Another scam via Craigslist: offering more than asking price

BTW - Thanks for having this site up. I thought the comment sounded fishy so i googled the email address and the link to this site showed up. I am sure that you have saved me a headache.

Thanks so much!
Mark

My daughter recently posted an ad on Craigslist to sell an envy cellphone. She received an e-mail from a lady with very bad english who wanted to mail her a check because she had to go out of town and wanted to reserve the purchase. My daughter gave her the address, then not feeling comfortable with what had happened, she immediately sent out another e-mail letting the prospective buyer know that the phone was already sold and that she did not want to do business with her. After 2 weeks, out of the blue, my daughter received a check via UPS Overnight for $5000.00. This was to cover the cost of the cellphone (which was only advertised for $50.00) and any shipping costs. She received specific instructions on how to go to the bank and cash the check, keep out her fees and send the left over money back via MoneyGram (with moneygram information included). After much research, we discovered that this operation has tapped into the bank account of a Cotton Mill in Arizona and the check is written off of JP Morgan Chase bank. Needless to say, we did not fall for their scam...but sadly enough...how many 19 year olds have gotten checks like this and been scammed??? I have sent them an e-mail letting them know that we have filed a police report (which we have), and we continue to receive messages from them asking when we are going to cash their check and send the leftover money back....These people need to be brought to justice!!!!!

e-mails to beware of:
paradiso.stephanie1@yahoo.com

I was offered more than asked for, then supposedly they sent 2,000. instead of 200. but would give me an extra 50. to wire the excess money back. Be aware of the following names: Marvin Stottler, Marvin Phillips. Some people have a lot of nerve is all I can say!

I received the following email from a robinizmiller@gmail.com:
Thanks for the prompt response. I have instructed my account officer to mail a certified check (overnight), while you hold this item for me. Let me know when you receive the check and I will have my mover will come pick up at your place. Please forward me the following info so I can issue your check . . .
1.Your full name
2.Your mailing address(Physical as Ups does not deliver to P.O.Box} 3.Your phone number.
** Please note that I will overnight the payment,and you should receive it tomorrow. I appreciate you holding this for me. Please delete the posting as I am definitely buying it from you and it would be sad for me to have the payment in the mail only to be informed of the its sale,also am deaf and will like to be contacted via email**

The first note I received was from rxammiller12@gmail.com:
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is it still up for sale?

------------------------------------------------------------------
this message was remailed to you via: sale-q8bvh-1276205830@craigslist.org
------------------------------------------------------------------

Now I am worried because I was stupid enough to send my name and adress before checking out the email address. It was my first time on Craig's List - and I'm disappointed that there are people out there like this.

All I can say is NEVER, NEVER, NEVER accept anything from Robinizmiller.

capoyan Laitan (capoyan.laitan@gmail.com)
jim harry (jim_02z@hotmail.com)

These guys (or 1 guy) since I found their IP addresses to both be in a town over from me, not London and Virginia as they claimed to be, left these two emails in regards to a wedding dress I was selling...

Hello
Thanks for your mail.Actually the wedding dress is for my daughter wedding gift which is coming up in some days time.She works in the United states Consulate office in west africa.Am a very busy man and would like you to help me send this wedding dress to her in West Africa for her wedding.i will pay you $630 which will cover up for the cost of the item and shipping to my daughter in west africa. I will be paying you through PAYPAL,u.s postal money order Its secure and reliable and it protects the two people involved in the transaction.I will need your paypal account so i can make the payment right away and hope you send the item to my wife as soon as you receives your payment from paypal.
NB: or If you will accept online money order payment they update me with the information that i will use to send you the money order right away.
Thanks for your help and understanding.
jim

And this one...

Hello and thanks for your propmt reply.I actually wannt to buy your item and make payment as fast as possible but i will appreciate it if we can both deal on transparency and honesty, you know why? In recent time, i bought an item from a seller and after he received my payment, he never ships out the item and i never heard from him again. So i will be very glad if you can render your total co-oparation on this transcation.

