Craigs List Scammers

[mep]

I think that most of us by now have heard of scammers that want to "buy" something you have advertised for sale with a phony check that is made out to you for way more money than the asking price of your item you have for sale. Of course they ask you to cash their phony check and send them back the difference between what you asked for your item and what they "paid" you. Why even a simpleton doesn't see something amiss with this arrangement is beyond me.

So I list a bagging system for my Kubota lawn tractor that I no longer wish to use on Craigslist. I get a very strange looking email response from someone who English skills are lacking a lot. They tell me they will buy it, please remove it from the listing and they will give me $50 extra for removing it from Craigslist. They ask me to provide my name, mailing address, and cell phone number and promise to send a bank check.

I guess these bastards call the suckers that were dumb enough to cash the bad checks and actually start demanding that they refund the "extra" money they sent on top of the purchase price if the mark doesn't send the money to them right away. Soon the demands are escalated into threats.

I heard that Craigslist is a favorite fishing hole for these scammers and I thought it was funny that the one and only time I placed an ad on there I get an email from one of these ripoff artists.

 

[audioarcher]

I think that most of us by now have heard of scammers that want to "buy" something you have advertised for sale with a phony check that is made out to you for way more money than the asking price of your item you have for sale. Of course they ask you to cash their phony check and send them back the difference between what you asked for your item and what they "paid" you. Why even a simpleton doesn't see something amiss with this arrangement is beyond me.

So I list a bagging system for my Kubota lawn tractor that I no longer wish to use on Craigslist. I get a very strange looking email response from someone who English skills are lacking a lot. They tell me they will buy it, please remove it from the listing and they will give me $50 extra for removing it from Craigslist. They ask me to provide my name, mailing address, and cell phone number and promise to send a bank check.

I guess these bastards call the suckers that were dumb enough to cash the bad checks and actually start demanding that they refund the "extra" money they sent on top of the purchase price if the mark doesn't send the money to them right away. Soon the demands are escalated into threats.

I heard that Craigslist is a favorite fishing hole for these scammers and I thought it was funny that the one and only time I placed an ad on there I get an email from one of these ripoff artists.

I listed a pool table on craigslist recently and also had a similar encounter. I put my phone number in the ad and they text me the scam instead. They wanted to send me a check even though the ad said cash only. I text back cash only and to call me instead of texting. They text back saying they lived in Hawaii and would have their shipper come and get the pool table. I had heard of this scam before and knew it would be ridiculous to ship a pool table to Hawaii. No one in their right mind would do it. I sent them a text back saying Nice Try.

 

[amirm]

Both ebay and craigslist have legitimized what thieves do. No longer do you have to sell stolen stuff in a dark alley. Just put there like everyone else and get good money for it.

I almost fell for a trap. Saw a listing for a quad at something like 40% off compared to what everyone else was selling it for. You ask why one doesn't see the danger signs. It is because you think you are good and getting a good deal! I thought it was fishy that there was no address/city at all for where the seller was. Or phone number. Just an email address. I send an email asking where the unit is. Right after sending it, I thought of googling for the same ad. I noticed it was posted in Craigslist in every major city with the same exact description! I reported it to Craigslist and the listing was taken off. Of course the guy responds to my email claiming to be local but refusing to tell me where he is.

 

[RBFC]

We must also be careful when selling items on Craigslist, since we are inviting criminals to visit us (hopefully NOT at home, please) to check out what else they might take. Caution is important, and you guys have already described some of the possible scams.

Lee

 

[Peter Breuninger]

I'll post things like unwanted furniture or snow tires and only let the buyer into my garage. I will only sell to people who call and leave a message (on a spare phone line) and I call them back and ask where they live. You have to use common sense and not distrust the whole world (easier said than done).

We must also be careful when selling items on Craigslist, since we are inviting criminals to visit us (hopefully NOT at home, please) to check out what else they might take. Caution is important, and you guys have already described some of the possible scams.

Lee

 

[Johnny Vinyl]

I don't buy/sell from either and have no intention on starting either. I recognized years ago that both were/are fertile grounds for scam artists and/or undesireables. I sometimes use Kijiji, which is very popular in Canada, but I don't let anyone into my apartment, instead I meet them in the lobby.

 

[RBFC]

You have to use common sense and not distrust the whole world (easier said than done).

In the old Kung Fu television series, the master of the Shaolin temple was testing two young boys for possible admittance to become monks. While they were talking, a peasant who worked in the temple kitchen was caught stealing and forcibly thrown out of the grounds. The elder monk asked the boys one at a time, "What does this teach you?". The first boy said, "Trust no one!" and the monk told him to leave. He was not admitted. When asked the same question, the second boy replied, "Expect the unexpected!". He was accepted into the temple.

It can be tempting to lose our humanity along the way, with so many undesirable possibilities surrounding our experiences. If you read my thread about "fending off" someone, you'll see that the entire process is geared toward being patient and allowing someone to show you their intentions, rather than being close-minded and instantly rejecting them. The "uber-hardass" road sucks the joy out of life.

Lee

 

[Mikem53]

Id Rather donate it or give it away than deal with the unknown general public..