Fraud alert on 12x20's for sale on eBay

[Dan Smith]

Below are some of the emails I have been getting since bidding/inquiring about a nice 12x20 Folmer & Shwing camera for sale on eBay. They are NOT from the seller with the camera listed on eBay. They are from someone else. Might be a nice outfit... if it exists. A brand new 12x20 with a 2 year warranty & shipping included in the sale price. WOW... I know a lot who would go for that.

Except the cameras haven't been made in more than a half century & I doubt this is kosher/legit/on the up&up.

If it is OK and anyone here knows this guy who keeps changing his name & email address, post it here so I and we will know & take advantage of such a good deal. If anyone knows this person... no matter what... let us know who he is.

If anyone else has been contacted after looking/bidding on cameras, post or add the solicitations you received so we can see & compare. If you did send money let us know if you actually received the camera. If so... congratulations & let us know if all is as represented & I will chalk it up to another episode of not trusting that which is 'too good to be true'.



============================= ============================= ********************************************** ----- Original Message ----- From: brian patrik To: Sent: Saturday, August 14, 2004 3:59 AM Subject: Folmer & Schwing 12X20 Banquet View Camera +Extras

Hello, Dear eBay member, I sow that you are interested in Folmer & Schwing 12X20 Banquet View Camera +Extras on eBay. I have a similar unit Folmer & Schwing 12X20 Banquet View Camera +Extras at a god price. The unit is brand new in original box and it comes with a warranty for 2 years (international) and the shipping of the unit is incluted in the price. If you are interested please contact me for more details about the shipping of the unit and the method of payment. Thank you!!!

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========================================== ----- Original Message ----- From: brian patrik To: Sent: Saturday, August 14, 2004 3:59 AM Subject: Folmer & Schwing 12X20 Banquet View Camera +Extras

Hello, Dear eBay member, I sow that you are interested in Folmer & Schwing 12X20 Banquet View Camera +Extras on eBay. I have a similar unit Folmer & Schwing 12X20 Banquet View Camera +Extras at a god price. The unit is brand new in original box and it comes with a warranty for 2 years (international) and the shipping of the unit is incluted in the price. If you are interested please contact me for more details about the shipping of the unit and the method of payment. Thank you!!!

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----- Original Message ----- From: Brian Partik To: Sent: Sunday, August 08, 2004 7:48 AM Subject: Folmer & Schwing 12X20 Banquet View Camera +Extras

Hello, Dear eBay member, I sow that you are interested in OFolmer & Schwing 12X20 Banquet View Camera +Extras on eBay. I have a similar unit Folmer & Schwing 12X20 Banquet View Camera +Extras at a god price. The unit is brand new in original box and it comes with a warranty for 2 years (international) and the shipping of the unit is incluted in the price. If you are interested please contact me for more details about the shipping of the unit and the method of payment. Thank you!!!

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=========================================== ----- Original Message ----- From: perik loren To: Sent: Tuesday, August 03, 2004 8:59 AM Subject: Folmer & Schwing 12X20 Banquet View Camera +Extras

Hello, Dear eBay member, I sow that you are interested in Folmer & Schwing 12X20 Banquet View Camera +Extras on eBay. I have a similar unit Folmer & Schwing 12X20 Banquet View Camera +Extras at a god price. The unit is brand new in original box and it comes with a warranty for 2 years (international) and the shipping of the unit is incluted in the price. If you are interested please contact me for more details about the shipping of the unit and the method of payment. Thank you!!!

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========================================== ----- Original Message ----- From: juganu_03@yahoo.com To: Sent: Monday, August 02, 2004 4:48 PM Subject: Folmer & Schwing 12X20 Banquet View Camera +Extras



Dear customer, I saw you'r bid for the Folmer & Schwing 12X20 Banquet View Camera +Extras and I would like to make you an offer. I could offer you the same unit to buy now without the auction at a lower price. If you are interested please reply as soon as posible. I am looking forward to hear from you. Thank you in advance for your time, Kind Regards

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"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we," Geo. W. Bush

[John Kasaian]

Dan,

Sounds like a heck of a deal! Will the seller(s) take confederate notes, pre- 1980 pesos or Enron employee stock options as payment?

[Dan Smith]

John,

Here is one of the email addresses from what he sent to me... juganu_03@yahoo.com so you might want to give him a hollar & see how he wants to be paid.

Heck, maybe he will be like the guy when I hit 'buy it now' on eBay a year or so ago on a 1200mm f/5.6 Canon EOS lens for $6,300. Emailed him & told him I would come to the Carolinas to pick it up & he disappeared quickly. Heck, I had even arranged to have two FBI agents accompany me to make sure it was OK.

