Is this a scam!!!

ROMANY 1959

ROMANY 1959

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Am selling my 6 yr old eventer on H & H website, have had 3 emails from some one from Manchester who said he wants to buy him and will send me the money in 7 days yet he doesnt want to try my horse or send anyone to look at him!!! am very worried about this, I cant and wont let him go where I dont know the circumstances, and I have heard of scams where seller looses both horse and payment, what do you think, Scam!!!!
 
Sounds like a scam.

I have sold a horse unseen but spoke to the girl alot and she gae me all i needed to trust her. She was also in aberdeen and i was in liverpool lol so was abit of a journey for her to just come see him.

If your worried I would reply saying horse wont be sold without viewing or something like that.
 
Sounds very dubious to me as well, did you post a video of the horse that he can see?
As other poster has said wait to see how he intends to pay for the horse, bank details where they accidentally send you more money, but that's ok just refund it to them is the scam as the original payment bounces so you lose the excess money that you have refunded, most of the time the horse isn't actually sold.
Can you keep us posted so that if it is a scam it's on the forum.
 
As Naryafluffy said, it sounds like a very classic internet scam. Often, the emails will be somewhat generic, as in, not refer to any specifics about the item to be sold, but I imagine that some scammers are probably a bit more sophisticated by now!

BARGEPOLE!
 
I sold one of my horses to Berkshire (were in South Wales) unseen. She did a bank transfer, I pulled the cash out so she couldn't call it back and loaded the horse up when she sent the transporter. Lots of people buy horses unseen, not everyone is a villan
 
I sold a horse sight unseen to a lady in Germany about to move to Norfolk Island.

Initially I was a bit wary of the email sent to me initially. I did answer it, but in sort of an offhand way.

She then went on to email me heaps and I had a succesful sale. I didn't do anything untill money was in my account.

She wanted the horse vetted so I gave her the details of my vet and advised that she was to negotiate with them direct.

The sale went really well, my horse is now happy in Norfolk Island and buyer is really happy.

Just be cautious if the buyer overpays and then asks you to send the balance to another account. That is definately not good.
 
I would be deeply suspicious - if it's a scam they will be trying to get access to your computer so make sure that the password to your bank account is not the same as the password for your email. I know it's hard to sell at the moment (probably why there are so many scams around) but if you care about your horse I would be very careful. Seems strange they would buy unseen without even getting a vet's opinion. A bankers draft is just about the only way to ensure you get the cash without giving away your bank details.

How was the reply worded? Perhaps if you put it up on here someone might recognise the signs of a scam.
 
There was something on Radio 4 last week about scams like this. They reported on cheques and bank transfers and even though the cheque/BT may seem to have cleared after 3 days and you can withdraw the money, they can still be clawed back up to 7 days after depositing. All major banks they interviewed were aware of this but said that with thousands of transfers a day they couldn't spot the dodgy ones. Of it's you that ends up out of pocket.

Slightly off topic, sorry!
 
I think its becoming a way of buying horses now
I have just sold a youngster , to a woman in Wales , I'm in Kent
I sent loads of pictures and I've found out lots about where he's going , what he's going to be doing talking over phone , I have had many of these scams where they've said there pay more then I'm asking etc
So I was on my guard and I've asked for cash and I supplied a transport company name my way , the person has arranged transport with them
Paying the fee for transport but also putting the amount for my horse into the transport company bank
So she can get out of her bank to pay me in cash
So
 
If someone does a bank transfer, they actually have to physically have the money there to transfer it either by paying in cash at the counter to your bank account or have the money cleared in their bank account to transfer.

I know this as I once tried to pay someone by bank transfer and my bank wouldn't let me as a cheque I had deposited hadn't cleared yet and I did not have enough available cash in my account to cover it.

It's common to pay by bank transfer for everything in Europe but it's slowly catching on here. Your bank details (account number and sort code) are readily available printed on any cheque too along with your signature but people think nothing of handing out those.

