Is this a craigslist scam?
I placed something for sale on Craigslist and received this as a response:
Hello,
Thanks for your prompt responds, However, i will need your name and address for payment,As am only able to make payment by money order at this time b/c i am away on assignment. It will be nice if you can send me more pictures. It will take about 7days for payment to get to you. As per pick-up, I will make arrangement for the pick-up after payment has been received by you. I don't mind adding thirty dollars so you can keep it in my favor.Please take the posting off Craigslist today and consider it sold to me, Include your phone number.
Expecting to hear from you soon.
Regards
Maybe because its just so properly written, but is this in any way a scam?
Hello,
Thanks for your prompt responds, However, i will need your name and address for payment,As am only able to make payment by money order at this time b/c i am away on assignment. It will be nice if you can send me more pictures. It will take about 7days for payment to get to you. As per pick-up, I will make arrangement for the pick-up after payment has been received by you. I don't mind adding thirty dollars so you can keep it in my favor.Please take the posting off Craigslist today and consider it sold to me, Include your phone number.
Expecting to hear from you soon.
Regards
Maybe because its just so properly written, but is this in any way a scam?
Comments
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i would say that yes this is a scam. I'd bet they'll send you the money order, you'll cash it, they'll come get your stuff then later the bank will tell you the money order is fraudulent.
Thats just my guess -
I am 99% sure this is a scam. Why would someone pay $30 more? The language, while better than most scams, still reads like the person isn't a native speaker.
Read about scams on the craiglist page and do a google search. The scam is that you cash the check, it clears automatically by law after 5 days or so, and the stuff is shipped. 30 days or so later, the check is revealed to be phony, and you are out the $$, plus any overdraft fees, etc.
Any time I've used craigslist, it's been locally, with cash . -
Subject: Yes it's a scam
Note the spelling of the word "responds" for response. -
scam,scam,scam
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scam
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another vote for scam
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May well be a scam -- or just someone struggling with language. If you get a money order, its guaranteed by the PO or bank. Some of the other terms are also at best odd. Why will it take 7 days for you to get payment? Why does he need your phone number?
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100% scam.
I used to get several of those any time I tried to sell things on craigslist
Give them the ph# to the police dept instead
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I'd say definitely a scam - tell whomever it is that you can only accept cash and keep looking for another buyer.
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Thanks all - thats what my gut said. I'm still reconciling the fact that people suck and are dishonest. You'd think after 33 years I'd have figured that out
Anyone looking for a rowing machine?? -
Is her name Gabriel Smith? I had the exact same email from her. She never ever contacted me back after telling me to take my post down from the CL.
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Yeah I've seen this "responds" before as well. Total scam.
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Subject: Craigslist
What kind of rowing machine is it? How much? -
ScottT wrote: If you get a money order, its guaranteed by the PO or bank.
Unless, of course, it's a fake money order, which is pretty easy to do on a color printer.
From craigslist page:
"FAKE CASHIER CHECKS & MONEY ORDERS ARE COMMON, and BANKS WILL CASH THEM AND THEN HOLD YOU RESPONSIBLE when the fake is discovered weeks later." -
tell them you're happy to deliver the product after the money order clears. I guarantee you'll never hear from them again
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The problem is that banks will clear checks after a certain # of days, regardless if the payment is confirmed. The money is credited to your account. After a month, the check can be found fraudulent, and you're responsible for the money. If it's more than you have, and you wrote checks against your balance, you're screwed.
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I do cash only for craigslist. Only pay cash, only accept cash. It's just safer and easier that way.
If a person wants someone else to pick it up, they can pay that someone else and the someone else can pay me cash. -
superclam - you are correct. I forgot about that.
just say no to the scam! -
On a slightly off-topic note, I enjoy this site: www.419eater.com.
They string along those guys who send you the "rich guy in Nigeria wants to send you $8 million" e-mails. -
Superclam wrote: On a slightly off-topic note, I enjoy this site: www.419eater.com.
There was a great radio episode (maybe This American Life) about people, possibly the ones from this website, doing that. It was fascinating to hear them describing the string of events and how they saw what they were doing. They used the exact same tactics to get guys who had been doing these scams.
They string along those guys who send you the "rich guy in Nigeria wants to send you $8 million" e-mails. -
Yes, it's a scam. I've received those same emails before. I say cash only when I list something for sale and pretty much don't get them anymore.
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Superclam wrote: On a slightly off-topic note, I enjoy this site: www.419eater.com.
Looks like a great site. A few months ago we received a check for over 5,000.00 as partial payment of a prize of 250K that "we won". To claim the balance we had to contact a certain person within 15 days for further instruction. This was a real check drawn on a bank in Texas. Typed, no return address on the envelope and some company listed on the letter.
They string along those guys who send you the "rich guy in Nigeria wants to send you $8 million" e-mails. -
From a banking perspective, there are strict rules on how long checks, money orders, etc. can be held. The hold can "clear" and the funds can become available, but like Superclam was saying, just because the funds become available doesn't mean that the check/money order was good. That only means that the bank can't hold the funds anymore.
