(no subject)

[elizilla]

Now I have someone who is either a different type of scammer, or he's an idiot with a smartphone. He's not trying to claim he's playing rugby on an offshore drilling platform, but he's sending one line messages in text-speak. He claims he'll meet me and buy it for cash, but he never mentions what it is he's buying. I asked him where he wants to meet and he says "Anywhere - just call me!" The phone number he gives has an 810 area code which is almost local. But I fear calling it. What will this number do if I call it? Transfer to some offshore 900 number and back charge my phone?

Perhaps I will see what the scam is, by calling from a pay phone. If I can find a pay phone.

Edited to add the rest of the story:
This guy was a thumb-typing squid who buys and sells bikes. Since my price was already below blue book, he figured I was stupid and he could press me for an additional reduction that would allow him to turn around and sell the bike at a profit. His emails seemed scam-like, but he was not an internet scammer. Just an old fashioned sleazy salescritter. I told him my price was absolutely firm, and he immediately stopped contacting me.

Comments

[schmi.livejournal.com]

Look up the number and see if you get any hits to any other scamming attempts.

[elizilla]

Hmmm. No scams, but a half dozen posts to different motorcycle forums, from a low-post count user trying to buy and sell bits and pieces for various squidly bikes. He's into things that get damaged by squids, like instruments and mufflers and tail cowls. They go back to 2010, and none of the threads end in "I got scammed". But none of the posters in these threads sound very smart, either.

Why would a thumb-typing squid want an NT? Does he think this is a much studlier bike than it really is?

[schmi.livejournal.com]

It all sounds very suspicious in any case. I'd ignore him. If he really wants the bike, he owes you a somewhat ok formatted email to start with.

What is an "NT" btw?

[elizilla]

2010 Honda NT700V. It's a little touring bike with a fairing and integrated hard luggage, it looks like a smaller Honda ST1300. At 562 lbs wet weight with a shaft drive 684cc twin it's not winning too many stoplight drags. :)

[schmi.livejournal.com]

I don't even know when you got this!

[elizilla]

Just over two years ago. Has it been that long since your trip out here?

I replaced it with the Super Ténéré in my userpic, last August.

[elizilla]

http://elizilla.livejournal.com/2010/01/30/

[schmi.livejournal.com]

I remember now. That's a nice looking bike!

[c-maxx.livejournal.com]

No information + waving cash - "meet me anywhere, I'll bring cash", sounds WAY too much like a scam, like someone competing for the "20 Stupidest Criminals" award, their text translated into Elmore Leonardese, "Meet me anywhere, I'll bring my ugly friends". Though Leonard is fiction, the Stupidest Criminal award is not...

I got caught conned some years ago down in Houston; they only got $18 but it was all the cash I had at the time, had to borrow from Mom and Stuart until my paycheck arrived...