Received the same email from a Peter Bateman stating he was working for Weatherford International and the vehicle was his recently deceased father’s. This was after responding to a Cars.com ad for a 1997 Landcruiser. Of course I didn’t wire any money but I’m still playing along via email.
Wow sorry to hear about all this. I’m here because I also saw the 456 for sale and I knew immediately it was a scam because I’m the one who actually did buy it, and it was in Seattle. He clearly copied the ad right off craigslist and just added his own flair. So I opened an inquiry about it to see what I got back. He wrote and offered more pics, no hard sell right off so I asked for pics of the underside, since I knew he wouldn’t have those lol, and the second email had the red flags in it. But having said that I recently went to look at a car where the seller was “just moved out of country” and mom and dad taking care of sale etc, but it was legit lol.. Man I’m just sick for you guys though. I’d be gutted. Is there any recourse to getting anything back?
So glad I found this site!
Saw a great deal on a Ferrari 456 on cars.com did the inquiry and received the following email:
Sorry for my late reply but I am out of civilization and my connection is bad.
I am working overseas with Weatherford International and I don’t know when I will return because of this corona situation.
The car is located at the auto broker in Seattle, WA, crated and ready to go. The car belonged to my father that recently passed away.
I propose to close the deal through an auto broker, in a safe and easiest way possible for both of us. The payment will be sent to their account, they will keep the money until you receive the car. After delivery, you will have a 7 days inspection period before you decide if you wish to keep it or not. I will ship it anywhere for free if you are ready to buy, that means no loans.
Comes with a clean title, manuals and service history records. No accidents.
If you are still interested please let me know so I can provide you their phone number.
VIN : ZFFSP44A4S0101836
I attached the pics here.
Email address was [email protected]
I’m shocked that cars.com doesn’t verify things like this
Oh chit. Just now learned about this from a car buddy. I fell for it hook line and sinker. Wired out $15,850 on Tuesday for a 78K mile ’97 Land Cruiser that was crated and ready to ship through Maverick Auto Sales out of Seattle. Seller was Peter Bateman…who’s father owned the car. Car Fax report shows the vin and vehicle out of Louisiana. How do I get in line with the rest of you?
After receiving calls from Seattle about the bogus 1965 Mustang they were trying to sell. I got a call from Philly 1+ 215-849-3635. I was lucky enough to discover that YELP was not a valid recommendation. Their Seattle address was really a software design firm, which was clever. The Philly caller hung up, I was not answering the calls from Seattle. Good luck nailing these creeps.
Thanks to all for posting. You popped up when I Googled “Peter Bateman Weatherford” (not on LinkedIn which is odd).
They are still up and running. Using the same story with nearly identical language (too lazy to change it up I guess). Currently using [email protected] Selling a 2005 Land Cruiser for $18k.
This is the email sent to me by this Peter Bateman (feels very legit, but apparently is a scam):
Sorry for my late reply but I am out of civilization and my connection is bad.
I am working overseas with Weatherford International and I don’t know when I will return because of this corona situation.
The car is located at the auto broker in Seattle, WA, crated and ready to go. The car belonged to my father that recently passed away.
I propose to close the deal through an auto broker, in a safe and easiest way possible for both of us. The payment will be sent to their account, they will keep the money until you receive the car. After delivery, you will have a 7 days inspection period before you decide if you wish to keep it or not. I will ship it anywhere for free if you are ready to buy, that means no loans.
Comes with a clean title, manuals and service history records. No accidents.
If you are still interested please let me know so I can provide you their phone number.
I attached the pics here.
Definitely a scam company,scammed out of $30500.00 dollars. Not over yet! For more [email protected]
My case is like copy and paste of your cases. The same off shore worker, who’s father passed away … and broker F5 auto Sales can sell his car… The very same story. I have contacted FBI agent today and he asked me to tell all of you to fill in form on following web page: www.IC3.gov complain. More victims filled in, more power. Please do it. It takes 10 minutes. Cyril.
I’m in this with you. My “seller” said he was off shore and said he worked for Halliburton. I’ve gotten their HR team involved (leveraging) and will file with the FBI. I’ve also got Chase Fraud working on it for me. I was purchasing a wedding present for my husband. These people need to be stopped!
i’m so glad i found this page
everything seems to good to be true , i am trying to buy a boat and i saw one i like on boat trader so i sent the guy “Arthur” an email asking for details , he even sent me pictures of the boat and thats what he said to me
Hello Ricky,
Let me say that the Nautique Super Air Nautique G23 is available for $34,700.
One of the cleanest Nautique Super Air Nautique G23 for sale anywhere. 2016 with only 60 hours. One of the best all around driving boat you can buy.
A Totally Rust, Corrosion And Flood Free Vehicle. Never been in any accidents. Clear title.
Where are you located?
If you have any further questions please do not hesitate ask.
Don’t let this beauty go away !
