Here is a classic scam from Craigslist.They offer to buy your item you advertised via classified for more money than you ask for ($375 in my case, he offered $500).They even give you a bleeding heart story about wife dying in accident.
From: ike derico Alright,i live in North Georgia United State.Am quite comfortable with the condition of the item since i wont be making any repairs on it,i will like to offer you $500 including packing materials without you paying for any shipping charges b'cos i already have an account with FedEx,i would have loved to make the payment in cash and carry but we are not in the same state so i will like to go ahead with the payment by sending you a Money Order But i will need your contact infomation in which the money will be deliver ok.I wonna buy this [item name] for my step son to fulfill the promise his mum made before she died,i lost my lovely wife to an auto accident on 29th of June 2005 and since then i and her step son john have been living seperately and i want to buy this item for him because his mom promised him before death took her away from us and i think with this i and tobi can live as a family. Kindly get back to me immediately you receive my e-mail and i will like you to take it off craigslist for auction cos am serious in buying it.So let me have your full infomation ofr pyment to be made.... Best Regards. .I.Derico
Note how they can't pick up proper English names? I got another from 'ortega hanson'.
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Anonymous (not verified)
Another 2 Scammer's email addresses
Fri, 2009/05/22 - 21:40I was sent the scam email below from these 2 addresses:
moreblessingventureltd05@gmail.com
kevbrassfield@gmail.com
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.I would have love to come and check
it myself but am not chance now because I just got married and am
presently on honeymoon trip to Hawaii with my wife. Pls do
withdraw the item from the website with immediate efftect and 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
Bank 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 has been helping me to move, My Mover
will come for the pick up once the Bank Certified Check has been
cashed and i will like to complete this transaction Asap. 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 if 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
Anonymous (not verified)
Patrick Manto - another scam - more $ offered & Hawaii honeymoon
Sat, 2009/05/23 - 18:33I am ashamed to say that I fell for this scammer. He gave me just enough info to make if feel like he was legit. (Hawaii honeymoon, movers, secretary sending a Certified Check, etc. He also emailed responses in a timely manner.) But after seeing this site I know it was not.
No one has admitted that they gave their address... surely I am not the only idiot? If I have company in this regard, I'd like to know what happened (and what I should expect: A slew of break-ins?)
Nevertheless, if I do get a "Certified Check" I will be reporting this to the FTC
Anonymous (not verified)
reply re: Patrick Manto scam
Sun, 2009/05/24 - 20:28No, you're not the only idiot!! I gave my address. This just happened over the weekend, so no break-ins yet. I get the feeling that this is being done from out of town but I could be wrong. I doubt it will lead to break-ins, but please let's please let each other know if we hear of that happening or, God forbid, we have an attempted burglary. I will report check to FTC as well.
Anonymous (not verified)
I also provided my address,
Mon, 2009/05/25 - 17:20I also provided my address, but am unsure how they can use this to "scam" me. Plenty of people know where I live and my phone numbers???
Anonymous (not verified)
Follow up: I also provided my address
Sat, 2009/06/06 - 19:47I was the original poster on this, so I thought I'd offer a follow-up on what has happened:
Got another email a week after the first - from the scammer (Patrick Manto):
How are you today? Am so sorry for the delay. I contacted UPS and they told me they had some mix-up but they promised that the package would be delivered to you ASAP.Please let me know when you receive the payment..I really appreciate the care,concern and patience you have shown me..
Patrick.
I played along to see how far he would take it.
Then yesterday I got a check - for $1500, not the asking price of $150. It was through the USPS (*not* UPS) Express Mail. The label was a *photocopy* of a legitimate pre-paid self-print label - taped to an Express Mail envelope, which was all blurry except for my address. I am *astounded* the postal service took it, much less delivered it for my signature.