Sure would have loved to have that $70,000+ lens for only $6300.

dan

[KenM]

I had exactly the same thing happen to me after I purchased my Master Tech on eBay. That auction did complete successfully, but I was not prepared for the barrage of emails I received every day for about two weeks after that, offering me the same camera for a fraction of what I paid. In most cases the seller had 'multiple' versions of the same item.

Most of the emails *seemed* to originate from Asia, specifically Taiwan.

It goes without saying that I ignored most of them - the few I didn't ignore, I reported to eBay, but I received the standard "don't buy from someone outside of eBay" canned response. Very useful.

It seems that they (the scammers) have automated software that search for completed auctions for high-price items. They then send emails to the winner (looking for more of the same?) and perhaps the top 2-3 bidders to offer them some 'solace'.

Nasty business. If you are at all concerned about an auction, use escrow. Mentioning using a reputable escrow service will be enough to scare off all scammers....

[Bob._3483]

If you look at the headers of the emails you will see the IP address(es) of the computer(s) that sent the email - this is usually assigned by the ISP they connect to. Not much use if they are using a cybercafe or are in a country that does not give a toss (Nigeria springs to mind here...), but these people are often not as clever as they like to think they are and assume because they use Hotmail or Yahoo-mail etc that they are untraceable and use their own computer.

So, if it looks like they are in your own country it's worth notifying the local police, but in this case, judging by the mangled English, they are probably overseas (or cousins of G. W. Bush ;-)).

It's always worth reminding people of these scams - inevitably, some people fall for them.

Cheers,

[Danny Burk]

One of the guys in the Midwest LF group got a similar email. You might ask what he asked the seller: "does it include the digital back?" :)

Regards, Danny www.dannyburk.com

[jantman]

Ken said, "In most cases the seller had 'multiple' versions of the same item."

Hmmm...When he offers you your choice of one of 30 mint boxed 68mm Hypergons, for a mere $2000 cash, should you be suspicious?

[Jeffrey Goggin]

FWIW, this also happens with cars. I've been offered 16 Audi A4s and S4s over the past year, but when I insist upon paying in cash and taking delivery in person instead of via wire transfer and having it shipped, the "seller" vanishes. Be careful out there...

[Dan Ingram]

Hey, don't be so quick to judge -- what about that two year factory warranty from Folmer and Schwing? That's solid protection -- as good as the cyberspace it's printed on. I wonder if Burke and James still covers my Solar enlarger?

[Dan Smith]

Yep, I was ready to do this, what with the warranty-free shipping and all. But then I read the part about the God price. Dammit, I am only human!(though when I was a kid I was so bright my folks called me Sun)

[Joe Smigiel]

I've now received the same offer including the same typos and grammar from two different email addresses. I've written back asking about the optional digital back, whether the seller takes Paypal, etc. and have been toying with this bozo for over a week now.

What is disturbing to me is that the perp has somehow managed to acquire my real email address from eBay. That info should only be accessible to the true seller of the original auction. My eBay handle bears no relationship to my email address and this is also the case of another person who I contacted about the scam. (We often bid on the same items and read the same message boards and know each other's emails that way. His eBay ID also bears no relationship to his email address.) He has received several identical offers as well. So, somehow eBay's security regarding email addresses has been compromised and I now won't trust any correspondence from or regarding anything on eBay. As they say, "caveat emptor."

[Tim Curry]

Contact the FBI's computer fraud division. They may want a copy of the email to trace the server and account. Who knows, you might just get lucky and they can start a sting.

[Dan Fromm]

Joe, eBay's security hasn't been compromised. If you ask nicely -- just get to the "member profile" screen for the person you want to reach -- you'll find a "contact member" button. And there you are.

Cheers,

Dan

[J. P. Mose]

I received an e-mail from them too. I recently bid on a 12x20 Folmer & Schwing on Ebay. I ended up being the second highest bidder. Within a day after the auction ending, I received an e-mail offering the same camera for my maximum bid (which can be obtained from history). I erased it and didn't pay much attention to it, as I decided to go with 8x10 and get an Super Chromega F enlarger.

[Katie]

I was scammed by him. the name he gave me is Brian Patrik 26 Sixth Avenue, Queens Park London United Kingdom. email address is papuselcuochelari@yahoo.com. He also pretends he is a delivery service called TNT. I've already reported him to the FBI. Any other information please respond.

[Bob S.]