I have attached a full set of pictures for you. Please check them.
I’m sorry for this late response but I was out of civilization and I had no internet connection. I am working offshore and I don’t know when I will return because of this coronavirus. The boat is located at the auto broker in Seattle, WA stored inside and ready to go. The boat belonged to my father that recently passed away. He was the second owner. The boat, the title, two sets of keys, manuals and some service history records is what you will get from the auto broker. I arranged for the sale right before I left, so all set on my end. I propose to close the deal through an auto broker, in the most safe and easiest way possible for both of us. Basically, it’s similar to buying a boat locally, the money will be sent to their holding account, and they will keep the money until you receive the boat. After the boat is delivered, you will have a 7 days inspection period before you decide if you wish to keep it or not. If you are serious about buying the boat, I will ship it anywhere with no extra cost. If you want to move forward please contact me back so we can get the ball rolling.
You can call Daniel from F5 Auto Sales Inc at +1 (206) 806-7751. If he is not answering just leave him a voicemail and he will get back with you.
The company is F5 Auto Sales Inc. You can read about how they work step by step here: https://www.f5autosales.com/how.php
To be able to start this transaction you need to register on F5 Auto Sales Inc website: https://www.f5autosales.com/register.php
After the registration is complete just let me know and I will start a transaction for us.
Thank you and stay safe,
f5 auto sales, Seattle
801 5th Ave
Seattle, WA 98104
Tel (206) 806-7751
Daniel Forsberg sales. email;
[email protected]@gmail.com
Seller: Peter Bateman email: [email protected]
The vehicle for sale was previously listed for sale with DS Motors in Florida. When i questioned if this was the same vehicle he confirmed terminating the sale with that broker.
I filed complaint with FBI
Hi mr Andy I did so too and also with local police I believe we should all get together n stay in contact to c if we get somewhere with this SOB, my e mail [email protected]
Here is the link
https://stanautosales.com/register.php
https://f5autosales.com/register.php
Example of email
You can call Dan from F5 Auto Sales Inc at +1 (206) 806-7751 and he will help you with everything. If he is not answering just leave him a voicemail and he will get back with you.
You can read about how they work step by step here: https://f5autosales.com/how.php
To be able to start this transaction you need to register on F5 Auto Sales Inc website: https://f5autosales.com/register.php
After the registration is complete just let me know and I will start a transaction for us.
As I mentioned, I am looking for a fast sale, so I hope you don’t need a loan.
Scammer’s phone 971 512 0114
Scammer’s website stanautosales.com
Scammer’s address 1100 SW 6th Ave. #711, Portland, Oregon
Country United States
Type of a scam Online Purchase
Initial means of contact Online classifieds (e.g., Craigslist)
Please help stop these criminals. They have even gone so far as to, somehow, manipulate their Yelp website. If you try and post a review in order to warn others…it will post to another unaffiliated business. I have contacted Yelp but by the time they get around to doing something, they will have changed their name AGAIN! The one constant in this is DANIEL FORSBERG!
Hi, he has this car listed on Cars.Com https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/827648709/overview/
here is a e-mail he just sent me you may want to work with the authorities to do is sting on this [censored] of the earth…
[email protected]
Peter Bateman AKA (DICK BAIT-MAN)
I still have the 2008 Lexus LX 570 for sale.
Price is $22,000 negotiable. Clean title, non smoker owner, very good condition, 153700 miles.
I will send you more pictures if you are interested.
I’m so glad I google his e-mail and your posst came up!
Wow! I was scammed out of $12,500.00 by Daniel Forsberg at Stan Auto Sales in Portland, Oregon. I found a truck on Cars.com that was perfect for my son and emailed (thru their site as suggested) the seller Peter Bateman. He replied and sent additional pictures. He said he was working with Weatherford International (a real company) and truck had belonged to his father who had recently passed away. Well, that just hit home with me because my husband really did pass away June 13, 2020 and he had a small amount of life insurance I was using to buy this truck for our son. I feel so stupid but it seemed so legit. So they have used Moon Auto, Sapa Auto, Stan Auto and now they are F5 Auto Sales in Seattle, WA. Those are just the ones I know. They only use the name for 3- 4 weeks so they have new victims before any bad reviews are made public. I found them on Cars.com again, emailed them from a different account and that’s how I know they are using f5 auto sales now. I have filed with the local police, FBI, FTC & BBB but trying to find someone who cares…forget it! I thought if the crime was actually in progress they would jump onboard but NO! THESE PEOPLE NEED TO BE STOPPED AND PUNISHED!
Same thing happened to me on 9/7/2020 Edith Daniel Forsberg , I been scammed $15400 for a vehicle that I never received!
