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Usually I'm very cautious when dealing on the internet. But, with the past 8 to 10 years of flawless transactions I guess I have put my guard down.

I want to share a recent dealing that could have cost me $1500. It almost sounded too good to be true, and that alone is enough reason to believe its a scam.

Here's some background on the situation:

Im shopping for a new bike,and im lookin for the best deal around. I used Crazedlist to search ALL craigslist for the bike Im looking for, at the price I can afford.

Located in PA, I find a 2006 Specialized Enduro s-Works for $1500. Exactly the amount of money i have to spend, and even MORE bike than Im originally looking for. The bike retails for close to $4500. So I email the seller, asking if maybe he is willing to ship. Included below are the original emails:

I saw the Specialized Enduro you have on Craigslist.

Its the bike I am looking for, at the price I am
looking for. Problem is, Im located in Sacramento CA.
I was wondering if you were opposed to shipping the
bike?

Thanks,
-Brian

Hi Brian ,

I still have the Specialized Enduro bike for sale. I want you to know that the bike is in perfect working conditions.. Right now i am gone in Texas, but i hope that`s not going to be a problem because i can still handle the transaction. Before i went to Texas, i left the bike along with several other items in the custody of The Online Outpost because i wanted to sell them on eBay when i return, but something came up back home and i decided to sell them before i get back, but not on eBay, because i need to sell them faster.

So if you are still interested let me know because i can make the transaction immediately. Just let me know and i will explain all the details of the transaction...

Thanks,
Fred

Yeah details please.

Whats this online outpost you speak of? Do they have
a website I can visit to read more about them? Will
they handle the transaction and shipping?

Also, im not sure if I missed it in the ad, but what
kind of rear shock does the bike have?

Thanks
-Brian

Brian,

Let me explain you how The Online Outpost works. They are one of the best eBay selling services, you simply drop an item to one of their stores or they pick it up from your home, you find a buyer and they will take care of the rest. Before i went to Texas i left 13 items for sale in their custody, they picked them up from my home. The shipping is included in the price of sale, they offered me a discount on shipping because i am selling a large number of items and i can afford that.
Basically, they have the bike insured and ready for shipping. As soon as i will have your shipping details i will send them to The Online Outpost and they will start the official procedures. They will email you with an invoice and payment instructions, you will have to send the payment to one of their trading assistants by following the payment instructions. After you will send the payment details to them, they will validate the transaction and will start the shipping ASAP. If you will have questions, then you can ask them directly.

So if you agree with this terms and with the price, then i will need your full name and shipping address in order to start the transaction. As soon as i receive this details from you i will forward them to The Online Outpost.


Thanks,
Valente Fred

I am still interested in your bike if its still
available.

I would like to know what kind of rear shock you have
on it.

My info is:
Brian XXXXX
XXXX XXXXX XX
XXXXXXX, XX XXXXX

Let me know, thanks
-Brian

The last email was sent to him last night, and just as he said, this morning I recieved two emails from "the online outpost". One was a customer profile for Mr. Fred Valente praising him as a valued customer since 2006. It also explained a protection plan they offer incase the item doesnt get shipped etc... etc... However, there was one KEY item they mentioned that really rung a bell: "Our customer Fred Valente require the payment to be done through MoneyGram money transfer service."

I almost fell for it too, however, google saved the day. A quick search for "The Online Outpost Scam" revealed plenty of other situations, where craigslist ad's were replied to in the exact same way.

So, yeah. I have paid attention to previous scam schemes. I have seen all the MSNBC's and thought i was aware, however... this one flew right under the radar. I wanted to bring it to light incase anyone else is confronted with the same type of transaction so they do not fall victim. I only wonder how many other bicyclists fell for the scam and sent their hard earned money to this crook?

And in ending, I will include the final email I sent to Mr.Valente:

Fred, i recieved two emails from the Online Outpost
today regarding your "Bike" you have for sale.

I would gladly send you the $1500, if indeed the bike
actually existed. Im skeptical this "online outpost"
place really exists.

I had a funny feeling about this the entire time, but
I wanted to trust you. But now, Its apparent this is
a scam.

You will not be getting any money from me. And I can
only hope you did not successfully scam anybody else
out of their hard earned money.


I hope you rot in hell.
Thanks for wasting my time,
-Brian

thanks for the play by play... good to hear you didnt get scammed.. wish you well finding the bike you want that actually exists

a swarm of locusts on these losers.

I hate all this stupid scammer shit...

but I have to admit... I love your last two lines:

TheSubaruJunkie wrote:I hope you rot in hell.
Thanks for wasting my time,

Classic

ya that shit is rediculous man. i heard about this scam like on the east coast somewhere on the east coast where the scammers put like say, a porsche, on CL for a rediculously good deal. They guy shows up and gets jumped by some gangsters or whatever they wanna call themselves. Only they didnt realize that nobody is just going to bring lets say, 20Gs in cash to somebodies house they dont even know. They ended up all getting caught, and the most they got from 1 person was 3 grand, but still im sure they will make ALOT of charges out of that.

