Over the last few years the Junk Mail Scam Busting Team has gone to great lengths to inform Junk Mail users about the variations of scams in the market place. Scammers are getting more crafty in the way they try to lure unsuspected victims. The good news is, we at Junk Mail are ensuring that our systems are improving to make sure more scammers get caught while trying to con.
It is important for all buyers and sellers to know about the various scams that are making their rounds. If you know how the scams operate then you will be smart enough to avoid these and other ploys. It is time to get scam smart by learning from the Junk Mail Scam Busting Team…
It has come to our attention that there is a syndicate of scammers trying to con buyers into purchasing cars that are way under market value. For those of you who are not aware this is how most Fake Vehicle Scams work, fraudsters get you to fall in love with a cheap car only to find out after paying a deposit that the car never existed.
Over the last few months variations of this scam have been popping up. We have identified such a con artist on the Junk Mail webiste, this fraudster is trying to scam our users, we are on his heels but in order to catch him we need your help.
How This Scam Works: This scammer (who uses the e-mail adress matt-33331@hotmail.com) places fake adverts for a vehicles for sale. The advert is usually placed with a photo. The price for the vehicle is set at a value that is below market value. This is done in order to get the maximum response from honest prospective buyers. No phone number(s) are used in the adverts. The scammer does this to get potential buyers to respond via e-mail
Once a potential buyer responds to him via e-mail, the scammers replies with this type of message:
“Hello,
Sorry for the delayed response, but I’m in Kruger National Park right now and I have been very busy with my work.I shoot a documentary for National Geographic for two years, and in two weeks the documentary will be ready and I’ll go back home to United States. Anyway,thank you for your interest in buying the car. The total price of the XXXXXX (vehicle model) is R34 000. The car is registered in South Africa on my name and right now is located in Johannesburg in my garage. I am selling this car at a very cheap price, because in US, with the money obtained for this car, I’ll buy a new car. In the U.S. the car prices are much much lower then here. The car is like new, in perfect conditions, accident free, no scratches, no special marks, no need for additional repairs, always garaged. You can see from the pictures . If you decide to buy the car i will bring it personally at your home anywhere in SA . I wait your email .
Thank you”
If the potential buyer responds the above e-mail to get more details, the scammer sends out this next reply:
“Hi again,
I have spoken with my project manager and i can take a free day anytime to come and bring you the car. I also informed my wife about this (she is in US) and she told me that we must use a third party like eBay( www.eBay.com <http://www.eBay.com>) in order to be safe (my wife is a power seller on eBay so we can use their services for free). I want to use eBay because we are in a country like South Africa and we both know that we can find very bad people here. I am sorry to say it because i love this country, but yes, South Africa is not what it used to be. All i need from you is your full name and address so i can register you as potential buyer on eBay.
Full name :
Address:
Postal code :
Phone number :
After I will have all this details I will forward them to eBay Motors and I will proceed the order. eBay will contact you with all the details that you need to complete this deal and also to see that i am covered by them and that I am legit seller. When eBay will confirm me that you are a serious buyer i will go in Johannesburg to take the car and in 24 hours i will be at your home with the car and all the documents that you need to register the car under your name . When i come to you, if you do not like it by any reason you can refuse it and i will find another buyer.
Thank you”
Once the potential buyer makes the payment for this fake vehicle, the scammer will either avoid the potential buyer or spin a story about needing more money or even claim that the vehicle is at a fake address in a location in South Africa.
How to Avoid Fake Vehicle Scams:
Ask yourself the following questions:
- Does this sound to good to be true?
- Can I contact this advertiser directly via phone?
- Is this advertiser avoiding direct contact with me?
- Is this advertiser’s e-mail address an e-mail address that can be created in less than 5 minutes on the internet?
- Is this advertiser using broken English?
- Is the advertiser asking you to make a payment via a Third Party Payment?
If you are able to answer YES to any or all of these questions above, the advert you are viewing is most likely a scam. At this point we ask you to please report this scam using the red “Report Advert” button on the right-hand side of the advert.
This particular scammer is attempting to defraud potential buyers using our site and we do not permit this on our free trading platform. The vehicles that are being advertised DO NOT EXIST. Junk Mail is also NOT affiliated with Ebay.com. These are all the tell-tale signs of a Fake Vehicle Scam.
REMEMBER: If you come accross a possible scam advert, please make use of the “Report Advert” option that is provided for each advert on the website. You can also report the possible scam to Junk Mail Customer Care via ccc@junkmail.co.za or via phone on 012-3423840 x2295 (during office hours). If a member of the Junk Mail Scam Busting Team does not respond via one of these channels, you can also notify us about a scam on the wall of the Junk Mail Facebook Fan page or by mentioning your query to @JMClassifieds on Twitter.
If you have any comments / suggestion regarding this, please comment on this post. Feedback on this post is appreciated and welcome. Please share this post with your fellow Junk Mail Users / Friends to make them aware of this scam and don’t become a victim.
Junk Mail posts various scam warnings on the Avoid Scams section on the Junk Mail website, so make sure you read this section carefully to be aware of the scams that are circulating. Junk Mail also posts regular updates about scams under the Safety and Security section to keep all our users informed.
This scam warning is brought to you by the Junk Mail Scam Busting Team. Junk Mail promotes a safe trading zone for buyers and sellers to transact.
REMEMBER TO BE SMART, SAVVY AND SAFE WHEN BUYING AND SELLING!
I advertised my bakkie and was contacted via e-mail from a US buyer, I had to open a paypal account and e-mail the e-mail adress through, once doing that the porential buyer did not reply, How can they harm me I gave only my paypal e-mail adress?
@T Venter Unless this person has your log-in details to your Paypal account, they won’t have access to your funds
Hi Henno
I was just scammed by the same people, for a Landrover discovery, they are from the UK, and they work for National Geographic, they did a photo shoot in south Africa and the movie will be launched in 2 weeks, they even send me a piece of the documentary, there names are Rachel and Kobus de lange, I had to pay the money threw MoneyGram at Bidvest and the wife is a power seller at ebay, everything looked fine cause I was even receiving mails from ebay. I lost R16000.00, so people please be careful don’t trust anybody, I even got there street address in London uk.
Hi Trevor, sorry to hear about this and thanks for reporting it to us. Please send all the information, including the AD ID and email addresses used to care@junkmail.co.za.
