# About to get "stung" by an internet predator...



## bobcycles (Sep 17, 2012)

Couldn't resist emailing the scammer with the BlueBird who was mentioned on a recent post here on the Cabe.
  He took the bait, hopefully he's not watching this site...
He's just at the point where he's ready to strike.  Naturally I haven't sent him a dime...just waiting to see all the
traps he lays out.
At this point, anybody got any advice on how to bust this guy?
Tommorow I'll poke around on the Web and check see how or if even a situation like this can be addressed by
authorities.  My guess is you probably have to go 'all the way with it' and send the money. I won't go that far.


Meanwhile......It's a pretty amusing read.

Feel like Chris Hanson in "to catch a predator" only this guys quite a few notches above a pedophile...same boat!

The thread,   I x'd out his gmail name in case there is some follow through on this with authorities.... He's John tho... riiiiight...just like the assumed
name and address I gave him.

Pretty entertaining:

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Hello,

Thank you for your email. I am glad that you want to buy my 1935 Elgin Bluebird 26" Men's Bicycle -Restored and the price I am asking is US $2,200.00. From the start I want to inform you that I left the USA a couple of days ago (next day after I listed this for sale) and I came in United Kingdom with my work (I am a member of the "Save The Children Foundation"). If you still want to buy it, we can do it in a very safe way using an escrow company. They will handle the delivery and will offer you a number of days of Inspection so you can test and see that the merchandise is exactly as described by me. I will pay all shipping/escrow fees.

Thanks,
John

================================================================================

John That sounds excellent!  I appreciate your paying the fees and such.  Let me know how to proceed. Love the bike!


-----Original Message-----
From: John xxxxxxxxxr <johnxxxxxxxxxxx@gmail.com>
To: bobcycles <bobcycles@aol.com>
Sent: Thu, Sep 13, 2012 1:04 pm
Subject: Re: backpage response: 1935 Elgin Bluebird 26" Men's Bicycle - Restored...

================================================================================
Hello,

In the past I used a couple of times a very good shipping/escrow company for international purchases which I made from Germany and Spain. They offer a good delivery/escrow service with 10 days inspection period. The name of the company is Hermes UK (their courier network is known as myHermes) and they have a good reputation in the United Kingdom for fast delivery - no damage at the merchandise - safe escrow service. Would you be interested in using this service for both protection

Thanks,John

================================================================================

John that sound like the way to go!  Damage is everything and protecting the bicycle during transit. How do we proceed?

================================================================================Thanks John!   Sounds good

Robert Lawson
1051 15th Street
Hermosa Beach Calif 90254-

----Original Message----
From: John xxxxxxxxx <johnxxxxxxxxx@gmail.com>
To: bobcycles <bobcycles@aol.com>
Sent: Fri, Sep 14, 2012 5:59 am
Subject: Re: backpage response: 1935 Elgin Bluebird 26" Men's Bicycle - Restored...


Hello,

The company Hermes UK offer a unique escrow service, which provides more security for transaction. Here are the steps we need to take in order to do this:

1. I will go to a Hermes office and deliver the package. They will inspect and test the package content. Than they will send you an invoice with all details (including the result of the inspection, payment methods and delivery period).

2. Once you receive the invoice, you will have 48 hours to send the funds to the Hermes Representative. Once they will receive your payment, they will start the delivery of the package and send you a confirmation email with all delivery details, including tracking number.

3. Once you receive it, you have 10 business days to inspect the merchandise and the option to accept or reject it. If the merchandise is not as described by me, you will receive a Full Refund in 3 business days.

4. If the merchandise is as described by me and you accept it, the Hermes Representative will send the funds to me.

If you agree with these terms, please email me your complete name and address so I can go and start the transaction.

Thanks,

John

=====================================================================================

Hello,

I just came back from the MyHermes office. I started the transaction and the package is now at them for inspection. You should receive the invoice from them shortly. Let me know when you do.

Thanks,
John

===================================================================================

Will do!  Thanks John for all the follow up

====================================================================================

Hello,

I just came back from the MyHermes office. I started the transaction and the package is now at them for inspection. You should receive the invoice from them shortly. Let me know when you do

Thanks,
John


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## 37fleetwood (Sep 17, 2012)

I played this game with a guy who was "Selling" his 1970 Hemi Cuda. you can only get to this point. anything you do besides send money makes him disappear.
my guy was located somewhere in Moravia or some place like it that doesn't have any laws against this type of thing. you can't reach him legally.