Scammer’s phone 9715120114
Scammer’s website stans auto sales
Scammer’s address 100 sw6 th ave
Scammer’s email [email protected]
Country United States
Type of a scam Fake Invoice/Supplier Bill
Initial means of contact Not applicable
fake dealership pretending to be brokers , i paid 17000 $ for a car i thought was a good deal wired money , never heard back from them ,
Same thing happens to me on 9/7/20. I transferred $15400 for vehicle I never received and never answer emails ,phone calls!
I got scammed. Everything “seemed” in order. Dr Robert Ballard was a seller of a car I was interested in. Plenty of pictures. I googled him and he appeared to be legit and leaving soon for a contract with National Geographic. He said car was wrapped and ready to deliver with Stan’s Auto Sales in Portland. He suggested that Stan’s could facilitate paperwork and delivery. I wired the money and thats the last I heard from anybody. Attempts to reach Stan’s agent…Daniel Forsberg…have been unsuccessful.
hi andy sorry to hear that , they did the same to me
First thing you should do is contact your bank. They most likley have a fraud examiner that should be able to assist you. Second thing you should do is contact the FBI. Here: https://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx Let us know how you make out by reposting on this site. We need to put an end to these scammers.
I was very happy to read these articles because I was almost scrammed by Stan Auto Sales. My story is identical to what I read here last night. I was lucky to cancel the money transfer I did in the morning to the Capital One Bank in New york to Moon Auto Depot as beneficiary, a business that started in July 31, 2020. I managed to call Daniel Forsberg (claims to be Swedish but has a Mexican accent) and I said that in the afternoon a specialist would come to inspect the car I suposedly bought. But that was impossible due to Covid-19… That is because the car is not there of course. I checked the addresses on Google Maps and they are all fake. I filed the information to the FBI. I hope they can stop and catch them because the same car is still for sale but was sold last year on ebay to an other customer.
Thats a good thing. Glad you were able to stop the transfer. Any car they have listed is not even there. Its just a wire transfer scam to steal your money. Turn all invoices and paperwork over to the FBI.
Scammer’s phone 971-512-0114
Scammer’s website stanautosales.com
Scammer’s address 1100 SW 6th Ave # 711, Portland, OR 97204
Scammer’s email [email protected]
Country United States
Type of a scam Online Purchase
Initial means of contact Email
This is another shipping/escrow scam that posts cars on vairous sites for sale. This outfit was formely SAPA Auto sales. They are using the same lame website template as before. DO NOT WIRE MONEY TO THE BANK FROM THEIR INSTRUCTIONS. See my previous posts on SAPA Auto Sales as well as others.
Victim Location 02864
Type of a scam Online Purchase
This possible scam involves the sale of a car through a "broker" to whom the buyer wires the money and who supposedly holds it until the car is received and accepted by the buyer. I found the car at issue on the website USClassifieds4All.com and sent an email to the seller (name given was Charles Wallin; [email protected]) seeking additional information. The seller responded that the car was still available but that he was selling it through a broker because he is an offshore driller and out of the country at the moment. I asked for information on the broker and was given the website stanautosales.com and the name and phone number of the sales manager "Daniel Forsberg". As part of my due diligence, I reviewed the website and clicked on links that reported to be to Yellow Pages and Yelp. However, these links appeared to be to fake pages. I them researched ScamPulse.com and came across Sapa Auto Sales which was recently identified as a scam and shut down. I think that Stan Auto Sales is the new incarnation of SAPA Auto. The backstory for Stan Auto Sales was very similar SAPA…other posts for SAPA noted a seller who also reported to be an "offshore driller" whose father had recently died, and the sales manager at the broker was "Daniel Berg"…too similar to the "Daniel Forsberg" at Stan Auto Sales. The email address for Mr. Wallin was referenced as a contact on the ScamPulse page for SAPA. The company address for Stan Auto Sales seems to be in a downtown Portland office building (not a car lot or warehouse). Their ScamPulse.com profile was only created on September 1st which seems to be very soon after SAPA was identified as a scam. The ScamPulse.com profile for Stan Auto Sales does not list the name of any corporate officers. I respectfully suggest that Stan Auto Sales be investigated for legitimacy. Thank you.
Victim Location 81082
Type of a scam Other
They claim to be an auto broker that will provides an escrow service between you and the seller. The idea is you wire transfer the purchase price of a vehicle and they hold the money until the vehicle is delivered to you. Then you supposedly have a week to inspect and accept the vehicle at which time they would release the funds to a seller. The problem is I cannot prove they exist. They have an extensive website with links to the Yellow Pages and ScamPulse.com . The links bring up data on them. But when you look them up from the Yellow Pages or ScamPulse.com website they do not show up. I inquired with the Oregon Attorney General consumer protection office and they said that the business is not registered with the Oregon Secretary of State or the DMV. I can’t prove it but I fear if you sent them money that would be the last you would see of it and would never get the vehicle.
Stan Auto Sales may be the new name for SAPA Auto Sales which apparently shut down…please look up SAPA on this website for several related posts.