My mode of payment for this item will be through US Cashiers Check because, thats the only means of payment i have access to presently and i dont mind offering you $540 provided you can reserve the item for me while i make payment and also, i will wait till the check clear your bank before i arrange for the shipping.

As for the shipping, am shipping the item within the United State because am located in Virginia, so shipping will be handled by my shipping company as soon as you verify and confirmed payment, so all i need from you is to know when you will be available at your address so that my shipping company can come and pick up the item.

If this sounds good and you are okay with my payment and shipping arrangements, do let me have your full name and address plus your direct phone number as it will be written on the check so that i can forward it to my finance house to prepare it for you to receive it on time.

Thanks and get back to me as soon as possible.

When I probed, then they finally stopped emailing me.

I got the "honeymoon in hawaii" response from rayclifford100@gmail.com / jay ramson. Keep an eye out for that address and name!

I am trying to sell my paintball gun on CL. And Ms. Mary Clinton just needs to have it. Here is her email to me.

Hello,
Thanks for your reply,Concerning my inquiry,am quite comfortable with it's condition.I will make payment with (money order) this week and i will offer you additional $50 for going to keep it for my payment, because i really need it. AS per PICK-UP, I will make arrangement for that with the aid of my private shipper. you can get back to me with your full information as stated below, for the payment: your Full Name:, contact address(not p.o. box) :, City :, States Zip/Postal Code :, Phone number : Be aware that the pick up will be after the money order has cleared into your bank account.
Regards.

Funny how she really needs it. Who really needs a paintball gun?

I responded back by asking her How is Nigeria this time of year?

i got an email claiming the person was deaf and therefore could only respond via email (clever). they used 2 different email addresses the first was iammilla20@gmail.com and then rixmilla@gmail.com they used the words "item" instead of what was being purchased offered an extra $100 for my running around costs asked to send the extra they accidentally issued out to the mover etc. i had not caught on to the scam until the extra money was offered and the accidental $3000 extra they sent and therefore i should be recieving the bad check shortly. obviously i wont be cashing it, but what am i supposed to do with it? would reporting it to the authorities help? or should i just thow it out?

Just received a check from a Montrose Ford-Nissan dealer in Montrose, Co and drawn on the Bank of the West in Montrose. Along with it was a not to contact the payeeverify_conusltant@yahoo.com. This is a scam and the check is a fraud.

The Ford dealer and the bank are real. I contacted the dealer inquiring as to why I recieved a check from them. They informed me that it was a scam and that the local police and the FBI are working on this case.

Sounds like another craigslist scam here since we have an item for sale there.

Well i just received 3 money orders from a guy who claims he lives in canada but is out of the country the money comes from UK. Total amount sent: 2850.75 for my article which was priced $200. That's when I got suspicious and went to check for fraud on the internet. The email is pretty similar to all the others that i have read on this site but I also have a letter from the shipping company that was supposed to pick up the items.

Reply |john morgan to manery_27
show details Jul 20 (3 days ago) Reply

Hello,

I am sending you email in regards of the item that my client is purching from you and i will like to let you know that we are expecting you to forward our shipping charges which you are to send to us via western union money transfer since that is the only means of payment we accept.I will be awaiting to read from you concerning the payment and we shall schedule a pickup date for the item ASAP .Here is the information of the transfer again.

NAME: RUTH MERA

ADDRESS:45 SPRULE ROAD
NEWCROSS
SE23 5AD
LONDON
UNITED KINGDOM

After the transfer of the funds via western union you are to get back to us with the following info. Amount Sent After Western Union Charges Senders Name And Address Money Transfer Control Number ( M T C N ) I will be awaiting to read from you soonest after you might have recieve the payment from my client and after you might have sent our payment.

Regards
Mng: John Morgan

I am so angry that i fell into this and i hope that my posting this will help others before its too late.

D you think i should go to the police with this? I did give him my real phone number and name and my work address. i feel really stupid now. Anyways thanks all of you for posting these otherwise I would have been suspicious but i am sure sure I would have been convinced it was a scam.