Craigslist classified for used car: Cheque fraud scam

Submitted by Khalid on Sat, 2006/09/09 - 18:28.

Technology in Society

I recently listed a car for sale on craigslist and other local classified ad services.

This is one reply I got, which is clearly an attempt at scamming:

From: Dave Smith <goldenwum12@yahoo.com>
Subject: [The title of the classified ad for the car]

Hello,
I just viewed your car posting on craigslist and i have interest on it
i will like to know the present condition and two more pictures of the
car before i proceed with the transaction.
Thanks

Problem is, the scammer is not very smart. I did not posted pictures to begin with, so there are no more pictures.

So, I sent this reply:

From: me
To: Dave Smith <goldenwum12@yahoo.com>

Pictures attached.

I intentionally did not attach any pictures. A genuine buyer would have noticed this of course. Instead, the scammer proceeded with the next step, revealing his true intent:

From Dave Smith <goldenwum12@yahoo.com>
To: me

Hello,

Thanks for your reply i got all your information about the car and am ok
with it, i will be making your payment today i need your full name and
address to make your payment today through electronic check i will handle the shipment myself.

All what you need about the mode of payment is to get a Blank check paper and magnetic versa ink to print the check, the check will be sent to your email and you get it printed from it. You can get this materials from the following stores.

1. Office Depot
2. Office Max
3. Staples Store
4. Stationery Store
5. Compusa.

When you get this materials you can print the check out and immediately after the printing you can then get the check cashed at your Bank or any bank of america branch around you I will wait for you to confirm and clear the check.
The payment will be in excess as i will want you to contact my shipper with the excess fund for shipping the car after you must have confirmed and cashed the check.i will wait for your bank to clear the check so you can deduct your own money and send the excess fund to the shipper via Western Union Money Transfer so as to cover the cost of shipping the car from your place to it's destination. I will add extra 100$ for the purchasing of check paper and magnetic versa ink.

For more information about the mode of payment you can check the website www.qchex.com and know more about it .Dont worry i will handle the shipping myself with my shipper. you can IM on this ID goldenwum10@yahoo.com or call me on 9145954296 for more information.
Thanks and God Bless

This is a classic scam where a fake cheque is sent to the victim for more than the amount owed, and the difference is to be wired to the scammer.

Craigslist scammer

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 2006/09/26 - 13:57.

Thank you for posting this comment, I recently just recieved an email from this guy and was wondering the same thing. I'm very glad that you posted becuase when I searched his phone number I got your post and saw that he was a fake. Thank you for helping the little guy out.

Today I recieved an email

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 2006/12/06 - 22:30.

Today I recieved an email from this guy with almost same text. I'm very glad that you posted because when I searched his phone number I got your post and saw that he was a fake.

Thank you for posting this comment. Really helpful.

SCAMMM!!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 2007/01/04 - 22:53.

I was surprised when I searched for "magnetic versa ink scam" that the exact text came out! WOW! I mean it almost sounded right, but not quite. In mine, he also added that he'd throw in an extra $100 for the check paper and the ink. That seemed a bit shady. PEOPLE!!!

Thanks, knew it was a

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 2007/01/09 - 02:53.

Thanks, knew it was a bust...

Same e-mail. Hmmmm...

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 2007/03/22 - 15:49.

Hello,
i am indeed glad to read your email concerning the sale of your vehicle,i
want to purchase the car as soon as possible my mode of payment will be Via
Electronic Check drawn from Bank Of America As there are too many scams on
internet with fake Money orders.
The check will be send to you immediately via email,all you need to do is
purchase a check paper and magnetic versa ink at any Office Depot or
Stationary store to Print the check on and immediately when you print the
check proceed to your Bank or any branch of Bank of America to cash the
check immediately.Both Check Paper and Magnetic Versa ink cost $50 only but
i will offer you $100 to purchase Check Paper and Magnetic Versa Ink to
print the check.
I will handle the shipment myself via my company shippers They will come for
pick up when you must have gotten your cash at hand from the bank They will
prepare all shipment papers and also bill of sales.The vehicle will also be
insured by my company shippers.
You can read more on how this method of payment works on www.gochex.com.