WTF why did you stop there?

you're supposed to Bait the guy, and say that you are sending him the money in a box b/c it's heavy ....a BIG box... that he needs to pay for shipping on and then send him an old refrigerator, or everything that is inside your vaccume cleaner's bag.


duh!


The Scam Baiter

I doubt the address I got for the guy is his real address.

How stupid would that be? Steal $1500 from me, but give me the address to come and find you. So shipping explosives, dog shit or anything else to him would probably just disturb an innocent bystander.

you are a negative nancy.

It would be funny

must not have spent too much time clicking my link i guess...

Maybe he just saw Blues Brothers where they give their address as Wrigley Field.

SubaruNation wrote:you are a negative nancy.

It would be funny

must not have spent too much time clicking my link i guess...

Your link is blocked at my work, and I rarely check this forum from home.

So im sorry. Regardless, i found the bike ive been looking for. Got it on eBay so if its a scam i *hope* im protected.

-Brian

ha ha no probs, it's just website where they mess with the scammers that do this and document it.

they also work with the shipping companies to prevent alot of these things from happening

Well found the bike i have been looking for on ebay. Dont think its a scam. Sent the payment today and expect the bike next wednesday (already got tracking number).

This is actually about 10x more bike then I was shopping for, but only $500 more than my budget allowed so I splurged.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... SA:US:1123

that's a massive amount for a bike with damage to it.

Bike has been repaired. Only reason I got it was cause he had the bike shop replace that part with a new one. I told him i wouldn't send payment until i recieved pictures of the bike repaired, and yesterday I got those pictures.

The bike retails for $5700 new. I still think i got a deal.

mmm hmm

my buddy used to have one of those, he upgraded to the banshee scrap.

very nice lightweight bike.


now i wanna see some sweet DH with that beast

Its the Enduro, not the Trail SX. Its tailored more towared All Mountain, not Down Hill.

duh.

thats still a pretty rigid frame,


you can do it if you want to.....

Yeah im sure i can do some gnarly downhill with it. I do more AM than anything, and thats why I went with this instead of the trail SX.

oic,
nice!

i recently went brake-less on my bike and i love it.

edit: probably not for your bike though ...

Yeah i kinda use those

Well this is fun

I put my truck on Craigslist and so far over half the emails Ive recieved are from scammers.

Two of them I told to go fuck themselfs, but i think this one I wanna play with.

here is what we got so far:

SCAMMER wrote:Hello
My name is Ken Smith I work for BRISCOE MOTORS UK... I came across your ad on craigslist and I was attracted to your offer... Could you please get back to me with your final asking price, the present working condition of the vehicle and also it availability?
My company is hoping on shipping it down to the UK for renovation and resale.. So all I really need to know is if it has a good body frame that can be worked on and also if it has any minor engine problems so the cost of repairs can be considered..

My email address is terrakengtssmith13@yahoo.co.uk or terrakengtssmith15@yahoo.co.uk.

Hope to reado from you soon.

Cheers
Ken

I wrote:The truck runs like shit. There is no way it will
drive to a shipping company, so if you want it you
must send a tow truck to come get it.

I rolled the truck so the body is all kinds of fucked
up. The drivers door window doesnt roll down or up,
so you gotta take your pick.

My final asking price is $450,000. Let me know if you
are interested, thank you.

SCAMMER wrote:Hey
Thanks for the mail.. Well then I guess thats okay cos my shipper will be doing a final checkup of the vehicle on the day of pickup but is there anyway I could like get some pics in my yahoomail box so I can defend the purchase with my boss?
Well I guess $450 is a fair offer but I will need some pics to convince my boss.. Hope to read from you soon.

Cheers
Ken

I wrote: If you found my craigslist ad, you saw the pictures.
I posted plenty on my ad.

And the asking price is $450,000.00 not $450.00

I accept cash, cash and cash.

I miss my downhill bike

It was one of the first Banshee Screams ever built with an all black pre-production Marchocchi Shiver. Absolute bomber bike. I sold it for more than my 95 Legacy to pay for my SS. I'm not sure I made the right decision though

Yeah I was hoping to have my new bike today. But apparently UPS FUCKING SUCKS!!

Im so pissed off right now. My package is stuck somewhere in the mid-west and I doubt i'll see my bike before the end of next week.

BAC: the best part is how bombproof they are, we ran over my buddy's scream with his jeep and it was totally fine! wtf!

you made a good decision

subarujunkie: ya i know, they did the same thing when i had my big hit ghey.

I'm not so sure. I'd still be in great shape and I wouldn't be as broke as I am if I had never gotten into cars. Still, that desire to mod would always be there.

Who knows. I really miss downhill. But now my knees suffer for it. I'm only 22 and I can't squat on my knees for more than a few seconds. And I've met some of my best friends thanks to Subaru's, so who really knows what the "right" choice would have been.