Overhaulin'

Does this sound like a Craig's list / ebay scam and is it illegal to impersonate a military col. ?

Below are a string of email from a guy who posted a car on craig's list: "John G. Clarke" <johngclarke7@gmail.com> wrote: Hi there, I'm glad you're interested in my car. This is a 2006 Mercedes-Benz R-Class, 3.5L V6 FI DOHC 24V / All Wheel Drive, Automatic, ONLY 24,900 Miles, VIN 4JGCB65E46A000774. Here you can find more pictures with the car: http://picasaweb.google.com/picasaweb3/2006RClasse?authkey=1RQ7u127JaA (if the above link does not work copy and paste it into a new web browser window) It is in EXCELLENT condition; the body and paint are great, no scratches and no dents; the interior is clean; it has never been involved in an accident. I'm an US Air Force Col. currently stationed in UK and the car is here with me. It was bought in the US and shipped to Europe, but it was never permanently registered here, the car is still registered in the US. The car is for sale locally as well, but there are slim chances of this to happen. First of all this is a US model car, with the steering wheel on the left side, as opposed to a UK model, that has the steering wheel on the right side. And second, in order to be able to register this car here in UK the buyer would have to pay very high import/custom taxes. So I decided to sell the car back in the US. As I'm unable to travel in the near future and I don't have anyone back home to help me with the sale I decided to make this transaction through eBay or Craigslist. The payment will be done through eBay, You will send the payment to eBay and they hold the money until the car is delivered to you. I get the money only after the buyer receives the car and makes sure everything is as agreed. I believe this protects both buyer and seller and it's the right way to do this. If the car is not as advertised and decide not to keep it eBay will refund you the money, no questions asked, and shipping back the car will be my concern. The final price is $5,000 including shipping from Europe to the US and delivery to your home address. So if you decide to buy this car or need further information please get back to me as soon as possible. Thank you and have a great day, Col. John G. Clarke http://www.lakenheath.af.mil/shared/media/photodb/thumbnails/070628-F-1234A-001.JPG AND ANOTHER; "John G. Clarke" <johngclarke7@gmail.com> wrote: Hello, Yes, the ML is already sold. R-Class is still available. Regarding the price, to be honest with you...this was my brother car but he is not…anymore.I don't want to get rich by its selling, just want to give it to someone who will take good care....... As I already said in my first email the car is currently located in UK but still registered in US, so you won't have to pay anything. I can have it shipped from here by an US Air Force cargo plane so there won't be any additional shipping costs. Also I can arrange for a truck to transport the car to your home address or, if you like, you can pick it up from the nearest airport in your area. The shipping will take up to 10 days, depending on your location. The car will arrive with all the papers and documents required for registration and the keys. The clear title and the bill of sale will be already signed by me. The final price you will have to pay is $5,000. The payment will be done through eBay. They will act as a third party in this transaction. You will send the money to eBay and as soon as the payment is confirmed they will notify me to proceed with the shipping. I will ship the car, you will receive it and you will have 10 days for inspection. During all this time eBay will hold the money. If you are satisfied with the car and decide to keep it you must inform eBay about this and they will release the money to me. If the car is not as advertised and decide not to keep it eBay will refund you the money, no questions asked, and shipping back of the car will be my concern. I think this is fair for both of us. Please take into consideration that I will get paid only after you receive the car and make sure everything is as agreed. If you agree with these terms and you have the money, send me your full name and the address where you want the car to be delivered and I will initiate the transaction with eBay. You will receive all the transaction details from them. I will appreciate an answer as soon as possible. Also, feel free to ask me any question you may have. Thank you, Col. John G. Clarke and another: Hi, The car is on my name now and the title is clear, no lien. Please let me know as soon as you can since I have another guy interested...I put him on hold till I have an answer from you . Thanks again, Col. John G. Clarke

Public Comments

1. Scam.
2. Yes its a SCAM ,go no farther or you will lose your money..........md
3. Definitely a scam. You should report it.
4. Hey, This sounds pretty genuine to me, but then again i could be easily fooled. I think there are a few points of concern that should be investigated. I'm pretty sure that ebay doesn't hold money, waiting for the transaction to be processed or for you to make a decision. I don't know about America, but in my country you are not allowed to publicly express that you are of rank in the defense force.... especially not one that high... I think the fact that he is in the US Air force is totally irrelevant to the actual sale and he had no need to mention it so early on. Here's how you can check for sure. -Contact Ebay via email or look up their policies and see if they actually do what he said, hold the money. Otherwise it could go through and you'll never get it back. I don't understand why they would do the transaction through ebay if it was on craiglist...but anyway. -Call the department of defence or the US Air force and find out if there is a Col John G Clarke. They will either let you know straight away, or tell you that that information can't be released. If that happens, then inform them that this person is publicly stating his rank and using US aircraft for personal use. He'll either get a boot up the ass, or it'll become an issue of intelligence if such a person does not exist...which i can imagine would be taken very seriously because the reputation of their force can be undermined by an impersonator. That's just my thoughts :-)
5. LOL You should be able to spot this as a scam from a mile away! Shipping to the U.S alone would cost more thank $5k and the blue book value of that car is $26,000. This guy wants you to send him $5k via paypal.. at which time he will withdraw the money from the paypal account and close the account. He wont be prosecuted or deported for his actions.. basically he will get your $5k and there will be nothing you can do to get it back.