Craigslist SCAM! Nothing new...just a heads' up

So I've been listing some furniture on Craigslist. A lot. We're remodeling a few rooms in our house in preparation for the baby & we need to get rid of a lot of stuff.

And Craigslist has been great; we even sold our front door (right off the bat)!

But there are scammers out there and I just thought you all should know and I didn't see anything on the forum about this so I thought I'd share with you my recent experiences.

After posting our ads, we quickly get emails from all sorts of gmail accounts (or even yahoo accounts that are actually gmail accounts - not sure how that happens) asking if the item or items are still for sale.

Hello? I JUST posted the ad....of course it's for sale.

But that's how they get 'ya and your actual personal email address. The first email from them comes to you via craigslist so they don't actually have your personal addy off the bat.

But that's not really the problem, but if you're desperate enough (watch it), you might just fall for the scam. I have a buddy who did and it wasn't fun and he was out a chunk of change.

This is an example of the email I get in response to the ad (with Craigslist's automatic warning at the top):

** CRAIGSLIST ADVISORY --- AVOID SCAMS BY DEALING LOCALLY
** Avoid: wiring money, cross-border deals, work-at-home
** Beware: cashier checks, money orders, escrow, shipping
** More Info: http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams.html



hello
is will like to know if the posted adds is still up for sale??????

Now I'm not sure exactly what this guy is asking......but I think he's asking me if it's still for sale.

And the email address that shows up is: Grant Seth [tolozolo4@yahoo.com]

But then when I reply, it switches to mloveth@gmail.com. TRICKY!

This is the response I get to my personal address after I responded saying, yes, of course, it's still for sale:

Thank for the prompt response my secretary will process and mail a certified draft to cover the cost as am completely satisfied with it.I will need the details of whom & where to mail the payment 1.Name to be on the check 2.Home address 3.Mobile # preferably Please note 'United Parcel Service' do not deliver to P.O.Box addresses and i will not be mailing a draft to one.My mover will be coming over for the pick up right only after the payment as been delivered.Kindly delete the posting as am totally committed to buying from you to save cost,..Here is my relay phone # is (210) 209-8524 am deaf and will receive your phone messages via email , regards

Here's the scam: they send you a fake check. You cash it. For the first week or two, all seems good & the 'mover' comes and picks up the item. Later on, you get a nifty little call from your bank telling you that the funds actually weren't available even though the funds were initially deposited into your account. So you don't get your money and you've already given away yer goods.

So far, I've received about 30 of these scam emails so far. So I've started having some fun with it. So I invite you too to send all sorts of spam to these addresses and call that number. It'll be fun.

Here's my response to the above email:

I will need your full name & address first. Better yet, please provide me with your Driver's License & Social Security Number.

And I will be reporting you.

Here's another email I got from chrismarcus024@gmail.com

Hello,
Thanks for the prompt response and i will like you to withdraw the advert from Craigslist,i don't mind adding an extra $20 for you to take the advert down from craigslist so that i can be rest assured that am in hand of the item.I don't have time to come take a look. I will be paying via cashier's check,you don't need to bother your self with the shipment Ok,i will take care of that.So i will need you to provide me with the following information to facilitate the mailing of the check.
1.Your full name
2.Your mailing address
3.Your phone number.
I will have my mover come over as soon as you have the check
Have a great day
Chris

This was my response:

Why don’t you provide me with your name & address first, if we’re trusting each other here…in fact, you sound really nice Chris, I really like nice boys…are you a nice boy? Why don’t I come over.

How nice of him, though, to offer an extra $20! Seriously, who would do that if it wasn't an obvious scam?

Here's another from christjomo@googlemail.com (which definitely isn't gmail):

Hi,

Thank you for your reply..I want you to know that i want
the best for both of us in this transaction.I'm cool with your final price
which is $875,please let me know if you will accept payment with Money
order? as it's the only way i can pay you at the moment.I would have
loved to come take a look at it? but i am presently out of town on an
assignment that will take about months my company is working towards
securing a contract that is why i could not come over and look at
it.But not wisthstanding i will pay for it next week. Pls dont be
offended i wish I could call you? but i have hearing problem due to an
accident i had when i was small.Pls kindly send pics of it to
me."Also,don't fail to reply with your name and phone number and
address that the money orders will be mailed out to so that we can
proceed with this transaction asap,i will wat you to take the posting
off craigslist today so that we can confirm the furniture item as
sold..Do get back to me.Anticipating your prompt response.