I got a call yesterday afternoon (1 Feb) regarding my bakkie for sale.
A Namibian truck driver who is willing to pay me cash before even seeing the vehicle. He wanted to meet me in JHB South and would come with me to the bank and pay them and then go to the police Station to make an affidavid regarding the sale.
His cell number is 073 388 3035 and his name is George.
Atty Naiker,
I also have been approached in the exact same way (today Aug 7). Except the man’s name is Trevor and has a different phone number. He said he exports vehicles to the North. Did you ever respond to George?
I’m not sure how to proceed.
Thanks!
Thanks for your feedback Sherri. Keep our Customer Care department in the loop. You can reach them via ccc@junkmail.co.za or telephonically on 012-3423840 x2295.
The guys claiming to export the vehicles etc are scammers! They dont want you to meet them with the vehicle for sale due to not wanting millage to be increased. Once you meet them they go with you to get the cash and have a fake diamond deal with another guy, and when you tell them you not interested in funny business, they pull a gun and make you draw money at an ATM then drive you to a location and rob you. If you dont have enough money they steal your car too. It happened to me! Do not even respond. These are dangerouse guys!
Hi Marcel – Please forward us details of this. You can reach our Customer Care department via ccc@junkmail.co.za
Hello,
can anyone advise me please?
I am selling my car on Junk Mail.
Someone replied from the United States , they haven’t seen the car but want me to open a pay pal account to transfer the money?They wanted close up photos of the vehicle and said that it’s a present for their parent’s who stays in SA.”i WILL HOWEVER BE PAYING YOU BY PAY PAL AND INSIT ON THIS PAYMENT MEDIUM BECAUSE I DON’T HAVE ACCES TO MY BANK ACCOUNT ONLINE AS I DON’T HAVE INTERNET BANKING” . This person also asked for our exchange rates so that they can make the payment asap.Apparently they already have a shipping agent and the fee will be included in the payment.
What should I do? And what could happen?
Hi Charlene – Thanks for your comment. This is a scam. Please forward our Customer Care Department the e-mail that you received via ccc@junkmail.co.za – Don’t open up a PayPal account. Delete any further e-mails of this kind that you receive. This person will eventually trick you into paying money into his account to buy your own vehicle. Remember: If something sounds too good to be true, it’s probably false.
I have recieved the same calls from this Namibian driver, twice this week and from 2 differant numbers. He wants to buy my truck but i must go to Rustenburg and then we’ll go to the bank ect. Cannot remember the name he used. the number is 0783259822
Thanks Leon 🙂 Please e-mail our Customer Care Department via ccc@junkmail.co.za and include all the details 🙂
I was approached the same way by a Namibian truck driver who is in SA, Rustenburg to deliver some machinery to Impala Platinum. He wanted to pay me for a car he hasn’t seen and succesfully lured me to go to Rustenburg from Johannesburg and wanted to come with another car and not the one I advertised. He call himself Yafet with cell number 0788701700. He realised I came with someone to Rustenburg and got scared but still managed to get R300.00 MTN airtime from me. I should have listened to my first instincts!
Thanks for your feedback Inter. Please forward these details to our Customer Care Department via ccc@junkmail.co.za
I have been called by a Namibian truckdriver interested in the Merc I put up for sale in Junkmail. He said his name is Erasmus, and he wanted to pay the full amount into my account and then go to a police station etc.etc.etc. Just like a story I have read on this blog previously. Then today I get a call from a different “Namibian” expressing interest in my 4×4 that I have listed for sale. This sounded VERY suspicious to me, so I googled a few key words and came up with this blog. What a relief that I was so suspicious!!!
Glad you did not get caught by this person! Thanks for sharing your story!
Hi I dont know how to do this but I would like to inform that there is a guy name Morne Whelan from Alberton that is busy scamming people unfortanly we were one of them we did a background check on him and were arrested on 28-09-2011 for a bmw that he stole we are looking for people that also were scam by him the latest scam he is running pay dep in to his account and then you dont see your car or hear from him if there is people out there that knows him please help us to stop him
Hi Rosemary – Thanks for letting us know about this. Please forward all the details that you have to our Customer Care Department via ccc@junkmail.co.za.
Hi you can call me on 0814840716 or 0792686119. He got a R6500 deposit from us in beginning of January. We were able to get his id number from itc, but we even battle to get hold of anyone in the police that is willing to open a criminal case. Please contact me urgently so we can stop this criminal.
Hi Mona – Our Customer Care Department will be contacting during the day. Thanks for reporting this to us.
Hey concerining the morne whelan case here his numb 0760988799 if any1 can’t get him I managed to track him down n get him aressted but his out on bail n the law doesn’t seem to be working in our favour bt for the criminal
Thanks for sharing Mohammed
I have been looking for a used car not only on junkmail. I have found that there are the same cars being advertised on each site with different prices/mileage and so on, with personal details. How do I know for sure who is a serious seller or a scammer? Is it safe to buy from a private seller. Some prices are way below market value on certain cars, are all those known to be scams? This would be my first car I would be buying.
Hi Missy – If a person wants you to pay for a car before you’ve seen it, don’t pay them. Some scammers ask for holding deposits in most cases. Other scammers advertise vehicles well below market value and only want to correspond with you via e-mail. They’ll also ask you for money before you’ve even viewed the vehicle. There are some genuine vehicle sellers out there. Just be careful and vigilant. Trust your gut. If you’re unsure about an advert being a scam or not, please forward the advert details to our Customer Care department via ccc@junkmail.co.za so they can confirm for you.
In the last 2 months I have had 5 phone calls from different numbers and I think different guys all with the same story. They are Namibian truck drivers, coming to Vereeniging for work and very keen on my car. Will pay cash into my account, can i take the car up tomorrow, then we can go to the police station etc. The last call I had added incredible detail if I hadn’t had the other calls first I would have been conned! Don’t know what would happen if I went, but doesn’t seem good
Thanks for sharing your story about these scammers Laura 🙂
Hi Henno, i have been sending emails to ccc@junkmail.co.za; support@automart.co.za; webmaster@allicatpublishing.co.za; for the last two weeks about fraudulent listings and scams on their automart website. To date i have received no reply at all and all the vehicles are still listed.???
Hi Henri – The Junk Mail adverts have been removed. I will follow up with the Automart Webmaster regarding this. Apologies for the late response.
Received a phone call from “George” on cell nr +27783259822 regarding an add I placed, I see he has been busy for a while now.
