The way it works is like this: The buyer (usually from an African country) sends a check for payment for the car. The check is for too much money, so he asks the owner of the car to cash the check and then send the overpayment back to the African buyer. The African's check is no good. So the sting is that they get you to send the money back before the check has been returned due to non-sufficient funds.

On May 14, 2003 an advertiser was contacted by a buyer in Africa. The buyer offered to purchase the client's vehicle. The seller was told that the African buyer would gladly pay the full asking price. However there was someone in the U.S. that owed him money and he wanted our advertiser to accept the larger amount and then he said he would trust the seller to send him the rest of the money.

Something about the above offer bothered his wife and he contacted us. I emailed and called him to watch out for any offer that comes from Africa. On June 21, 2003 an advertiser was contacted with a similar story. Then on July 25, 2003 another advertiser was contacted and this time fell victim to the scam. They where sent a cashiers check that was for $3000 more than the agreed price, and the seller sent the extra money to the buyer via Western Union. A few days later the advertisers bank informed them that the cashier's check was stolen. This cost the seller $3000. For the uninitiated, Nigeria is the "scam capitol" of the world. This country has the most corrupt government and the worst reputation for dishonest schemes known today. Many of the scams are implemented with the help of Nigerian immigrants living in Chicago and other parts of the U.S.

Please understand that any offer you get from an African buyer, or any buyer, should be regarded with a degree of skepticism. Most often, we hear that these scams are being run out of Ghana, Nigeria and Sierra Leone in Africa. Please don't get so excited about selling your car that you fall victim to one of these "criminals."

For more information you can read the CBS News Report about this at http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/11/01/eveningnews/main527883.shtml

If you are contacted by buyers who identify themselves as being from Nigeria, refer to this link: http://home.rica.net/alphae/419coal/

You can find out more about it on the Secret Service Web Site. If you have copies of e-mails from, or accounts of similar encounters, it may be useful to forward them to the Secret Service Crimes Division at 419.fcd@usss.treas.gov