Agent for Buyer/Scam warning

The post appeared on the beginners forum this morning. The poster is a newbie trying to sell a scope and it looks to me like this response is a typical internet scam, the agent is in Oklahoma/Mississippi for a buyer in Benin... They are asking for the seller to reply to a Yahoo account...

http://www.astromart.com/forums/viewpost.asp?forum_post_id=392638&poll_id=&news_id=&page=

Here is the text:

""This is an e-mail I received. How can I check this to make sure this is for real?


From: [email protected]
Date: 11/23/05 04:43:03
To: [email protected]
Subject: ASTROMART - Response to ad #390789


The following message has been sent to you in response to your Astromart classified ad #390789 - 'Celestron Celestar 8 Extras (lowered price)'.
This email was sent by registered Astromart user lyion gulter - [email protected] (tulsa, ok) via Astromart's email ad response system. Should you choose to reply to this email message, your response will be sent directly to the recipient and will not pass through or be associated with Astromart in any way. Astromart does not condone or tolerate spam (i.e., unsolicited commercial email) and is taking steps to protect members from this abuse.
---------------------------------------------------------

Hello Seller.
I'm Lyion an agent and i reside in Magee Mississippi.Okay?This is a purchase request notification for your item placed on astromart.com on bahalf of my client, infact my client his satisfy with the detailed informations posted with the item.
This item will be ship to my client son in Metropolitan University Republic of Benin 22901.Okay?We 've shipping company who will take care of the shipment.Okay?

{1} Did you accept Money Order as the mode of your payment?
{2} Will you be able to wire an excess fund to the shipping company?

In order to schedule a pick up of this item from your location.
The reason is that,my client said he can only issue a money order for the sales of your item,the shipping cost,Insurance,Vat and Custom duties all in a money order.Okay?

If you can truely do this, Kindly email me the total final asking price with your Fullname,contact address and phone for immediate payment.Okay?
Hope to hear from you soon. Pls send your reply to: [email protected]

Cheers!. ""

Man, I hate those people! :C
(not to mention the spelling is horrible!)

Yes, this is a common scam, which operates in one of two ways. Either:
a) the seller will ship the otem, only to find that the money order fails to clear (banking regs for international transfers can make it ver confusing, but people tend to think funds have been transfereed when they have not)

or

b) The buyer will have a 'too large' check and ask the seller to send money for the 'extra'.... and (as above) thwe check will fail to clear and the money will go into the ether never to return.

It's actually a tad more complicated but I'll spare you the details. Yes, it's a scam, though.

Yep, I just got that one as well, altough I sold the item in question over a week ago. I imagine we'll be seeing many more of those before it runs its course.

How'z the stargazing in Benin, I wonder?

john kanzler