Thanks for your feedback Marko.
HI I BEEN REPLY TO A AD ON GUMTREE A TOYOTA YARIS WAS UP FOR SALE ALSO THROUGH E BAY MOTOTS WHERE 50% OF THE MONEY MUST BE SENT TO A PRIVATE PERSON VIA WESTERN UNION SERVICES IN LONDON THEN YOU MUST SENT HIM THE MTCN NO WHEN THE MONEY ARE RELEASED THEY WILL BRING THE CAR NO PROOF WHAT SO EVER LUCKY I READ YOUR STORIES THANKS A MILLION
Glad we could help Frik 🙂
Thanks again the same person mailed me this morning with a new story i told him i am not interrested any more he then ensure me this is not a scam i asked him if i can see the motor up to now no reply i think he is sad been caught out
This exact same thing happened to me right now just before sending this note, with the person saying they are working in the UK and i must deposit 50% of total for car and car will be sent/shipped to me at sellers expense then i can keep car for 10 days to test drive and inspect.
I happened to want to check out the garage they say i will be working through eBay motors and i came across this site and the rest is history .
Make me’s so mad
I was recently scammed for R27000 for an Opel Corsa utility. I needed the car sobadly that I couldn’t see this scam coming. The person goes by the name of Remy Flera – CEO National Geographic South Africa and I transfered the money into this account: Account Name………. DM Fourie
Account Number……. 133 707 2875
Branch………………… 470010
Bank Name………….. Capitec Bank
Country……………….. South Africa
Anyone knows how to get my money back?
Thanks for sharing this information. Please forward this information to our Customer Care Department as well via ccc@junkmail.co.za
hi there
My fiance and I were nearly caught with this scam, we were looking for a small car for her to travel to work and back and when i saw this add i couldnt believe it. I contacted him via email and he sent me the above responses to which i replied with the basic info needed. My fiance then searched his name and occupation and found out he was busy scamming people. Luckily we did not make any payments to him.
Hope he gets caught and serves time for his crimes
Thanks for sharing your experience Geraldo
I was also contacted by this Flera Remy person. Here is how the email looks:
—————————
Hello,
Sorry for the delayed response, but I’m in Kruger National Park right now and I have been very busy with my work.I shoot a documentary for National Geographic for two years, and in two weeks the documentary will be ready and I’ll go back home to United States.
Anyway,thank you for your interest in buying the car. The total price of the 1988 OPEL KADETT 2.0 GSI is R10400. The car is registered in South Africa on my name and right now is located in Johannesburg in my garage.I sell it so cheap, because in US, with the money obtained for this car, I’ll buy a new car. In the U.S. the car prices are much much lower then here.
The car is like new, in perfect conditions, accident free, no scratches, no special marks, no need for additional repairs, always garaged. You can see from the pictures . If you decide to buy the car i will bring it personally at your home anywhere in SA . I wait your email .
Thank you,
Remy.
—————————
I thought it was a legitemate deal, but then I did some research and read this post and did not send him any info or details. Here is another response of what he sent afterwards:
—————————
Hi again,
I have spoken with my project manager and i can take a free day anytime to come and bring you the car. I also informed my wife about this (she is in US) and she told me that we must use a third party like eBay( http://www.ebaymotors-za.com/vehicles/purchase_protection_program/overview.html ) in order to be safe(my wife is a power seller on eBay so we can use their services for free). I want to use eBay because we are in a country like South Africa and we both know that we can find very bad people here .I am sorry to say it because i love this country, but yes, South Africa is not what it used to be.
All i need from you is your full name and address so i can register you as potential buyer on eBay .
Full name :
Address:
Postal code :
Phone number :
After I will have all this details I will forward them to eBay Motors and I will proceed the order. eBay will contact you with all the details that you need to complete this deal and also to see that i am covered by them and that I am legit seller.
Here is how this deal will work:
1). I will forward the details of our transaction to the eBay Buyer Protection.
2). They will process the paperwork and will email you the Payment Invoice and the transaction details.
3). You will have to submit the payment ( so you can prove that you are a serious buyer) as instructed to one of the eBay agents in South Africa via bank account.
4). The payment will be verified by eBay and if everything is OK I will meet you and i will let the car with you for 10 days, for inspection and testing.
5). After those 10 days, you will have to inform eBay if you gonna buy the car or not. If not, eBay will make you a FULL refund and I will take the car away but I don’t think it will be our case because the car is impeccable.
6.) If you decide to keep the car, you will have to contact ebay so they can forward me the payment.
When eBay will confirm me that you are a serious buyer i will go in Johannesburg to take the car and in 24 hours i will be at your home with the car and all the documents that you need to register the car under your name . When i come to you,if you do not like it by any reason you can refuse it and i will find another buyer .
Thank you,
Remy.
—————————
So luckily I did not reply further, but please try to catch this guy or ban his email from your site.
Here is some more details I have gathered of this guy:
Email: fleraremy@live.co.za
He has a sky drive listed under the name of Roscoe Wood, here is the link: https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=f1fe984b58493a4f&id=F1FE984B58493A4F!10267&Bsrc=Photomail&Bpub=SDX.Photos&sff=1&authkey=!ANxsTXsMP5vEnVw#cid=F1FE984B58493A4F&authkey=!ANxsTXsMP5vEnVw
Thanks for sharing Jan
Please stop this scammer once, ban this scammer the ads title or something.
Thanks Teror. We will look into it and remove the adverts ASAP.
LAST WEEK MY HUSBAND SAW AN ADVERT ON JUNKMAIL FOR A TOYOTA RUNX 1.6I 2004 MODEL FOR R31 000-00.
WHEN THE PERSON REPLIED IT WAS THIS SAME REMY PERSON FROM NATIONAL GEOGRAPHICS AND WE RECEIVED THE EXACT SAME EMAIL LISTED HERE. THANK GOD WE WERE TOOBUSY TO EVEN RESPOND, PLEASE BEWARE PEOPLE, NEVER PAY FOR SOMETHING YOU DONT HAVE IN YOUR POSSESSION.
Thanks for sharing this with us Candy
i’m trying to buy a car and 100% of the people i have contacted is asking me to send them petrol money to bring the car so i can view it. how can i send someone money that i have never met and have no way to get in touch with unless by phone. i think this is a scam to get money, they normally ask for R500, imagine if they get R500 from four people per day how much money are they making?
