Scam using TRUSTe.org ?

Hi all,
I'm from Italy and, while looking for low prices, I have recently found an ad for a PS3 PLAYSTATION 3 60 GB. With all bells and whistles included, the final price (300 Euro) was very attractive.
I replied via email to the ad and got a reply with the offer details ...that still looks attractive to me.....that's why I'm asking your expert advice.
The guy confirmed the console is brand new with 2 years warranty (valid in all Europe), that will include the invoice for the warranty, an additional gamepad, 5 new games, a cable and other stuff and would be sent from UK.
For the payment he sent me an invoce from WWW.TRUSTe.ORG saying I would send the whole amount of 300 Euro to TRUSTe and that they would then hold those money until I will send my confirmation that I have received, inspected and I agree to keep the package.
When TRUSTe will have my confirmation they will transfer the funds to the seller.

What do you think about that ? Can be a scam ?

By doing some Google search , as for similar ads, have found that the company that should send the Playstation from London is called EUROELEC ltd. (reported twice in Fraudwatchers as being a scammer).

Something that is also worrying me is that the TRUSTe invoice says:
"Dear Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx, the seller Yyyyyyyy Yyyyyyyyy started the transaction over the TRUSTe Secured protection program.TRUSTe requires the payment for this item to be done through Money Gram money transfer service to a verified TRUSTe Secured agent."

What I'm worried about (never used TRUSTe before) is the payment made through MONEYGRAM which you often warn as an unsecure payment method.

.....So, with the whole story in your hands, what would you suggest ? Is TRUSTe involvment something proof to avoid a scam?

Thanks all in advance for your help and advice.
Cheers and Merry Xmas to you all.

[Daneel]

This must be a scammer pretending to be Truste. All that Truste does if you read their website (www.truste.org) is to provide a seal that ensures that any data entered on a website will be privacy protected. I'm pretty sure they do not in any way guarantee that a company won't steal your money and they do not run escrow services.

And even if they started doing this, for whatever reason, they would sure as hell not be using MoneyGram. There's no good reason for a legitimate European company to use MG or WU.

You can easily confirm this by contacting truste.org through the contact details on that site. And here I found some info on this particular type of scam:
http://news.bigg.net/n90364-Fraud_Al..._Services.html

I'm guessing all the communication you have received from them has been from free email addresses, not ending in @truste.org? Most likely all the phone numbers will also have been anonymous mobile phones. Please post any contact details you have for them as it may help warn others.

Thanks a lot Daneel,
While I was waiting for this topic to be posted by the administrator, I've also made some investigation.
Everything looks the same as for your link.
By the way what made me suspicious is that the invoice requires me to send (using MoneyGram) the total amount not to a company account (as I would expect) but to what is reported as a "Secured Agent" whose name is Richard Damian, 9B Varley Parade London NW9 6RR United Kingdom.
Browsing the TRUSTe site I could not find any indication that the provide escrow services.
Have anyway emailed all the information to TRUSTe in the meanwhile.

What is anyway strange is that all links in the received invoice are correct and that also the address from where the invoice email was sent doesn't seem fake : TRUSTe Transactions [transactions@europetruste.org]
Have verified that www.europetruste.org exists ......

I don't know how to attach documents to my posts (maybe I cannot attach anything because I'm still unregistered in this site). Anyway if you want I can mail the received invoice so you or the admin can check it. Hoping this could help someone from this spam.
I'm anyway going to dig a little bit more into this ..... will keep you all posted with my findings.

Cheers.

[Daneel]

The domain europetruste.org was registered yesterday (!!!) with an anonymized domain registration (not something most legitimate companies would have and the real truste.org doesn't):
http://dnstools.com/?lookup=on&wwwho...ubmit=Get+Info
The site sets up a frame that copies the legitimate site www.truste.org, so europetruste.org is a fake domain set up by the scammer.

A Google search for that address brings up some interesting results:
http://www.auctionblacklist.com/view...hp?case_id=182
http://www.zug.com/pranks/powerbook/
I think there's one of those scammer-run internet café's there.

