Craiglist scam?

[MDS]

Those reply emails are scams - pure and simple. If you read the FAQ and terms on craigslist they list dozens of such letters and they are all similar. They often use a woman's name because I think that puts your guard down but if you use file->properties on the email to see the return path you often find that the email was sent from a random looking junk adddress like ab2xy5@hotmail.com.

I've gotten a few of them that sound similar. They usually say the same kind of thing: 'I'm happy with the condition of your item...my buyer will come get it...yada yada'. The real tip-off is the responses that say 'please reply with the condition, price, and location of your item (and also ask for your name, address, and phone number). I got one of those replies when the title of my ad was 'NEW Solid-oak entertainment center - $1000 OBO'. Now why would you ask for condtion and price when it is in the title?

Just delete those responses immediately and do not reply.

Then there are the people that will offer $75 for an item you list as $500 OBO - but that is another story. After no responses for a week I once relisted an item and said 'Last chance before I give it to Salvation Army' and I got a reply that said 'Let me be your charity, give it to me'.

Legitimate buyers offer a few bucks less than you ask and come over that day or the next with cash to pick it up. One thing I've learned about craigslist is it has to be cheap. I tried to sell a new full size bedroom set because I messed up and should have bought a queen. When I listed it for $500 (paid closer to $900) I got one reply. When I re-listed it for $350 (sold it for $300) I got 15 replies.

 

[Johnd]

DO NOT LISTEN TO JOHND...

I'm used to that Minus.

DO NOT RESPOND TO THE EMAIL...

Ummmm. He already has Minus.

...THIS IS SCAM!!!!

That is the point in Matt's posting.

Sheesh. What did I ever do to you Minus?!

The cat's out of the bag. They have Matt's email address once he responded. Please enlighten me as to the harm in accepting a postal money order? I've done this many times. And I as I already stated, it is IMMEDIATELY verifiable at any USPO. Matt wants to sell these...remember? He's already given the party his email address when he responded. A wouldn't waste more than another minute on this, but as the party now insists on a mo, I would agree. Just make it a postal mo. If you know of a scam that includes postal mo's Minus...please enlighten me. It is sometimes safer than cash...and I'm not new at this.

 

[Matt34]

Tell him to blow off.

I prefer "get bent".

 

[MinusTheBear]

JohnD why would you request a postal money order from the guy when you know it is a scam from the get go. You would be wasting your time...he wouldnt accept it i gurantee you.....just delete those emails when you get them....

 

[Johnd]

JohnD why would you request a postal money order from the guy when you know it is a scam from the get go. You would be wasting your time...he wouldnt accept it i gurantee you.....just delete those emails when you get them....

Well...I guess the obvious answer: I don't know it to be a scam. However, with MDS's recent post ten minutes ago...it certainly seems to be. You didn't post that previously (had you (posted what MDS did), I would have been far more skeptical from the get go)...and I wasn't aware of it. Although it certainly now reeks more like a scam. And to reiterate: Matt has already responded, so he has already handed out his email address.

In all of my Craig's List dealings, there are only two response that I never replied to...because they were fishy...but far fishier than this one.

 

[jamie2112]

Scammers

Craigslist is for local pickup only 99% of the time . If anyone wants you to wait and deposit a check they are trying to scam you. Most people will say they need you to deposit the check and when it clears they will have someone come pick up the item. The check is most of the time FAKE and it will go thru only to have you be responsible for the fraudulant check. If its not pickup don't do it THIS is not EBAY.............

 

[MinusTheBear]

Well...I guess the obvious answer: I don't know it to be a scam. However, with MDS's recent post ten minutes ago...it certainly seems to be. You didn't post that previously (had you (posted what MDS did), I would have been far more skeptical from the get go)...and I wasn't aware of it. Although it certainly now reeks more like a scam.

In all of my Craig's List dealings, there are only two response that I never replied to...because they were fishy...but far fishier than this one.

I guess you didnt read that article i copied and pasted of the entire scam on either page 1 or page 2?

 

[aberkowitz]

Craigslist is for local pickup only 99% of the time .

Exactly. eBay is more conducive to cross-country shipping. When you sell something on Craigslist (I sold a 40lb Onkyo 787 earlier this year) it's because you don't want to deal with the hassle of trying to ship it across the country.

It's sad that people are constantly trying to run scams, but it's sadder that others don't use their heads and buy into them.

 

[Johnd]

I guess you didnt read that article i copied and pasted of the entire scam on either page 1 or page 2?

Well, you then guessed wrong Minus.

Sheeesh. Why am I always caught in the middle of these controversies?

You posted nothing...absolutely nothing about Craig's List scams as MDS did. Let me help you: I do not need an education on check kiting, check overwriting and fake checks. I've been banking for quite some time, and none of these things are new to me. And I've never been taken by such a scam. (I was once however, taken by a post dated check, for which the drafter received nothing in value, but that's another story).

That's all you wrote about. One can verify the authenticity (and worth) of an instrument once they have it in their possession. This is easily done with a postal mo. It is not so readily done with other instruments. So while your posts are helpful and informative to some, they did not go to the meat of the matter as MDS's post did: outlining the basic format of these useless replies.

My point stands: As Matt has given out his email address, what further harm can be done by demanding a postal mo, and verifying its' authenticity upon receipt? About one minute of Matt's time. The roadmap for any "harm" that could occur has already been laid: Matt has delivered his email address to these people. But that can be fixed (minimized) by blocking their address, and never opening any unknown attachments. And that's all the further I would invest in this venture...as I posted pages ago.

