When Doing Your Homework Pays Off

Jason — Tue, 09/01/2009 - 22:38

I haven't mentioned the story here yet, but my airplane's engine gave out on me and needs to be repaired or replaced. That means I've been doing a lot of research on the Continental C-145 and it's close-enough cousin, the O-300. My research nearly led me to buy one, but thanks to Ted and some deeper digging, I was able to avoid disaster. Read on for the rest of the story...

I started by looking at engine overhauls, but it turns out that the top-of-the-line overhaul I was hoping for can run into the 20's. As one person suggested, for that much money I might as well look at used engines too. Bearing that in mind, I'd located a few possibilities when I decided to look for 'project' aircraft with usable engines. Knowing that early C-172s were very similar to C-170s I went to globalplanesearch.com (GPS) and started browsing.

I came across an ad for a 1961 C-172B advertised for $15,000. At that price, I figured it was probably a project plane and took a look at the ad on airplanemart.com. What I found was far from a project. It was an IFR C-172B with less than 200 hours on the engine, great paint and a nearly new leather interior. It was too good to be true...warning flags anyone? I figured at worst I could buy the plane and sell it right away and make enough in profit to pay to overhaul my engine. Better yet, I could pull the engine off and give Ted a good deal on a basic airframe to put an engine on at his leisure, or keep the plane and do the same thing myself.

Worried that I'd miss my chance, I emailed the seller, Maria Roland. She explained that she got the plane in a divorce, but had moved to Spain and had no use for it. She said it's at a shipping company with the wings off and intended to deliver it to my airport of choice. Good enough, right? I told her I'd want to get a pre-buy inspection and asked for some more info. She agreed to the inspection and asked for some more detailed personal information from me. Unsure I could get my wife's permission to buy a second airplane when our first was sitting several hundred miles away without any prospect of flying home anytime soon, I held off on taking the deal any further. In the meantime, Ted and I were doing our homework.

We both Googled the N-number and came up with some puzzling information. Trade-a-Plane had an ad for the same aircraft, with a lot more information, and a seller with a different name. FlightAware and AircraftOne had records of the plane with the Trade-a-Plane seller and another person as the aircraft's owner. The source, the FAA Registry, lists the same owner as FlightAware. Digging deeper, Ted called the owner from the Trade-a-Plane ad. He was very surprised to hear what we'd found. He'd sold it to the current owner this summer for a lot more than $15,000. At that point, Ted was convinced that Maria's ad was a scam. Still clinging to hope, I emailed her asking for verification that she actually owned the plane. I also Googled the phone number of the owner on the FAA's books and gave him a call. He assured me that he still owns the aircraft in question and that it is not for sale. The Maria trying to sell his plane has never met him. I warned him about Maria's ad and hung up, disappointed that the deal I'd spent a few days excited about had been a hoax.

I haven't heard back from 'Maria' yet, and I don't expect to. I emailed GPS and AirplaneMart to let them know they have a bad ad. Don't be surprised if this story's links to those ads quit working soon. I don't think either of those sites had any inkling that this was a scam. I still do my used aircraft shopping at GPS.

Looking back, I've learned a few things from this experience. Mostly, I'm glad I never gave Maria any more personal information than my name and an email address with an awesome spam filter. Second, I'm glad I did my research. It takes almost no effort to Google the N-number of a prospective purchase and make sure that the seller is also the actual owner. I like to think that even if I hadn't caught the scam at this stage, it would have become obvious when it came time for the pre-buy inspection. I would have also ordered a title search that would have raised flags. Though it wasn't a factor here, I also looked up the N-number in the NTSB Accident Database. (The owner probably already knows it, but his plane has no accident history.)

We hear a lot about identify theft in the news these days. It appears that even aircraft owners aren't immune from some forms of it. Keep your eyes open for people offering you a good deal in order to obtain your personal information.