Thanks

Sounds Good, I am happy to

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 2008/03/24 - 10:23.

Sounds Good,
I am happy to read from you concerning the sales of your item.I want to purchase your item for my friend as surprise package as soon as possible before thier Engagment/Wedding ceremony which is fast approaching. Due to various scams on internet my mode of payment will be via Bank Certfied Check drawn in (Bank Of America)..I know there are a lot of scams so I have no problem with you waiting for the Check to go through at your bank or anything, Im in no rush.All I need for now is your name, address,city,state,country,zipcode and also phone number.So that i will be able to mail the check to your home address while you await the delievery.Please proceed to delete the postage on craigs web immediately..I will wait for your bank to verify and clear the Check before we proceed with Shipment to my friend home address inwhich i will include the shipment fund via Express Mail Service (EMS OF USPS) to your asking price with an offer $100 for selling it to me.I will await your email with your info today so that i can prepare and mail the check immediately as i wanted thier pastor to bless the item before Engagment/Wedding ceremony date
Here is my full information below

Thanks.
Randy Smith
1412 Clark St
Rock Springs, WY 82901
Fax (337) 680-4010

i got this email from the same guy i think. i put his address into theyahoo search bar and this webstie came up. sothanks for letting me catch a bad guy. the thing i dont understand is how whould this guy scam me. if he sends mea check and then i wait for it to to clear, wouldnt i be ok???

Craig's List Scam!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 2008/03/24 - 11:08.

Look what I just got from him too:

Ok i can pay you with cash but Am on the business trip right now that why i cant come to pay cash, thats why i cant come to you so pls mail me your full information
so i can send you the check Asap And i will wait to hear from you with you Asap and here ids my full information so you can belive me

Thanks
Randy Smith
1412 Clark St
Rock Springs, WY 82901
Fax (337) 680-4010

Heres a few emails i got

Submitted by lionbarkid (not verified) on Thu, 2008/04/24 - 11:58.

Heres a few emails i got recently pasted into 1: Name Michael book +447045720495 michaelbook1960@gmail.com

Thanks for your mail.
I will like to know more about the car, where is the car presently located? Is the Engine of the car still OK. I need to hear from you soon. I will be coming to inspect the car this weekend.
When was the last NCT done on the car?
Can you email me more pictures of the car, when will you be available for inspection this weekend and what is the rock bottom price of the car?
I have just contacted my fudiciary agent to pay for the car by bank draft for 4800euros which will be from an Irish bank and it will only take 2 to 5days to be clear into your account,the draft will gets to you by next week. inspection will be done on the car by Mid next week. I need this car for my family and i need to act fast in buying it,i will need you make available all the relevant documents for the car because it will be ship to my house in Ukraine.
Kindly supply us your FULL NAMES,ADDRESS AND YOUR MOBILE NUMBER for the draft to be issue to you.
Yes,I know but I will need your details so that the draft can be issue and sent to you by next Monday.

looks a bit sus wouldnt u say

My Name: Michael Book!? Fraudster or time waster

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 2008/04/26 - 12:47.

I'm at present talking to the same guy about my own car:

Hi, is this car still for sale?
My Name: Michael Book
My Phone Number: +447045761544
My Email Address: michaelbook1960@yahoo.com

He says the same:
"I will be paying you by bank Draft which will get to you by Next week Thursday but I will come down for Inspection by Mid week but the Bank need to issue the draft to you First."

After reading yours I'm sure he's a fraudster or just someone trying to annoy us! Not a very Ukranian name either!

i was thnning the same

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 2008/04/25 - 09:56.

Thanks.
Randy Smith
1412 Clark St
Rock Springs, WY 82901
Fax (337) 680-4010

i got this email yestaday and iv been talkin with him trying to get to know him and he wont take the bait .. he is strait to the point about mailing the check off to me .. no conversation at all .. im goin to copy all this info and email it to him when he sends the check in then im not goin to cash it but send it back to that adress im also goin to fax that number a big FUCK U on a sheet of paper ..