It was not shipped by Patrick Manto, but by:
Leann Sheremet
1222 16th Ave. S FL 3
Nashville, TN 37212-2926
The check inside (*not* Certified, which was the whole premise for the scam in the first place) was signed by
Ruth Kelly
on an account for... get this:
AssetForfeitureWatch.com, Inc.
P.O. Box 331325
Miami, FL 33233
HAH - the may be scam artists, but at least they have a sense of humor! AssetForfeitureWatch, as in "Watch as you Forfeit your Assets!"
Finally, the next day (today) I got this email from Patrick Manto with *another* set of names, and very demanding instructions:
Hello,
How are you today ,I want to understand that you have received the the payment package, Here is my movers information you send excess funds to via western union money transfer.
Name.....Carson Brady Miller.
City.........Hinton
State.......Oklahoma
Zip-Code...73047
You are to deduct the western union sending fees from the excess funds and you are to use Money-in-minute transfer service.
You are to get back to me with these transfer details as soon as funds are sent via western union today......
#Sender's Name and Address.
#MTCN
#Actual Amount Sent After All Deductions.
As soon as my movers pick-up they will call you to schedule pick-up tomorrow .PS. .it would be a lot easier if you Deposit the check into your account today.let me know what is happening as soon as you get this mail.Have a great day.
Regards,
Patrick.
Pretty bossy, especially for someone whose English gets worse with each email! Kinda reminds me of the scene from Animal House where the cadets are being bent over and paddled. The victim (Kevin Bacon, btw) has to shout with each whack: "Thank you sir, may I have another!?!"
So, I plan on stringing this guy out as long as I can. Any suggestions?
After all the research I have done, I am no longer worried about anyone staking out my house: These characters are in Kenya and have no clue where I am - and definitely do not have plans on sending their "movers" (a thousand miles away) to pick up my bed.
Most importantly - we are doing a good thing by publicizing all this, but does anyone have any contact information for the FTC or some Federal agency that might want to at least *keep track* of it - if not necessarily trace and prosecute?
Anonymous (not verified)
Carson Brady Miller Scam
Mon, 2009/06/15 - 11:00I had the identical letter. Fortunately I refused to wire transfer any money until I knew the 'certified' check cleared. I was pressured to get the transfer done. Then I started cross checking names, address, phone, etc and realized it was a scam. I DID report it to the FTC. I'm not sure what they can do about it but at least it's on file. I'd love to catch this thief. Doesn't this come under 'wire fraud'? The name I was suppose to wire money to was Carson Brady Miller. The name of the scammer was Samantha McDowells. She (or he) is still on Gmail. (sammcdowells@gmail.com) Wish I could do more!!!
Anonymous (not verified)
james scott - craigslist scam
Sun, 2009/05/24 - 14:25Looks like I was offered a similar scam-- by email james scott [jamesscotte10@gmail.com] offered me more than the price on craigslist DC, to be sent by money order since he was away on assignment. I was suspicious so I googled "james scott craigslist" and found he had done something similar on craigslist NY. I want to report this so any other craigslist seller can be alert to this.
Anonymous (not verified)
I got a response from James
Tue, 2011/06/28 - 12:19I got a response from James Scott too that has the same theme about being out of town on assignment and please send my name and address for a money order.
Anonymous (not verified)
I got a response from James
Tue, 2011/06/28 - 12:19I got a response from James Scott too that has the same theme about being out of town on assignment and please send my name and address for a money order.
Anonymous (not verified)
I just got an email from a
Mon, 2012/07/16 - 15:03I just got an email from a jamesscottw6@googlemail.com for a table
The same scammer:
Hello,
Thanks for your prompt response, However, i will need your name and
address for payment,As am only able to make payment by money order at
this time b/c i am away on assignment. It will be nice if you can send
me more pictures.
It will take about 4days 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 sixty dollars so
you can keep it in my favor.
Please take the posting off Craigslist today and consider it sold to
me, Include your phone number.
Expecting to hear from you soon.
Regards
P.J. Scott.
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