I would say a bank transfer is safer than getting a draft as those can be forged. I love getting bank transfers as they are safe for sellers, no fees and you get your money quick.

No one can "hack" into your computer either by doing a bank transfer unless you are daft enough to download attachments from people you don't know, don't run a virus program and firewall or hand out passwords to your bank account, Ebay or Paypal. I've run an internet business for the past 11 years and my OH used to work for an internet company so am just trying to clear up any misconceptions :)

As long as the buyer doesn't start asking for you to send extra money back or anything else dodgy, then I would say go for it.
 
sidesaddlegirl said:
If someone does a bank transfer, they actually have to physically have the money there to transfer it either by paying in cash at the counter to your bank account or have the money cleared in their bank account to transfer.

I know this as I once tried to pay someone by bank transfer and my bank wouldn't let me as a cheque I had deposited hadn't cleared yet and I did not have enough available cash in my account to cover it.

It's common to pay by bank transfer for everything in Europe but it's slowly catching on here. Your bank details (account number and sort code) are readily available printed on any cheque too along with your signature but people think nothing of handing out those.

I would say a bank transfer is safer than getting a draft as those can be forged. I love getting bank transfers as they are safe for sellers, no fees and you get your money quick.

No one can "hack" into your computer either by doing a bank transfer unless you are daft enough to download attachments from people you don't know, don't run a virus program and firewall or hand out passwords to your bank account, Ebay or Paypal. I've run an internet business for the past 11 years and my OH used to work for an internet company so am just trying to clear up any misconceptions :)

As long as the buyer doesn't start asking for you to send extra money back or anything else dodgy, then I would say go for it.
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LIKE
 
sidesaddlegirl said:
If someone does a bank transfer, they actually have to physically have the money there to transfer it either by paying in cash at the counter to your bank account or have the money cleared in their bank account to transfer.

I know this as I once tried to pay someone by bank transfer and my bank wouldn't let me as a cheque I had deposited hadn't cleared yet and I did not have enough available cash in my account to cover it.

It's common to pay by bank transfer for everything in Europe but it's slowly catching on here. Your bank details (account number and sort code) are readily available printed on any cheque too along with your signature but people think nothing of handing out those.

I would say a bank transfer is safer than getting a draft as those can be forged. I love getting bank transfers as they are safe for sellers, no fees and you get your money quick.

No one can "hack" into your computer either by doing a bank transfer unless you are daft enough to download attachments from people you don't know, don't run a virus program and firewall or hand out passwords to your bank account, Ebay or Paypal. I've run an internet business for the past 11 years and my OH used to work for an internet company so am just trying to clear up any misconceptions :)

As long as the buyer doesn't start asking for you to send extra money back or anything else dodgy, then I would say go for it.
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Oooohhh I like this - I just started a little keyring business and I'm getting robbed by Paypal for the privilage - I was a little worried about giving out my details for a banks transfer but this seems like i shouldnt be....
 
any one know how the scam works when they ask if they can buy unseen and pay by paypal??
Girl at our farm has horse advertised and has had a dodgy sounding email, in very poor english wanting to send a transporter for him and luckily girl has said no....
Just cant figure out how the scam works.....
 
On Paypal you can do a chargeback. The Nigerian 419 scammers love Paypal as they get stolen accounts from numpties who give out their passwords or who don't run a virus and firewall. They use them to buy high value goods like computers or mobile phones which is why it's exasperating to sell these sorts of goods on Ebay as you ALWAYS get a Nigerian scammer with a stolen Paypal account win them.

In the case of "buying" horses, they use Paypal to send you money, they over pay you and ask you to "send the extra back" via their "shipper" or for you to "pay someone they owe" here. Those daft enough to do it, are out of pocket once Paypal cottons on and claws back the money from the stolen account. It's essentially money laundering.
 
