WARNING ELAN FRAUD

[Ray]

The story is as follows,

I was looking on the internet for a S1,2,3 Elan and found on the Dutch site AutoScout24 a S2, year 1965. I started enquiries on 17 August. I sent an e-mail to the seller. She is called Johanna Doblhofer and seemed to be Austrian. As it now seems she still adverts the car in virtually all European counties, see: http://www.fyndtorget.se/annons.php?id=105779

She was selling the car because she was divorced and the car had been a present from her ex-husband. She wanted to get rid of the car. She also said that she had moved from Amsterdam to work in Liverpool and that a left-hand drive car was a problem for her.
She sent me two pdf files, one with photos and one with the cars documents.
By post I got the ?real? documents which are Austrian.
The car is chassis number US65264066 with engine number LP2368LBA, colour blue.
Legally the car is mine because I have a contract, I have paid, have the documents, but no car!

She said that we could use EKM-Express for a safe money exchange. See, http://www.ekm-express.com/ Contact person: Marcus Peterson.
This company got good feedback on e-bay so I trusted them and her.
I paid 7200 euro via a Barclay Bank in London, Kenton Park Parade Branch.
EKM confirmed that my money had arrived and that the car was put onto transport on 2 September and would arrive on 6 September between 15.00 and 18.00 hours at my address in Holland.

The car did not and has not arrived, Also nor Doblhofer nor EKM are responding to my e-mails anymore. I have notified London and Dutch Police and reported the fraud at www.actionfraud.or.uk

I can send you more detail if wanted.
Here are some links.
http://www.google.nl/search?hl=nl&sugex ... a=N&tab=wi
This is the woman?s ID card only other name same face.

http://www.google.nl/search?um=1&hl=nl& ... l1.5.3l9l0
This is the car on page 4 and 5.

If any one can help me tracing the car which I suppose is in the UK or can be of assistance in getting back my money this would be extremely appreciated!

Regards
Ray

[bilcoh]

Oh, that's an ugly story. I've got nothing to offer except some sympathy and hope for a satisfactory resolution.

Best of luck,

Dave

[vernon.taylor]

Let's hope it's just late - transport companies are not very responsive to private individuals in my experience. Fingers crossed for you.

[elanfan1]

Smacks of scam to me - the first alert should have been the price of the car - if it looks cheap there is usually a reason.

The photos of the car are probably stock photos, the Johanna person probably doesn't exist and the money is now residing in Nigeria.

I really really hope you get some sort of positive outcome but it doesn't look good.

[Vaughan]

Removed by Editor at Poster's request.

Cheers

V

[elanfan1]

Here it is again:

http://www.trefle.com/vehicules/voiture ... 75116.html

this time in Paris!

[RogerFrench]

This is very familiar. The Liverpool story, etc., was all told to my son a couple of years bak, but it was a Twin Cam Europa then.
They even had the right name of a genuine Europa owner!

It was a scam. Oh, well!

[PanoGuy]

Am I wrong to suggest those prices are somewhat below market? And as for the US seller, we in the US have gotten used to his somewhat "hopeful" representations of cars. Best to view with some skepticism, as with any trader. But a nice Elan for 7900 Euros?

[Carlos A]

Ray:

This car add has been around for a while. I saw the add in Spain and in Spanish when I was looking for an Elan but communication with seller was difficult. Then I saw another add with same pictures in Portuguese that same week.

... In sum there is no doubt this is a SCAM. Do not assume there is a car. Pictures were probably taken from an old add, a forum, or somebody's webpage. By nature these crimes are difficult to investigate and recouping the money from the "seller" is --I am afraid-- unlikely.

On the other hand you can sue EKM since they released the money (I assume) to the seller without you approving or receiving the merchandise. Document this ASAP and contact them via a lawyer (they have offices in London). This is --I would guess-- your best chance...

Good luck

Carlos

[1964 S1]

Hello Ray (and anyone else who is paying attention.)
How do I know you're not part of the fraud. Your post total is 1. Where have you been?

I kinda left this website (even tho' I'm a total Lotus Elan believer) when I found members were using multiple identities.

I hope ya'll figure out this "internet" fraud Lotus Elan Oh My Gosh I Didn't Buy It Either Scheme.

In the meantime, if we can't have a sincere Lotus Elan website here without people pretending to be other people, what can you expect from the wide open worldwide internet marketplace?

Sincerely,
Eric
(code name 1964 S1, always has been, always will be)

[GrUmPyBoDgEr]

Hello Ray (and anyone else who is paying attention.)
How do I know you're not part of the fraud. Your post total is 1. Where have you been?

I kinda left this website (even tho' I'm a total Lotus Elan believer) when I found members were using multiple identities.

I hope ya'll figure out this "internet" fraud Lotus Elan Oh My Gosh I Didn't Buy It Either Scheme.

In the meantime, if we can't have a sincere Lotus Elan website here without people pretending to be other people, what can you expect from the wide open worldwide internet marketplace?

Sincerely,
Eric
(code name 1964 S1, always has been, always will be)

Well you've certainly got my attention now!
Like yourself I wondered about this 1st posting but wasn't the poster's intention to draw our attention to this problem even though he normally doesn't post because he thought it important enough to do so in this case?
I have to admit that in such things I can be quite naive & I also don't really notice the comings & goings of members either.
You mentioned that some members post under more than name; why would that be?
I've always thought that this forum was very fair & that the membership is a good cross section of honest society.
You have, it seems, found this not to be the case & your revelation has, to be blunt, really startled me.

Maybe it's time to name & shame?

John
Was D J Pelly & now GrUmPyBoDgEr

[terryp]

I found members were using multiple identities.

Eric
I'm intrigued , can you PM me with the info

Thanks
Terry (TerryP Today and always)

[jimj]

There`s one MOST prolific poster, easily offended when corrected, that`s very obviously a relatively new pseudonym.
Commiserations to Ray, an oft repeated lesson; if it looks too good....................
Jim

[GrUmPyBoDgEr]

There`s one MOST prolific poster, easily offended when corrected, that`s very obviously a relatively new pseudonym.
Commiserations to Ray, an oft repeated lesson; if it looks too good....................
Jim

I don't think that is quite the point Jim.
The inference made by 1964 S1 was that some members were "using multiple identities" which seemed to be reason enough for him to stop posting here.

With my fertile imagination I concluded that those "multiple identities" were chosen for probably not above board reasons.

On the other hand I, for example, changed my identity from my "proper name" to a pseudo-name after I discovered that these postings were to be found on Google & I explained this at the time I made the change.

It seems that I, amongst others here, am too naive to pick up on the undercurrents which apparently are present on here.

Cheers
John

[garyeanderson]