Awfully "smelly" add from our very own classifieds section here at Cycling Forums

[ryanspeer]

http://www.cyclingforums.com/classifieds/showproduct.php?product=1665&sort=1&cat=2&page=5

$600 for a mostly 10-speed Ultegra equipped Felt road bike? Payment via Western Union only? I think I'll respond to some of the emails I get from high-ranking government officials in Nigeria claiming that I'm the sole benefactor of a $50M fortune and that as long as I'm the middle-man helping get the money out of a stagnant bank, that I'll be able to keep $10M of it. I can ride my new Felt bike to the bank to cash the check, too, I'll bet.

Perhaps I'm just misreading the whole add or something, but . . . I smell a big stinky not-so-well-disguised rat. Unless I'm misreading the entire add, these people are complete morons.

 

[Powerful Pete]

If it is too good of a deal to be true...

 

[steve]

What is the usual price for one of these bikes in the USA?

 

[hd reynolds]

The email address is thru a business resource in Dubai. I know that Wolfis Bike Shop is the sole dealer of Felt Bikes (along with Scott bikes) in Dubai altho the suspicious ad says they're shipping ex-London UK. I know the owner who is German, emailed him about it and still waiting for a reply. Wolfis Bike Shop is based in Germany btw.

 

[cheapie]

absolutely it's a scam. should be pulled ASAP!

 

[ryanspeer]

What is the usual price for one of these bikes in the USA?

A Felt outfitted with a decent mixture of Ultegra 10-speed and other parts? Easily $1500.

 

[CAMPYBOB]

for a used example?

 

[kopride]

The email address is thru a business resource in Dubai. I know that Wolfis Bike Shop is the sole dealer of Felt Bikes (along with Scott bikes) in Dubai altho the suspicious ad says they're shipping ex-London UK. I know the owner who is German, emailed him about it and still waiting for a reply. Wolfis Bike Shop is based in Germany btw.

I encountered the opposite scam when I tried to sell a dirt bike. Contacted by e-mail to pay by cashier's check, plus overage for "shipping charges" The total check was for 5k for a $1000 used crf50, and I was supposed to wire the excess to the shipper. The cashier's check was very realistic looking and was drawn on a local bank. Before I deposited it, I had my bank verify the check and it was a very good forgery. The guy actually called me and I reported the scam to the USDOJ. He sounded North African and basically said that someone would be visiting my business if I did not pay the "shipper."

A lot of big e-mail scams coming out of the Middle East, North Africa and Sub-Sahara Africa. Western Union has a number of these scams listed on its web site so be careful "wiring money anywhere."

 

[ryanspeer]

I encountered the opposite scam when I tried to sell a dirt bike. Contacted by e-mail to pay by cashier's check, plus overage for "shipping charges" The total check was for 5k for a $1000 used crf50, and I was supposed to wire the excess to the shipper. The cashier's check was very realistic looking and was drawn on a local bank. Before I deposited it, I had my bank verify the check and it was a very good forgery. The guy actually called me and I reported the scam to the USDOJ. He sounded North African and basically said that someone would be visiting my business if I did not pay the "shipper."

A lot of big e-mail scams coming out of the Middle East, North Africa and Sub-Sahara Africa. Western Union has a number of these scams listed on its web site so be careful "wiring money anywhere."

Had something similar to this happen to me when we tried selling our vehicle on Craigslist a couple of years ago - although it didn't progress to me ever giving the guy my address. I smelt a rat right away and called the Seattle Police Department. Got on the phone with a detective who interrupted me half-way through my first sentence and completed the sentence for me. She said they get 3-4 calls A DAY regarding these "phishing" scams. She said that as no money order has been sent, and as there's no "actual" proof of it being a forgery or that anything illegal has occurred that there wasn't anything they could do at that point. She did however, tell me quite explicitely that if I wanted to just string the guy along and "have fun" with the guy for a while that I was more than welcome to. I thought it about it and did so for a few days, but eventually got tired of it. My final email to the guy basically said something about "you're one of the stupidist people I've ever conversed with", "I hope that when you get caught and thrown in prison that you can avoid becoming someone's boyfriend", "may the fleas of a thousand camels infest your armpits", and "should I ever run into you on the street, I shall have the pleasure of repeatedly bashing your head against the sidewalk".

The only reply I got back from him was "WHITE *****!" Seems like a charming fellow, really.

. . . and to think that dozens and dozens of people fall for these rediculous scams all the time . . .

 

[unicos]

The email address is thru a business resource in Dubai. I know that Wolfis Bike Shop is the sole dealer of Felt Bikes (along with Scott bikes) in Dubai altho the suspicious ad says they're shipping ex-London UK. I know the owner who is German, emailed him about it and still waiting for a reply. Wolfis Bike Shop is based in Germany btw.

How did you come up with Dubai. The ameinfo.com shows up as registered to:

Gossamer Threads Inc.
900-100 West Pender
Vancouver
BC
V6B-1R8
Canada
1.604.687.5804


216.18.5.200 is the IP address


AME Info “The ultimate Middle East business resource”


It does look a bit unusual though.

 

[Pharmr]

I briefly looked at that classified myself....and spent part of the night thinking "damn thats a really good deal!!"...but like everyone says, if it sounds to good to be true...it probably is.

 

[hd reynolds]

How did you come up with Dubai. The ameinfo.com shows up as registered to:

Gossamer Threads Inc.
900-100 West Pender
Vancouver
BC
V6B-1R8
Canada
1.604.687.5804


216.18.5.200 is the IP address


AME Info “The ultimate Middle East business resource”


It does look a bit unusual though.

You can contact them at:

AME Info FZ LLC

Dubai Media City, Phase II, Building 4, Office 204-205
United Arab Emirates
Phone: +971(4)3902700 • Facsimile: +971(4)3908015

http://www.ameinfo.com/privacy/