Jim in Anchorage Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 I put a boat motor for sale on Craigslist. My phone # was included as was the usual anonymous Craigslist e-mail address. I get a e-mail today asking if the "item" was still for sale and what the condition was. I e-mailed back yes it's still for sale and the condition is as new as stated in the ad. So 2 hours later I get this e-mail from the same name- Show Details Hello, Thanks for the response.I am okay with the condition and price of the item and am willing to add extra $20 so you could keep it in my favor. I'll be paying with a Check via next day delivery. I'll be responsible for the pick-up and the movers/pick up money will be included in your payment to avoid delay and to enable movers to schedule an appropriate time for the pick-up at your location after check has been cashed,as i have other properties to be moved alongside with yours. I would have really love to come for the viewing but due to my work frame that might not be possible. kindly get back to me with your full name and address including your cell and land number so i can make out payment to you. I believe this is based on trust. Thanks. What is this guy trying to do? Get my address so he can come over and steal it? As I was reading this I thought for sure he would want me to deposit his Check and send him money. I have no idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BUFFALOKIE Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 Thats pretty wierd. If the Guy can't make a phone call then somethings up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim in Anchorage Posted May 1, 2012 Author Share Posted May 1, 2012 Update- I responded to the e-mail above and wrote " I have no idea what you're after. Call me. And got this- Hi there, I do not have access to a phone at the moment as am hearing impaired and am on work inspection to Mexico. I could contact my secretary to mail you the check if agreed.I hope I am not too complicated for you.. Hope to read from you. I really don't know what to think of this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mead107 Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 Looking for a date? The Craig list killer? Just want your bank information next? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KD in CA Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 (edited) Yet another ringing endorsemnt for Craigslist. That whole site gives me the creeps. Sell your boat on ebay. p.s. sounds like he's hoping you'll ship the boat before his check bounces. The tell-tale sign is the 'I'm paying you extra to cover the cost of ________". You'd be surprised how many people don't understand the basics of banking. Edited May 2, 2012 by KD in CT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IDBillzFan Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 Update- I responded to the e-mail above and wrote " I have no idea what you're after. Call me. And got this- Hi there, I do not have access to a phone at the moment as am hearing impaired and am on work inspection to Mexico. I could contact my secretary to mail you the check if agreed.I hope I am not too complicated for you.. Hope to read from you. I really don't know what to think of this. It's a scam of some ignorant sort. Last year I was trying to unload two different items of significant cost (both were over $800) and got the same email for both devices and just ignored it. Not sure how it works, but I later heard you don't run into this with cheaper items, and sure enough I was able to unload and washer./dryer in minutes with no garbage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrDawkinstein Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 Stop responding to him completely. No idea exactly what he's up to, but it's not in your favor. And just responding at all has already given him your active email account. If you avoid broken English emails, and sketchy email addresses, Craigslist is actually quite a legitimate and useful site. I've bought and sold plenty of items quickly and easily, and never had a problem. But I don't respond to weirdness. Good Luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim in Anchorage Posted May 2, 2012 Author Share Posted May 2, 2012 Thats pretty wierd. If the Guy can't make a phone call then somethings up. Some people just seem uncomfortable with phone calls. I placed a ad on Craigslist 2 months ago for my buddys 4 wheeler and put his phone # on it[he had no internet access] And I kept getting e-mails asking about it. I don't know how many times I had to write back " no I don't know how many miles it has on it,or what tires it has. it's not mine. CALL THE %$#$%# NUMBER ON THE AD! Stop responding to him completely. No idea exactly what he's up to, but it's not in your favor. And just responding at all has already given him your active email account. If you avoid broken English emails, and sketchy email addresses, Craigslist is actually quite a legitimate and useful site. I've bought and sold plenty of items quickly and easily, and never had a problem. But I don't respond to weirdness. Good Luck! Not sure thats true. All this was done over the 3rd party Craigslist e-mail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SelmonSmith6378 Posted May 2, 2012 Share Posted May 2, 2012 I know I;m gonna sound like a dirty little rat for this but...If this guy is stupid enough to think you'll believe that, try scamming him back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrDawkinstein Posted May 2, 2012 Share Posted May 2, 2012 Not sure thats true. All this was done over the 3rd party Craigslist e-mail. Even better, quit while you're ahead, you'll find another buyer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Poojer Posted May 2, 2012 Share Posted May 2, 2012 his lack of basic english vocabulary screams of scam....pretty soon you will be asked to send him a check because his millions is tied up blah blah blah...leave the attempts to scam the scammer to those that do it for a living for fun.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim in Anchorage Posted May 2, 2012 Author Share Posted May 2, 2012 I know I;m gonna sound like a dirty little rat for this but...If this guy is stupid enough to think you'll believe that, try scamming him back. I am half tempted to give him my address and see if he mails a bad check. Would that not be postal fraud as well as passing a bad check? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebug Posted May 2, 2012 Share Posted May 2, 2012 (edited) I put a boat motor for sale on Craigslist. My phone # was included as was the usual anonymous Craigslist e-mail address. I get a e-mail today asking if the "item" was still for sale and what the condition was. I e-mailed back yes it's still for sale and the condition is as new as stated in the ad. So 2 hours later I get this e-mail from the same name- Show Details Hello, Thanks for the response.I am okay with the condition and price of the item and am willing to add extra $20 so you could keep it in my favor. I'll be paying with a Check via next day delivery. I'll be responsible for the pick-up and the movers/pick up money will be included in your payment to avoid delay and to enable movers to schedule an appropriate time for the pick-up at your location after check has been cashed,as i have other properties to be moved alongside with yours. I would have really love to come for the viewing but due to my work frame that might not be possible. kindly get back to me with your full name and address including your cell and land number so i can make out payment to you. I believe this is based on trust. Thanks. What is this guy trying to do? Get my address so he can come over and steal it? As I was reading this I thought for sure he would want me to deposit his Check and send him money. I have no idea. The scam is: The check he is going to send you is bad and it is going to take some time before you find that out. He pays you extra for shipping and bails on the purchase and asks you to at least cut him a check for the shipping as a refund and keep the money for the item. Your check will be good and he gets your money. Something to that effect. I was once sent a $4000.00 check for a $800.00 item and asked to return the difference as it was a mistake. The check was written from a stolen check from a company in California, sent from fedex in Colorado to Canada and I was to send the refund to England. Edited May 2, 2012 by thebug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Jim Posted May 2, 2012 Share Posted May 2, 2012 The scam is: The check he is going to send you is bad and it is going to take some time before you find that out. He pays you extra for shipping and bails on the purchase and asks you to at least cut him a check for the shipping as a refund and keep the money for the item. Your check will be good and he gets your money. Something to that effect. I was once sent a $4000.00 check for a $800.00 item and asked to return the difference as it was a mistake. The check was written from a stolen check from a company in California, sent from fedex in Colorado to Canada and I was to send the refund to England. Never take a check from Craigslist. We just sold my wife's car for $12k and they showed up with 120 $100 bills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim in Anchorage Posted May 2, 2012 Author Share Posted May 2, 2012 The scam is: The check he is going to send you is bad and it is going to take some time before you find that out. He pays you extra for shipping and bails on the purchase and asks you to at least cut him a check for the shipping as a refund and keep the money for the item. Your check will be good and he gets your money. Something to that effect. I was once sent a $4000.00 check for a $800.00 item and asked to return the difference as it was a mistake. The check was written from a stolen check from a company in California, sent from fedex in Colorado to Canada and I was to send the refund to England. That's what I figured, No way on earth I send this guy money. But if he mails me a bad check [i don't need to try to cash it-just go to my bank and ask is this check good? it may take 3 days but they will tell me] I would like to go after him for postal fraud. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebug Posted May 2, 2012 Share Posted May 2, 2012 That's what I figured, No way on earth I send this guy money. But if he mails me a bad check [i don't need to try to cash it-just go to my bank and ask is this check good? it may take 3 days but they will tell me] I would like to go after him for postal fraud. He won't be local and it will be very hard to track. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim in Anchorage Posted May 2, 2012 Author Share Posted May 2, 2012 (edited) Never take a check from Craigslist. We just sold my wife's car for $12k and they showed up with 120 $100 bills. I assume you promptly paid the sales tax? Edit- I forgot the buyer has to pay that. All those tax's are confusing. Edited May 2, 2012 by Jim in Anchorage Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim in Anchorage Posted May 2, 2012 Author Share Posted May 2, 2012 He won't be local and it will be very hard to track. That would be the postal inspectors job. The best I can do is file a complainant, and give evidence [the bad check]. The rest is in the USPS hand's. But I would feel better if I did something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KD in CA Posted May 2, 2012 Share Posted May 2, 2012 That's what I figured, No way on earth I send this guy money. But if he mails me a bad check [i don't need to try to cash it-just go to my bank and ask is this check good? it may take 3 days but they will tell me] I would like to go after him for postal fraud. It's not really worth your time to bother. And you can file a complaint, but these scams are so common and the perps almost certainly located outside the US, that it's not going to be considered a priority by anyone at the USPS or FBI. No reason to bring hassle onto yourself by showing up at the bank with a phony check. A few years ago someone got a hold of one of our company's checks and used it to send out hundreds of phony copies to random people in a scam similar to that described above by thebug. So we had dozens of these phony checks being presented on our operating account (rather than scout for them we finally just closed the account and opened a new one). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Jack Posted May 2, 2012 Share Posted May 2, 2012 It's best to just say "screw you buddy, I want cash" and ignore him. Even though your bank may say the check is good in 3 days, they are only verifying it electronically. It stills needs to be physically verified at the issuing bank, and that can take weeks. Here's a decent website that explains the process.... http://www.fraudaid.com/ScamSpeak/Nigerian/counterfeit_check_fraud/counterfeit_check_03.htm If you still want to screw him over, open a new account at a different bank than your normal one, deposit the check, then tell him you won't release the boat motor until the check physically clears, which will take about a month. And have him send the check to a PO box, not your home address. I think you can rent a PO box pretty cheap for one month. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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