Hot Tubs to Ghana

[loosenupspas]

Any other dealers receiving strange calls using an internet operator speaking on behalf of a hearing impaired person who is seeking to purchase a hot tub.  I have received two call in the last year.  In both cases attempting to have tubs shipped to Ghana through the same shipping company Global.  Can anyone shed some light on what is going here.  It is sham....right?  

[Bonibelle]

Loosenup, the first indicator for me would be the operator, but who knows. My sister is hearing impared and we communicate via the internet. I know that if there was anything that she needed, she could easily relay that message. It has simplified her life tremendously. I would think that if someone was serious about a hot tub purchase, because they are financially able to have one, they would also have internet access.
I'm not saying it is a scam, but it sounds strange to me since the internet has virtually opened the world to hearing impared folks.  

[Webini]

This is definately a scam.

Here's how the Counterfeit Check /Cashier's Check scam works:

The key ingredients:

* selling on-line
* buyer from a foreign country
* offering to pay with bank cashier's checks
* wants to pay several thousand dollars more than the asking price, and
* wants you to send back the difference.

The details: You are selling an item over the Internet - it could be a hot tub, a motorcycle, or even puppies. You receive an email offer (the operator is a new twist) to buy at your asking price - say, $4000 - and the buyer says he'll send a bank cashier's check. The buyer is from a foreign country... usually Nigeria or "West Africa" but lately I have seen them from just about anywhere.

At the last minute the buyer asks to send you a cashier's check for $3000 MORE than your asking price, and asks you to send him the difference -- "but only after the cashier's check clears, of course." (Perhaps he explains that someone in the U.S. owes him $7,000 and it would be simpler if that person just sent the cashier's check to you and you sent him the $3,000. Or, perhaps he says he needs the extra dollars for shipping.)

You are skeptical - but, sure enough, the bank cashier's check arrives by Fed Ex, it looks real, your bank accepts the check, and the bank assures you the funds are in fact available. So you wire $3,000 to your buyer in the foreign country and prepare to ship your item.

A week later your bank calls: "We're very sorry, but the cashier's check was counterfeit" -- a superb copy, but worthless. Your account is frozen. You must pay the bank back $7,000. You may even be considered a fraud suspect yourself. Your "buyer" disappears.

Stay clear of this scam!  Remember, if it sounds too good to be true then it is.

[drewstar]

Global is a legitimate world wide shipping company.

However, Ghana is becoming the new "Nigera" for scams.  Remember all those e-mails about helping a Nigerian cival servant transfer millions of $ out the country?  Ghana and West Africa  have become a hotbed of international fraud, so I would be cautious. You will have very little - if no- legal recourse or protection in dealing with Ghana.

I haven't heard of any Scams about hot tubs per se'. (most are with precious metals or love interests), however this could be variant of the old bad check scam,  or they ask you to cash a check form a friend in the states for much more money than the item costs and have you ship the tub, and the remianing balance to them. (of course the check is bad).  Be wary of international customers from third world countries that are willing to over pay.

That being said, who knows? I would be extreamly cautious. Why would Ghana call your little shop?  

[drewstar]

Oh...tell them there is a hot tub dealer in CO on the internet that brags about being an international  provider of tubs....send them there. Have them tell the owner that they are a super high end genius too  and to ask for the Diat upgrade  

[Dr. Spa™ Ret.]

Most likely a scam. Especially since it's from another country. There's an easy way though, to tell. Right off, tell them that for international sale all you accept for payment is a wire transfer. No checks, no credit cards. Most of the time they'll go away. Actually, 99.99999% of the the time they'll go away. If this is acceptable to them, then it might be real (we've sold a few to people in some odd countries, that I was sure was a scam). If they agree to a wire transfer, and you're still suspicious, open up a new bank account and have them transfer the funds to that account. IMEADIATLY transfer any funds they deposit into that account into your main account, BEFORE shipping any products.

[Brewman]

 Smells pretty funky to me.  Are there not any spa dealers over there?  
Anywhere on the continent would have to be cheaper and easier than what this solicitation is asking to do.  

[Spatech_tuo]

Any other dealers receiving strange calls using an internet operator speaking on behalf of a hearing impaired person who is seeking to purchase a hot tub.  I have received two call in the last year.  In both cases attempting to have tubs shipped to Ghana through the same shipping company Global.  Can anyone shed some light on what is going here.  It is sham....right?  

We got the EXACT same call a few months back. I happened to be there when the sales person answered and after listening to the exchange a minute I had her tell the person we were not interested unless the person came in the showroom. At first the salesperson was a bit miffed because she thought this might be a real lead for her but I assured her it was a scam. Now I can forward your message on and she'll flip because it was also the deaf thing with some operator translating. There was a show on TV last month about how this service is there for deaf people and federally funded but they said about 90% of the calls are others using it for ill gotten gains and the scamming going on is HUGE. I wish I remembered what show it was.

[loosenupspas]

He is telling me only pay by credit card, no gonna do it.   Am I the only one who hears from these people?  If so, why me?  

[Reese]

We got the EXACT same call a few months back...

Since they are still looking, it appears that this poor deaf person has been trying to obtain a spa to ease his/her aches and pains for a long time, but can't find anyone who will sell him/her one.  Poor thing!

They must get enough takers to keep at it.  You'd think they'd have exhausted the pool of spa-selling suckers by now, and moved on to another big-ticket item.  

Loosenup, you obviously aren't the only one, so the question is what do you and Spatech have in common?  Do you each have a website, or have you listed a spa on e-Bay or craigslist?  I guess if nothing else, they could get contact info through the manufacturer's website.

[Dr. Spa™ Ret.]

Like I said, no wire transfer, no deal. Make up an excuse, like " we're unable to process non-US credit cards and can only accept foreign payments via wire transfer." Anyone in a third world country (or old Eastern European country) that can afford a spa, can afford to pay cash. We sell a few a month to these areas of the world, and there's NEVER been an issue (with legitimate customers) with paying by wire transfer.

[East_TX_Spa]

Try to barter with them...maybe get a container of AK-47's or RPG's off the black market.  Go to www.thescambaiter.com to pick up some tips.  Maybe you can sell some ANUS Laptop computers to the Clique Mob, but beware of the Governor!




Terminator

[Spatech_tuo]

Loosenup, you obviously aren't the only one, so the question is what do you and Spatech have in common?  

I think it was the "kick me" sign on our backs.

[Richs100]

I would tell them that have to Wet Test first.  
Tell them you don't want to be responsible for the shipping charges back from Ghana when they decide to return the tub because they don't fit under the corner neck jets.

[Chas]

I may have gotten one of these calls. The reason I'm not sure is that after just a few moments trying to answer a few questions another operator came on the line and said that they suspected this call was a fraud, and asked if I would like to continue or have them simply disconnect.

I thanked them and said to disconnect.

Now that I have read your posts, I think this may very well have been this same scam.

 8-)