I responded an ad for a Hilux for sale, before paying money over i found out that it is a scam. The guy i getting aggressive now that i did not pay the money.
Here is some of responses i got after telling him to bug off:
“Who do you think you are? I have your address, is time for a visit, my gypsey will come to your door. Speak to you later at home, I am from mafia Gomorah. Your life will cost me 5000 EURO. I swear on God and my kids, I do my word you will be dead in 7 days. Or I will kill your family so you can see with your eyes. Do you want to mess with me? I told you not speak like that with me, Italia will be dear, will bomb your house Bagamiasi pula in mata si mortii matii de cacat obosit !!!!!!!! 5000 euros for your head!!!!!!! 6 days and 23 hours and you will die. 5000 euros spent, my friend Jamal from Benrose will be there with his guys. You will see the dead, pay the money and buy the bakkie. Jamal will be there, in South africa for R20 000 you will be dead. Do you think I am your fool right? 6 days and 22 hours.”
Do i need to worry about this? Please anyone that got treats as well respond to this.
Hi Gerhard – This sounds hectic. Please forward this person’s details to our Customer Care Department via ccc@junkmail.co.za – Also report this person to the SAPS.
Hi i did forward it to you customer care department. Is there an e-mail address for the SAPS fraud department or do i need to go in to the police station?
Report it to your local SAPS, but also converse with your Customer Care department, they will most probably forward the details to a contact at the SAPS Fraud division.
He is at it again.
http://www.junkmail.co.za/motoring/bakkies-and-ldvs/gauteng/johannesburg/toyota-hilux-d-cab-4×4-fully-equiped-1999-23669815
how can junk mail let this go past?
Hi Gerhard – Our moderation team checks for scams regularly. Unfortunately scammers constantly change their contact details which makes it hard for them to track these persons. We will be removing this advert ASAP from our website.
ok i e-mailde the police and crime stop with all the details.
i hope this is empty threats
Found this on a wed sight about botestiny@aol.co
Report ID: 3196 Crime Category: Fraud Province: Gauteng City/Town: Roodepoort Suburb: witpoortjie Address: 80 trezona ave, witpoortjie, roodepoort Crime Date/Time: 06 February 2013, 5:00PM Reported Date: 08 February 2013 Related
Thanks for sharing Gerhard. That is the main address that is being used on responses, this person uses different e-mail addresses every day to place adverts.
Many of these scammers are not located in South Africa, so they might be
Hi Henno
He stopped with the threats wen after a wile.
Hope that is the end of that
Thanks for the update Gerhard
Hi all. i saw an add for a Tazz that is R15 000, the guy says the bank is about to take his house that is why he is selling so cheap, he is willing to come to Pta from witbank to do the deal, he has an african accent maybe ghana, very broken english. is this a scam
That sounds like a scam. He probably wants a holding deposit for the car too. Don’t pay him and don’t drive to him to view the vehicle
A guy selling a corsa bakkie wants to use ebay to do the deal , he says he’ in uk and needs to buy a vehicle he says ebay will protect both of us
Had the same experience from a guy claiming he is from Namibia and a truck driver delivering scrap metal to a well known company in Epping. He claimed to be working for a company called Namdep, his name is Ronnie. Also wanting to pay cash into my acccount. I even checked with this company in Epping if a Namdep truck delivered there this morning and they confirmed that they did.
These people are well connected. They put a lot of planning in their scamming. It was a close shave but luckily i was not caught in it. This is the number he phoned from
+27604573620
HI
does anyone know of a christo who seems to sell alot of cars for cheaper than market value generally in the pretoria area
cell numbers 0799910950 & 0730876464. He has been listed as a regular user with gumtree since 2012 June but has changed cell numbers?
hi i just wane know what you guys think i might be in the process of buying a car from a lady.She and her husband got dev recently and she moved to england and wants to sell her car here ins SAI did a bit of homework and found that the car is ligit but i am not sure where the car is sutuated for veiwing.i dont know if she is scared of her ex to tell me where the car is for viewing.She wants to sell yhe car over ebay.theres just a couple of red flags going up for me.Please give me some advise please
Hi Albert. Please make sure that you view the vehicle first before making a payment as scammers can be very convincing. Please have a look at this article on the Junk Mail blog on some more information on how to spot a scam.
Had the same experience from a guy claiming he is from Namibia and a truck driver delivering scrap metal. He claimed to be working for a company called Namdep, his name I can’t remember. Also wanting to pay cash into my account.
+27 717230311
Two weeks ago i had the same thing happen to me a guy called trevor phoned me wanting my car i advertised on gumtree, i met up with him in goodwood cape town he said he was a Namibian truck driver for a diamond company then he said hell take the car cash and that i should just speak to a lady on the his phone because he does not speak english then i had to ask her if she has his money she then told me she has it he can collect so he said okay lets just drive there its up the road so when i came there he fetched this mysterious lady and she got in my car and before i knew it they had me translating a diamond deal so i told them to get out and i drove off he then phoned me and said if i can just send him airtime he can call his wife to pay me for the car i said no give me your wife’s number so that i can conference call you and the number he then gave me did not exist never heard from him again
His number is
Trevor
+27 (72) 5288440
Hi There, same thing happened to me today. A guy called Thomas , a Namibian truck driver who wanted to buy my bakkie in cash. Next thing I know I’m busy in a middle of a diamand deal and the lady even showed me the cash. I also had to be the translater. Lucky I realised this is a scam and told him to get out of the bakkie. He even started crying because of his wife in hospital! Never drive to meet someone to sell anything!
We were twice contact by this so called diamond scammers. We nearley fell for their trick but was lucky enough to discover in an earley stage that this was a scam and could escaped unharm. The second time we were ready for it and did not fall for it. First was a so called Namibian guy and second time it was a local guy. Both were from around Somerset West/ Strand area.
Today we also react on an ad for a car far below trade and was told to contact “e-bay” and must pay a deposit and they will deliver the car. Contact e-bay directly and confirm the transaction was not from them.
I received a message saying I won a Toyota 2014 model via auto mart. And the number I’m supposed to call is a cell phone number
Hi Glory
This is definitely a scam because Auto Mart are not giving away any cars. We will announce the competition and the rules for entering on our social pages and not individually to each cell phone number. Please ignore this.
