Classified ads on craigslist attract scammers from Nigeria and elsewhere.Here is a recent example when I was trying to sell something.Not that I asked for $375, and was offered more for it.Here is the first message I got:
pls can you tell me if this item is still for sale ?and the price
When I replied it was available, this was the reply:
I will have to inform you that i am okay with the price of the [item name] ($375)condition terms are also okay with me,For the Shippment from your location,i have my SHIPPER as soon as we seal this Transaction from your end. I have a CLIENT of my that is owning me some Fund in United Kingdom that will issue you the cheque of ($2000) soon as you receive the cheque and when cleared you will deduct the cost of the [item name] and the remaining balance will be send to the Shipper through western union money transfer for the pick up from your location. If this is okay by you, do e-mail me the following detail FULL NAME ON CHEQUE:CONTACTED ADDRESS:MOBILE&LANDLINE PHONE NUMBER:AND ZIP CODEI will compensate you $50 to remove the advert from the site and will wait until the cheque clear before the pick up commence.hope to read from you today.
This is a classic scam that involves you wiring them money via Western Union, and they sending you a fake cashier cheque.
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Comments
Bee (not verified)
Sue, You rock!
Tue, 2008/04/22 - 09:19Way to call the nitwit on the potential scam. Have to admit I almost fell for it.
So glad I found this forum!
Bee from Pa.
Anonymous (not verified)
I just got one of these too...
Thu, 2008/05/01 - 13:41I got a guy that responded to one of my auto ads for sale. He sent me the following:
c
Hello,
I came across your ad and I'll like to know the
following questions regarding the ad.
Q#1. How long have you owned it?
Q#2. a) Have you owned it from new?
b) If not how many previous owner?
Q#3.Why are you selling it?
Q#4. In your opinion, what sort of conditionis it?
Q#5. Any available photo?
Q#6. How much are you asking for it?
Q#7. Do you accept a ( Cashier Check / postal Money Order with cheque)as a mode of payment.
Q#8. Kindly get back to me with ur FULL NAME,FULL CONTACT ADDRESS,TEL # so that payment willbe issued and mailed to you.
Note that you dont need to worry about shipping as i have a private shipping company that will take care of the shipping and delivery of the item once payment is been received by you.
I'll like to have the response to these question in your earliest conviniency.
Hope to hear from you soon. Thanks.
===
I responded with answers to his questions and began thinking that this sounded a little too easy. The whole "I pay the shipper thing" I knew had to have a catch. I sent him the following after my reply to the one above:
===
Mr. Foster,
All sounds great, please call me on my cell phone before we can proceed with the sale of the vehicle. (number provided) I do have title in hand for you but I must advise you that a withdrawal of excess funds "instantly" will not be done until I am able to confirm the validity of the check being sent. Just an expectation that I am setting so there is no confusion if there is a delay with the funds being sent to the shipping company. I have a small amount of experience selling/buying online and this type of transaction can go sour quickly if not done right. Please call me as soon as you can. Thanks.
===
Yet to get a response from him yet. I am concerned with the fact that I gave him my address before seeing this coming but if this nigerian wants to look down the barrel of a .40 caliber hollow point round, he is more than welcome. I sure it would make all of us in this forum feel better. :)
Anonymous (not verified)
Some of these scams are coming from E. Europe
Fri, 2008/12/19 - 15:42A quick reminder, so you don't just unload into the next poor person of color's face at your doorstep :)
Raineman (not verified)
David Franck - scam alive and well
Mon, 2008/05/19 - 11:03May 2008:
I just got a David Frank from UT e-mail, trying to buy my car.
It didn't smell right and so I ended up searching for him and got to this site. Thank you all for you diligence. He/they can go !@#$ themselves.
-Peace
Anonymous (not verified)
same scam but as a seller
Sat, 2008/06/07 - 02:40I just responded to an ad in philly, pa of a 2007 polaris ranger xp for $3000. the seller insisted on going through a third party called "eBay finacial service" stating that i had to wire via moneygram $3000 to a michael lairmore in san jose, ca and he would hold the money until i received the vehicle and inspected it. I have also seen 2 other ads in philly and NYC of ridiculously low priced powersports. Key things that I have noticed; 1) the grammar is odd, even for this third party professional (grammatic errors like spaces after periods and over capitalization) 2) no contact phone number for the seller or for this so called eBay holding company, there were 2 fax numbers to send the receipt to one in atlanta and the other in new hampshire 3) moneygrams can be picked up at any location regardless of where they say they are. the name does have to be correct on their "ID" 4) the address for the seller and so called third party aren't real addresses (sometimes they are though, they just pull an address off the internet) 5) most importantly there seems to be a cap on $3000. I talked to moneygram and they said that anything over $3000 will require the person picking up the money to be more thoroughly checked out. it also starts dealing with international crime. 6) every response didn't have my name in it even after i would sign the bottom, it always said "hi" or "hello" which makes me think there is one educated guy writting and all his little slaves pasting and sending responses. needless to say they did not get my money, however i did get a chuckle out of leading them on and so on. I have also set up new email accounts inquiring on their ads, just to waste their time and hopefully they will slip up. I would love for one to call me and trace the number.
