Another scam via Craigslist: offering more than asking price

I have a car for sale and have gotten about 10 responses on it.. 3 of them were this SCAM! First they would just ask if it was still available, I respond and say yes then got these back:

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Ander Lander:

Thanks for your response .I want to tell you that i am really interested in purchasing your car,i agree to pay your cost and will be making an instant purchase, i will feel more comfortable doing this if you can kindly withdraw the advert you placed so that i can be rest assured that am the owner of the car, but it's ok if you don't want to do that for some reasons best known to you which i will understand if you tell me. I will also like you to know that i will be paying via a US certified check or money order, and you don't have to bother yourself with the car shipment cos i will have that taken care of by my shipper as he will be picking up the car from you.If that is pleased by you i will want you come over with the following information's to facilitate the insurance and mailing of the check...

1.Your full name.
2.Your mailing address(Your residential address will be preferred)
3.City..
4. State...
5,zip code...
6,cell phone number....
As soon as the check is been cashed by you, then the shipper will be able to come over for the pickup.
Regards

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Ernie Maxwell:

Hello,
I appreciate your response to my inquiry.I am interested in buying the item and i am ok with the description and condition and i am also satisfied with the price(2500).I would have love to come and check it myself but am not chance now,because am presently on honeymoon trip to Hawaii with my wife Pls do withdraw the item from the website with immediate efftect,as i dont mind adding $50 for you to do that for me, so i can be rest assured that the item is held for me,I will be making the payment to you via a Certified Check in us dollars which my secretary in the state will mail across to you and as for the pick up, i will know how to handle that with my mover that as been the pick up once the Certified Check has been cashed and i will like to complete this transaction before friday the 14th of Noveber 08. 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

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Steve Nicholas:

Good Day, It's good reading about the item you posted on C/L concerning the price, and i must let you know that it is ok by me. Payment will be inform Certified Bank Check in view of this i need you to email me any information that may be required to send the payment across to you.

As i do not want to send the check to a wrong location/hand... I have a shipping company that takes care of the pick up of my consignments, and have my items shipped for me to my destination anywhere in the U.S.A. The company will send down a representative to arrange the sales documentation and the pick up from your pick up point.

Also want to alert you on the fact that you will be receiving an overdraft payment, which will cover the money for pickup and shipping to the final destination.As soon as you receive the payment do have it processed and deduct your money, and the remaining balance will be sent to the shipping company. I will give you the details of the company that will be shipping the items as soon as we seal this deal.

Once the money is received by the agent, the shipping agent will contact you immediately proper documentation as well as the pick up.Here are the details needed to have the payment sent to you.

(1) Full Name:
(2) Residential Address: Not P.O.Box please
(3) Phone Number: (Home/Cell)
(4) last price

Once you get back to me with all the above payment will be issued out immediately and be sent to you.Hope to hear from you soon..Regards

I never gave them any information.. all they have is my email address. It was fishy from the start but once I got THREE similar e-mails on the same item.. it was obviously a SCAM!!

email from
tancredyn@gmail.com

Hello

Thanks for replying. I'm interested. Would have wanted to come
and take a look at it, but i'm currently out of the country. Was
hoping it could be sent to my brother who is currently in West Africa.
Wanted to give it to his as a birthday gift, but since I won't be
available to deliver it to him on time, I would be greatfull if you
can do that for me. I will pay you via paypal and add extra $140 for
the shipping expenses. If this can be arranged just send me the paypal
money request to my paypal email and also include the shipping fees. I
will prefer shipment to be made through USPS Express Mail
International.

Thanks,
Tina

You will receive such scam emails for every items posted on creiglist $200 and up, they always want to pay with paypal and ship to them. Just delete them

I have had several deals on Craiglist and as a result have had many scammers reply. Some common traits to look out for:

*Broken English, but specifically the use of archaic or seldom used words, like "kindly get back to me", or using "regards" at the end. It could be someone is being polite, but the use of overly formal speech means they are obviously writing from a template. If they are using formal words, yet can't spell basic words, then English is obviously not their first language!

*Offering more money than you asked (is it too good to be true? yes, it is)

*Telling a story not related to the transaction. Their son is schooling overseas, or it's for their husband in the war, or for someone in the Peace Corps, or some over distracting story to get your mind not focused on the flaws and make you think they are nice people.