I have been scammed by Brian Patrik as well. He offered me a Treo 600 mobile phone for a good price. I paid through Western Union and never heard from him again. I reported it to the fraud department of Western Union but I also going to report it to the FBI. It would be great if this person can be arrested and put in to prison or even better be forced to pay all the people back he scammed. The email address he used was faze_tarns@walla.com.

[JMC]

Hi everybody, I've been scammed too. I paid through Western Union too. I can see I'm not the only one but it's a poor consolation. I know where this guy lives : in London (UK) and picked up the money with a valid Id (says Western Union) I guess I'll contact cotland Yard. By the way, be carefull with another scammer : DULAMA GILDA.

[Bob._3483]

Unfortnately, the address in London was certainly false. There is a scam method going around where organized gangs, usually using illegal immigrants as front-men & using stolen ID papers pull these stunts. The time has come to only use trusted intermediaries in international deals.

JMC: the rozzers (sorry, couldn't resist...) are at: http://www.met.police.uk/ but I suspect the correct method is to contact your local police who will pass it on to them.

Good luck, Cheers.

[Chris_4597]

Here is what I received.. :) have fun.. be safe.

Sorry for the disturbing you... I saw that you were bidding on this product: Hasselblad H1 Medium Format Camera Kit and I thought that I can make you a better offer. I can sell you the same item, brand new, with the same accesories for US $1,500.00 If you are interested we can workt out with a price, cause i want to sell it, and i`m ready to NEGOCIATE it. If you are interested in my product e-Mail me at: ducuvl@gmail.com If u want to spare some money this is your lucky day. Please reply me as soon as posible if you are interested in my offer. I wait your reply in ducuvl@gmail.com

Hello,

I live in United Kingdom. Here is how I want to go about delivery and payment for the product which will be through TNT and will also give you the chance to inspect the camera before I receive the payment for it. I will explain to you step by step how this will work. A. First you have to send me your shipping information (your name and address). 1. After I receive your shipping info, I'll go to a TNT Location and leave the product onto your name and with your address as the intended receiver. 2. TNT will check the laptop, also the legal papers to see that everything is OK with it. B. You will receive a notification from TNT as a confirmation that the laptop is in their custody and also, that the product has been tested. 1. After that, you will have to make a money transfer via Western Union on my name, as a guarantee, and send the payment information to TNT. 2. TNT will verify the Money Transfer, and if everything is in order, they will deliver the product to your door step. 3. After you will receive the product and you will be completely satisfied with it, you will instruct TNT to release the payment information to me, so I can collect my money. C. If by any reason, you will not be satisfied with the product, you will return the camera to TNT with no expense. I will pay for shipping and you for the amount transfer. Let me know if we can do this Please tell me your best price for it. regards

[Chris_4597]

hey ! me again... I played along.. here is what i got.... the bid started at 1500$, then went down to 1000$.. now i offered him 200$.... this is ridiculous hehehe... i was bidding on a Hasselblad H1 Kit (new worth 6000$).

hopefully i can get my hands on some legal, safe, verified equipment soon....

his email is: ducu ducuvl ducuvl@gmail.com HELO mproxy.gmail.com) (64.233.170.201) but i doubt this would help anyone...

in the UK as well.... he wanted to use TNT.. received a Fake TNT email from a bogus email address services-tnt.com not the real TNT.. but quite well crafted.. you have to give them that.. the fuckers.

Chris

[James J. Johnson]

These folks are active in other areas as well -- bidders on expensive Gibson mandolins are receiving the same scam -- TNT holds the package, Western Union receives the money, etc. etc.

I don't know what the solution is here except for notifying as many people as possible and sending these scam emails to the appropriate authorities.

[HARLAN WHEELER]

I'M GETTING LETTER FROM , DULAMA GILDA. HAS BEEN OFFERING ME VERY EXPENSIVE HONDE DIESEL GENERATORS HE SAY HURRY AND THEY BE FEXEX OVER NIGHT FROM THE UNITED KINDOM(THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE !!! HAS ANY BODY DELT WITH THIS GUY? PLEASE REPOND TO MER ASAP HARLANWHEELER@AOL.COM

[HARLAN WHEELER]

i have a guy (no company, website, no noth thing offering me generators at a to good to be true prices has any body done business with hin name it bluce456@yahoo.com or D alama gui

[Pape SARR]

I in contact with the same guy i think. he offer me a Sony plasma 42" for $1400.he give me a name: Irimia Floricel and he tell me that he use TNT Greece to ship the plasma.But it was clear for me that is was an escrow.

[I am from the hole World]

I have taked money from you using TNT ,you have a lot of money and i want to drink something with my girl i want to fuck all the beaches from USA and i want to fuck you.

ye Bye suge-ti pula