I hate to say it, but it looks like the saying "If it's too good to be true, it probably is" still applies. There are a lot of great deals out there on used aircraft right now, but be sure to protect yourself before you agree to buy one. Do your homework and don't ignore warning signs. Hopefully, things will turn out for you like they did for me and Ted. Now, I just need to find a way to get my plane back in the air...

Pilot Hacker

2273 reads

2001 Newmar dutch star

Unidentified Target — Wed, 03/31/2010 - 21:01

Another Maria Roland posting , Apparently she is a he, the scam artists real name is: Leonard Cristian Alexandru who lives in Spain. This person almost got $15000.00 from us too. Watch out for Craigslist and anyone name Maria Roland or Leonard Cristian Alexandru. If you want to purchase something via the internet make sure you check the shipping company and ALWAYS USE your E-bay account when purchasing something!

2001 Newmar dutch star

Unidentified Target — Wed, 03/31/2010 - 21:01

Motor home scam

Unidentified Target — Wed, 03/24/2010 - 19:49

When my dad showed me a kickin deal on a motor home He found I was pretty shocked Maria Roland was trying to sell a 80000 dollar rig for 15000 thousand i was pretty leery but my dad wanted to go ahead with the deal my fiance googled her name and we found this site thanx for the heads up hope she gets busted

I hope someone catches her

Unidentified Target — Tue, 03/02/2010 - 08:48

From: Maria roland

Sent: Mon, March 1, 2010 4:25:38 PM
Subject: Re: 2007 Acura TL TYPE-S - Navigation (#2386527)

I am really happy i googled hear name

Hello,

The car is in perfect working condition, it doesn't have any dents, chips or scratches and the interior is like new, it is a non smoker car. All the maintenance has been done on a regular basis. It's accident-free and has a clean and clear title. The total price that I 'm asking for the car including shipping to your door is $15,000.00. I am selling it because I've moved back to Spain and importing it here is not an option because of the high taxes involved. The car is currently in NH in custody of a shipping company, ready to be delivered to its new owner.
I would like to use eBay Vehicle Protection Program a third party service to handle this transaction for our own safety. Let me know if you are still interested and I will give you the details about the transaction.

Thank you,
Maria

Maria Roland in Birmingham, AL

Unidentified Target — Sun, 02/21/2010 - 18:31

Watch out, looks like she has gotten into some sites for horse trailers for sale. I found the ad on horsetopia.com, I was looking for a horse trailer, and came across a 2008 Adam All American 3H w/LQ for 15,000. I emailed for more pictures and asked if I come look at the trailer, since I live in Georgia. She emailed me back and sayed that she moved to Spain and that the trailer was in NH in custody of the shipping plant, and that she would only go through EBAY VEHICLE PROTECTION. Do these scammers understand that you cant go through ebay unless it is being sold on ebay , and that anyone can check; using the email address; on ebay just to see if they have an account? Well anyway, just wanted to get the word out.

Maria Roland in Texas

Unidentified Target — Fri, 01/22/2010 - 12:58

Maria never gave me her phone number I requested or specific pictures of the VIN and odometer (must be a scam, I thought). Here's her emails:

If you want to buy it, you will have to make a deposit of $4,500 to eBay Motors(they will use an eBay Agent to receive the funds) and after they confirm it the shipping will be started or you can pick it up. You will have 14 days for inspection. If it is like I have described it, you will have to pay the remaining balance to eBay. Or you can cancel the deal if the car is not as I have advertised it and eBay will give you back the deposit in maximum 3 working days. In case of a refund, the car will be returned at my expense. I can ship it knowing that you are a serious buyer and you have enough time to test and inspect it. We are both covered.
I need your full name, shipping address and phone number in order to initiate the transaction with eBay. They will contact you with further details.
Maria

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To: mariaroland2@msn.com
Subject: RE: Sienna
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 2010 15:52:03 -0700

Hi Maria,

Thanks for the pictures. Could you please provide pictures of the odometer reading and the VIN number?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: mariaroland2@msn.com
Subject: RE: Sienna
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 2010 22:25:05 +0000

