Another scam via Craigslist: offering more than asking price

I got the following email and know it's a scam, but I can't figure out how it is supposed to work:

Hello Mark
Thanks for replying back to my online job posting, requiring your tutorial service,I would like to make a tutoring arrangement between you and my 10 year old son for the month of march 2009, I would like you to tutor him within a period of 1 month, on a schedule basis of 1hr Daily, 5 times weekly, totaling 20 times in a month. I am willing to pay $50/hr. I would like to use these medium to inform you that my son does not live in US, he would be flying from london,United Kingdom,I want you to teach him during his 1 month stay in the US, if there is need to extend your services, an ammedment would be made to your salary and you will be notified. He would be dropped off/picked up by his nanny during the hours of teaching at any location you want the Tutoring to take place in your area.I will send you my US cashiers cheque of $3650 which i bought the last time i came to the US.I will write the check payable to your name so you could cash it at your bank.I am sending you that much money because of my dad's sickness which i spent all the money i have to rescue his life because he is so precious to me. My dad got sick couple of weeks ago which made me spend all the cash on his medical bills. The cashiers cheque is for US which is cashable at your bank and its not cashable here in UK, These cheque would be made out for the cost of the tutorial services you are rendering and the flight ticket of my son's Nanny.Regarding this I hope i can trust you with these payments,As soon as you receive the cheque, take it to the bank and cash it,deduct your payment which should be $50 per hour X 20 Times a Month = $1000,Then send the balance of the money to my son's Nanny through western union money transfer,My sons nanny will be contacting you later with further arrangements and instructions regarding pickup/drop off of my son to the venue where you would always teach him. So i hope i can trust you that you will teach my son good academics especially maths and english so that he can be good to himself in the future, i hope i can count on you for the tutorial and the money to be sent to the Nanny for her flight ticket.
Email me your name,address and phone number so that i can write the cheque payable to your name and send to you as soon as possible.
Hope to hear from you soon.
Thanks
Dave

If anyone can tell me how this scam functions please let me know.

I got one today from Nicole Giggs" . It immediately sent off red flags and took just a little googling to figure it out! Here's the entire exchange...notice the same pattern of broken english, offering more than the sale price, and mentioning a 3rd party pickup. SCAM!
-----------
Hi,

Thanks for the response to my introductory email..I am pretty cool with the price and condition of the item like i previously told you that i would be buying the item for my mum but my mode of payment will be the Most acceptable,safer and reliable means of payment which is United state certified money order......Also,i am going to add $40 to the price for you to withdraw the advert from site.Please do get back to me with your name and address so that payment can be sent to you as early as possible and i will have my shipper come to pick up the item once you receive and clear the payment OK.
Kindest Regards,
Nicole.

From: XXXXXXX
To: n.giggs01@yahoo.com
Date: Sunday, March 1, 2009, 11:27 PM

Yes, the art is available. I posted a picture of it on the site, here it is again. It is in excellent condition. This item is available for $100

--- On Sun, 3/1/09, Nicole Giggs wrote:

From: Nicole Giggs

Hi,

How are you doing? Am writing you in regards to your posting on craigslist and i'm interested in buying the item for my mum because she has romance for arts.I want to know if the item is still available,if yes,Pls do get back to me with the last price and the condition of the item. And if any picture of the item is available, kindly attach it with your reply please.Hope to read from you.. Have a wonderful and productive day.

Thanks,
Nicole.

Don't reply to charleswhisley@gmail.com or charleswhisley22@gmail.com
Just don't reply to anyone using improper english saying that they are "missionaries" How ridiculous! Now I know!

I'm posting this so if anyone Googles this scammer's email address, they'll find this:

Date: Fri, 06 Mar 2009 03:45:16 -0800
Subject: Re:
From: John Crush johncrushcoolstores6@gmail.com

Hi,
Thanks for the response.I am willing to pay your asking price and i would
have love to come and take a look it before buying it but am presently out
of the state for a seminar and i don't know when i will be back to state but
i don't mind if you can email me the pictures of the item.I will paying by
Money Order as it's the only way i can pay you at the moment.I will make
arrangement for the pick-up after payment have been received by you. I dont
mind adding an extra $50 so you can keep it in my favor.Reply with your Full
Name,Full Contact Address not a P.O Box and your Cell Phone Number where
payment should be sent.Please take the posting off craigslist today and
consider it sold to me.Expecting to hear from you soon back ASAP.
Regards.