Woah! Don't be too quick to dismiss this. I have sold two horses and neither of them came to see them in the flesh.

Usually these scams have awful english in the email and it is very obvious that it is dodgy.

I would expect to have a very long conversation with anyone I was selling to and the money would be CASH on collection. Never ever ever receive money from Western Union bank accounts!!!
 
If you are selling a well-known proven pony or horse to another in the field your horse pony is currently competing and winning (or similar) then there will usually be a phone call during which information would be exchanged and the details of who and where would be quite open and genuine. This word of mouth type of selling is commonplace.

Generic, almost clinical offers to buy are mostly, if not always, scams.

My question is why would you let your horse go to an unknown person or persons for just the sum asked?
 
BonneMaman said:
Never ever ever receive money from Western Union bank accounts!!!
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Why? Western Union is perfectly safe for the receiver but more risk involved for the sender. That's why the Nigerian scammers LOVE Western Union as you turn up at the WU place with some some id (which can be forged), collect your cash and walk away into the sunset.

It's a good idea only to send a WU payment to someone you know, mind you, I've had WU payments for orders from countries which do not have Paypal or where it's too expensive to send other payments but I'm a reputable business!

With WU, you have to trust that the person receiving the money is legit but if you are the receiver, then there is no risk involved.

The scammers DO send fake "WU" emails saying that "you've got cash" and that WU says to "now send the goods" or some b*ll*cks like that. Western Union NEVER send anyone any emails like that and it's amazing how many people fall for them considering they are littered with spelling mistakes and poor English syntax which native English speakers would never speak like.
 
cheques- its not 7 days. Lloyds advised me it can be upto 3 months. They can clear the cheque, you release the "goods", then somewhere down the line they realise the cheque is stolen/forged. The money is taken back from YOUR account regardless.
 
Ive bought quite a few horses un seen and done a bank transfer and then arranged pick up by a transporter, but I do it all by phone never email I speak at great lengths to the seller. The bank charges me £25 for the privalage of doing the transfer to the sellers bank.(cant quite get head round that, Iam not over drawn or anything)
Usually those scam emails are from abroad not Manchester and are in very bad English and mention Western Union Bank.
OP what I would do is email back and say you prefere to discuss this over the phone and can he ring you, if he does, he could just be genuine.
 
I wouldnt sell any animal to someone who cant be bothered to view it,afterall how do you know who this person is,could be a meat man for all you know. Sounds like a scam to me!!!
I would want to know where the horse was going and see for myself and Id make them sign something to say if horse no longer required you get 1st refusal.
All sounds too fishy.
 
ROMANY 1959 said:
Am selling my 6 yr old eventer on H & H website, have had 3 emails from some one from Manchester who said he wants to buy him and will send me the money in 7 days yet he doesnt want to try my horse or send anyone to look at him!!! am very worried about this, I cant and wont let him go where I dont know the circumstances, and I have heard of scams where seller looses both horse and payment, what do you think, Scam!!!!
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Give him the Inland Revenue's Bank details :D
 
Copy and paste the email into google, scams often come back through searches.

You could ask them for proof of ID, and speak on the phone. get an address for them too, maybe post bank a/c details, recorded delivery so you know they use that address.
 
Well he was supposed come and see horse at 3, I aggreed meet him at local A55 services then if I thought he ok would take him to yard, I had told him I work in banking, and would expect payment in cash if he wanted to take horse today as he said!!!!! lo and behold no one turned up!!!!! me and my minder just sat in services for an hour having tea and snak waiting, he discribed his lorry too!! I realise some buyers can get lots of info on horses from calls and word of mouth but his emails were a bit pidgeon english and I dont fancy my horse who is selling for £12000 going to just anyone!!! nor do I want to loose my horse and cash.
So I think it was a scam and as he is advertised in H and H I have reported it to the add manager.Thanks for replies, Anyone fancy a young eventer!!!!!!
 
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