Craigslist Scam: Cheque and Western Union For More Than Amount

This is the text document that I received:

ATTN MY DEAR

NOW WE HAVE ARRANGED YOUR PAYMENT OF $2.5 MILLIONS, TWO MILLIONS FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATE DOLLARS IN CARD PAYMENT CARD TO BE SENT TO YOU THROUGH WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER PAYMENT AND THROUGH MONEY GRAM TRANSFER PAYMENT:

YOUR PAYMENT WILL SENDING TO YOU BY WESTERN UNION,AND BY MONEY GRAM THE AMOUNT YOU WILL RECEIVE PER DAY IS FOURTEEN THOUSAND THREEE HUNDRED US DOLLARS$14,300USD,$70,150USD YOU WILL RECEIVE THROUGH WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER AND $7,150USD YOU WILL RECEIVE THROUGH MONEY GRAM TRANSFER.

THE MINISTER TRUST FUNDS OF BENIN REPUBLIC WILL SEND YOU THE CURRENTLY STANDARDS TRACK DETAILS YOU NEED TO PICK UP YOUR (USD) PAYMENT BY WESTERN UNION AND MONEY GRAM, YOU WILL RECEIVE EVERY DAY TILL YOU RECEIVE THE $2.5MILLIONS UNITED STATE DOLLARS, NOW NO NEED TO SEND YOU THIS ATM CARD BECAUSE YOU CAN NOT BE ABLE TO WITHDRAW THE ATM CARD DUE TO THE ATM MASTER CARD CONTAIN LARGE MONEY ON IT.

THE DIRECTOR ADMINISTRATOR TRUST FUNDS HAVE ALREADY SIGNED YOUR PAYMENT, NOW YOU ARE FREE TO COMPLY WITH WEMACO PAYMENT OFFICE ON THIS EMAIL:lu_lumen@sify.com
HOWEVER, KINDLY CONTACT THE BELOW PERSON WHO IS IN POSITION TO RELEASE YOUR PAYMENT BY WESTERN UNION AND BY MONEY GRAM PER FOURTEEN THOUSAND THREEE HUNDRED US DOLLARS .USD A DAY.

MRS LULU MENSAH,WESTERN UNION DEPARTMENT
FINANCIAL BANK BENIN,
E-MAIL: lu_lumen@sify.com

THE FINANCIAL WESTERN UNION PAYMENT CANTER AND FINANCIAL MONEY GRAM PAYMENT CENTER HAS BEEN MANDATED TO ISSUE OUT YOUR PAYMENT AND YOU HAVE TO STOP ANY FURTHER COMMUNICATION WITH ANY OTHER PERSONS OR OFFICES TO AVOID ANY HITCHES IN RECEIVING YOUR PAYMENT.
NOTE THAT THE ADMINISTRATOR PAYMENT NEED THIS DETAILS FROM YOU TO PROCESS YOUR PAYMENT:

RECEIVER NAME:-----------------
COUNTRY:-----------------------------
CITY ADDRESS:--------------------------------------
TEL:----------------------------------------
AGE/OCCUPATION:---------------------------------
TEST QUESTION:--------------------
ANSWER:--------------------------------

COMPLY NOW BECAUSE AS SOON AS YOU SENT THIS REQUIRED DETAILS TO MRS LULU MENSAH HE WILL START SENDING YOUR PAYMENT BY WESTERN UNION AND BY MONEY GRAM REGARDS TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY ,THANKS AND BE BLESS .

DR. JOHN ALLAN
THE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
FOREIGN REMITTANCE DIVISION

"WHO CAN I REPORT THIS SCAM TO?"

Thanks for getting back to us,

Yes we accept cash on Delivery but Our company do not allow payment after delivery outside United Kingdom but in this case i can let you pay 200SGD which is 50% of the money and when you recieve the phone you balance us the remaing money .So all you have to do now is to get back to us with your full delivery details for we to label and package your item for shipment..

You can also Visit Our Web-Site on: www.ukelectronics.page.tl

Waiting for your full delivery details..
Best Regards.

Be Aware of these scams
Thanks so much for your mail.

The mobile phone is brand new and it is the original from Apple Iphone.