SCAM DETECTION POINTS:

INDEFINITELY OUT OF TOWN
- Right, you're out of state for a seminar and you don't know when you're coming back?!? What's the topic of the seminar - methods for attempting and failing to scam people in bad economic times? Give me a break.
PAYING BY MONEY ORDER
- The post explicitly states payment by Cash, PayPal or Bank Cashier's Check - IN PERSON.
OFFERING EXTRA MONEY
- Offering $50 extra for an item that only costs $250 smells of ... um ... fecal matter.
WANTING PERSONAL INFORMATION
- Not only asking for it, but demanding the specifics! WTF do you need my cell phone number for? And why not just any number, huh? LOL, loser scammer.
ASKING FOR ITEM REMOVAL
- Are you kidding me? Why? You haven't paid yet pal. I've bought PLENTY of things from other Craigslisters and NEVER asked them to remove the item.

So, kids, when you post valuables on Craigslist, make sure that you review the offer for these points. If it smells bad, it IS bad.

I was looking at a honda civic (ridiculously underpriced) and received an email in response to an enquiry i made about the add. As follows:

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you, been real busy with work.

I think I covered everything in my ad, but again this is a 2007 Honda Civic LX, with clear title, 10,300 miles on it, 1.8L L4 MPI SOHC 16V engine and automatic transmission. Very clean inside and out. The price I want for it is $5,200. I took an exceptional care of this vehicle and the buyer of the car will be very happy with it.

View pics here : http://s573.photobucket.com/albums/ss171/melissacrafts/

The transaction will be closed only through a 3rd party and this way we will both be protected. My time is limited due to my job, so I decided to use the
Vehicle Purchase Protection Program offered by eBay Inc. They handle all the paperwork and collection of selling price, and will hold the payment until you
verify the Civic is as described and want to keep it. I have already enrolled and paid all the necessary fees. To begin the transaction I'll need your full
name and shipping address,

Look how the program work:

1. I will forward the details of our transaction to the eBay Security Program.
2. They will process the paperwork and will email you the Payment Invoice and the transaction details.
3. You will have to submit the payment, as instructed to one of the eBay agents.
4. The payment will be verified and if everything is OK, I will ship the car to your place on my cost. The car will be shipped insured to your location with DAS ( Dependable Auto Shippers ).
5. After you receive it, you will have 7 days to inspect and test drive the car.
6. If you accept the vehicle by confirming to eBay, they will send me the payment for the car. They will then FedEx overnight the signed title to you. If
you decide to NOT accept the vehicle for any reason,they will refund your full payment price within 48 hours. They will then make the necessary arrangement to have the car picked back up by the vehicle transport company.

Very easy and safe. Please let me know your position, I have many potential buyers for the car.

Thank you!

It does sound legit in some parts but the payment rules sorta worried me. Should I be flagging this one? Please I don't know who to trust? haha
No biggi, I won't continue the pursuit of this car in the meantime but I'd appreciate anyone else's thoughts.

Thanks

I listed a bag for sale on CL last night and I got a potential buyer.
LOL her name is Angel Cancel... Ugghh ya wtf kind of name is that.

She wrote:

Hi Seller,
Is your item still available for sale?
However, the payment for your item will be inform of US Cashier's check/Certified check.
If yes,please get back to me with your final price of your item asap.
Best Regards.

I was like ok... Why US? I live in CANADA. So I wrote back to her asking her why.

Hi it's still available!
Are you not located in Canada then? I'm just wondering because you said US cheque.
I'm not too sure if I can accept that payment though because it takes a long time for the cheque to clear at the bank.

