I apologize in advance that this is off topic, but I have seen readers on this BB who are very good at picking up on boat and tow vehicle selling scams and I need your advice. I am looking for an inexpensive car for my teenage son. I found the below car listed on Craigslist. I emailed the poster and below is his email in response. Note, according to Kellys Blue Book, this car is worth in the $15K range. Is this a scam? Is there any way it could be real? <BR> <BR>Hello and sorry for my delay, <BR>The 2006 Honda Accord EXL is in perfect working condition.This detailed vehicle makes the exterior look like it <BR>just came off the assembly line.The car has only 29,242 original miles.VIN Number: 1HGCM66546A051187 <BR>It was never involved in any accident, not even minor ones. The body and paint are great. The interior is super <BR>clean, mechanically, it runs like a cat on carpet. <BR>Options <BR>Sunroof Leather seats <BR>Safety features <BR>Anti-lock brakes Driver airbag Passenger airbag <BR>Power options <BR>Air conditioning Cruise control Power locks <BR>Power windows Power seats <BR>Year 2006 Exterior Alabaster Silver Metallic <BR>PICS: <a href="http://s909.photobucket.com/albums/ac299/2006HondaAccordEXL/" target="_blank">http://s909.photobucket.com/albums/ac299/2006HondaAccordEXL/</a> <BR>So if you decide on buying the car, I want the deal closed only through eBay. You will make the payment to eBay and <BR>they will hold the money until you receive the car. ONLY AFTER you receive the car and you inspect it, eBay will <BR>release the payment to me, in this way we are both protected. I signed up for US military forces and I was sent here <BR>with my department to improve the military relations between our country and Spain. I am located in Madrid, Spain.1 <BR>months ago, my wife moved here, with me and brought the car with her, but now we have to sell it back in the United <BR>States, because we can't drive it here because we can't register it here; it has US specs and everything, and <BR>registering it here in Europe will take for ever. My final price on it is US 2,990 $. If you will take it for this <BR>price, I am willing to handle the shipping .It will be shipped from here by plane with US Air Military Cargo so it <BR>will not cost me anything. You will get it to the nearest airport in your area and then it will be trucked forward <BR>to your place.From the moment the payment is secured by eBay the shipping process will begin and it will arrive at <BR>your address in about 3 max. 4 working days. Please get back to me asap if you decide to buy, and include in your <BR>e-mail your full name and address where you want it shipped so I can start the deal with eBay. You will receive all <BR>the transaction payment and shipping details from them. <BR> <BR>Thank you and have a great day, <BR>Christopher Whittaker

total scam, there is no way to close a deal through ebay without an auction 100% bogus

Scam!! Scam!! Scam!!

One way to tell is when people offer information you didn't ask for like the vin and why he is not in the states.Second is allways a dead give away if the price is way to good to be true.I have to say a 06 with 30k is worth more than three grand.Final is a shady shipping process like the military is going to drop what there doing to send a guys car back in three days<img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/clipart/lol.gif" border=0>I wouldn't send the guy a bucket of piss.

I know you were probably hoping for a deal man, but if you can't notice that's a scam I'm worried for you!

Also a lot of scammers make fake web addresses that look like a ebay page.Some even link them to a real ebay listing and when you click on it you get directed to a fraud link so pay attention to your address bar.

hit the prohibited flag, it's a scam <BR> <BR>when you're looking here's the red flags: <BR> <BR>a)too good of a deal <BR>b)no window stickers or license plates <BR>c)contact is via a gmail or hotmail acct. <BR>d)the ad says yourtown, usa, but allegidly it's in orem utah or some other small out of the way city and ready for shipping <BR>e)if you email with a specific question you get a stock return email <BR>f)comes complete with bs story about going in to the military, or being shipped out, or divorce. <BR> <BR>my favorite is to email them back, if they say it's in orem, utah, I usually say "great, my brother in law is the cheif of police in orem, can i have him come take a look at it"

Scum scam.

Thanks, I was pretty sure it was a scam.

they had the same type of scam running early this year for yamaha jetskis and then they were running ads about mastercraft boats also ..... same deal almost to the tee.

Whats that saying about "If it is too good to be true"? <BR>I'm curious how anyone could possibly think this was on the level at all.

I wonder how many times this car was "SOLD"...

Yeah things like this are a scam. I found an 07 X-Star for 13k on craigslist and when they contacted me they said pretty much the same thing. Even the part about closing securely through eBay. Ask them to come see it. Guarantee you won't hear back from them.

Another thing that alerts me is the guy is saying he is in the military and they are going to air ship the car. My brother-in-law was moved to Germany 6 months ago from the States. Their van was sent to Germany from the States via ship. It took them close to six weeks to get their van (shipping, customs, etc.). Theres no way to get a vehicle from overseas that quickly. <BR> <BR>This listing is total BS. Stay away.

<b>All</b> the "facts" related to the military aspects of registration and shipping are <b>complete</b> lies. It is a total scam.

Can corroborate that the military gambit (likely used for implied trust) is pure BS as others have pointed out. SCAM!

Who signs up for the US Military forces?

^^^ That's the first thing I noticed!!! I'm surprised you were the first to pick that up??? The US Military Forces? Do they fall under the Department of the Military? Or maybe they are run by the US Office of the Government? That by far was the most obvious part of the scam to me.