It’s a classic used car scam. Pretend to sell a car, collect the money, and then never deliver the vehicle as this Queens, N.Y. case demonstrates.
An article from the Queens Courier in Queens, N.Y., included an NYPD bulletin about a man who was selling another man a 2008 Honda Odyssey. The buyer wired the seller money into the seller’s account, for some reason waited three days and then was surprised when the seller was nowhere to be found (except on an ATM surveillance camera withdrawing the funds).
As Justin Pritchard, the About.com guide to banking/loans points out, “Bank wire transfers are fast. Because of the certainty mentioned above, transferred funds are considered ‘cleared’ immediately when received. Sometimes it takes a while for the receiving bank to show the proceeds in the recipient’s account, but the money moves quickly.” It should never take three days, though!
This story will probably end sadly for the buyer (how ironic to have this happen when purchasing an Odyssey). Next time he should follow my advice for completing a sale. It’s a great way to avoid getting scammed. It’s mostly geared towards sellers, but has advice for both sides in the transaction.
By the way, anyone with information about the Queens crime is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS.
At top is a photo of the alleged suspect withdrawing money from a Bank of Americas ATM machine in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn. Photo courtesy of NYPD.
Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites
