I have to say I am surprised that these scams even work. Every fiber of your basic common sense should know that these are scams, even Craigslist has warnings posted on their own homepage: I have sold multiple IPADS, some stereo gear, a ton of used computer gear and never had an issue because I operate under the assumption that everyone is a scammer;
- Craigslist is a cash only business, unless they are paying cash, don't do business with them
- Invest in a counterfeit pen
Amazon.com: Dri-Mark Smart Money Counterfeit Bill Detector Pen for Use with U.S. Currency, Black/Dark Brown (351B1): Office Products
- You pick the meeting place and do it the day of, or late night before. Of course make sure its a safe spot and arrive there early as to ensure that there are a lot of people around (malls bad idea) smaller places like a Starbucks, police station, Bank have worked well for me
- Why banks work well is that you can test the money either while they are there, or right after they leave and if you follow the steps below, it would make it easier to catch the thief as the pen is not 100% full proof
- I like Starbucks because I can see out the window, see what car they are in and text message a buddy the license plate/make model of car and brief description of person
- I ask to see their drivers license to make sure it matches who they are, of course I have mine out to show as well
- I make a bill of sale and have the sign it if I am buying and if I am selling. Granted it's not notarized, but it's good enough for small claims court
At the end of the day taking these steps has led to 0 problems with Craigslist transactions and if the seller/buyer is honest, they will have no problem following through with these steps, and if the do, then don't buy from them.
