[meteorite-list] Mr. Kramskoi & Meteorite Offers from Russia

From: Michael Farmer <meteoriteguy_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sun, 18 Mar 2007 19:53:13 -0700 (PDT)
Message-ID: <950473.65943.qm_at_web33109.mail.mud.yahoo.com>

Geoff, this is another form of Nigerian scam. They are
now getting on ebay, finding items that sell, learning
about them, then ripping people off who are gullible
enough to send money to people they do not know. This
has been on the news lately.
These guys plan to take your $800.00 then you will
never hear from them again. The same people are likely
sending the same emails to people for coins, fossils,
and anything else of value from Russia that people
might actually want to buy.
Buy from people you know, or suffer the consequences.
Michael Farmer
--- Notkin <geoking at notkin.net> wrote:

> Dear Listees:
>
> Greetings all.
>
> Thank you to those of you who replied off-List to my
> post inquiring
> about a Mr. Kramskoi.
>
> The following information may be of interest to to
> any List members who
> have received a recent offer from Russia about
> meteorites for sale:
>
> 1) A significant number meteorite dealers and
> collectors, around the
> world, have been contacted by email by a person
> representing himself as
> Mr. Aleksandr Kramskoi supposedly of Kramskoi Law
> Firm in Moscow. He
> states he is selling meteorite specimens in order to
> raise funds for
> the Kanatnaya Doroga Charity Foundation (supposedly
> an orphanage) in
> Russia.
>
> 2) Mr. Kramskoi has offered for sale Lunar specimens
> from the Russian
> Luna missions, and some very attractive
> Sikhote-Alins, apparently from
> an old collection. He has emailed photos of these
> specimens to numerous
> people. Mr. Kramskoi offered to send me 4.5 kg of
> Sikhote-Alins, "so
> you can inspect it carefully and give a fair price
> for these items."
> Once I agreed to receive the specimens for
> inspection, he then emailed
> me an elaborate contract and asked for $800 in
> advance as a "contract
> fee."
>
> 3) Mr. Kramskoi stated that after receiving the $800
> from me, he would
> ship the Sikhote-Alins by UPS or Fedex and that upon
> receipt I would
> have 180 days to pay the balance. I found the length
> of time allowed
> for payment to be suspicious.
>
> 4) A well-respected List member, and professional
> colleague of mine in
> Europe, was offered the same pieces and the same
> contract, at the same
> time, though for a different price.
>
> 5) My colleague has a reliable friend in Russia who
> has established
> that the address provided by Mr. Kramskoi for his
> law office does not
> exist.
>
> 6) My colleague and I both declined to enter into
> any form of
> transaction with Mr. Kramskoi, and I post this
> information so anyone
> else who is thinking of doing business with him will
> be able to form
> their own conclusions before sending any money to
> Russia.
>
> Anyone wanting more detailed information, please
> contact me off-List. I
> can tell you about another great offer I received
> from Nigeria : )
>
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Geoff N.
> www.aerolite.org
>
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Received on Sun 18 Mar 2007 10:53:13 PM PDT