I received a message on eBay about my Z300S rebody that is for sale.
It read:
"First name: William
Surname: Brown
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 447446959056
Postcode: EH16 4AL
Message me on WhatsApp+447446959056"
It purported to come from an account "m2msystem".
Here's the transcript:
10:40 - IA: Hi William, per your msg on eBay about my Z300S. Regards. Ian
11:55 - WB: Thanks for messaging
The profile picture showed a couple, faces only, either just married or at a wedding ceremony.
The guy was wearing a Louisiana State Uni Tigers cap and had a wedding corsage pinned to a lapel.
From all this I deduced that "William Brown" was an American working for a comms company M2M Systems based in San Jose. It looked like he was living in Hay Drive, Edinburgh.
11:55 - WB: Is there any work needed?
11:58 - IA: Yes, per the advert on eBay. Hood stitching on a top corner of the rear window has come apart. The dashboard has suffered sunlight damage. There is micro blistering on the paintwork. Full disclosure. Hence the price.
12:07 - WB: Great, where you located?
12:39 - IA: Abingdon near Oxford.
12:44 - IA: New hood and dashboard repair would cost <£1k. Paintwork - whatever you want to pay.
13:03 - WB: Are you available tomorrow at 7pm?
13:04 - IA: Tuesday is my one night out per week! Could do 6pm.
15:51 - WB: Okay fine
15:51 - WB: 6pm is also okay for me
15:52 - WB: Your car listed price is fair I will get it
15:52 - WB: What do you prefer cash or bank transfer?
17:16 - IA: How would you wish to take ownership? Collect it or get it shipped?
17:19 - IA: I will provide more pics before we speak tomorrow.
17:20 - WB: I will come to you for collect the car
17:21 - WB: Can you sent me a postcode for coming to you easily?
17:23 - IA: When would you want to travel to collect?
17:25 - WB: Tomorrow fixed at 6pm.
17:33 - IA: I'd like cleared funds before releasing the car. Is that ok?
17:34 - WB: Yes of course
17:34 - WB: Do you have it's car history report from vinpulse?
17:35 - IA: I don't know that service.
17:35 - WB: Basically, it displays all of the historical information in great detail I would very appreciate it if you could send me with this report
At this point I was sent a 4 page report on a Ford EcoSport. It contained all of the info you can see on DVLA via gov.uk. It was a bona fide registration number.
I'd run a few web searches at this point and also spoken to a friend in the trade about safe payment methods because suspicions were growing!
17:36 - IA: MOT history is available on gov.uk.
17:36 - WB: Here is my previous vehicle report from vinpulse when I was sell my car so can you get it ready before I come so I can satisfy from your side
17:36 - WB: Well I prefer vinpulse as it is more detailed than other and I’ve used it many times whenever I sell my car so I trust it. Can you get it ready before I come so I can it so I can satisfy from your side.
17:42 - IA: Silver vinpulse OK?
17:43 - WB: Gold package is most popular package whenever I purchase the report from vinpulse I purchase gold one.
17:43 - WB: The rest is upto you
17:43 - WB: Don't worry about the cost of it I will pay you back your report cost along with the car price.
17:48 - IA: Are you free to chat now?
17:49 - WB: Yes
17:49 - WB: When you get the report so sent it me
17:52 - WB: Mate I am unable to call you right now I am at work no worries I will call you before coming
17:53 - WB: Silver is also okay for me I just want to see your vehicle vinpulse report.
17:53 - IA: Call me now, even for a short call.
17:55 - WB: Mate I will call before coming
17:55 - WB: I’m an honest person, and I have no reason to do wrong by anyone. I always buy reports from here myself, so don’t worry I just want to verify that there’s no issue with the car. I’m coming from quite far, around 1.5 hours away, so if you place the order now I'd happy to take the car tomorrow. If you’d like, I can even give you half the deposit after seeing the report.
17:56 - IA: Where are you travelling from?
17:56 - IA: Your eBay account is suspended or terminated.
17:58 - WB: I am in ecton
17:59 - IA: I'd like to tell you about the car.
17:59 - WB: Actually it's my friends account so that's why I was give you my personal watsapp number to contact
17:59 - IA: Why won't you speak to me?
18:00 - WB: Mate I know each and everything of your car I just want to see your vehicle vinpulse report once I see it so I will finalized a deal and come to you tomorrow for collect the car
18:00 - WB: I am at work that's why
18:00 - IA: What time do you finish?
18:02 - WB: I don't understand why are you making this too long for just a report
18:03 - WB: First you present me your vehicle vinpulse report so then I will call you
18:05 - IA: I have many USA friends and your language doesn't
match theirs. They don't call people 'mate'. That's why I want to speak before taking this further.
18:07 - IA: Who are the people in your WhatsApp profile?
18:08 - IA: Do you live in Edinburgh?
18:08 - IA: I was there at the weekend.
18:20 - IA: I need to be paid via PayPal. Is that OK?
Then the WhatsApp indicator showed messages not received.
There was no answer at the mobile number. Reverse number check showed it as a Huchison 3G number with no reported comments.
A reverse image lookup on the profile picture produced no hits.
I can only assume that the vinpulse site is there to collect bank or credit card details. The services were priced at £29.99, £79.99 and £99.99.
