Question: I lost $11,000 in an overseas car buying scam. Let your readers be warned.

November 27, 2005

Hello Tony

I read your article where the woman got scamed. The same thing happened to me and I lost $11,000.

The seller had a 2000 Land Cruiser. He told me he lived in New York and just moved back to London, England, and the car was going to cost too much to register over their.

We would go through a escrow company www.aplustraders.com, so I checked it out and I thought it was legitimate. I had him send the VIN, I did a CarFax and everything checked out.

So I logged in to the escrow company and set up an account I was to send half the money to the escrow company and he would ship the car. I would have 10 days to inspect the car then send the other half.

I sent $4,500 Western Union then he wrote me back and said it was going to cost more than he thought to ship it. He was going to let the escrow company ship it, but I would have to send the other half before they took responsibility for the cruiser so I sent $4,500 more.

Then he wrote me back and said he had a better offer over their for $2,000 more dollars and if I still wanted it to send $2,000 more. I thought he wanted me to just pay for the shipping, so I sent the rest of the money.

They said the Cruiser was shipped, and would take 6 to 10 days to get. I never received the cruiser and the escrow company had been taken off the internet. I contacted the FBI and local police, but they said it was out of their jurisdiction so the Internet Crime is investigating it. They think it's out of Romania. I have not heard anything for about 6 months.

Jeremy

Answer:

Hi Jeremy,

Wow! What can I possibly say?

I've had a number of people write me about this this type of scam. It's always some person in London selling the car. I hope you find some way to get your money back.

Good luck!

All my very best . . .

Tony Iorio