and send them to you as the item for sale.
It is not just this website, I have my 14 Buick for sale on HCCA's website and this is a response.
Hi
Q#1. How long have you owned it?
Q#2. a) Have you owned it from new? If not how many previous owner?
Q#3.Why are you selling it?
Q#4. In your opinion, what sort of conditions it?
Q#5. Any more available photo?
Q#6. How much are you asking for it?
Q#7. Do you accept a (PayPal)as a mode of payment.
Regards
My response
Q#1. 100 years (actually 5)
Q#2. Car is 100 years old, and I bought it new when I was 20. (How am I supposed to know how many owners there has been)
Q#3. It's getting hard to parallel park. (I need the room)
Q#4. It hurts to look at it's so nice! (It's in good touring condition not a show car)
Q#5. No my garage door broke and I can't get into my garage to take any more. ( Of course I can get more photo's it's my car!
Q#6. I am asking 2,000,000.00 USD but I might take less. (listing is for 26K)
Q#7. I will take Paypal if you pay the fees. (That's probably over 100,000 in fees!)
Regards
In response to your question Bill: Money. Any way they can get it. Modern day pirates.