This is What a Scam Looks Like

[JPatrick]

I put my Ford Escape up for sale on Craigslist recently.
After day two I got an email asking if it was still available. I write back indicating it was.
Next day I get this email from the same party.

Thanks for your quick response,please get back to me with the following questions if it's still available for sale.

1) Is the engine in perfect condition?
2) How often do you service the vehicle?
3) How many miles on the vehicle now?
4) Are you the owner?
5) If yes, for how long have you used vehicle?
6) Has the vehicle been involved in an auto accident?
7) Any mechanical problems with the vehicle?
8) What is your bottom price?
I look forward to your prompt reply

Thanks,
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I find this a bit odd because almost everyone of those questions is answered in the ad. So I figure it is a mass mailing and a scam is on the way, but I answer nonetheless.

Next day I get this offer from the guy......................

Hi,
Thanks for your response.I have communicated my client,who is buying the car, and we have concluded on payment.

However, he is out of the country now but he deposited a cashier's check of $14,400 to cover both the purchase and the pick up/delivery of the car.

He has just instructed me to send the entire bank cashier's check of $15,400 to you so that when you receive the cheque payment, you will have to deduct the price of your car,$7,900 and send the balance of $7,500 to his agent who will come to take/pick up the car. You will also deduct the cost of sending this money from the balance.After the agent must have received the money ,he will then contact you for pick up.

Please confirm and get back to me with your full name, address and phone number for the check to be delivered to through courier mail.

Thanks
_________________________________________________________________

So at the moment I'm trying to figure out how to best find some entertainment value in all this.

 

[Sam]

Play along in order to get as much info as possible, then submit all to the DA?

 

[Nords]

Please confirm and get back to me with your full name, address and phone number for the check to be delivered to through courier mail.

Is there such a thing as "non-courier mail"?

We got one of these e-mails when we listed our refrigerator on Craigslist. I insisted that the buyer pay for shipping and he readily agreed.

We provided the address/phone number of the local police station but the buyer never got back to us... he must've found a better deal with a Nigerian seller.

 

[JPatrick]

Play along in order to get as much info as possible, then submit all to the DA?

I'd like to see the next step, but I don't want to give out the requested personal info.
For sure I am going to volunteer to keep the extra $7500 and deliver the car anywhere in the USA Basically cut out the middleman. That buys a lot of delivery in my book.

 

[Lsbcal]

Sounds like scams I've read about. If the authorities could go after this they would probably need to know about it during the transactions.

Les

 

[JPatrick]

This is the response I just sent to him......We shall see.

<<I have another buyer very interested in the Escape. He is coming to look at it this coming week. Because you responded to my ad first, I feel I should be fair and also consider your offer. However, I need more details about the financial arrangements. I am also interested in deliverying the vehicle myself if you would consider that. As time is short, please provide me with your phone number so we can talk things over....Thanks.>>>>

 

[KB]

My son got a very similar email when we sold his car on craigslist last year. Assuming it was a scam, I had him send a response telling them that our bank puts a 10 day hold on that type of deposit and that we'd be happy to send the rest of the money back after the 10 day hold.

Funny, the guy never replied.....

 

[FinanceDude]

Ah...the craiglist scams.............

A guy posted a 2001 BMW 330i in our area. It only had 30,000 miles, and he wanted $2900!!!!

I traded e-mails with him, and got the song and dance about his son being sick, he needs money for hospital bills, etc.

Finally, I asked for the VIN number...............and NEVER got a reply.......................

AHA!!!!

 

[RASAP]

Yep, I've been there too. As soon as you start asking questions or attempt to alter their terms, you'll never hear from them again.

 

[stargazer08]

check out
bustedupcowgirl.com
for scam information

 

[frayne]

Recently sold a motorcycle on craigslist, had a few crank inquiries that were easy to throw out as scams but did end up selling the bike to a pleasant individual for my asking price.

 

[free4now]

I've dealt with a dozen or so of these scammers. Recently I've been putting the following ALLCAPS line at the beginning and end of my advertisements when I list something online:

NO SCAMMERS. NO CASHIERS CHECKS. NO WIRE TRANSFERS. USA ONLY.

But since they don't seem to even read the item descriptions, I'm not sure if it is helping.

 

[thefed]

i went thru this once for a rental apartment i had listed


the guy went as far as sending a fake chase bank m.o. to the rental property by DHL. i forwarded it to the fbi

 

[ESRBob]

I dont get it for an apartment -- what was he going to do, steal the apartment?

I think they have a computer-bot read the ads and crank out these emails, because the ones I've gotten just have fill-in-the-blank kinds of sentences that didn't make sense in context. I love Nords' idea of sending them to the local police station for their pickup. If you can start to run these guys a little ragged maybe a few of them will give up.