So my car is still for sale but if yours is too- be careful out there!
It read:
"First name: William
Surname: Brown
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 447446959056
Postcode: EH16 4AL
Message me on WhatsApp+447446959056"
It purported to come from an account "m2msystem".
Here's the transcript:
10:40 - IA: Hi William, per your msg on eBay about my Z300S. Regards. Ian
11:55 - WB: Thanks for messaging
The profile picture showed a couple, faces only, either just married or at a wedding ceremony.
The guy was wearing a Louisiana State Uni Tigers cap and had a wedding corsage pinned to a lapel.
From all this I deduced that "William Brown" was an American working for a comms company M2M Systems based in San Jose. It looked like he was living in Hay Drive, Edinburgh.
11:55 - WB: Is there any work needed?
11:58 - IA: Yes, per the advert on eBay. Hood stitching on a top corner of the rear window has come apart. The dashboard has suffered sunlight damage. There is micro blistering on the paintwork. Full disclosure. Hence the price.
12:07 - WB: Great, where you located?
12:39 - IA: Abingdon near Oxford.
12:44 - IA: New hood and dashboard repair would cost <£1k. Paintwork - whatever you want to pay.
13:03 - WB: Are you available tomorrow at 7pm?
13:04 - IA: Tuesday is my one night out per week! Could do 6pm.
15:51 - WB: Okay fine
15:51 - WB: 6pm is also okay for me
15:52 - WB: Your car listed price is fair I will get it
15:52 - WB: What do you prefer cash or bank transfer?
17:16 - IA: How would you wish to take ownership? Collect it or get it shipped?
17:19 - IA: I will provide more pics before we speak tomorrow.
17:20 - WB: I will come to you for collect the car
17:21 - WB: Can you sent me a postcode for coming to you easily?
17:23 - IA: When would you want to travel to collect?
17:25 - WB: Tomorrow fixed at 6pm.
17:33 - IA: I'd like cleared funds before releasing the car. Is that ok?
17:34 - WB: Yes of course
17:34 - WB: Do you have it's car history report from vinpulse?
17:35 - IA: I don't know that service.
17:35 - WB: Basically, it displays all of the historical information in great detail I would very appreciate it if you could send me with this report
At this point I was sent a 4 page report on a Ford EcoSport. It contained all of the info you can see on DVLA via gov.uk. It was a bona fide registration number.
I'd run a few web searches at this point and also spoken to a friend in the trade about safe payment methods because suspicions were growing!
17:36 - IA: MOT history is available on gov.uk.
17:36 - WB: Here is my previous vehicle report from vinpulse when I was sell my car so can you get it ready before I come so I can satisfy from your side
17:36 - WB: Well I prefer vinpulse as it is more detailed than other and I’ve used it many times whenever I sell my car so I trust it. Can you get it ready before I come so I can it so I can satisfy from your side.
17:42 - IA: Silver vinpulse OK?
17:43 - WB: Gold package is most popular package whenever I purchase the report from vinpulse I purchase gold one.
17:43 - WB: The rest is upto you
17:43 - WB: Don't worry about the cost of it I will pay you back your report cost along with the car price.
17:48 - IA: Are you free to chat now?
17:49 - WB: Yes
17:49 - WB: When you get the report so sent it me
17:52 - WB: Mate I am unable to call you right now I am at work no worries I will call you before coming
17:53 - WB: Silver is also okay for me I just want to see your vehicle vinpulse report.
17:53 - IA: Call me now, even for a short call.
17:55 - WB: Mate I will call before coming
17:55 - WB: I’m an honest person, and I have no reason to do wrong by anyone. I always buy reports from here myself, so don’t worry I just want to verify that there’s no issue with the car. I’m coming from quite far, around 1.5 hours away, so if you place the order now I'd happy to take the car tomorrow. If you’d like, I can even give you half the deposit after seeing the report.
17:56 - IA: Where are you travelling from?
17:56 - IA: Your eBay account is suspended or terminated.
17:58 - WB: I am in ecton
17:59 - IA: I'd like to tell you about the car.
17:59 - WB: Actually it's my friends account so that's why I was give you my personal watsapp number to contact
17:59 - IA: Why won't you speak to me?
18:00 - WB: Mate I know each and everything of your car I just want to see your vehicle vinpulse report once I see it so I will finalized a deal and come to you tomorrow for collect the car
18:00 - WB: I am at work that's why
18:00 - IA: What time do you finish?
18:02 - WB: I don't understand why are you making this too long for just a report
18:03 - WB: First you present me your vehicle vinpulse report so then I will call you
18:05 - IA: I have many USA friends and your language doesn't
match theirs. They don't call people 'mate'. That's why I want to speak before taking this further.
18:07 - IA: Who are the people in your WhatsApp profile?
18:08 - IA: Do you live in Edinburgh?
18:08 - IA: I was there at the weekend.
18:20 - IA: I need to be paid via PayPal. Is that OK?
Then the WhatsApp indicator showed messages not received.
There was no answer at the mobile number. Reverse number check showed it as a Huchison 3G number with no reported comments.
A reverse image lookup on the profile picture produced no hits.
I can only assume that the vinpulse site is there to collect bank or credit card details. The services were priced at £29.99, £79.99 and £99.99.
So my car is still for sale but if yours is too- be careful out there!