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## catfish (Sep 17, 2012)

Nice one Bob!   I've had people try to scam me a few times for an Evenrude, and a few other bikes. It use to always happen after a rare bike would go for big $$$ on ebay. Back in the day when people could see who was bidding, and get your info. Now, not so much. 
I use to send them all kinds of e-mails back. Asking for more photos? Where is the bike? And that I'd tell them that I'd go pick it up or have a friend in the area pick it up.... Than they would make up a million reasons why I could do than. All BS.


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## vincev (Sep 17, 2012)

You should try contacting Hermes to see if the pkg.is there then get back to seller .Heres the link.
http://www.hermes-europe.co.uk/


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## slick (Sep 17, 2012)

Bob, you should have asked him for more photos just to see what he would say. I thought he was out of the country so how could he have gone back to box up the bike and take it to Hermes? Unless his assistant did it, in which the assistant should have been able to take photos. So no excuses why he couldn't send you some. I hope you get this guy caught!


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## Buster1 (Sep 17, 2012)

Same, catch this guy.  Good show!


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## kngtmat (Sep 17, 2012)

I did a google search and people have used Hermes in other scams and even ebay uk has a discussion about it when I searched myhermes uk scam.



Too bad really bad people always have to ruin everything for everyone, maybe some day all that kind of junk would be stopped.


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## night watchman (Dec 23, 2012)

I just thought i would let you know, ole John Kovac is up to his same old tricks.  I saw some chatter on another board about him, i wonder if this ever works for him?  His responses are canned, as if auto generated or at least always copy and paste.  I saw an ad in a New York online classified for an old pair of speakers, and I only emailed him asking him for some additional information and photographs for historical reasons.

Same bit:

Hello,

Thank you for your email. I am glad that you want to buy my Western Electric 755A pair in replica KS12046 cabinets. My asking price is US $2,300.00. From the beginning I want to tell you that I left US a couple of days ago (the day after I put the product on sale) and came to United Kingdom with my job (I am a member of the "Save The Children Foundation"). If you still want to buy it, we can do it in a very safe way using an escrow company. They will handle the delivery (because I had to take it with me here) and will give you 10 days of Inspection so you can test and see that it is exactly as described by me in my ad. I will pay all shipping/escrow fees.

Thanks,
John


I reply:  Oh, my friend is on the board of directors of that charity.  How about we confide in her.  She can just pop by your place for quick look.  

Without any mention of the woman on the board, nor any answers to my questions about product condition, he chooses to mention a fraudulent escrow service called Hermes UK that we should deal with.

Even better John, how about we just use Western Union, I say.  Just send me a photograph of yourself holding a sign that reads "____" and I will even include an extra $100 in the Western Union transfer.

He responds, we could also use: Z.I.M. Integrated Shipping Services.  Again, no mention of product details, or mutual acquaintances etc...  he just wants my bank details.

I write:  First the photos John, then I will gladly western union you what ever amount you desire.

I plan on flushing this one out of the bushes...and i might just end up with a photograph of him as my trophy.

Waste of my time you may say...well, the photograph will be perfect for my New Years Eve greeting card!

I can post it here if you like?

Kind Regards and a Merry Christmas,

Ryan


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## pelletman (Dec 23, 2012)

For a good time, visit www.419eater.com , hours of good, clean, fun!


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## Buster1 (Dec 23, 2012)

Great work Ryan!


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## Facile (Mar 10, 2013)

*Guitars, too*

John is a busy guy, it seems.  He is also scamming on vintage guitars - same exact sequence of emails, etc...  Here's a scam alert on Hermes, the "escrow" company he is touting...

http://netscammers.blogspot.com/2012/09/hermes-deliveryukto-fraud.html

G'day.


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## fat tire trader (Mar 10, 2013)

This reminded me of the real Hermes that I studied in Greek History. Here is an excerpt from Wiki

Hermes was a god of transitions and boundaries. He was quick and cunning, and moved freely between the worlds of the mortal and divine, as emissary and messenger of the gods,[1] intercessor between mortals and the divine, and conductor of souls into the afterlife. He was protector and patron of travelers, herdsmen, thieves,[2] orators and wit, literature and poets, athletics and sports, invention and trade.[3] In some myths he is a trickster, and outwits other gods for his own satisfaction or the sake of humankind. His attributes and symbols include the herma, the rooster and the tortoise, purse or pouch, winged sandals, winged cap, and his main symbol was the herald's staff, the Greek kerykeion or Latin caduceus which consisted of two snakes wrapped around a winged staff.[4]


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## babyjesus (Mar 10, 2013)

*I've already bated this guy*

I know this guy and the ad and I got him to jump through all the hoops, he even sent me a 'myhermes' shipping reciept bla bla - and I got his address in north london. By the way this same guy posts ballooners on London Craigslist but the ad I found was a local Minneapolis one. I can find his address in London for anybody who wants it.