You emailed me a while ago when you saw the ad but I haven't answered my emails in a while. I have attached some pics. I am selling it so cheap because importing it to spain would cost too much and the taxes are very high. It is a little difficult to find a buyer under these conditions that's why I've decided to sell it cheaper. Please let me know what you decide.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To: mariaroland2@msn.com
Subject: RE: Sienna
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 2010 08:14:27 -0700

Maria,

I just have a couple more inquiries. How did you get my email address or know I was looking for a Sienna? Why is the van selling so cheaply if it is in good shape. Are there pictures and/or a website where I can look at the car?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: mariaroland2@msn.com
Subject: RE: Sienna
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 2010 13:36:14 +0000

Year: 2008
Mileage: 20,745
Body Style: Passenger Van
Exterior Color: Gray
Interior Color: gray
VIN: 5TDBK22C07S001677
Engine: 6 Cylinders
Transmission: AUTOMATIC

INTERIOR Odometer - 6 Digits Digital Operable Average GRY - Leather Int Odor: OK Wood Trim Dash OPTIONS Pwr Lock Pwr Window Tilt Steering Cruise Ctl CD Player Dual Air Bags Power Mirrors Power Folding Mirrors ABS Brakes Fog Lamps Rear Air Conditioning Rear Wiper Third Seat Dual Sliding Side Doors Left Power Sliding Door Xenon Headlights Security System Steering Wheel Audio Control Dual Air Conditioning Heated Seats DVD with Screen Woodgrain Interior Package Navigation System Hand Tool Kit Rear Radio Controls Pwr Steering Pwr Seats - Both A/C Rear Defrost Side Air Bags 50 State Emissions Heated Mirrors Owner's Manual Tinted Windows Trip Counter CD Changer Power Trunk/Liftgate Luggage Rack Right Power Sliding Door Floor Mats US EPA Label MP3 Compatible Stereo Trailering Package HomeLink Memory Seat Rear View Camera Telescopic Steering Wheel Parking Distance Control .

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To: mariaroland2@msn.com
Subject: RE: Sienna
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 2010 06:07:54 -0700

Maria,

Could you please remind me what Sienna you are referring to (I've sent out lots of emails and forget which one I sent emails about)? Is there a website to look at the van?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: mariaroland2@msn.com
Subject: RE: Sienna
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 2010 09:51:25 +0000

Hello,

The car is in perfect working condition, it doesn't have any dents, chips or scratches and the interior
is like new, it is a non smoker car. All the maintenance has been done on a regular basis. It's accident-free
and has a clean and clear title. The total price that I 'm asking for the car including shipping to your door
is $11,000.00. The car is currently in NH in custody of a shipping company, ready to be delivered to its new owner.
I would like to use eBay Vehicle Protection Program a third party service to handle this transaction for
our own safety. Let me know if you are still interested and I will give you the details about the transaction.

Thank you,
Maria

Maria Roland hits Fayetteville, AR

Unidentified Target — Wed, 01/20/2010 - 18:10

Subject: RE: ... 2004 Holiday Rambler Neptune Diesel Motor Home ... - $15047 (fayetteville)

We were looking at a RV being sold by Maria on Craigslist. This is the email we recieved....

Hello,

The RV is in perfect working condition, it doesn't have any dents, chips or scratches and the interior is like new.
All the maintenance has been done on a regular basis. It's accident-free and has a clean and clear title. The
total price that I 'm asking for the RV including shipping to your door is $15,000.00. I am selling it because I've
moved back to Spain and importing it here is not an option because of the high taxes
involved. The RV is currently in NH in custody of a shipping company, ready to be delivered to its new owner.
I would like to use eBay Vehicle Protection Program a third party service to handle this transaction for our
own safety. Get back to me for more details.