Most instruments get re-submitted a couple of times before they are returned, so it could take a couple of weeks before the bank finds out that the check is no good.
If anyone wants to send you more than what you're asking for, it is a scam. Cash is king. And who is scanning Craigslist for a rowing machine when they are out of town, lol! -
eggcream wrote:
That's weird, I haven't seen that one. I usually get an e-mail telling me I won the British Lottery or something like that, and I should send them my info.
Looks like a great site. A few months ago we received a check for over 5,000.00 as partial payment of a prize of 250K that "we won". To claim the balance we had to contact a certain person within 15 days for further instruction. This was a real check drawn on a bank in Texas. Typed, no return address on the envelope and some company listed on the letter.
The easiest way to tell is if they use a yahoo or gmail account. Did you cash the check?
Going back to the OP, so when they scam you, what happens next? Yes, they took your money, and maybe the cost of shipping the thing, but what do they do with the exercise bike when they get it? Do they sell it? Use it? -
I wouldn't call that 'properly written'.
And when anyone offers you a money order on CL, it's usually a scam -- that's why CL suggests you only deal locally, and in cash.
With your name, address, and phone number, they're pretty close to being able to further exploit your identity.
You may never see even a fraudulent money order from them, but you've given them enough that if after a month you see some unusual activity on your credit cards, you should not be surprised. -
Superclam wrote: [quote=eggcream]
That's weird, I haven't seen that one. I usually get an e-mail telling me I won the British Lottery or something like that, and I should send them my info.
Looks like a great site. A few months ago we received a check for over 5,000.00 as partial payment of a prize of 250K that "we won". To claim the balance we had to contact a certain person within 15 days for further instruction. This was a real check drawn on a bank in Texas. Typed, no return address on the envelope and some company listed on the letter.
The easiest way to tell is if they use a yahoo or gmail account. Did you cash the check?
Going back to the OP, so when they scam you, what happens next? Yes, they took your money, and maybe the cost of shipping the thing, but what do they do with the exercise bike when they get it? Do they sell it? Use it?
Nope, we didn't cash it. I still have it. The Co. and postmark. are from Canada. The 5k+ check is to be used for admin. fee and applicable taxes payable to the Co. tax rep., some woman in Texas. Oh, and at the bottom of the letter it says that the check is locked and the stipulated amount will be available after speaking to our rep.
These people make money getting into your checking accounts. Not sure how the Craigslist scams work. -
eggcream wrote:
Yeah, the old advance fee scam. They get you to pay a fee to release the check, which is probably fake. Then they also have your checking account #.
Nope, we didn't cash it. I still have it. The Co. and postmark. are from Canada. The 5k+ check is to be used for admin. fee and applicable taxes payable to the Co. tax rep., some woman in Texas. Oh, and at the bottom of the letter it says that the check is locked and the stipulated amount will be available after speaking to our rep.
These people make money getting into your checking accounts. Not sure how the Craigslist scams work.
What's amazing to me is how successful they are at it. They've strung people along for thousands. -
Superclam wrote: On a slightly off-topic note, I enjoy this site: www.419eater.com.
I used to waste some time by stringing along 419 scammers on one of the first of these sites: www.scamorama.com In one long series of interchanges, I offered to marry the "sister" of the scammer if she agreed to convert to Judaism and come with me to Jerusalem and offer a sacrifice at the Temple of Solomon. She did agree (these folks don't know too much about anything but scamming), and her brother heartily approved. They showed up at the airport in Abidjan to meet my flight, but, well, I wasn't on it. Tough break.
They string along those guys who send you the "rich guy in Nigeria wants to send you $8 million" e-mails.
The site's creator, Eve Edelson, came out with a book on the subject, with counter-scam examples (including mine) called "Scamorama". Very funny, and very informative. -
Here's one for the collection
Re: almost new Friedrich 12k btu 220V window a/c - $400 (prospect hgts, bklyn)Tuesday, August 4, 2009 4:22 PM
From: This sender is DomainKeys verified"Rodwell Daryl" <rdaryl01>Add sender to Contacts
Thanks for the quick response, I am so delighted that it is still
available. I am pleased with the current situation of the item as
provided at craigslist. Please do withdraw the advert from craigslist
as I don't mind adding $50 for you to do that, so I can be rest
assured that the item is held for me. I will be leaving for Hawaii
with my wife for our Honeymoon, we just got married and I would want a
suprise inclusion in our home on our arrival.
I will be paying via certified check and I wouldn't know if that is
accepatble by you, if you concur with me on my mode of payment kindly
provide me with your full name and physical address (not P.O Box)
along with your phone number to issue out the payment. I'll be
picking the item from you with the aid of a mover who will be coming
over for the pick-up once the Certified Check has been cashed so you
don't have to worry yourself about the shipping.
Howdy, Stranger!
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