Is this a scam?

[RateMyPad]

Got this email out of the blue for a domain I have.

Date: Fri, 20 Sep 2013 14:00:13 +0400
From: xxx
To: xxx
Subject: Re: mealsformuscle.com

999 UK pounds- Ok.

My investor has $180,000 budget for 20-30 domain names. How can we pay you: Credit card/Wire transfer/PayPal or Western Union?

Are you a member of domain seller communities/forums? Probably, we know each other under some nicknames?

Best regards,

xxx

Domain Broker

Switzerland
xxx


His website isn't live and all seems a bit fishy to me. How would be best to seek payment?

 

[wakeh]

Sounds ok to me, just be careful what information you provide.

I'd say a paypal gift sent to you, for the value of £999. But perhaps wait for other opinions before you go ahead.

If he does pay you, wait until it is in your bank account before you release the domain. (after transferring from paypal)

 

[Ted.T]

APPRAISAL SCAM. Stay away.

 

[wakeh]

it is?!?!?!?! Well then, stay clear my friend.

I haven't been contacted in this way and if I was I would refer them to my sedo portfolio rather than deal with it manually.

 

[petrosc]

looks like an appraisal scam. He first will agree to your asking price and then before he pays he will want an appraisal, and he will ask you to appraise it only a site that he trusts, he will accept no other appraisal service. and of course, the site that he will recommend will be scam.

they will also often give you a link to a fake forum where people supposedly praise that appraisal service

 

[Doron Vermaat]

Scam - got the same email a few months ago.

 

[infmoney]

%100 percent appraisal scam. Don't even respond to that nonsense.
He asks if you're part of a domain forum so he can make sure you're unaware of the scam.

 

[lincolndsp]

beware, it's a trap

 

[urlurl]

scam, seen the similar format

 

[alien51]

Tell him in short terse reply:

"Pay me via Western Union. No appraisal."

 

[weblord]

why would he boast such a money? maybe to entice you to fall into the trap.

My investor has $180,000 budget for 20-30 domain names. How can we pay you: Credit card/Wire transfer/PayPal or Western Union?

 

[goldwinner]

Got the same email yesterday..

Not sure from the beginning.. Sounds like "scam appraisal"

 

[4better]

This is guaranteed scam! At the end of the day, he will ask you to get an appraisal for that domain. That is, he will only buy your domain if you will have your domain appraised by his chosen appraisal site. The truth is, buying your domain is FAR from truth. He is only interested in making you appraised your domain which basically means trying to get something from you and not you getting something from him. Common sense, if a buyer wants appraisal let him do it by himself. He can do all the appraisals in the world to satisfy his whims. But for you to do it, well you're throwing away your money. The main point is this: it's either the appraisal site is his own which will make him earn a lot of money or could be a way for him to earn a percentage or commission for each and every appraisal done.

 

[techgal128]

"Sure, I'll sell you my domain. The current price is 5 million dollars. Sound fair?"

 

[dnb8]

Probably it's an appraisal scam

 

[naecfc]

Probably it's an appraisal scam

Not probably.Its a scam.I got the same e-mail a few months back.And after 2-3 e-mails he asked for an appraisal on some website.Thats when i knew its a scam.Seen this e-mails all over the internet.Stay away!