Thank you,
Maria

RE: ... 2004 Holiday Rambler Neptune Diesel Motor Home

Unidentified Target — Sun, 01/31/2010 - 19:45

She is now trying to run the same scam in Canada and has a new email address mariar@gmx.com. Exact same story, even sends the eBay link, however if you go onto eBay's site and look for this motorhome it doesn't show up as listed.

Maria Roland strikes in New Orleans

Unidentified Target — Tue, 12/15/2009 - 16:12

HAPPY to find info on Maria Roland on the internet before getting in too deep. I responded to an ad on Craigslist for a 2007 Acura MDX with the Technology package and received the following e-mail:

Hello,

First of all let me introduce myself, so that you know to whom you are talking to. My name is Maria Roland.
My 2007 Acura MDX TECHNOLOGY is still available, it's in good working condition. I am selling it because I've moved back to Spain after my divorce and importing it here is not an option because of the high taxes involved.This Car is excellent in every way, has no accidents reports,with no need for additional repairs, no scratches, 30,915 miles,clear title and the price is only $11,000.The interior looks great (NO SMOKING).

Let me know if you are still interested and I'll explain you more about the deal.

Thank you,
Maria Roland

Maria Roland Strikes in NY/NJ/CT

Unidentified Target — Thu, 12/17/2009 - 17:40

I received the same email from this character in response to a Craigslist ad fro a 2006 Honda CR-V SE. I almost went through with the deal but this site saved my butt. Here is the "official looking email she sent me with the bank account names and #s. I hope this effer is caught and prosecuted.

From: Melanie Ptashynski
To: XXXXX@xxxx.com
Sent: Mon, Dec 14, 2009 11:05 am
Subject: Your invoice for Craigslist purchase - 2006 Honda CR-V SE 4WD

eBay Motors sent this message to XXXXX.
Your registered name is included to show this message originated from eBay Motors

Your invoice for Craigslist purchase - 2006 Honda CR-V SE 4WD

Invoice for VPP Transaction Case ID : 65B4T138L3213 between Maria Roland, as the Seller and

XXXXX, as the Buyer. Please follow our instructions to complete the transaction safely.

The selling of this item is in compliance with eBay Motors policy, you will be able to exchange feedback with the seller and will be eligible for all eBay Motors services associated with a transaction, such as fraud protection.

Transaction Details:

Transaction ID:

Sale Date:

Item Title:

Item Price:

Payment:

Insurance:

Shipping Fees:
Total:

Shipping Company:
#65B4T138L3213

12.14.2009
2006 Honda CR-V SE 4WD

$8,800.00 USD

YES

$0.00 USD
$8,800.00 USD

Best Auto Shippers

Complete the transaction in 5 easy steps:

1. Buyer and Seller agree on the transaction terms and a selling price. Seller contacts eBay Motors with the transaction details;

2. eBay Motors accepts the transaction and offers purchase protection to the Buyer (if the transaction is declined, no further action is required from neither Buyer or Seller);

3. The Buyer receives an invoice and sends the payment to eBay Motors. After the payment is verified by eBay Motors Staff, the Seller will initiate the shipping. The Seller has three (3) business days to provide a tracking number to both the Buyer and eBay Motors. If no tracking number is provided, a full refund is immediately sent to the Buyer;

4. The Buyer receives the vehicle and has 14 business days to inspect it. If it is as described and as agreed, the Buyer should accept the vehicle. If he refuses it, the item will be shipped back at the Seller's expense;

5. After the inspection period is over (14 business days), the Buyer must contact eBay Motors with the result of the inspection. If the Buyer refuses the vehicle, he will receive the refund only after the returned shipment has been started. The Buyer will not receive the refund while the item is in his/her possession. If the Buyer accepts the vehicle, the payment will be sent to the Seller within three (3) business days.

