Avoid Boat Buying Fraud
By Tim Gottschalk, Thu Dec 8th

If you have attempted to sell a boat (or car, etc.) on theinternet, chances are you may have come across prospectivebuyers offering to buy your boat for more than it is worth.

The story usually goes something like this. They email youtelling you they like your boat. They (or their client) want tobuy the boat, and have you ship it overseas to Nigeria, or somesimilar country. The prospective buyer will send you a cashier'scheck for more than the amount. The buyer may tell you thisadditional amount will be used to cover the shipping cost.Another tact they use is to tell you they have a debtor in theUS that owes them money. You settle with the debtor for theamount of the boat, and send them the difference.

If you are approached with this situation, Please proceed withextreme caution. These scammers will go to the trouble ofsending you a check via certified mail that is a forgery. Atfirst glance the checks appear real. But in reality are notworth the paper they are printed on. Just remember; certifiedchecks are NOT GUARANTEED. Your bank will honor the check andgive you cash against it. A counterfeit cashier's check may notbe discovered until weeks after it has been cashed. When theforgery is discovered, you will be held responsible for thefunds drawn on this

Product Reviews for Monday, Feb 06, 2012
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check!

Not only will you be out the money, your boat is now overseas.It will be very difficult to prosecute someone from a foreigncountry.

We recommend if you are dealing with someone overseas, make sureyou do thorough background checks. Get as much information aboutthe buyer as possible. Also try to use a 3rd party escrowcompany for the funds, to help protect you.

And finally- IF IT SOUNDS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, IT PROBABLY IS!

If you have been victimized by the Nigerian scam forwardappropriate documentation to the United States Secret Service,Financial Crimes Division, 950 H Street, NW, Washington, D.C.20223. Don’t expect much help though. The Secret Service has notjurisdiction in these countries. They cannot force the NigerianGovernment or Police to act.

About the author:

Tim Gottschalk operates several related websitesincluding: http://www.houseboatingworld.com and http://www.netboater.com -featuring boats for sale.He has been an avid boater for over 20 years.