This was my response:

** CRAIGSLIST ADVISORY --- AVOID SCAMS BY DEALING LOCALLY
** Avoid: wiring money, cross-border deals, work-at-home
** Beware: cashier checks, money orders, escrow, shipping
** More Info: http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams.html


Note the above warning. I only accept payment in person, in CASH.

That being said, why don’t you send me your name, address and phone number.

And if you’re hard of hearing, why would you want my phone number anyway?

I look forward to hearing from you.

Here's another one of my responses:

** CRAIGSLIST ADVISORY --- AVOID SCAMS BY DEALING LOCALLY
** Avoid: wiring money, cross-border deals, work-at-home
** Beware: cashier checks, money orders, escrow, shipping
** More Info: http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams.html

The price is listed. If you are not a criminal, please let me know if you'd like to buy it. Serious offers only. Note the above warning.

Here's another from donaldwell1@gmail.com:

From: max well donald [mailto:donaldwell006@gmail.com]
Sent: Sat 6/13/2009 10:01 PM
To: sale-qnhqp-1220421903@craigslist.org
** CRAIGSLIST ADVISORY --- AVOID SCAMS BY DEALING LOCALLY
** Avoid: wiring money, cross-border deals, work-at-home
** Beware: cashier checks, money orders, escrow, shipping
** More Info: http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams.html

--
Is this pasted item still for sale????????????????????

After I said 'yes'...

Hello,
I appreciate your response to my inquiry.I am interested in
buying and i am ok with the description and condition and i am also
satisfied with the price($499).I would have love to come and check it
myself but am not chance now,my secretary will mail a certified check
in us dollars to you to cover the cost of my purchase as am completely
satisfied with the advert.Please do withdraw the advert from the
website with immediate effect,as i don't mind adding $50 for you to do
that for me,so i can be rest assured that the item is held for me and
as for the pick up my Mover will come for the pick up once the
Certified Check has been cashed and i will like to complete this
transaction before Thursday the 18th of June.If this arrangement is ok
by you kindly send me both your name and full address to post the
payment immediately and i would appreciate you include your
phone#,i.e....

(1)..Your full name
(2)..Your full home address or your office address
(3)..your zip code
(4)...your phone number to contact you

And please i don't want a P.O BOX address because i want the payment
to get to you at your house or your office address to make the
transaction fast.Thanks and get back to me with the full info as soon
as possible.Thanks

My response:

Hi Donald - Due to the many scams on Craigslist and these specific demands you are making, I will only accept ****** from you. I will be happy to have the shelf professionally packaged and shipped to you using my local shipping agent, however, the piece is a bit large and awkwardly shaped so packaging and shipping will be $200. If you'd like to continue, ****** me at ------- the total amount of $699 including shipping and provide me with your address. I hope you understand and I look forward to doing business with you.

A favorite of mine....from Mike Greg (mikegreg01@gmail.com):

Subject: RE: HUGE Gold Framed Beveled Mirror - $899 (Rancho Palos Verdes)
Hi,
Good day to you over there,actually i saw your posting on craigslist ,and i will love to know if this item is still available for sale and its present condition.if it is still available for sale and in good condition try to get back to me cos am very much intrested in buying as soon as possible ,i would have love to come over and take a look but am unable to do that for now cos am very busy for now .till i read from you have a nice day there.....

After I said yes...

Hello Klein,
Thanks for your reply and the price is accepted so i will like you to send me this information below today,please considered it sold to me.OK

{1} FULL NAME:
{2} FULL ADDRESS:
{3}LAST ASKING PRICE:
{4}PHONE NUMBER :

To enable me to instruct my client to issue and send BANK DRAFT to you as soon as possible. NOTE: I DON'T NEED P.O BOX ADDRESS......................
Am a contractor and also a buyer of used GOODS,I based in USA but presently an in Iowa i will back soon.