I saw a very smart car vw golf gti 55000 the person said he was here for his civil engineering and now the contract is finished he is gone back to Bulgaria so that’s the reason why he is selling the car for cheap price and he also told me that I need to pay all the amount in order to get the car and I can have it for 5 days and return it if I don’t want it on his expense to me its too good to b true thank u for the information it helped me a lot.I almost fell into this scam
Hi Adnah! We are so happy to hear that you didn’t fall for the scam!
The namibian guy is still very active, wanted to meet also in Rustenburg luckily I smelled a rat and got to this page. Almost had me too
a guy called David Poulet from France says he wants to donate his 3door Golf 5 GTi bought in SA pretoria, reason for donating it is his based in Rep ot Togo and the law doesnt allow RHS drive, he wants a person who’ll pay for shipment…how true is this
Hi Vusi. Please do not pay any money towards this person as this seems to be the newest scam.
I saw a add on junk mail a silver golf 4 R32 in kroonstad i was asked to pay
Deposit is this a scam please advise
Hi. It is most probably a scam! Please do not pay any money as a holding or deposit. Also be so kind as to send us the details for the ad to Moderation@Junkmail.co.za.
HI I am in Lesotho and I have seen good cars here which are very cheap “UsedCarSouthAfrica.com”. Iam very suspicious on the prices, is this not a scam?
Hi,
While I can’t say for sure, it definitely seems to be a scam site, unless they do not moderate their ads and scammers have realised this.
Thanks for the heads-up!
HI Guys so I have a BMW for sale and a guy by the name of buti sent me a mail on olX and then called me 5 times today. Eventually I returned his call and he insisted I come through to rustenburg as he is a truck driver from namibia and can’t drive to jhb can I please come through to do the deal we will go to the bank and transfer the cash and go to the police station to do the affidavit. I asked him why would he pay me and doesn’t want me to do bring the car along???? So if junk mail wants to get this scam artist he is expecting me there tomorrow would love to have him locked up and charged. Thank you for this blog as I could have been a victim to this disgrace of a human. He also goes by the name of rodney and buti.
Hi Grant,
Thanks for the info! While we can’t arrest scammers, even though we would love to, you can inform the Rustenburg Police to meet him.
We are very happy to hear you haven’t been scammed!
These guys just tried their trick with us , upon arrival we met a chap by the name Noah he informed us to go past a shopping center in Vereeniging too collect the cash which was rather funny cause we asked for a transfer
Luckily it was myself and my father
When we got to the centre another man came their with “fake money ” R170 000 and said we must wait 20min for the rest of the cash
Then said go to wimpy and wait we will bring the money
He left and Noah was still in the car when we got to the wimpy right next to the fnb bank he asked us to leave the car there and go with him to another man around the corner
Which sounded very dodgy cause he had uncut diamonds on him and said this man will give him the cash very quickly and we could be on our way
Which I then stood in and told him to go by himself cause I want no part of illegal dealings , then made our way to the wimpy
Noah then left and went on his way
So I turned around to my father and said this is rather fishy and let’s get out of here .
When we left he called threatening us and I laughed at him telling them that I know what they look like and will be returning to sort this thief out
Moral of the story if it’s to go to be true DONT DO IT.
Thankfully I came past this post and now know what could of happened
Thank you
Hi Garren,
So happy our post could help you and that you weren’t lured into their illegal activity!
Hi I was conned with the diamond deal when I realized what was going on the guys stole my phone and tablet They wanted to buy my car advertised on Gumtree.
We met up at Groote Schuur Hospital where is alleged sisters child was ill We then had to collect the money from a lady in Waterfront Somerset Hospital which drove to come see but cannot drive with his truck there.
4 people one also coloured lady involved Seapoint
Namibian truck driver story working for Oranjemund diamonds, going by the name of Gustav and spoke Afrikaans fluently. He has a Scar on his right side eye and was tall.
I’m still highly upset about this and hope no one fall for these guys tricks as they put alot of effort into planning these heists and are very convincing
We are very sorry to hear of your ordeal Charles! Let’s hope people take note of this post and comments before they are part of this plot!
Hi,I almost got scammed coz I saw a Opel Corsa 1.4 sport on junk mail for 18 000 with 91 000 km and emailed then got this reply,i should transfer money to eBay and after 2 days I will get the car delivered and get a 10 days refund after inspecting and if I don’t like it..the seller is saying he is i the UK now coz of work..
Hi Ivy,
I am so glad you kept your wits about you and did not transfer any money!
Please forward the ad details and/or mail to Moderation@JunkMail.co.za
Thank you for using Junk Mail!
Or the scammer will reply with this email.
“Hi there, thanks for e-mailing us.We are in UK at the moment. The car is still available and it’s in excellent shape inside-out, no accidents, always garage kept, never smoked in. It has no mechanical problems, dings, dents or scratches. There are no liens or loans on the car and it has a clean title.My husband is a DAS Shipping Company employee and he can deliver the car at no cost everywhere.
The price is R30.000.
The transaction will be managed by eBay, so everything will go smooth.If you are interested in completing this deal with us, just give me a reply as soon as possible and I will keep the car for you.
Thank you,
Diana”
check out advert u58227221 all a bldy scam he has abt 30 adverts
Hi Lionel,
Thank you for the heads-up! Our team has taken action.
Thanks for using Junk Mail!
I enquired about an add where you take someone’s installments over. I just received an response from a Trevor just now ”
i Rene
Thank you for the enquiry.
We obtain our vehicles through assisting people who are unable to maintain their monthly payment to the bank and then getting suitable parties to take over those payments.
There is a high demand for these type of vehicles from people who are either black listed or just unable to obtain conventional financing from the major banks etc., as there are
· No Credit Checks
· No affordability checks
· Low or no deposit
Although we have a steady flow of vehicles the demand is very high, as soon as we receive a vehicle it is booked out immediately, it is therefore that we have to operate a waiting list for those who are serious and really want a vehicle.
How we operate is that we charge a flat fee of R1000 per agreement (payable only once we have found ‘your’ ideal vehicle), we do not take any percentage of any instalments or deposit if applicable.
We believe in total transparency in that you the client will be receiving the bank statement and the monthly payment will be as reflected thereon.
Unfortunately due to the high cost in marketing and our administration services which includes monitoring various internet sites, emails, telephone calls, travelling and so forth we have to charge a fee to be placed on our waiting list. This fee is refundable should we not be able to locate your vehicle as can be seen below.
