A post about a dodgy tvr ad on pistonheads explains how it works
I thought it would be considerate to let people know about a con artist that i have identified recently. I posted this in the Tuscan group and it was suggested i put it here as well. This related to P6 TUS that was being advertised recently.
This chap has tried this with a focus RS (link below) and the aforementioned Tuscan and probably more, so please be aware.
As a follow up to this, i thought you might like to know that i followed up with the advert just to prove to myself that it definitely wasn't legitmate.
I was right. Whilst emails from the "seller" were clear and written well, the story he was selling just didn't add up. He is trying to run a typical escrow scam. This involves the seller claiming that they are abroad in a country where the import taxes on the vehicle make it uneconomical for him to take over, so he wants a quick sale in the UK. He then claims the car is sitting with a 3rd party escrow service to enable a safe transfer of the car from the seller to the buyer, and a safe transfer of cash from the buyer to the seller. The seller will claim to have been messed around before, and will only travel back for a viewing if you put some money down to the escrow agent as a desposit, which of course he will claim is fully refundable if the buyer isn't satisfied. He may even have more pictures of the car, and attach some phoney form of ID.
It will all seem moderately believable, especially as the scammer will provide a link to the escrow service they are using. It will be a website that looks like a real company's page. Unfortuntaely it's a site the scammer has setup. So if you put a deposit down, it's just going straight to the scammers account.
He tried the tactic on a Ford Focus RS site, and was found out.
http://www.focusrsoc.com/forums/topic/176297-cv59-...
Unfortunately people like me are this scammer's worst nightmare. Below are his details so everyone is aware. If there is a better place to put these so more people can be alerted, please advise.
Scammers Real Name: Xhevahir Sefolli
Nationality: Albanian
Pseudonym: Anthony Craig Bowes, Chris Frazer Scott
Fake Escrow Company: Express HCW Ltd
http://www.express-hcw.com/
I believe he operates out of Express Hand Car Wash; a car wash that he runs. Address:
16 Stukeley Road Huntingdon PE29 6HQ
The police have been alerted.
