Another scam via Craigslist: offering more than asking price

They reel you in with a sob story. You believe it. You give out your name and address. They send you a bogus/fake/forged/otherwise not-real payment voucher. You deposit it into your bank account. The bank will often post the funds within 24 hrs, especially if you have the funds to cover it. Then you send the balance via wire to the recepient via the instructions you recieved. Since it is a wire, your bank deducts the funds immediately, and poof, your money is gone from your account. Then the check they sent you bounces and you have to repay it to the bank so they deduct the amount necessary to cover the bad check, plus fees...and that is the scam... they convinced you to part with your money willingly.

I had a Bunk Bed for sale for 350.00 and he offered me 400.00 but sent a check for 2,370.00 to me.

These are two emails, offering $400 more than i asked for....shady.

Hi Mate,
How are you doing........I just want to know if the item of yours is still available.........If yes, I will like to buy it now and i will pay you $1,390 USD for the item including shipping cost......... i want you to get back to me with your paypal email address or paypal payment request to (csoupal@yahoo.com) so that payment can be make for the item asap..............It is my pleasure doing business with you and i will be looking forward to hear from you............
Thanks
Christopher
>>>>>>>>

Thanks for getting back to me and i want to send the item to my brother in law and i want you to get back to me with your paypal email address so that payment can be make the item asap...............It is my pleasure doing business with you..............
Thanks
Christopher

I've received two of these. They come in about an hour or two after you post your ad. They start by simply asking if the item is still available. When you reply that it is, they you get another email. I haven't seen the ones with the sob stories, but they're all the same -- "I have a FedEx account, send me your full name and address so I can send a check blah, blah, blah." I'm not sure what the scam is since they don't ask for account numbers, but if they have your full name, address and phone number, any scammer can get the other information they need to steal your ID. If it smells like a skunk....

I got same types of emails. I even sent my name and address to this guy. He sent me a check, if you look at it close you can tell it is fake, I was suspicious to begin with. I checked it out and there was an article on here from NJ that had the same exact name of the company that I got the check from who had gotten scammed out of $2000.00. What is the name of the bank and Place where your checks are coming from? I have a website where if anyone gets scammed like this they can turn it into the FBI. www.ic3.gov You go to this site and file a complaint of the scam.

Thanks for the comments as it confirmed our suspicious thoughts...offering too much....the heart felt stories....it seems its getting a bit old!

OK I HAVE RECEIVED A CHECK WITH 2,000 US DOLLARS ON IT HE SENT ME STORY ABOUT HIS "SON" IN THE ARMY OVERSEAS HE SAYS HE WILL LIKE TO BUY IT I SAID "oK" GAVE HIM MY ADRESS,ZIP,ETC. THEN HE SEND ME THE CHECK ON THE WAY IT WAS WHEN IT ARRIVED VIA UPS I WAS SURPRISED ON HOW MUCH MONEY THAT WAS 2,000 US DOLLARS WHEN I ONLY ASKED $200 FOR THE IPOD NOW HE WANTS ME TO CASH IN THE CHECK AND THEN SEND IN THE REST OF THE MONEY TO HIM VIA WESTERN UNION I STILL HAVE THE CHECK BUT HIS SIGNATURE DOES NOT LOOK LIKE IT WAS WROTE IN PEN IT LOOKS LIKE ITS COPIED. WHAT SHOULD I DO?

Got this one the other day...each e-mail he sent came from a different email address (letssavethem01@googlemail.com & letssavethem11@gmail.com)...they looked similar but obviously different. Went by the name of Brian Dowdall. Be careful out there...

E-mail from potential buyer:

Hello,
Thanks i really appreciate your response to my email. I want you to consider it sold, pls do withdraw the advert from CL to avoid disturbance, I will not be able to come down for the viewing and pick up personally, But I'll take care of that by engaging the services of a mover, hence I'll be sending a bank certified check as payment and it will be mailed to you via United Parcel Service (UPS). Please note that *UPS* do not deliver to P.O.Box addresses, so details to be provided to facilitate the mailing of the check.

1.Name to be on the check
2.Home address
3.Mobile #

Kindly delete the posting as am totally committed to buying from you to save me cost,my mover will be coming over for the pick up right only after the payment as been delivered and i want you to understand that i love to call but am hard of hearing and only uses a hearing-in paired phone the relay so please send me an email. You can leave a message on my voice mail number is 720 279 1377" it will be delivered as an email to me as well, Thank you.

Note that the payment will be shipped to your address via UPS NEXT DAY AIR SERVICE