I had a scam the other day. i'm not really used to anything like this. So at first I was like, sweet, so i gave him my address. I have now realized that it is a scam, but he sent the check already through DHL. I checked the tracking number he gave me and it's on the way. What should I do with the check when i recieve it? Do I legally have to send it back or anything?

HI,
I POSTED A CHEAP STEREO ON CRAIGSLIST AN HOUR AGO , AND ALREADY GOT A REPLY. LOOKS LIKE A SCAMMER TO ME. I WAS WONDERING IF ANYONE HAS COME UP WITH GOOD WAYS TO MESS WITH THESE PEOPLE. I'VE SEEN SOME GREAT VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE WHERE PEOPLE HAVE REALLY SCAMMED THE NIGERIAN BANK SCAMMERS. I'D LIKE TO MAKE THIS GUY WISH HE'D NEVER EMAILED ME....

SEE HIS EMAIL BELOW...

Dear Seller,
I 'm interested in purchasing your advertised item and i will like to know the final price if is okay by me.And if I can pay with a cashiers check, If this is okay with you do get back to me immediately for me to arrange the payment. Concerning the shippment, my shipper will come and pick it up from your location as soon as we seal this transaction. Do get back to me immediately with your Full Name, Contact Address and Phone Number for me to issue out the payment check to u asap cos am right now out of town but i can instruct my client overthere to issue out the payment check to u as soon as u get
back to me here also im paying you an extra $50 to get this advert off the internet cuz am really interested in buying it. Hope to hear from you soon.so u can get back to me via my email.
Best regards,

NB:- My e-mail Address (richardbrt210@yahoo.com ), i will be looking forward to hear from you soon. Do attach the picture if available. Thanks

Here's another one: someone who signed as John Anderson (johnproposing@gmail.com)sent me a check from Nebraska for 2,740.00. Same story as I have read before - the mover will pick up the item, the secretary wrote the check for an excessive amount before he could catch it, never mentioning which items he was interested in buying from me, etc. The name of the sender on the package is Horrace S. Giannini, same name on the check (never John Anderson again). By the way, the address on the check is San Francisco, CA. Then he emails me and asks me to wire the excess money to someone under the name of Kelli McAdams at an address in Soap Lake, Washington State. S-C-A-M!!!

I was helping my brother trying to rent some rooms out in his house. I posted an add on craigslist and got a immediate response from tonialuv47@aol.com she was not willing to talk on the phone and wanted to prepay everything. She sent a bogus check for $4500.00 demanding the difference between first months rent and the security deposit. The check looked very real. Do not get fooled into these people trying to prepay and rush things.

THIS IS WHAT HE WROTE ME:

i am interested in purchasing the above mentioned item and i am ok
with the asking price. I am glad it is sill available for sale. I am
only able to make payment by money order at this time b/c i am away on
assignment. Please provide me with your name , address and phone
number for payment. It will be nice if you can send me more pictures
, if not its ok. It will take about 7days for payment to get to you.
As per pick-up, I will make arrangement for the pick-up after payment
has been received by you. I don't mind adding thirty dollars so you
can keep it in my favor.Please take the posting off craigslist today
and consider it sold to me. Thanks

Expecting to hear from you soon.

Regards,
A.Lancaster

andrewlancasterk6@gmail.com

Notice how there is no specific mention to the item up for sale? No way to contact this person.

Thank you very much for your swift response and for telling me the item
is still available.I want to let you know that i'm a deaf
man and i am satisfied with the conditions has you have stated in
the craigslist.
I have a schedule already,for i need to attend an important seminar in
canada so i wont be able to come to check it at your place.Since i am ok
with the condition,i will be sending you a certified check that will
cover the amount of the item and the moving funds.You are to take your
money for the item from the check after it cleared in your bank within
2-3 days and have the rest sent to the mover via western union money
transfer or money gram.For your inconvenience,i will add $50 with the
payment to be your running
around fee.I'm always a busy person and i will not like to miss this
item.The information of the mover will be sent to you after the check is
received and he will be at your location for the pick up with a signed
note explaining that he will be assuming responsibility for the
item on my behalf.

Kindly get back to me with the following information for issuing of
the payment........

NAME:
ADDRESS :
CITY:
ZIP CODE:
PHONE NUMBER:

Have A Splendid Day