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)