Pay for your purchase through Bank Wire Transfer:

We require the payment for this item to be done through bank wire transfer:

Go to your bank office or access your online banking service;
Send the payment using the eBay Motors Bank Account Details;

Confirm the payment to eBay Motors Customer Support;

Fax us the copy of the receipt at fax # : 0034-(935)-507-015

eBay Motors Bank Account Details:

Bank Name:

Bank Address:

Account Holder:

Account Holder Address:

Account Number:

IBAN:

BIC:
Caixa Bank
C. Principe de Vergada 103, Madrid, 28006, Spain
Daniel Aniculaesi
Escalona, C. Escalona 88, 28024, Madrid, Spain
2100-2217-6502-0029-2451
ES90-2100-2217-6502-0029-2451
X4482339F

Buyer shipping address:

Purchase protection and refund:

Currently, this seller has a $50,000.00 USD deposit in an eBay Motors managed purchase protection account. Transactions with this eBay Motors 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. Should 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, 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. This transaction is supervised by eBay Motors team.

Vehicle Purchase Protection Overview:

Buy with confidence trough eBay Motors! The Vehicle Purchase Protection program protects your vehicle purchase against
fraud and material misrepresentation. This program is provided by eBay Motors for FREE on all eligible vehicle transactions
completed on eBay Motors.

The following types of fraud and material misrepresentation are covered:
Paying for a vehicle and never receiving it;
Sending a deposit for a vehicle and never receiving the vehicle;
Paying for and receiving a vehicle:
That was a stolen vehicle at the time of the transaction;
With an undisclosed or unknown lien against its title;
Of a make and/or model that is different than what was described in the seller's listing;
Without receiving the title for that vehicle from the seller, if it is impossible for you to obtain a title from the appropriate
Department of Motor Vehicles;
Whose title is subject to an undisclosed salvage, rebuilt, reconstructed, scrapped/destroyed, junk, lemon, manufacturer buyback, or water damage title brand at the time of the sale;
With a model year that is different than the model year described in the seller's listing;
With an odometer reading that is different than the odometer reading described in the seller's listing.

Your vehicle purchase is protected for up to $50,000.00 USD or the vehicle purchase price, whichever is lower. The program covers Cars, Trucks, Motorcycles, ATVs, Go-Karts, Scooters, Mopeds, Personal Watercraft, Snowmobiles, Boats, Buses, Commercial Trucks, Race Cars, RVs and Campers, Trailers.

For any questions please contact support@vpp-ebay-motors-department.com

Thank you again for your purchase

eBay treats your personal information with the utmost care, and our Privacy Policy is designed to protect you and your information.

eBay will never ask their users for personal information, such as bank account numbers, credit card numbers, pin numbers, passwords,

or Social Security numbers in an email.

This eBay notice was sent to eBay Member based on your eBay account preferences and in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

Designated trademarks and brands are the property of their respective owners.
eBay and the eBay logo are trademarks of eBay Inc.

I reported this event to the FBI

Unidentified Target — Thu, 12/17/2009 - 20:32

Hope they can follow-up with the bank account information. I think that maybe the names from the email and on the bank account are the real names of the purps.

Maria Roland

Unidentified Target — Thu, 12/10/2009 - 15:30

Now she's in Salt Lake City trying to sell a Toyota Sienna - same address mariaroland2@msn.com . I wish there were a way to have craigslist block her - but it is convienient to be able to google the same scammer and find her out before she gets someone. Thanks for outing her!

More of the same

UMJIM — Tue, 12/08/2009 - 04:46

She 's trying to sell me an RV. Glad I did some web-surfing and found this site............"..It is already stored at the warehouse ready to be shipped to the new owner. I'm in Spain so, I can't
meet you face to face, that's why I have a contract with eBay and the shipping company, if you want to
buy it, you have to deposit the money at eBay, they will hold the funds until after the inspection period(14 days).
If you don't like it, they will give you a full refund. The transaction will be fully insured by eBay Vehicle Protection
Program.
If you want to buy it please email me your full name and address for shipping so I can initiate the transaction
through eBay. After that they will contact you with all the necessary information about this transaction (terms,
buyer protection,payment instructions, etc.)

Thanks
Maria Roland
.......................