 

[MinusTheBear]

Well, you then guessed wrong Minus.

Sheeesh. Why am I always caught in the middle of these controversies?

You posted nothing...absolutely nothing about Craig's List scams as MDS did. Let me help you: I do not need an education on check kiting, check overwriting and fake checks. I've been banking for quite some time, and none of these things are new to me. And I've never been taken by such a scam. (I was once however, taken by a post dated check, for which the drafter received nothing in value, but that's another story).

That's all you wrote about. One can verify the authenticity (and worth) of an instrument once they have it in their possession. This is easily done with a postal mo. It is not so readily done with other instruments. So while your posts are helpful and informative to some, they did not go to the meat of the matter as MDS's post did: outlining the basic format of these useless replies.

My point stands: As Matt has given out his email address, what further harm can be done by demanding a postal mo, and verifying its' authenticity upon receipt? About one minute of Matt's time. The roadmap for any "harm" that could occur has already been laid: Matt has delivered his email address to these people. But that can be fixed (minimized) by blocking their address, and never opening any unknown attachments. And that's all the further I would invest in this venture...as I posted pages ago.

The fact is if it is Craiglist, Ebay or wherever else purchasing things online, this scam is the same everywhere and you do not need to know anything about the company Craiglist to figure that out...oh and by the way i am done arguing with you because arguing with you is like beating a dead horse and do not want to waste the rest of the day arguing over postal checks which you seem so obsessed with! Have a good day!!!

 

[Johnd]

The fact is if it is Craiglist, Ebay or wherever else purchasing things online, this scam is the same everywhere and you do not need to know anything about the company Craiglist to figure that out...oh and by the way i am done arguing with you because arguing with you is like beating a dead horse and do not want to waste the rest of the day arguing over postal checks which you seem so obsessed with! Have a good day!!!

???

Well, that's not very friendly. And this is the new, shiny, friendlier and more helpful John.

Why do some insist on making this about the minutia, rather than the problem at hand? I believe your two posts on check overwriting were helpful to some, and I don't mean in any way to diminish that fact. MDS's post highlighted the very issue...at Craig's List. The only thing Matt could have done better would have been not handing out his email address (by not responding). But that's not a mortal sin, and it's certainly not akin to handing out one's SS#. Hopefully others will benefit fom this experience...several things can be learned for some from this one thread

 

[Halon451]

Sheeesh. Why am I always caught in the middle of these controversies?

John, John...John.. tsk, tsk my friend. It seems as if these things just happen to find you don't they?

 

[Johnd]

John, John...John.. tsk, tsk my friend. It seems as if these things just happen to find you don't they?

I know...I know.

It's time for me to go meditate in solitude.

 

[Matt34]

???

Well, that's not very friendly. And this is the new, shiny, friendlier and more helpful John.

Why do some insist on making this about the minutia, rather than the problem at hand? I believe your two posts on check overwriting were helpful to some, and I don't mean in any way to diminish that fact. MDS's post highlighted the very issue...at Craig's List. The only thing Matt could have done better would have been not handing out his email address (by not responding). But that's not a mortal sin, and it's certainly not akin to handing out one's SS#. Hopefully others will benefit fom this experience...several things can be learned for some from this one thread

Just FYI, I have a hotmail email account I use exclusively for all my online transactions. I'm 54 yrs old as far as they know.

 

[Halon451]

Just FYI, I have a hotmail email account I use exclusively for all my online transactions. I'm 54 yrs old as far as they know.

Ditto on that - I have a gmail address that I use exclusively for people I know and trust, and a hotmail account for everything else - mostly online transactions. Man, sure is a different world we live in these days isn't it?

 

[Johnd]

Just FYI, I have a hotmail email account I use exclusively for all my online transactions. I'm 54 yrs old as far as they know.

LOL. Good for you Matt.

 

[Seth=L]

All this "scammer" or "spammer" wants is your name, address, and phone number. It does not want to send you money of any kind. It just wants your contact information. Stab it, burn it, and then laugh sinisterly at it's remainders. DONE!

 

[10010011]

This scam is so old I find it hard to believe people still question it.

Here is what comes next.

Oh, I am sorry I sent you a check for $800 and it was only suppose to be $80. Well just go ahead and deposit it to save the time to send it back to me and me sending you another check. Just send me the difference in cash along with the item.

Yeah sure, here you go...

 

[Seth=L]

This scam is so old I find it hard to believe people still question it.

Here is what comes next.

Oh, I am sorry I sent you a check for $800 and it was only suppose to be $80. Well just go ahead and deposit it to save the time to send it back to me and me sending you another check. Just send me the difference in cash along with the item.

Yeah sure, here you go...

For the love of God, don't let it get that deep.

 

[mtrycrafts]

I have some wheels up for sale on Craigslist and I get this email after an initial email asking if they were still for sale? Sounds really fishy to me, not sure how she could scam me with a personal check if I hold them until it clears?

Regardless, I'm not going to sell them to her. Wrote back saying it was for a local sale only, cash.

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

Hello i really appreciate your response to my earlier mail.like i said i will like to buy this item so pls do withdraw the advert from Craigslist. I will also like you to know that i will be paying via check .I will need you to provide me with the following information to facilitate the mailing of the check.


1.Your full name
2.Your mailing residential address
3.Your phone number.


**I will like you to know that you will not be responsible for
shipping i will have my mover come over as soon as you have cashed the
check**

Have a nice day.

Have the mover bring cash
Or, wait a week after the check is cased for bank clearing.