NOTE;-the amount that will be on the BANK DRAFT will be for the amount of the cabinets and the shipping cost,so that when you get the cheque and cleared into your account you will now send the remaining money to the shipping agent for them to goahead with the necessary shipping arrangements so that's all let me hear back from you asap, Dont worry about the shipment the shipment will handle by my shipping agent . waiting for your swift response. Thanks for your co-operation.
Rgds
Mike.

And my response:

Mike, I apologize but your email is not very clear.

I am selling a large, gold framed beveled mirror for $899. It is not a cabinet. I also do not understand when you say that I will send money.

The mirror is $899 and you will have to either arrange for shipping yourself or pay for me to have it packaged and shipped to you.

In order for me to consider the item sold to you, you will need to send to me $899 plus $100 for shipping if I am to arrange the shipping for you.

David

Gotta love the internet!!! Just be careful fellas and ladies!

[DonnieW]

Piece of advice from someone who investigates this stuff. If you receive a check/cheque, always have the bank clear it right then and there. If possible, use a draft/certified check.

In response to your use of a personal email account, PLEASE go register a GMail account that will let you stay anonymous. Beat them at their own game my friend.

[kelmac07]

Thanks for the heads up...not a big "craigs list" guy myself.

Thanks Donnie! By the way, is your email addy donaldwell1@gmail.com?



Also, I've heard that these checks actually ARE certified cashier's checks...they're no longer safe either.

And hey, how do I register my gmail addy as anonymous?

And Michael, it really is a great website...we've sold stuff, even rented out a home using craigslist! Three times!

Just be careful of the scammers...and most of them, I've heard, are (obviously) out of the country, in Africa somewhere (so I've heard).

[Volt]

This post is worth RG just for the laughs it gave me. I am a pretty cynical person, so not readily trapped by scams. Not sure what that says about me that I don't trust people, but my money and goods stay safe. Thanks for the post.

Originally Posted by Volt

This post is worth RG just for the laughs it gave me. I am a pretty cynical person, so not readily trapped by scams. Not sure what that says about me that I don't trust people, but my money and goods stay safe. Thanks for the post.

Hahahaha, thanks Mike. I'm the same way. That's why when a guy says right off the bat...I'll pay you full price, hell, I'll throw in an extra $20....it looks like a freakin' duck to me!

If it's too good to be true....well, hell....

[DonnieW]

Originally Posted by mrreindeer

Thanks Donnie! By the way, is your email addy donaldwell1@gmail.com?



Also, I've heard that these checks actually ARE certified cashier's checks...they're no longer safe either.

And hey, how do I register my gmail addy as anonymous?

And Michael, it really is a great website...we've sold stuff, even rented out a home using craigslist! Three times!

Just be careful of the scammers...and most of them, I've heard, are (obviously) out of the country, in Africa somewhere (so I've heard).

When I say "anonymous", anyone you converse with will not be able to trace your email back to you (save and except LE and organizations like mine). Register a dozen gmail accts and mix them up. Would be difficult for anyone to gather substance on you.

[DonnieW]

As for certified checks not being safe, well that is true to a degree. But in that case, its the banks problem if they don't check it right away. I see hundreds of fake certified checks being passed everyday on our news ticker, that is basically hundreds of bank tellers that are slacking off (no offence).

EDIT: Here is a sample notice we get...

CNB Bank, Inc., Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, has contacted the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to report that counterfeit cashier's checks bearing the institution's name are in circulation.

The counterfeit items display the routing number 052204359, which is assigned to CNB Bank, Inc. The items also display a security feature statement embedded in the top border and along the bottom border between two padlocks. The words "CASHIER'S CHECK" along with a notice to customers appears in the top-left corner. The name Citizens National Bank with a "C" logo is displayed in the top center.

Authentic cashier's checks display the bank's name and location in the top-center area of the check. The words "Cashier's Check" are shown in the top-right area of the check.

[replicant_argent]

Anyone dumb enough to fall for such shenanigans deserves exactly what they get. Hang on... I'm running low on cynicism, but if your detector doesn't start making noise, you should probably move back to your parents basement and have all electronic devices restricted from use.

Not you, David, but PUUUUHLEEEAAASSSE.... I have had dozens of these come at me, and if they aren't specifically referring to your item, 99% of the time they are the cousins of the Nigerian Lottery official, I think.