Here is another one - Craigslist

Unidentified Target — Sun, 12/06/2009 - 19:02

The same RV appeared in Craigslist. 5 days later, exact same response as above. Maybe we should all email her at the same time. The address she lists is Mariaroland2@msn.com

http://sanantonio.craigslist.org/cto/1484403314.html

Maria Roland 2006 F-250 $11000

Unidentified Target — Wed, 12/02/2009 - 21:41

Hello,

First of all let me introduce myself, so that you know to whom you are talking to. My name is Maria Roland.
My 2006 Ford F250 is still available, it's in good working condition. I am selling it because I've moved back to Spain after my divorce and importing it here is not an option because of the high taxes involved.This Car is excellent in every way, has no accidents reports,with no need for additional repairs, no scratches, 20.000 miles,clear title and the price is only $11,000.The interior looks great (NO SMOKING).

Let me know if you are still interested and I'll explain you more about the deal.

Thank you,
Maria Roland

identical case

Unidentified Target — Mon, 12/07/2009 - 22:35

haha i was looking on craigslist when i came upon a really good deal when i replied saying how many milles is on the truck and she replied this: its funny because every letter is similar..

Hello,

First of all let me introduce myself, so that you know to whom you are talking to. My name is Maria Roland.
My 2008 CHEVROLET K1500 SILVERADO is still available, it's in good working condition. I am selling it because I've moved back to Spain after my divorce and importing it here is not an option because of the high taxes involved.This Car is excellent in every way, has no accidents reports,with no need for additional repairs, no scratches, 25,000 miles,clear title and the price is only $13,000.The interior looks great (NO SMOKING).

Let me know if you are still interested and I'll explain you more about the deal.

Thank you,
Maria Roland

Another SCAM by "Maria Roland" on Craigslist--12/2/09

Unidentified Target — Wed, 12/02/2009 - 18:28

I inquired about a Nissan Murano she had for sale on Craigslist in Houston.

Hello,

First of all let me introduce myself, so that you know to whom you are talking to. My name is Maria Roland.
My 2006 Nissan Murano is still available, it's in good working condition. I am selling it because I've moved back to Spain after my divorce and importing it here is not an option because of the high taxes involved.This Car is excellent in every way, has no accidents reports,with no need for additional repairs, no scratches, 65,344 miles,clear title and the price is only $9,000.The interior looks great (NO SMOKING).

Let me know if you are still interested and I'll explain you more about the deal.

Thank you,
Maria Roland

Good Work!

Jason — Wed, 12/02/2009 - 09:07

Thanks everyone for your comments and warnings. Please post updates if you get any. If there are forums or reviews on the sites where you find these adds, consider a link to this page to help convince anyone tempted by these too good to be true offers. The more pages that link to this one, the more likely it will be that Google points people here when they search for Maria.

Jason

Chalk up another one to this vixen. Common sense prevails!

Unidentified Target — Tue, 12/01/2009 - 00:31

http://springfieldil.craigslist.org/cto/1484076862.html

Maria selling her odyssey EXL again

Unidentified Target — Mon, 11/30/2009 - 00:11

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/scz/cto/1483075154.html

She is at IP 172.191.63.172 now. Resolves to aol.com's ip range. Thanks to brain dead services like aol.com with gazillion proxies, who knows where she really is. traceroute ends somewhere at 207.200.120.34 (ipt-ntcb02.proxy.aol.com)

Thanks google :) I would have wasted a lot of time, if not money.

Come to think of it, why doesn't she use a different name each time? I guess if enough suckers are falling for it, why bother right?

almost scammed by maria roland

Unidentified Target — Fri, 11/27/2009 - 16:29

I recently saw an ad for a 2006 BMW x3 that was on craigslist for 10 K. I was thinking it had to have a lot of miles or something wrong, but received a reply from maria roland saying she was moving to spain and the car was in perfect condition and only had about 50,000 miles. It seemed to good to be true, and she wanted to do the transaction through ebay motors. I started searching her name and found this. Beware!!!!