We are doing a Compamy Promo that is why w sell it at that price
We are located in the united Kingdim and we are Registerd Below is our Company Registration Details and Address for you to know that we are a Legit Company..
========================
Company Details - STORE LIMITED
Registered No.03138099
Address: 437 BIRMINGHAM ROAD, WYLDE GREEN, SUTTON COLDFIELD, WEST MIDLANDS, B72 1AX
========================================

The Brand new Apple iphone will be packed by FeDex and it takes just 48 hours to deliver and it will be deliverd to your door step as soon as your payment is confirmed..

We accept payment via Western union..

If you are willing to Purchase this item do get back to us with this information below so that we can proceed with the labelling and the Shipping of this item.

FULL NAME..........................
ADDRESS............................
CITY.....................................
STATE...................................
ZIP CODE.............................
PHONE NO...........................
NO OF ITEMS YOU ARE WILLING TO BUY..

As soon as you get back to us with this information we will label your item and send it to Fedex so as the payment is comfirmed we will call Fedex to send your item to your door step Immediately..

Hope to read from you soon.

Thanks.

i want you to know that once you are buying from us you are buying
from a Legit Company so you have not to be Scared About you not
getting your Order, you will surely be getting your Order under 2days
once your Payment has been Made Via Western Union or money Gram for
Unit Purchase.

Have you heard about the Law of Karma: Its says whatever goes
around, must surely come Around. So I want you to have Faith and
believe that once you made that payment I will be the
personally to care for your package and you will receive your item
without any problem.

We are a good Christian in our company, we don't collect people
money and do not send thier item to them.we don't do that in our
company.

I will give you 100% assurance that once you make the payment, and we
confirm it, your item will surely been sent to you..
I want you to believe in us.....

We dispatch via FedEx,UPS international Courier Service and delivery
takes 2Days to your door step..
I want you to be rest assured that you have come to the right place
to do business and we will not disappoint you..

The apple iphone we have for sale are all brand new and authentic..
They each come with 12 month manufacturers warranty.

NOTE: We are on our Yearly Promotion that was why we offer at lower prices
and the Promotion will end on the 19th of October 2009.

All you need to do if you are really Interested is to send us your Delivery
Address to place your Order.

Hope to read from you soon

Best Regards

Pablo

This was the email that this fart sent me
From: joe johnson (johnsonmails1@tizzi.com)

Sent: Fri 10/09/09 7:27 AM

Is the posted ad still available for sale?? I am ready to buy and do email pictures if available. Thanks Joe

From: 0joejohnson@gmail.com on behalf of Joe Johnson (joe00mails@sify.com)
Sent: Fri 10/09/09 1:21 PM

That's great, thank you for getting back to me. Though I'll be usingthe services of a mover who will come for the pick up of the item onmy behalf all because I'm currently away for a contracting Job but Iwill send a Cashier Check through my Bank to cover the cost of theitems. The check will be delivered to you by a reliable couriercompany within 2-3 working days. Please do provide me with your fullmailing address, and also indicate your final price, the Name thatshould be on check and finally a cell phone #. Kindly delete theposting because am serious in buying it, when the FUNDS CLEARS then wecan arrange for the pick up asap. Regards,Joe.

From: Joe Johnson (joe00mails@sify.com)
Sent: Sun 10/11/09 9:47 AM

Hello ,

How are you doing today? I'll like to inform you that I contacted my bank to confirm if your payment has been mailed out, I was made to understand that instead of the actual amount for the item, the bank made out a check for $1300. The payment has already been posted to you before I was informed, but its a little problem which we can handle amicably. However, I have rectified this with my Bank cause I wouldn't want this to delay the sales, all you have to do is that, once you have the payment, do take it to your Bank and have it cashed and you'll then deduct the money for your goods and in addition a $50 ( which is the cost of your running around).

The excess fund on the payment will then be wired to my mover via western union that same day, so that my mover can come for pick up, as I've already planned on using the excess fund to offset the payment of the previous shipments that has been undertaken on my behalf. Do let me know if I can trust you to have the excess fund sent to my mover. Thank you and God bless you.

Joe

Same thing happened to me.

Heres an email from "john Cole"

John:is the item still available????????