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## Rivnut (Mar 10, 2013)

It is kind of strange that he left the US for the UK, but now the package is in the UK and has been inspected.

Not a very good grammarian either.  American English in NOT his native languge.


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## babyjesus (Mar 11, 2013)

Rivnut said:


> It is kind of strange that he left the US for the UK, but now the package is in the UK and has been inspected.
> 
> Not a very good grammarian either.  American English in NOT his native languge.




He lives in North London.  He sent me the exact same emails starting with the save the children thing.

He's a total a** h*le loser - I went through the whole thing with him right til he gave me the name and address to which I should make the western union type payment to.

He may have been using a fake name but he gave his real address I'm sure of it.


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## babyjesus (Mar 11, 2013)

Rivnut said:


> It is kind of strange that he left the US for the UK, but now the package is in the UK and has been inspected.
> 
> Not a very good grammarian either.  American English in NOT his native languge.




Attached is the final invoice he sent me for the BB - I led him on till I could get an address out of him. Obviously the name is made up and T Koontz is a lawyer if you look him up but none of it makes sense. Just the London address. I took a screenshot and got most of his transaction invoice. You can see the BB details and 'my details' - and his pay to address.

I kept asking him for bank transfer details and in the invoice he only supplies a 'moneygram' payment option which is like Western Union - he would need to go pick it up with ID and proof of address.
He kept repeating himself and ignoring my specific questions - I just made fun of him and kept him going in order to waste his time as much as possible. He also fills london CL with ads for skylarks and if you reply saying you are in London and want to see the skylark (which belongs to somebody else I know so its a scam no question) he says 'oh I am in Scotland actually' and tries to make a deal again without seeing it. He's clearly got alot of time on his hands and no moral compass picking on people like us. Why can't he go and scam an insurance company. that would make me happy. But no, this loser has time and clearly no brains - probably why he can't get a job infact. I'd love smack him across the back of the head with a Speedline Airflow tank.  He is all over London CL - he offers amazing bikes for low prices but not too too low. Like I said, he's got time and a very small brain.


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## atanum (Aug 13, 2013)

*Here is the guys bank details that he gave me for a Flightscope Transaction*

Same thing with me.

Here is the details of the bank that he gave me to transfer the money


To make the payment for Transaction # TPF18LON18925 in value of CAD 1,700.00 (USD 1624) you need to transfer the funds to our manager's bank account. Here are the details:


*Account Holder: ANDREEA VASILICA PINTILIE
Account Number: 93449548
Sort Code: 20-29-41
IBAN : GB78 BARC 2029 4193 4495 48
BIC (SWIFT CODE BARCGB22
BANK : BARCLAYS
Bank Address:  126 Station Road
               Edgware  Middlesex
               London  HA8 7RY
               United Kingdom

Account Holder Complete Name: ANDREEA VASILICA PINTILIE
Account Holder Address: 16 QUEENSBURY CIRCLE PARADE
                        STANMORE, London 
                        HA7 1EY
                        United Kingdom
*

Is this the guy's real name - Can we get him ?


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## airflo11 (Aug 13, 2013)

*Motorbike*

I believe this same guy tried "selling " a 37 Motorbike last winter . From London and asking for bank transfer . Bike seemed way nice for 1800.


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## Erik-29601 (Oct 7, 2013)

*Scam all over*



airflo11 said:


> I believe this same guy tried "selling " a 37 Motorbike last winter . From London and asking for bank transfer . Bike seemed way nice for 1800.




Hi,

I got the same guy but under a different name; Alan Fleming

Same story regarding moving to UK and working for the childrens Foundation but is now using Z.I.M as the escrow service instead of Hermes.

This time it is not a bike but rather Mcintosh Hifi equipment.

It would be nice if he can be stopped once forever


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## Lawrence Ruskin (Oct 7, 2013)

If you sell anything of decent value on craigslist  say $ 1000, you may well get an E mail stating just about the same stuff.

I hit block sender on the last E mail and I haven't got any more of these ''I want your product, but I'm out of town''  BS E mails. One guy said he worked on the oil rigs.

The cops should do a sting on these guys.


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