Okay, Help Me Out Here. Is This a Craigslist Scam?

So we're having our new fridge delivered on Monday and have had our old one up on Craigslist for about a week. Not asking much, $350 for a side by side. So someone asked me if it was still available. I said yeah. He writes me back with this:

Thanks for your swift response concerning the items.I'll be paying by
Certified check and and my shipper will come for the pickup
at your location as soon as the check clear.Send me your full
name,address and zipcode to send the payment immediately and the check
will be send to you overnight so that you can have it by tommorrow and
Kindly remove the items from web (craigslist)as soon as you give me
your full informations....

Waiting to read from you asap.


Thanks

Click to expand...

Aside from the engrish or whatever that is, I'm suspicious here. I mean, okay, it's not like sending my name/address/zipcode is really gonna put me in any danger, but I've never had anyone contact me on Craigslist like this before. Normally it's just local folks who wanna come check it out.

Should I ignore this weirdo or what?

defiantly ignore

Evan! said:

So we're having our new fridge delivered on Monday and have had our old one up on Craigslist for about a week. Not asking much, $350 for a side by side. So someone asked me if it was still available. I said yeah. He writes me back with this:



Aside from the engrish or whatever that is, I'm suspicious here. I mean, okay, it's not like sending my name/address/zipcode is really gonna put me in any danger, but I've never had anyone contact me on Craigslist like this before. Normally it's just local folks who wanna come check it out.

Should I ignore this weirdo or what?

Click to expand...

I would make him pay by paypal, its not that hard to make an account.

Cash on delivery.

Something sounds hokey here. I don't think I'd want the individual or his "shipper" coming to my house.

this person has hit others as well in tulsa. was a couple posts and one thats up now.

What they do is send you a check for say $500. Ooops, cash it and send me the difference. When it bounces, you are out your refridge, and $150 plus all the bank fees.

Tell mr. nigerian check scammer you want CashO, no CheckO.

Better yet, tell him off in the way we all know Evan! can. (please copy us here).

EdWort said:

What they do is send you a check for say $500. Ooops, cash it and send me the difference. When it bounces, you are out your refridge, and $150 plus all the bank fees.

Tell mr. nigerian check scammer you want CashO, no CheckO.

Better yet, tell him off in the way we all know Evan! can. (please copy us here).

Click to expand...

Thanks you guys. Yay HBT!

I'm gonna tell this weirdo COD or paypal. Just curious, though: let's say I waited for the certified check. As long as I didn't give him the fridge until the check cleared and I had cash in hand, how could this scam really work?

I'd leave it at a simple "the item is no longer available", or just ignore the email. No need to pick a fight when you don't know who you're dealing with...

Evan! said:

Thanks you guys. Yay HBT!

I'm gonna tell this weirdo COD or paypal. Just curious, though: let's say I waited for the certified check. As long as I didn't give him the fridge until the check cleared and I had cash in hand, how could this scam really work?

Click to expand...

It likely works because lots of folks figure when their bank accepts the check, that means it cleared. Might take a few more days for the bank to figure out its bogus, and by then its too late.

If you wait until it really clears (your bank tells you the money is available) then you're right, it won't work. But it sounds like that won't ever happen, and in the meantime you've given out your home info to this con artist...

There are alot of fake money orders and cashiers checks floating around.
See here http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams.html

Oh, I get it, the banks cash it without verifying available funds, then screw you later. Nice.

Bike N Brew said:

It likely works because lots of folks figure when their bank accepts the check, that means it cleared. Might take a few more days for the bank to figure out its bogus, and by then its too late.

If you wait until it really clears (your bank tells you the money is available) then you're right, it won't work. But it sounds like that won't ever happen, and in the meantime you've given out your home info to this con artist...

Click to expand...

Exactly...:fro:

Evan! said:

Oh, I get it, the banks cash it without verifying available funds, then screw you later. Nice.

Click to expand...

Yep, about a week or so later, they bounce it, and in the process, your mortgage and car payment checks now bounce. The chain reaction is ugly.

EdWort said:

Yep, about a week or so later, they bounce it, and in the process, your mortgage and car payment checks now bounce. The chain reaction is ugly.

Click to expand...

Why would it have any effect on my mortgage payment (I own my car outright)?

Evan! said:

Why would it have any effect on my mortgage payment (I own my car outright)?

Click to expand...

Say your mortgage check is about to clear which would leave you with a balance of 300 bucks, but the scammer's check bounces first and now your account is short by 200 bucks. Boing, boing.

Depending on how low you keep your balance, a $500 hit can screws things up royally.

I love how the guy refers to your fridge as "the items," not once, but twice. Apparently he just cuts and pastes the same thing to each of his intended victims.

My friend routinely restores and sells classic old cars using online ads and trade magazines, and he sees these scams constantly. He actually has them send the "certified checks" to a P.O. Box. Some of them are hard to tell from real, others look like a toddler created them with a barely functioning photocopy machine. One had clearly been cut and pasted together...not with a computer, but with scissors and glue, ransom-note style! And yeah, the amount is usually higher than the sales price...oops!!

I'd go through with it just to get them busted. They are committing several felonies.

I'd call the cops and cooperate with them.

EdWort said:

I'd go through with it just to get them busted. They are committing several felonies.

I'd call the cops and cooperate with them.

Click to expand...

They're not going to show, though. They don't want the fridge- that would be exposing themselves to prosecution, and they runs these scams via mail and email. They just want you to send them the difference. It works because the bank has to make money available within 3 days of deposit, by law, and it takes longer for a fake check or money order to bounce back. This is why all CL email responses say this:

** 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

Well if anything.... He sends his buddy to pickup the goods. You have guns right?

EdWort said:

Say your mortgage check is about to clear which would leave you with a balance of 300 bucks, but the scammer's check bounces first and now your account is short by 200 bucks. Boing, boing.

Depending on how low you keep your balance, a $500 hit can screws things up royally.

Click to expand...

Oh. Ha, no, never anywhere near that low. But I can see how that could happen.

yep big scam

Also if you give them any real Info they can use it to steal your identity. Like sending them your address for payment

In all reality I wouldn't sell anything unless the person used Paypal or showed up with cash. I have never heard about the scam this ****** is pulling but im glad I have learned now.

I never use checks when buying or selling things on craigslist, I only use cash. Yep it's a typical scam.