Hello
I really appreciate your response to my email.I want you to scan
pictures and consider it sold to me,pls do withdraw the advert from
craigslist to avoid disturbance.I want you to know that i will be
paying via bank certified check .I will like you to provide me with
the following information to facilitate the mailing of the check to you
1.....Full name to write on the check
2.....Full Physical address to post the check
3.....City, State and Zip Code
4.....Home & Cell Phone to contact you
*** Note that the payment will be shiped to your address via UPS NEXT
DAY SERVICE and I will like you to know that you will not be
responsible for shipping i will have my mover come over as soon as you
have cashed the check** Thanks

john cole to me
show details Oct 10 (3 days ago)

Thanks for the informations sent.........i will get back to you as
soon as the check is issued and despatched tomorrow.............please
do remove the advert from the craigslist so as not to be getting
worried by other buyers....kindly confirm the removal of the advert on
CL.........thanks

ME: Can I please get a contact number just to make sure I am understanding your instructions clearly, or call me anytime at .......

Thank You.

john cole to me
show details 7:06 PM (2 hours ago)

John:
Thank you so much and i have sent a message to your mobile and try to
understand the mail. I'm happy to do as you requested. But
unfortunately won't possible. But let clarify things here. Deduct
money for your item, and extra $100 for your running around to western
union and send the rest fund to the shipper information given to you
earlier and get back to me here with the details of the western union
so that the shipper will arrange for the shipment and come for the
pick-up in the afternoon or tell suit time to meet them.

Thanks.

ME: Virginia Morales to john
show details 8:19 PM (1 hour ago)

I apologize John, but I intend to deal locally, in person, and in cash. Too many deals have gone wrong with other forms of payment. I just sold my wigs for cash, and I will do the same with the Electric Water Heater. If your mover would like to purchase in cash locally, I'm fine with that too, we can meet in at my church parking lot. If you give me your phone number I'll call to talk to you personally about the Electric water heater and a meeting place. We are going to send your check back to the location it came from.

Sincerely,

FO

John: john cole to me
show details 8:41 PM (1 hour ago)

What do you mean by that??? i said that as soon as you get the payment
...kindly make sure that you deduct the money for the item and take
extra $100 for the running's around and get the rest money send to my
shipper via WESTERN UNION location around and get back to me with the
western union as well....

HERE IS THE SHIPPER INFORMATION.TO SEND THE REST MONEY TO VIA WESTERN
UNION.......

Happy Harry hit me on Craigslist today, but I caught him before I sent anything.

I'm an electronic discovery specialist by trade so I contacted all the agencies, FBI, IC3 etc hoping that they would help, but nobody seems to care, blows me away!

I even had a colorful IM session with him on Gmail, Coward.

He's using harrylucas114@hotmail.com too.

Got two scammers on the same add with the same story and thats what tipped me off. Thank god for this site too!

They wanted to do the usual overpay and moneygram the difference just FYI their emails are:
kingpride202@yahoo.com
&
barryjones01@googlemail.com

SCAMMERS!!!!

WHY CANT PEOPLE MAKE AN HONEST LIVING! HOW DO THEY SLEEP AT NIGHT????

from: james mcrarry (jmcrarry111@yahoo.com)
Sent: November 18, 2009 9:43:54 AM

Hello,

Thanks very much for your response,Am very sorry for my late reply concerning this item.I have been busy with my work that is why it take me time to get back to you.Please bear with me.

There is No problem am okay with your price.I understand all what you said and am insterested in buying it from you.Now i will like to make the final confirmation on the sale,An overdraft money order or cheque payment will be issue out to you on your name and when you receive it,i will want you to cash and deduct your money for the item and send the remaning to my P.A,who is my shipper that will come over and pick it up at your location.

Kindly get back to me with the following information then the payment can be issued out and send out to you as soon as possible.

This are the information requred as follow ....
Your full name.....?
Your full address....?
Your state........?
Your postcode.......?
Your cellphone number.........?
Your province...................?

Please do not sell to anyone again because i have been looking for this item for a very long time now .So remove it from the ads.

Note:I will give you $10 to remove it from ads and keep it for me till you receive the payment because i really want it....

Awaiting your response today.

Thanks...

Randy brukes! Beware