We require a nominal payment of R200 upfront for placement on the waiting list. This payment will be deducted from the transactional fee of R1000 once we have reached an agreement on a vehicle.
In other words you will only be required to make a further payment of R800 upon location of the required vehicle and finalisation of the agreement.
The requirement of the fee also eliminates time wasters and those who are not serious.
Should we not be able to assist with a suitable vehicle within 30 days of placement on the waiting list we will refund. In general we manage to help most within a week or two.
Please advise whether you wish to proceed.
Thank you
Trevor Musgrove
072 810 4187
Caltro Legal
http://www.caltrolegal.co.za
My answer to his response
“Hi Trevor
Although you are good in how you portray your so called business you are unfortunately dealing with an educated person. A fee to be put on a waiting list? Seriously? You must be making millions scamming people. You and your partners will be apprehended very soon. Enjoy while you can…….”
Hi Rene,
Thank you so much for being vigilant and sharing the information with us!
Hi my name is Roshan,
I think I may have been scammed ove ra car deal. A guy by the name of Trevor from Caltro legal in Joburg finds suitable buyers to take over car installment’s, he had a car advertised which I really liked ,I was asked to pay R500 deposit booking fee . I haven’t heard from him since.
Please let me know if this is a scam or not
Roshan
Hi Roshan,
No legitimate seller will ever ask for a booking fee / holding deposit, so this is most definitely a scam!
This is the same I received.
“This is the reply I got from “Trevor”
Hi Roshan
Thank you for the enquiry.
Our main business is assisting people with sequestrations, debt review, liquidations and business rescue etc., We are not car traders/dealers.
We obtain our vehicles through assisting people who are unable to maintain their monthly payment to the bank and then getting suitable people to make those payments. Payments vary between R1000 and R15 000 pm. That person will then start paying monthly whatever the payment is until the vehicle is settled. The period of repayment can be between 12 and 48 months. All types of vehicles are taken in. We are not a bank/financial institution so therefore we do not do financial/credit checks.
There is a high demand for these types of vehicles from people who are either black listed or just unable to obtain conventional financing from the major banks etc., as there are
No Credit Checks
· No affordability checks
· No deposit
· Very low costs
You will receive the bank statement; all payments are paid by you direct into the bank account. No payments to any third party.
We charge a flat all-inclusive facilitation fee of R1000 per agreement; this can be paid over two months if required.
Although we have a steady flow of vehicles the demand is very high, this is due to the fact we do not do checks and the low costs involved, as soon as we receive a vehicle it is booked out immediately.
We have attached a list of vehicles that are due to be available from the 28th September 2015. The current owners will not be in a position to make payment from the 1st October 2015, and you will be required to make your first payment upon signing the agreement.
Should you not be interested as to what is on the list, we can try and assist in finding the required vehicle. We cannot control what vehicles come in but we can look for certain ones.
Please advise whether you wish to proceed.
Thank you
Trevor Musgrove
076 104 5610
Caltro Legal
http://www.caltrolegal.co.za
Hi Roshin
See my post just before yours about Trevor.
Since you have the account number that you paid the booking fee into, are you not able to lay a charge against these people? Or even get your money back? He had to be KYCed in order to open the account. I gave Trevor R700 & then he stopped answering my emails or answering his phone. Desperately needed a car.
Hi Vicky,
The Police should be able to help you when you open a fraud case with them. It is a long process, but please persist!
I’m warning people about a man called trevor musgrove on emails calls himself trevor john.this guy is a crook and pretend to sell bakkies via take over installment.he therefore claims for deposit and once he received the money then he is gone.he can’t even take calls on all his phones.Who ever knows this guy pls supply police with information as he is already reported to Sa police for fraud.please everyone help to trace this man.
Thanks for the warning Donald
The guy using 0760988799 calls him self Stephen took me for R17000 on a bakkie deposit. Case is open at Meyerton police station.
Hi Wayne, we are very sorry to hear about this! Thank you for reporting it to us. Can you pls forward the details of the case, including the case number, to scam@junkmail.co.za.
I was scammed by guy Morne Willemse 078 302 3708 – says he stays in the Parys/Vanderbijlpark area. I had to pay deposit on a bakkie to take over installments and he disappeared with the cash… He had many excuses why he could not deliver the vehicle and eventually said he will refund me, which he never did. I informed a police friend but nothing has come from it… so I took a chance and advertised again that I wanted to take over installments and guess who phones me today… idiot. And speaks to me as if he never spoke to me before to pitch the awesome deal he has… Told him he must pay back my money (this is now weeks after the first time he called me) or he will see himself land in jail. He said he will check his account because he knows he paid me back.. but is sent him numerous messages (which was delivered and read) telling him I want my money. I know I won’t get it back. I am going to the police now to open a formal case. I know he can be traced.
Hi Jackie,
We are very sorry to hear that you’ve fallen victim to a scammer.
Please send the SAPS Case number to Scam@JunkMail.co.za, they already have the above details.
Please remember to never pay for anything you haven’t seen or been able to verify.
Hi there. i have just had a very close encounter with the same guy Morne’. his changed his no to 0630912907. i advertised looking to buy a car. he called me saying he has a car in parys outside of vandebijlpark. he wanted me to send him money to install a tracker before he could deliver. cudnt give me any bank details as the buyer already been to the bank but that i must do an e-wallet. i picked up immediately it was a scam thank goodness.. please be careful. this guy is such a smooth operator. hope he gets caught
Hi Karen, thanks for reporting this to us.
Hi There
I am extremely embarrassed that I could fall for such a scam. Yesterday I received a call from Namibian citizen speaking fluent impeccable Afrikaans. My Audi RS5 was listed with Junk mail for quite some time now, and he offered me a cash deal of R700,000.00 …. But I had to keep the car for a couple days until he could arrange transport and I could serve him all the proper documentations. I had to meet him in Vereeniging this morning, On meeting Daniel Thomas, a scared faced with two golden front teeth, well dressed, but not overdressed – virtually no interest in the Audi, he immediately coached me into discussion of the diamond trade that he is working for.
He took me to Merriman Ave in Vereeniging where he would collect his money, At that stage I was very uncomfortable with the issue and asked him to leave my car. Just at that moment a gentleman with a typical Moslem robe wanted to enter the car.
After evicting both from my car, they still wanted to business.
I am sure that this is the same group of guys that most people discuss in previous blogs. I had a very good look at the Namibian.