And she wrote back:
Let me know if you can be trustworthy with the excess fund on the payment!!! (Uhh IRONIC much? Asking ME if I am trustworthy HAHA)
Hello Seller.
Thanks for the quick responce to my mail and sorry for my late response, I am interested in buying the Items and would have love to come down for a look but i have no chance now. I am very busy at work for an assignment this days, but i am satisfy with the description and the condition you gave on the website.
I will like to make payment right away, and i will be sending your payment for the Items with a cashier check, because i have no chance to come down and i will like you to please bear with me..
And as for the pick up of the item i will know how to handle that with my mover, as soon as you cash the payment the mover will come for the pick up as soon as possible.
All you have to do is to mail me and give me the description to your place to make it easier for the mover to come and do the pick up as soon as you cash the payment.
I will send you your payment as soon as you give me the info to write the payment. I have read through the advert and i am okay with it, so kindly withdraw the advert from the web and please i will need the following informations to post the payment.
I will give you an extra $30 on the cost of your item which will serve as an inconvience fees for helping me send the excess money to the shipper's the same day you receive the package containing the payment.
Full Name that will be on check,
Home and Mobile Phone,
Home Address,
City:
State:
Zip Code:
Please go and withdraw the advert on net to avoid disturbance as i have believe its almost mine now.
Please mail me ASAP to let me know if you are ok with this.
I await your reply.
Sincerely.

So I wrote this back:
LOL HAHAHAH
Wow you want to send me a US cheque that has no guaranteed funds and send me extra money so I can cash it and give you back money?
You do know this is a really known scam that some scammers use with fake cheques?
I work at a bank.... I know how scams work :P
I am not willing to take a cheque and giving you the item right away.
If you really do want the bag, send me the cheque (I can tell if it is real or not) and I will deposit it into my bank and wait for it to clear. It takes 21 days for it to clear. If it really does clear, THEN I can MAIL you the bag.

Let me guess, you are going to *accidently* send me a cheque of the wrong amount (possibly $1500) and say that you made a mistake and I can cash it and keep the 100 for myself and Western Union wire transfer you the rest of the many? Fuck you. Like I said I work at a bank and I deal with this everyday and warn people of this sort of shit.

Here are 2 emails I received today:
I am interested in buying the item please kindly reply me immediately if its still available and the condition..Thanks
(this was from a mandylawrence02@gmail.com)
here is the second one:
Hello, Thank you for the prompt response to my inquiry. I am very
much satisfied with the condition and price of the item and i will
like to make an outright purchase immediately, so i will advice that
you withdraw the ad from the web. Pls i will like to know how you
intendto proceed on this but i would prefer that i issue a certified
checkin US dollars to your location and upon the confirmation and
clearance of payment, my shipper will come for the pick-up at your
location. If you are okay with this please do get back to me with
thefollowing details so i can make out the payment IMMEDIATELY.
1: Your Full Name to be on the payment
2: Your Street Address, City, State and Zip Code
3: Your mobile and land number.I will expect your Mail ASAP.
Thanks.
Mandy Lawrence..

(this was from a matinlawrence247@gmail.com)

this guy even mailed his/her number...I believe its invalid.Check out this -
Thanks a lot for your prompt mail, i really appreciate it a lot I would have loved to give you a call or come over
to view it up but am very busy i have alot of consignment this time, The easiest way for me to pay is probably

Cashier Check or paypal if you have paypal account you can get back to me asap from my Bank. i will ask my client
to send you a Check or so that you can have the payment before the end of the week please get back with your

contact address,phone number the Payment will be mail out to you this week .So in view of the above, Here are
some of the details I will need for final assurance of the
payment to you below:

(1) Full Name
(2) Mailing address, no p.o.box please
(3) Your Cell and home telephone number
Regarding the shipping, I have a shipping company that would take care of the pick up of my consignment for me and
ship to my destination and all arrangement about the Sales Documen tation and the pick up(pickup and shipping to
the final destination).as well as the money to be paid to the company that will take care of the pickup and the
documentation with you.Once you get back to me with all the above, The payment will be issued out immediately and

it will be sent to you . Hope to hear from you immediately. or call me on 304-906-4266 for more

information.Thanks and God Bless,you can get the posting deleted from craiglist

Scammer's E-mail:

"Hi, many thanks for the mail,i am interested in immediate purchase of the item
for my daughter in West Africa (23402) as an Birthday Gift, but i will not be able
to pickup the item from your place because i am currently out of the state for a
conference meeting in spain and i will add $100 to your money to cover the
shipping fee through USPS Global Express Mail Service EMS , the payment will be
made through PayPal because it is fast and secured to send and received money
online do get back to me with your PayPal email address now for the instant
payment waiting for your urgent reply.
Best Regards.."

This is definitely a scam right?