You're Thoughts - Does this look like a scam?
 

I'm selling something on Craigslist. I also have posted here in the classifieds as well as eBay.

I received the following eMails from someone on Craigslist. This was after I replied to a text. I'm suspicious because he first said he would pick up next week and within a couple of hours he said he will send extra money for shipping and would like me to pay money to his shipper.

EMail #1

Thanks for returning my message..Am currently not in town for now, so i wont be able to meet with you due to my work frame and also we are very busy at this time preparing for our daughter's wedding but am okay with the price and condition as shown on the advert. I'll proceed in issuing a cashier check to you and when you receive the payment and it clears your bank, i will make arrangement for the pick up. I will also add an additional $50 to hold it down for me. So get back to me with below details to mail the check out to you asap.......


Name to be on the payment ...........
Address to mail the check to ........
City, state and Zip code ............NOT P.O BOX
Final Asking price...................
Phone number to text you on ......…


EMAIL#2
Hello,
Thanks for your information, i will need your honest and trust and your updating to end up this transaction..I will like to know if i can trust you with my money because am sending you a check and the payment will be made out immediately i heard from you. I will provide the tracking # as soon as it as been sent out, "More so" I'm including the shipment funds in the amount on the check because i don't have time to come down for a look of the item but as soon as the check as fully cleared in your bank, you will deduct your own money for the item plus extra $50 for yourself as running around fee and you will send the remaining money to the mover that will come for the pick up for me through money Transfer.... Thanks for your mail and understanding once again, and i will be waiting to read back from you as soon as possible
today..

Thanks



I'm mostly curious as I am currently selling to someone thru eBay where there is a level of security by having an eBay account.

scam...I've had the same on CL

Scam. No question. Buyer offering asking price+. Not coming to see item. Bad English. Ya da,ya da.

You don't need to get even half way through the first sentence to know that's a scam.

Yep, pretty obvious.
I'd ignore any more correspondence from this guy.

Does it look like a scam? That's the definition of a scam!

Yeah.....I didn't get past the "extra money for shipping" part.
Scam.

hahaha Scammy McScammerson!

I find it interesting that the first e-mail seems to be decent English and the 2nd e-mail is total broken English.

Yep, a scam. Much like the jerks that left a message on my phone. If I don't call them back right away they "are going to call the cops on me!" Really they said cops. At least they did not say Five-oh or the po-po or some other slang term. They claim they are the IRS. I know the IRS has their police force and they never call, they send letters.

Not a scam, just an honest trustworthy person who wants to buy your item for sale which is exactly the item for sale that they need, because they are buying the item for sale as a surprise for their son, who is working on an oil rig doing research right now and cannot answer the phone, but can get email.

Oh, I mean, the BUYER is doing research, and buying the item for sale for their aunt, who is in the hospital dying.

Oh, I mean, the BUYER is in the hospital dying, and needs to get $12 MILLION DOLLARS US out of their country quickly before the government steals it, and you seem like a kind God Fearing person who they can trust.

Oh, I mean, the buying is not really buying, but giving you 12 MILLION DOLLARS US and they don't really care about the item for sale.

What son?

I had to laugh when I first got one of these calls and they used the term "cops". Someone on their end apparently woke up 'cause the recorded message now uses the word "police" instead. I get about 3 or 4 of these calls per week despite the fact that I block the number each time.

After all this time and all the warnings about scams, it's hard to believe that these guys must still be able to snag enough people to make it worthwhile enough to keep this going. I realize that it's all automated now but someone still has to manage it.

He must real trust you by letting you cash a check and %*@ POOF *@$ you really never had a car and you are a scammer in Nigeria.

Well, I sold the wheels to someone else.

After I posted here, I attempted to call the number that he texted me from and got the message "The number cannot be reached".

I'm glad I saw a video on scams recently. This was exactly what was described in the video. I responded to this guys first e-mail with my address (fortunately my office, not home). But when the second e-mail came thru, I got suspicious. Luckily, I had an offer on eBay at the same time so this got me side tracked a bit. Regardless, all is well; got paid and shipped and bought my new Girodiscs with the proceeds :)

One of my friends was waiting on his daughter to get ready and got that call. Since he was bored, he called the number and said he got the phone call and then he blurted out, OH Man don't call the COPS on me! He said the man that answered started laughing and hung up.

Just keep their contact information and have them send you the check. Then take the check to a local bank and have it checked for fraud. When it proves to be fraud take the check and contact information to the poiice.

When I post on CL and receive a 2-3 word reply OR a novel like yours, I simply delete it and move on...

Or they knock on your door...

Funny, I got the same call earlier today...I just let the recording play out, then hung up. Hoping to delay them a bit..

Scam.
If you want to avoid the bullsh.t, put "No text messages, I will not reply" at the top of your listing before the description. Most serious buyers will see it and call or email. The scammers will text you with an email address to reply to.

I got 3 IRS calls yesterday. "...they will come and take you into custody."