It was definitively a SCAM I just don’t know what.
People be very careful when you place any add on Junk mail. I had from a Lt Col offering me large sums of money to marriage proposals potential high jacking’s but not ONE offer to purchase
Hi there. We are very sorry to hear about your ordeal.
Please can we request that you send all the details about the potential scammer to scam@JunkMail.co.za.
We have looked into the emails you received and have blocked every spam responder from using the site for any purposes.
Please note these cars are not, as you might very well know, affordable and as such won’t sell very fast. If you haven’t sold the car yet, let us know and we will move it to a home page listing for you.
Thank you for using Junk Mail!
Hey
I am currently in the process of buying a bakkie from Kobus and Rachel Venter. It is also a junkmail turned e-bay scheme. I am all for legitimate sales but the fact that she is a power seller on ebay and does not have an e-bay sellers ID is what red flagged the deal for me.
Hi Susan, thanks for reporting this to us. Please can you send further details, including email address/phone number/Ad ID of the ‘seller’ to scam@junkmail.co.za or phone (012) 432 2295. 🙂
How can i verify if a placed advert for a car is a scam or genuine. Most car deals that i have found so far just look so exaggerated. A 2015 kia cerrato with about 16000 km on the clock selling for R40 000.
Please help .
Hi Sylvester, please contact care@junkmail.co.za or phone 012 432 2295, and we’ll gladly assist. 🙂
Thank God for this article, almost took one right between the legs for 26K…
Same Kobus and Rachel wanted 26000 for a Can Am Spyder. Add has now been deleted.
Hi Ivan,
We are so happy to hear you didn’t lose any money! Stay safe!
This Kobus and Racheal selling ford Ranger for less that 50, 000 Rands and want me to pay through ebay. But how do you allow fake people like that. Good to know that Kobus and Racheal are fraudsters.
Hi there,
Unfortunately there is no way for us to detect an advertiser has scamming intentions before the ad is moderated by our Scam Buster Team.
Please be so kind as to send us details of their email address and any other information you might have to Scam@JunkMail.co.za.
Thank you in advance!
we have been scammed by a guy who goes by a few different names.. Quinton Beldtus, Mike Alloy and Tal Anderson. he claims to work for a company called AR Trading in Kimberley. advertised a golf cart for R16500 – we ended up paying R30000 for the thing and then the bastard disappeared. cant get hold of him. emails i have for him are quintonbeldtus37@yahoo.com and ar.trading.co2013@gmail.com
he posts on junkmail and on gumtree. help me find this idiot because i’m going to rip his face off. cant believe people do this!
Hi Migael,
I am so sorry to hear you’ve been scammed out of your hard earned money!
I forwarded the details to Scam@JunkMail.co.za, please send them any other info you might have!
Thank you in advance!
ok, i have not yet been scammed, i got redirected to this site because i am doing a research on a seller by the Robert Dubois who wants to sell me his 2006 RENAULT CLIO DYNAMIQUE 16V BLACK for R16000.00 and for some reason this seems too good to be true, he send me an email that reads:
Thanks for your interest in my car. The car is still available and in
excellent condition. I’m from France. I lived and worked in South
Africa for one year as Medical assistant for the Red Cross
International but presently; I’m in republic of Togo for a new job.
I bought the car in South Africa, the car is still
registered in South Africa. The given price R16,000 is a Give away
price because since i brought the car here i can’t use it due to the
fact that the constitution here does not allow the Right Hand Drive
cars. I’m not sure of coming back to South Africa and the car will be
useless if i couldn’t get somebody who can ship the car back to South
Africa and take good care of it.
If you are interested, I can find a transport company here to
transport the car back to South Africa for you. The transport cost
will be deducted from the R16,000(price on the ad)
and attached the vehicle’s pictures, but after i replied to him saying that i am interested but will only make payment upon the vehicle being delivered to me, he replied by saying:
This car is like my first son and I want you to promise that you will take good car of it.
The car is still in excellent condition and the car has never been in
any accident and there are no rust on the body. The service record is
ok and the License is still up to October 2016, the Road Worthy
Certificate is available and ok and the car is still registered in
South Africa on my behalf.
The payment option is 50% deposit to cover the transport cost before delivery and 50% deposit upon delivery.
I told him i will not be paying for a vehicle i haven’t see and that if he cannot understand my situation then he can sell to someone else, I am still waiting for his response…
Hi Mimi,
Please be so kind as to send us details of the ad you responded to: Scam@JunkMail.co.za.
Thank you!
Was also scammed of R25000.00 cause was trying to buy a car and I deposited it.When delivery was due they told me many stories and I had to go to FNB to the manager to show him all the banking details.Fortunately they were able to block the account.Now cellphones are off and fax is not working!!
Hi Thuli, sorry to hear you were scammed. Please send further details to scam@junkmail.co.za. Thanks
Hi guys
Am also a lil embarrassed to say this co I am usually careful of these things. I saw an advert and fell for it. This guy asked for a deposite which I gave him only R5000 coz I didn’t have enough. He said he will deliver a car but later brought another excuse with a driver that I need to put in another money at spar n that became a total of R7500 and imagine I borrow this money. Up until today there is no car. Am a ill angry so am typing correct. I have his details like bank a count. They guys name is Chris but asked me to deposite the money to an account owned by T Cele. He said he is from Northe Cape. I now want my money back n this but star behind bars. I kept every conversation I had with him including the slips and those of the guy who claims to be his driver. Now I need a way to get my money back and these two idiots behind bars for fraud. Any Idea on how I can achieve that? Please assist
Hi Shady, we’re very sorry to hear about this! Please send us all of this information to scam@junkmail.co.za or phone 012 432 2295 for further assistance. Have a nice day! 🙂
BEWARE of this scammer.
I have receiced a mail today from this guy saing his name is Donald Lombard .
Hello,
Thanks for the mail and interest you have
towards my 2012
Volkswagen Golf i have for sale at the cost of
R50,000
The car is still in good condition as it has never been hit or involve in
any crash. Below are the full details of the Vehicle in question. Mark……………………Volkswagen
Model…………………..Golf
Year……………………..2012
Body Type……………..Hatchback
Mileage…………………57711 km
Transmission………….Automatic You must get back to me with answers of the below
questions: Where are you located ?
How soon are you willing for us to deal? Waiting for your quick reply
Thanks
Thanks for the heads up.
