Seems like some sort of Phishing Scam

**davisautodetail** · 04-09-2013, 04:48 PM

I received the following email. I asked for her to text me and I'd verify it, but then she just sent an SMS from yahoo.

Scam?

" This is Tracy..am hearing impaired.....my uncle had an accident on his way to visit our family in GA.with his cadilac escalade 2006. .but the repair has been done so....I want the car tow back to the state here in your shop ..so you can do the auto detailing service for him, can you handle that for me.i will like you to know that i want full detail interior and exterior.and the vehicle is with the tow guy in
VA and they will have it tow to your workshop for an estimation by next week Wednesday between 11:00am and do you accept credit card ...There`s no insurance involved so can i have your name and full workshop address where the car will be tow to for the Cleaning."

**mwoolfso** · 04-09-2013, 05:04 PM

well its certainly possible it is a scam. how many target detailers? hmmmmm...

generally speaking if someone is hearing impaired they can make a phone call using a service from the phone company. what I would do is get this conversation on phone call and then you can further assess scamability

Sent from my DROID3 using Tapatalk 2

**Paul Mitchell** · 04-09-2013, 05:25 PM

I'd be very careful with this one. It's being towed from VA to your shop in Montana? Why is it being towed if it's been repaired? Seems like there was something like this going around a few years ago.

**cmichael258** · 04-09-2013, 05:30 PM

I read about this offer on the AG forum or perhaps Autopia. The forum member checked into it further and found that it was indeed a scam.

Walk away!

**davisautodetail** · 04-09-2013, 05:33 PM

I'm not sure what they have to gain, maybe expecting to call me and ask for a CC number so they can "drop off" or something?

If they show up to steal something, they might get a surprise. ;->

I asked her to text me, and she did, but not from a phone. So, I replied back and said I wanted a real number, and I also wanted her address to verify. No more communication. I'm on craigslist all of the time, and see and flag the fake ads all day long.

It's just strange, trying to figure out what the end game might be, and how they profit. If they wanted to rob me, not that hard to find me. Of course, they better be fast, my driveway is 300' long to the road....

**Anthony@zerboautoworks** · 04-09-2013, 05:49 PM

I wish someone would come to my shop with this sh*t, I have a smith & Wesson .357 magnum waiting for them in my desk.

**sweatthedetails** · 04-09-2013, 06:12 PM

SCAM! if you advertise on CList you get alot of these.

**davisautodetail** · 04-09-2013, 06:17 PM

Originally Posted by sweatthedetails

SCAM! if you advertise on CList you get alot of these.

Yeah, I do, but I also get business from CL, so it sort of comes with the territory, I guess.

Anyone know what the scam is? I just don't get it.

**BorisC** · 04-09-2013, 06:36 PM

**jjj** · 04-09-2013, 06:38 PM

There are a couple of things they can get. A lot of states and countries for that matter can use your address and name of business or home as a digital signature. Just like the tele communication scam a couple of years ago, where they would ask for you to say and spell your name. They would hang up and people just verbally signed....in most cases a credit card or in some horrible cases permission to withdraw money from a bank account. Just my two cents.