Totally agree with you Pete. One of my replies that I didn't post here went sorta like this, including the Craigslist warning at the top: "Do you think I'm stupid? I'm reporting you." And that buddy of mine who actually fell for it, well, he ain't too smart....

[JE3146]

I had a moron friend who got scammed over craiglist when posting an ad for a roommate.

I never paid much attention to it till he started talking about 'extra' money he was getting out of the deal. I immediately asked him to fill me in. Turns out the girl was from 'far away' and 'moving here soon' and 'here's a check for $XXXX.00 to go towards rent for the first few months... be sure to take what you need plus a little extra and mail me back the rest...

Typical scam... he had no idea. He cashed the check. I stopped him the night he was writing a check back. He still wasn't believing me..... then 2 days later his accounts were frozen by the bank.

Bout

I'll bet it wasn't a girl either! Yikes!

Totally forgot to highlight another of my faves:

I based in USA but presently an in Iowa i will back soon

If I were doing this....

"I based in USA but I can't speak or write proper English but I'm definitely not in Africa heading the Nigerian Lotto Scam in addition to Craigslist scams because I'm in Iowa which really is like another country and you should trust me because I is Amerinicain just like you & will offer you full price and then some because I want what are best for both as long as you give me your name & address but no P.O. Box and oh yeah, make sure you remove the listing from Craigslist"

I once tried to sell a motorcycle through an online ad service (not CL) and had a similar experience. The guy offered me $1000 dollars over what I asked for the bike, and an additional $2500 to have it shipped. I wound up getting a huge check that the bank wouldn't clear because it was fake (had major suspicions long before I got the check in my hands). The guy called up, through an operator he was typing to, and threatened to find me and do me harm in order to get his money back. He didn't like it too much when I told him I didn't have the check anymore because the local police had taken the check and passed it on to the FBI. He hung up after that.

Nice! Jeez, sorry about that Joe. That sucks. Hope they caught the f'er.

[Noodles]

Anytime you post something in Craigslist you are open to this kind of Scam. Here's the usual modus operandi:

You are the seler

1. Response to your advertisement.
2. Email back and forth. They say their representative/secretary/relative in the USA will send you payments.
3. They send you a check for more than what was originally agreed upon. They say take xxx amount for your trouble but refund (via wire transfer) them the remaining money.

Ex Cost of what you are selling is 1000 dollars
They send you 3500 dollars
They will ask you to cash the check, take 300 dollars for your troubles but send them/advance them 1200.
4. Your bank will make the 3500 available to you. You wire them 1200.
5. A few days later your bank calls you and informs you the check is no good. You are now out of 1200.

You are the buyer - This is easy to spot since most of the time, the same advertisement is plastered in different craigslist cities.
1. You email them about the item they are selling.
2. They said it's available. However, he is out of country right now but, lo and behold, he has a solution for this problem.
3. They will suggest to use a shipper company; in one of my bait, they suggested TNT.
4. Same deal with above, take xxx amount for your trouble, but wire them the rest.

At least they're polite.

[Volt]

Originally Posted by mrreindeer

At least they're polite.

Originally Posted by mrreindeer

Nice! Jeez, sorry about that Joe. That sucks. Hope they caught the f'er.

The whole thing smelled kinda funky. The guy was supposedly based out of South Africa, the shipping company was based in Ghana, and the Cashier's Check was from a bank in the UK. Requested that they clear funds before I left the bank and it came back as being fraudulent. The routing number was correct, but the account number didn't exist. Crazy deal, but I didn't lose anything other than a little time. The entertainment I got was well worth that much.

[SmokinDuck]

Originally Posted by mrreindeer

Totally forgot to highlight another of my faves:

Quote:
I based in USA but presently an in Iowa i will back soon


If I were doing this....

"I based in USA but I can't speak or write proper English but I'm definitely not in Africa heading the Nigerian Lotto Scam in addition to Craigslist scams because I'm in Iowa which really is like another country and you should trust me because I is Amerinicain just like you & will offer you full price and then some because I want what are best for both as long as you give me your name & address but no P.O. Box and oh yeah, make sure you remove the listing from Craigslist"

That is a good one.

I lived in Iowa for a few years, it did feel like I was in a different country.