Another Scam

[GKman]

A friend recieved this response to a Craigslist ad for an engine stand for $450. We assumed that he would get a counterfit Money order and the guy would have some kind of "problem" and want a refund check.

--- On Tue, 9/28/10, Alex Samuel <[email protected]> wrote:


From: Alex Samuel <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: otc engine stand - $450 (******.)
To: "*********" <******@yahoo.com>
Date: Tuesday, September 28, 2010, 7:12 AM


I cant make call due to my nature,am a deaf i only communicate via email.And I have gone through your ad once again on craigslist and i am interested in purchasing the above mentioned. Is it still available for sale? if it is,I am paying by Money Order Please kindly get back to me with your full information for payment.
Full Name:
Address :
City :
States :
Zip/Postal Code :

I will be offering you $50 extra to hold the item for me for a week,It will take 3days for payment to get to you.About shipping.I will make arrangement with my shipping company to come for the pick-up after payment has been received by you.I want you to take the posting off craigslist today and consider it sold to me.
Best Regards.
Alex Samuel.
Have a Blessed Day!

[rockrat]

I received one similar to that about 6 months ago. The writer stated that his personal courier would be sent to pick the item up. Since I specify cash as the only payment that I will take in my listing, I told him to plan on sending the courier with the cash and to call me with the exact date and time the courier would be here. He responded that the courier was not allowed to carry money and he would have to send a check. So much for a "personal" courier.

I replied that he could send the cash money using UPS or Fedex and when it arrived he would have a signature that I had received it. Plus he could insure it for the cash amount if he felt that I would in some way be trying to cheat him out of his money. Strangely enough I didnt get a reply to that.

I had planned to give him the address of my local police department as if it were my address for the exchange point. Since I know the officers I thought it would be a fair venue for the transaction.

If people worked at an honest job as hard as they do a scam, they would probably make more money.

rock~

[vincemulhollon]

Simpler solution

He responded that the courier was not allowed to carry money and he would have to send a check. So much for a "personal" courier.

I replied that he could send the cash money using UPS or Fedex and when it arrived he would have a signature that I had received it.

There's a simpler response... There's at least two people that agree the hunk of metal is worth $450 or whatever right? Sounds like a fair and honest valuation.

So it's almost incomprehensible that he would trust his courier with a hunk of metal worth $450 but he would not trust his courier with little green pieces of paper worth $450.

[john hobdeclipe]

I get at least one or two such emails every time I list anything on CL for more than a hundred dollars or so. I NEVER respond. To do so only gives the scammers your email address. Remember that they never see your email address on the Craigslist page unless you put it in your ad for all the world to see (not a good idea.)

[Black_Moons]

I think even craigslist itself says never deal in anything except money, in person. Just ignore such e-mails. carriers, payment companys, blah blah, What do they think this is, Ebay!?!?

PS: offering extra money for an item is a very large scamhint. Its designed to make the seller blind with greed to the scam and disreguard other legal offerings to buy the item.

[gregl]

Why include an email? I make 'em call me and I state cash only. This eliminates almost all the flakes. I always include a complete description with photos so I get very few goofball calls.

[MrDan]

Why include an email? I make 'em call me and I state cash only. This eliminates almost all the flakes. I always include a complete description with photos so I get very few goofball calls.

Just FYI. I usually have to do my inquiries via email because I don't want to openly work on buying tools while I'm at work. People who have number only usually are slow to get a call from me as I have to wait till I'm in a position to call. This precludes calling from home as well because you'd never hear me over the kids. Also, I like getting the specs, addresses, etc. via email because that way there is no question of what was said.

Not a big deal but you could be limiting real buyers as well. Plus, I don't want people calling me at weird hours if I'm the seller.

[38_Cal]

This is where having one of the "free" accounts, like Yahoo or gmail, would come in handy...use it just for buying & selling.

David