Sorry i made an error
BEWARE OF THIS SCAMMER ; i received a mail from him today ; his name is Donald Lombard
Greetings, Thanks for your interest in my car. The car is still
available and in
excellent condition. I’m from France. I lived and
worked in South
Africa for one year as Medical assistant for the Red
Cross International but presently; I’m in republic of Togo
for a new job.
I bought the car in Johannesburg, South Africa, the
car is still
registered in South Africa. The given price R58,000
is a Give away price because since i brought the car here i can’t
use it due to the
fact that the constitution here does not allow the
Right Hand Drive
cars. I’m not sure of coming back to South Africa
and the car will be useless if i couldn’t get somebody who can ship the
car back to South
Africa and take good care of it.
If you are interested, I can find a transport
company here to
transport the car back to South Africa for you. The transport cost
will be deducted from the R58,000(price on the
ad). The Details of the car are as below: Model Year: 2012
Previous Owners:1
Type: Pick-up
Make: Toyota
Model: Hilux
Transmission: Manual Primary fuel Type: Diesel
Colour: Blue
Engine size: 3,000
Axles: 2
Mileage: 25,832 Km
Interior/Comfort Options: Air Conditioning, Climate Control, Cruise Control,
Power-assisted Steering
(PAS), Power Windows
Safety Features: 4-Wheel Drive, ABS, Alarm, Disc
Brakes, Driver Airbag,
Electr. Stability Program, Immobiliser, Side Airbags Exterior
In-Car Entertainment Options:
AM/FM Stereo, CD Player I await your response. Regards, Mr.Lombard
Thanks for the heads up.
John and Ronald Page stating to be from Rent to own SA scammed me of 25000 deposit, needless to say, all their phones are off since the payment. I have reported this to the SAPD
Hi Kevin, if this is a Junk Mail related scam that you want to report, please send an email with further details to scam@junkmail.co.za. Thanks
Hi on Tuesday there was private seller on Auto dealer selling IX35 Hynduai 2014 for R57 000.00, and then I sent him a request. guess what is respond was at around 01H25 PM!
Hello,
Sorry for the delayed response but we are in United Kingdom right now and we have been very busy and we cannot use it anymore. We shoot a documentary in South Africa for National Geographic and in two weeks the documentary will be ready. Here is a little part:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27jidcQXs7s
The rest will be on TV in two weeks. Anyway, thank you for your interest in buying the car. The car is registered in South Africa on Alicia’s name. We are selling this car at a very cheap price because we moved in UK with our work and we cannot use it anymore, have a contract here and we will return in SA only after 2 years. The car is like new, in perfect conditions, accident free, no scratches, no special marks, no need for additional repairs, always garaged. You can see from the pictures. If you decide to buy the car we will bring it at your home anywhere in SA. We will wait for your email if you are interested and have the funds ready.
For more pictures or info to purchase the car please give us a reply, call or Whatsapp with your email address. For this price we have a lot of buyers interested on it so a reply to this email will be fine.
Thank you & regards,
For National Geographic Channel
David and Alicia
Image and Video collection
natgeod12@gmail.com
(Home)
natgeod12@photographer.net
(
Work)
+447404035036 (Cell)
+447404035036 (WhatsApp)
natgeod12 (Skype)
natgeod12 (Instagram)
Nat Geo D.A. (Google+ Profile)
And at around 04H26 PM he said
Hi again,
This is my number: +447404035036, you can call me or Whatsapp anytime (David).
I’m sorry you cannot see the car because we are not in the country and for this reason we must use eBay in order to be safe (my wife is a Power Seller on eBay so we can use their services). We want to use eBay because we are in a country like South Africa and we both know that we can find very bad people here. Sorry to say it because we love this country, but yes, South Africa is not what it used to be. All we need from you is your full name and address so we can register you as potential buyer on eBay.
Complete name (will be on the title):
Complete address (street, city, where to be delivered):
Phone number:
After we will have all this details we will forward them to eBay and we will proceed the order. eBay will contact you with all the details that you need to complete this deal and also to see that we are covered by them and that Alicia is a Power Seller. Good to know that the car will be delivered to your home address only after the payment is completed. Delivery time will be 2 days. Of course comes with insurance covered by us until you take the ownership, RWC, keys, logbooks, clear title, full service plan and all the papers signed so you can easy transfer the car on your name. All the charges will be paid by us. We don’t have a outstanding amount on the car at a bank or financial agency as we paid cash for it. Also a 10 days refund policy will be included so if you will not like the car you will receive your money back. We have two more persons interested in buying the car and ready to pay for it so please send us your full name and address for delivery if you are ready to buy.
Note: We want a safe and fair deal so this is the reason we will use eBay. We will have access to your funds only after the car is delivered and you decided to keep the car. Please reply with your details only if you are 100% interested, ready to pay and have the funds available.
Thank you & regards,
For National Geographic Channel
David and Alicia
Image and Video collection
natgeod12@gmail.com
(Home)
natgeod12@photographer.net
(
Work)
+447404035036 (Cell)
+447404035036 (WhatsApp)
natgeod12 (Skype)
natgeod12 (Instagram)
Nat Geo D.A. (Google+ Profile)
He then started sending whatsapp messages saying if I don’t trust this transaction I can contact the eBay team aw-confirm@e-bay.co.za and I promised him to do that the following day. Then he said he hopes that the payment will be sorted out the next morning after contacting eBay. Today I told him that I cant pay for something that I cannot get immediately and its better if its give and t take. He said his name is David. Thanks God I did not pay any cent to him. Please beware of this scams.
Hi Keneilwe, thanks for reporting this to us. Definitely a scam. Just a tip: If a car or any item is priced way under what you would normally expect to pay for it, then it is most likely a scam. Thanks.
Pls check for me if I’ve been a victim of fraud or scam in the process of buying a car.
Hi Xolly, please send more details to scam@junkmail.co.za or phone 012 432 2295 for assistance. Thanks
I would like to know if the UsedCarSouthAfrica.com site is legit or not? because their cars’ prices are too good to be true.
Hi Mbulelo,
Unfortunately we cannot comment on the validity of this website and the vehicles it sells. We’d like to suggest that you google reviews of this website to see what other buyers have to say.
Alternatively, feel free to head on over to http://www.automart.co.za for thousands of great vehicles for sale.
Kind regards,
The Junk Mail Team