In <001001c487a9$55dc9a00$6501a8c0@williamvafwvvc>, on 08/21/04
   at 11:04 AM, developtrust <developtrust@COX.NET> said:

>Today I got one of those suspicious email offers to buy my vanagon. I
>have copied it below my signature. Sounds enticing but suspicious. Any
>advice?

William,

You are just kidding us, right? :-)

I get five or more of those offers every week, only there has never been a
vanagon involved, just a lot of money that someone needs to give me in
order to get it out of some trust, and into America, and all I have to do
is give them some of it back. Usually its for a guy named Ahmed, or Omar.
Kind of sad to think anyone would take the time to run such a scam, but
even sadder to think that its likely that with so many people to hit up,
one or two actually go for it.

Once the "transaction" is begun, something unforeseen comes up that ties
up the funds, and requires you to pay "a little bit of money" in good
faith, or some other reason, in order to get the bank, broker, or
whomever, to release the money. Then another problem, a some more dollars,
and before long, no communication, and no money.

Such schemes are debunked pretty clearly on several reliable web sites,
even the FTC or some other stupid government entity posts info about these
schemes. Too bad there doesn't seem to be a way to turn it around and
screw over the scammer.

Mark