So I put an ad on Craig's List...

...trying to sell a motorcycle and I got this response:

I really appreciate your response to my email. I want you to consider
it sold, Pls do withdraw the advert from CL to avoid disturbance,anyways I
don't have time to come over to take a look because of my
Business but you don't need to bother yourself with the shipment, I'll
take care of that by engaging the services of a mover, hence I'll be
sending a Certified check and it will be delivered to you via United Parcel
Service (UPS), so I'll need you to provide me with the following
information to facilitate the mailing of the check.

Full name on the check.
Full Physical address to post the check
City, State and Zip Code
Home & Cell Phone to contact you.

Note that the payment will be shipped to your address via UPS NEXT DAY
AIR SERVICE and I will like you to know that you will not be
responsible for shipping i will have my mover to come over as soon as
you have cashed the check*
N.B UPS does not deliver to a P.O box addresses.Thanks



What the hell is this? I'm sure it's a scam, but I can't figure out how?!?

 

It's a scam, they send you a check and it bounces................once it bounces, you geta copy, AND they get a copy and being you deposited it, on his copy will have all your bank account info/numbers

 

Did You Know:


Every time you write a check you are giving away your bank account information. The routing number, your address, the bank's address, your account number, etc.

I believe the scam is you cash the check, they come pick up the bike. In a few days the check bounces and you have no cash and no bike. Nothing to do with having your bank info.

 

I see. I just told the person that I don't trust checks and it's a cash only deal.

 

The scam is that they send a check for more than the price of the bike, with instructions to just cash it anyways, and send them the difference. Which of course would mean that they get cash from you, but the check never clears.... you're stuck with a bad check and no cash.

You should totally screw with them. Follow these steps for a good laugh at their expense:

1. Tell them it's a done deal and to send you the check.... just give them a bogus address.

2. Email them a few days later and tell them that they can come pick it up as their check has now cleared.

3. When they contact you again (which they will.. because they want their cash) about the bike (cash) tell them that their moving company hasn't shown up yet... but being the nice trusting sort, you figure the least you can do is offer to ship the bike to them.

They'll of course refuse this offer of kindness, but you should insist. You see, they didn't know this about you, but you actually own the largest freight shipping company in the U.S. and it's really no problem.

4. Drag out the "shipping wars" with them for a while... how ever long you feel like screwing with them.

5. Explain that you will send the extra cash from their oversize check along with the bike... you see you don't really trust wire transfers or any other type of postal service... because you've had problems in the past with scammers and it made you only trust your company's delivery service. Oh, you didn't know? Yes, you also own a parcel service!

Besides, what kind of message would it send to your employees if you didn't use your very own company's service?

6. Then let them know that the check bounced and could they please send another as it appears the account they sent the check from was closed or something.

7. Repeat steps 1 through 7.... over and over again.


Good times.

 

Where is that Nigerian guy when you need him?

 

this is the one i see the most of. they do it with boats cars and of course bikes.

a new one i'm seeing is pretty good. what they are doing is coping pics from real estate sites and place them on craigslist. they use the actual address and pics of the house and put it on there for rent. they must research the area because they usually place it a bit lower than the rest of the area making it look like a deal!

they tell the future renter that they are out of the country and to send payment where ever they are. they have even taken a chance and advised them to go ahead and walk around the house, lol. once payment is recieved they have an agent give them a key and its all good. with the pressure of other people looking to get in and the deal factor people do send payment without actually going inside.

 

Yea that's a great idea. Just go along with everything they say like you trust them completely just to mess with them. It's a fun game!!!

 

Why does it have to be like that?

 

Check this site out: http://www.419eater.com/

 

Everytime I've tried to sell anything of value on CL it gets nutty. When I listed the vette the kooks REALLY came out of the woodwork. Scammers, time wasters, tire kickers, assholes, etc....you name it, they were there.

 

LOL!!! That's what he's saying... we need help from our honest Nigerian friend! That's you!


I haven't laughed that hard in a long time... that screen name and picture kill me.



Awesome!

 

RIP Jackie.

 

I got the check and then apologised that I'd gotten drunk and bought a big screen TV with their "extra money".

That went over really well.

-jim

 

Give them your local Mayor's address. Or the police station..

 

Shouldn't that be "have to be like that why it does"?

Oh wait, that's Yoda talk.

 

HAHAHA!! That's a good one. I've got a bike on CL right now. I'm gonna use that one combined with giving the address of the police station. Nice. - VE

 

Damn that's crazy, the exact same thing happened to me, the email is almost identical. I had a piece of art listed ($2100 or so value) and I was pretty damn excited when I got the message because it truly is an ugly piece of shit, I can't believe anybody'd pay that for it. Anyway, when the check shows up I'll shreddy shred shred. Maybe I'll mail them back a nice turd-in-a-box.

 

Cut and pasted from craiglist site:

You can sidestep would-be scammers by following these common-sense rules:

DEAL LOCALLY WITH FOLKS YOU CAN MEET IN PERSON - follow this one simple rule and you will avoid 99% of the scam attempts on craigslist.
NEVER WIRE FUNDS VIA WESTERN UNION, MONEYGRAM or any other wire service - anyone who asks you to do so is a scammer.
FAKE CASHIER CHECKS & MONEY ORDERS ARE COMMON, and BANKS WILL CASH THEM AND THEN HOLD YOU RESPONSIBLE when the fake is discovered weeks later.
CRAIGSLIST IS NOT INVOLVED IN ANY TRANSACTION, and does not handle payments, guarantee transactions, provide escrow services, or offer "buyer protection" or "seller certification"
NEVER GIVE OUT FINANCIAL INFORMATION (bank account number, social security number, eBay/PayPal info, etc.)
AVOID DEALS INVOLVING SHIPPING OR ESCROW SERVICES and know that ONLY A SCAMMER WILL "GUARANTEE" YOUR TRANSACTION.



Anyone who wants to buy something sight unseen is a scammer. Especially when it is something of significant value. Even people buying peoples bikes on the beeb will usually want extra photos, talk to you in person on the phone, and come look at the bike.

 

Freaking scammers. I put an add on craig's list to rent out a room in the house I'm currently renting. I get this e-mail from "Anja", a 27 year old girl from Finland. Wants to move in and is supposed to have a job lined up at a local hospital. I'm thinking M-kay, this could be good. She asks that I take the add off CR and she's going to send me a check for the rent and to cover her moving expenses. I'm OK, guess I'll wait till I get the check and go from there. Well, I received a check, UPS over night for $3500.00 and I get an e-mail from her/him/it/nigeriadumbass asking me to deposit the check in my account and wire some money to her moving company and hold onto the rest till she arrives. Uh, ya. I will admit, the check looked legit but uh, why would the check come from a dealership? There's a Bank of America right across the street from where I'm working. Took the check there just see since it was supposedly from a Bank of America account. What a surprise, not a real account.....although, the teller couldn't tell if it was a real or fake from looking at it....but she sure could by punching in the account number. I wonder how many yahoos fall for these scams...