Maria Roland scamming streak continues

Unidentified Target — Thu, 11/26/2009 - 21:05

Here is the email correspondence that I received from Maria after sending an email from a craigslist posting here in Nashville, TN. If the deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.

"Hello,

First of all let me introduce myself, so that you know to whom you are talking to. My name is Maria Roland.
My 2007 Honda Odyssey EX-L is still available, it's in good working condition. I am selling it because I've moved back to Spain after my divorce and importing it here is not an option because of the high taxes involved.This Car is excellent in every way, has no accidents reports,with no need for additional repairs, no scratches, 52,000 miles,clear title and the price is only $11,000.The interior looks great (NO SMOKING).

Let me know if you are still interested and I'll explain you more about the deal."

Maria Roland-Volvo XC90

Unidentified Target — Wed, 11/25/2009 - 04:12

This wacko woman had a Volvo on eBay yesterday that didn't sell. My husband and I contacted her via email to see if she still wanted to sell the car & guess what?? Same story- moved to Spain, going through a divorce and wants to sell her car because she won't pay the high taxes to have it imported. My husband picked up on the scam story immediately so I googled the nutcase and found this sight. BEWARE OF MARIA ROLAND!!

Maria Roland 2007 Acura TL

Unidentified Target — Sun, 11/22/2009 - 19:34

Admittedly, I took the initial bait and was extremely excited about the following add for an amazing 2007 Acura TL Type S: http://toronto.nowtoronto.com/AutosForSale/2007_acura_tl_type_s_navigati...

It was posted on October 9th, and I sent an e-mail to Maria Roland on November 20th to see if there was the slightest chance no one had snapped it up. My Spidey Sense started tingling when I received a response from Maria advising that it was still available. I was still hopeful it was legit.

After reading your posts I can see that she provided the same general scam details stating that she recently moved to Spain and was unable to take the car due to high taxes. The selling price was $15,300, which included the shipping fee from a NH holding company to your driveway. Finally, she wanted to manage the transaction through e.Bay Vehicle Protection "for our safety".

I still sent back an e-mail asking for additional info however haven't heard back as yet. I am actually looking forward to getting the response which asks me to go to a private auction in e.Bay. I'm going to respond with the link to this forum so she (or he) knows people are aware.

Thanks to everyone for your feedback. It's good to know there are decent people willing to share experiences to protect each other from unecessary harm.

Cheers!

Thanks for the warning!

Jason — Sun, 09/13/2009 - 11:25

It's strange to see "Maria" trying the same thing on another site...and still asking for exactly $15k. I wrote to the owners of GPS and Trade-a-Plane. They were both very helpful and took down her ads.

Similar Scam

Unidentified Target — Sun, 09/06/2009 - 18:46

Maria Roland is also doing a similar scam selling an RV. See: http://www.utraderv.com/UT647AD_2004-holiday-rambler-neptune-diesel-moto...
Same RV is on Craigslist and being sold by a male in Spain supposedly named Madisen Grayson..
If the deal is too good to be true it probably is.....

Maria Roland selling a Honda too cheap

Unidentified Target — Sun, 10/25/2009 - 22:20

This person posing as a seller in Spain wanting to use E-bay motors & its VPP to secure the transaction and ship the truck from Halifax. E-Bay does not brokerage such a transaction.
Link below is the ad Maria listed:
http://www.buysell.com/root/detail/GTA_Ontario/2008_Import_Trucks_Vans/3...

maria roland, serial scammer

Unidentified Target — Thu, 11/05/2009 - 23:53

she's trying to sell me a malibu vlx..
i wish there was some way to bust her and stop this kind of scam occurring. I'm bummed, because i thought i was getting a great deal on a wakeboat.

FBI?

Jason — Sat, 11/07/2009 - 03:56

I found an anti-fraud/identity theft page on the FBI website once. Maybe if there were enough complaints against her.... In the meantime, spreading the word is probably the best we can do.