Anonymous (not verified)
I had this same scam
Thu, 2008/06/12 - 16:26I had this same scam attempted on me twice. I tried to do something to catch them, but I spoke with the Fed Bureau of Investigation, and they said there's nothing they can do. These are from people in other countries. The best you can do is spread the word so that people don't fall for it. I'm sure enough people fall for it that people in some 3rd world countries are getting rich.
HK (not verified)
what is wrong with you people?
Mon, 2008/07/07 - 00:37Who in their right mind would sell anything to Nigeria let along send money there? There must be serious mental issues with some of you.
Anonymous (not verified)
Most aren't sending money to Nigeria!
Mon, 2009/02/09 - 08:54Please read some of the examples before you open your mouth (of course by that I mean type on your keyboard and click send - LOL). They don't send the money to Nigeria, people in Nigeria set up free e-mail accounts through yahoo, google, aol, etc. These scammers send a Cashier's Check that is phony, but it clears! They say that they need the person selling some random item on craigslist to pay their moving company $2000.00 so they send them a $2,500.00 check and tell them to keep $500.00 (usually this is a couple hundred more that the item they are selling is worth) They are then asked to send the overage to their "moving company" which is either a P.O. box or someone here in the United States that is helping with the scam. The bank then calls a week later and says "The Cashier's Check was determined to be fake, you owe us $2,500.00!" By then, the people who got scammed are out AT LEAST $2000.00.
I know it sounds naive at first, but...
Put yourself in the shoes of some nice 45 year old Kentucky mother of 3. She is selling he mom's old furniture for her, and gets a bunch of us "Americans" who have been taught to fight for a bargain on everything from our homes to our cars say, "You had it listed for $400.00? I'll give you $250.00, take it or leave it!" Your mom needs that money so that she can afford her medicine. Then, someone who sounds very sweet says they'll pay the full $400.00. You agree to the deal. They ask you to remove the furniture that is for sale, so you do (thinking that this is a legit sale). They say that they are going to send a Cashier's Check through UPS (although for some reason they always say United Parcel Service instead of UPS). UPS is legit, and Cashier's Checks are supposed to be PROOF OF FUNDS, right?!?!? Well, they say that the check is going out, but the check is for $2,500.00. They need you to pay their moving company $2,000.00 because they are not going to be able to pick the item up, and the movers insist on getting paid before hand. They through an extra $100.00 in there for the inconvenience. I know this is where some people would go, "Wait, why can't the just pay the movers themselves?" But they give some B.S. excuse why they need you to do it and then throw in a compliment like, "I really want to thank you for being so trustworthy. I hope the extra money helps out. Best to your family!" Heck, the check cleared the bank, right? You aren't a thief, you are an honorable American, right? So, you send off the check for $2,000.00. Of course, the bank calls you some time later and says, "THAT CHECK WAS BOGUS!" and acts like you are a criminal. Now, you can't afford your mother's medicine or food for your family, and some Nigerian gang lord can buy another gold tank.
Anonymous (not verified)
aka Anthony Williams<anthonywilliams89@...>
Tue, 2008/07/29 - 14:49So here's the latest from our busy friend(s)...
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
hello xxxx i havent heard a thing yet whats going on? have you gotten the cheque cashed let in on what is going on
On Sun, Jul 13, 2008 at 7:06 PM, anthony williams wrote:
hello xxxx, the courrier firm has been able to rectify the faults and i was told that you should be getting the payment tommorrow as i have been given the tracking number to the package and once you receive the payment please let me know and do not forget to deduct the extra $100 dollars i promised and help me send the rest of the funds via western union to my mover heres the information , the former mover wont be able to come for the pick up anymore as she was involved in an accident so please do wire the funds to the new mover here is his information below
Mouhamadou Diouf
2780 Schurz Ave
BronX, NY 10472
thanks for your understanding and patience
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Aw. No routing info. No account number. Gee, I'd like to, but...
Previously, Anthony had asked me to send it to someone at an address which turns out is a Catholic school in the Bronx, but changed that when I asked for more information and a more specific address. Instead I'm supposed to send it to his 'moving company'-- someone in the Bronx with the same name as a top-rated Senegalese basketball player on the Moroccan team. Versatile guy!
Imagine my surprise when a check actually arrived for $1900 more than the agreed-upon amount. The bank agreed that they couldn't simply cash it, and that it would take at least a week to clear. Second surprise: it did! But our friend still hasn't sent me the phone number, so I haven't sent any money, and the money is still in a savings account, untouched. Whaddaya bet, the second I sent money, the check for the money I have, will bounce. At least he hasn't called to make arrangements to pick up the rug.
As in at least a couple of other cases, this 'cheque' was drawn on the Santa Barbara News Press through the Mid State Bank & Trust, signed in a trembly, simple print by Jean Wills.
This might some way, somehow be legitimate, in which case I offer my most sincere apologies to 'Anthony Williams'... but I'm not betting my money or my rug on it.
Anonymous (not verified)
Someone tried the same scam
Sat, 2008/09/20 - 16:21Someone tried the same scam on me too. Also used the name
Mouhamadou Diouf
2780 Schurz Ave
BronX, NY 10472
for the mover.
I notified the FBI as well. Its a scam - stay away!
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