If you send it by email to xxxxxxx I can post it.

[Daneel]

Thanks for the email. The domain europetruste.org seems to have been shut down now

For anyone interested, here is an example of the fake emails that these scammers who impersonate TRUSTe send out. Note that the real TRUSTe does not offer these kinds of services. The real TRUSTe's website and contact details can be found at www.truste.org

From: TRUSTe Transactions [mailto:transactions@europetruste.org]
Sent: mercoledì 12 dicembre 2007 11.35
To: Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: TRUSTe Secured Transaction #89140141

Here's the invoice for your item
TRUSTe Secured Transaction #89140141 for item PS3 PLAYSTATION 3 60 GB console PAL
____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___
Purchase protection and refund:

Currently, this seller has a €5,650.00 deposit in an TRUSTe managed purchase protection account. Transactions with this seller are covered by purchase protection against fraud and description errors.
For your safety, this account was locked today, for 30 days time. The seller is unable to withdraw any money from it, within this period. In case you need a refund for this transaction, the insured amount will be taken from the seller's purchase protection account and sent to you. The refund is sent to your bank account, or by check or money order.
The way you are refunded is at your choice. You have 30 days from the above verification date to request a refund. Refund requests are processed within 3 days.

CONDITIONS TO BE MET BEFORE YOU MAY ASK FOR A REFUND

Here are the situations suitable for a refund request:
1) If the item doesn't arrive and/or the seller stops communications after the payment was received;
2) If the merchandise you receive has different specifications than the ones you agreed on;
3) If your merchandise arrives in a much longer period than the one you agreed on (more than 15 days from the payment clearance day); For cases 2) and 3) you have to send back the merchandise to the seller prior to ask for your refund. If you did not pay the seller by the required payment method, your refund request would be declined.

Important Usage Guidelines:
1. The contact information should only be used for resolving matters related to TRUSTe. Any other use is strictly prohibited.
2. This transaction is protected by TRUSTe Secured services such as insurance, feedback and dispute resolution.
3. You may buy and sell with confidence in all transactions with this ebay member.
4. If you need to dispute this transaction, keep the transaction number at hand when contacting TRUSTe. Any complaints must be filed within 30 days from the verification date.

____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___

Dear Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxx, the seller Constanzo Nadir started the transaction over the TRUSTe Secured protection program.TRUSTe requires the payment for this item to be done through Money Gram money transfer service to
a verified TRUSTe Secured agent.

If you are not familiarized with the Money Gram money transfer services please visit: www.moneygram.com.

If you want to locate the nearest Money Gram Office in your area please click here.
You have to pay with cash at any Money Gram Office.

Note: The funds will not be released under any circumstances. We will hold the payment until you will
send us your confirmation that you have received, inspected and you agree to keep the package.
When we will have your confirmation we will transfer the funds to the seller.
____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___

TRUSTe Secured Agent Payment Details

Sale price :EUR 300.00
First Name : Richard
Last Nameamian
Address : 9B Varley Parade
City: London
Postal Code: NW9 6RR
Country: United Kingdom

How to make payment?

1. Locate the nearest Money Gram Office.
2. Make the payment with cash using the above agent details.
3. E-mail us the following details from the payment receipt:
- REFERENCE - 8 digits number from the payment receipt
- Sender Name and Address
- Receiver Name
- Amount
- Scanned copy of the payment receipt
4.Fax the receipt to: +44-7006-032-381

Buyer Delivery informations :
First Name: Xxxxxxxxx
Last Name:Xxxxxxx
Street:Zzzzzzzzzzzz
City:Wwwwwwwww
Zip code:99999999
Country:Yyyyyyy
____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ___

Constanzo Nadir
PS3 PLAYSTATION 3 60 GB console PAL
EUR 300.00
Subtotal:EUR 300.00

Shipping and handling via Sellers Standard International Rate is included in the price:

Total:EUR 300.00

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