This is how a scam will start

[netweaver]

Hi all,
Allow me to provide a real-life scam situation that was brewing when the buyer smelt a stinking rat
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1. A prospective buyer contacts a seller :
We are interested in your xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxx 10143 for wholesale purchase.
Please send us details of your product specifications and price terms for shipment to USA.

We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,
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2. Seller/scammer responds
the price for one xxx xxxx xxx xxxx 10143 Brand New is $ 120.
min order is 10 units.
payment terms : moneygram.
shipping terms : Ups.
the units will be sent from this location :
1133 Chandler Oaks Drive
Jacksonville ,FL 32221
USA
if you are interested contact me at : cartergamesflorida@yahoo.com .
Donald Carter
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3. Buyer responds
Dear Donald,
Thank you for your reply.
Taking into account that this is the first deal, can you accept any mode of payment other than moneygram, paypal maybe ?

Waiting for your reply.

Thank you and best wishes
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4. Seller responds
as much as i would like to use paypal or escrow or any other form of payment for this deal,i just can't.
let me explain you why :
i have a contract of colaboration with MoneyGram and i must conduct all my deals thru them...so for example,if you will buy this 10 x xxxxx xxx 10143 Brand New you will pay at MoneyGram $ 1200 minus the taxes,they will support them.
i have the same contract with Ups but with them i get lower costs when i ship the units to you,now you understand?
this contracts are signed by them and by me,and i must respect them,i hope that you understand.
so,if you decide to move forward with this deal,email me your full name and address so i can register you the package with Ups and so i can reply with the tracking# for the registration and with the payment instructions.
my email is : cartergamesflorida@yahoo.com .
Donald Carter
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Conversation ended here

First thing to notice.
1. Seller writes like a kid hardly a business person
2. He only takes moneygram because of some obscure reason "he has a contract" with them - that's a new one to me.

How this scam will proceed.
1. Unsuspecting buyer will send him details (read his final email) (buyer sees no harm in sending details)
2. Seller/scammer wil contact you with a sense of urgency that item has been registered with UPS and ready to go.
3. Seller/scammer will pressure you - letting you know, item is ready to go, as "it's registered"
4. At this point, unsuspecting buyer will be pressured to moneygram or TT money
5. buyer will never see the money nor his goods again


If someone from Florida can verify the address and google Carter Games inc, that will be appreciated.

[Frazzle]

Well done for spotting the scam.

Another scam pointer is a "company" using a free, anonymous Yahoo account.

I'm not sure why you asked for a Florida person to do the Google. Anyway, I just tried and all I got was the Alibaba scam ads.

Google Maps confirms the address as real. It looks like a suburban street. But the fact that the address exists doesn't mean that the scammer lives there.

Looking up the address gives this:

Donald & Rene Carter
1133 Chandler Oaks Dr
Jacksonville, FL 32221-1355
(904) 783-4784

I suggest a phone call to Mr Carter to check it out.

[Unregistered2]

Although I do not know exactly which house it is on the street, I am familiar with this neighborhood. It is an upper middle class suburban area (4 bedroom/3 bath homes/3+ car garages 400k to start). The "company" likely does not boast the 11-50 employees Mr. Carter suggests elsewhere on the web. While there is nothing wrong with working out of a home, you were right to suspect a scam.

[Aeval]

Well, since Carter Games Inc is doing business in Florida, they should be registered with the state, right?

They should be, but they are not. There is no record of Carter Games Inc anywhere on file with the Florida Department of State - Division of Corporations.

The "Inc" at the end of the name of a company is not just there for fancy. It's a legal denominator of the type of the company, and there is an entire slew of laws that have to be followed in regard to proper registration.

Personally, considering all that was posted above, I would avoid this "company" like the plague.