How does this scam work?
 

So I threw my Mazda up on Craigslist today because I'm not going to move it with me to Atlanta.

I immediately got contacted by two "buyers" with non-local area codes by text message. They both asked reasonable questions...which would have been unnecessary if they actually read the ad. They both claimed to be at work and therefore couldn't call me or come to see the car. They both offered me asking price and immediate payment by PayPal. I have no doubt that I would be a payment and that someone would come to pick up the car. How exactly are they going to screw me out of the money? It can't be a coincidence that two people are both trying to pull the same scam.

I trust paypal as far as i can grasp it....been screwed and tattooed . Never again.

I listed the vista cruiser on craigslist. same thing. told the "texter" I wont sell the car unless you see it in person. they disappeared.

The only thing I can think of is they're using a hacked/stolen account. They get the car, a couple days later PayPal will retract the payment and you're SOL. Actually, you're double SOL with PayPal.

They may send you a link to a fake Paypal site. When you log in to the fake site, you're giving them your id and password.

Cash is king. I won't take paypal or any kind of check when I sell a vehicle.

I agree that it sounds bogus but I buy stuff long distance with Paypal occasionally. I bought the car I'm driving by convincing an older lady up in NorCal to open a PP account while we were on the phone and I PP'ed her the full amount for the car before we hung up. She could not believe it but it was a smoking deal on a great old car that would have been gone when the first local buyer showed up with cash. I snarkled that thing. :)

I agreed to buy a MC today that is in Indiana. I offered to PP a deposit until I can fly out and get it but the guy doesn't have a PP account and says that he'll simply hold it for me on my word over the phone until I get there. I believe him 100%, I have amazingly good luck on CL.

One buyer pretended to be local, the other claimed to be a few hundred miles away. Neither gave locations. Neither wanted any additional pictures. One asked why I was selling (it was spelled out pretty clearly in the ad). One asked what my "bottom dollar" was--I told him that I don't negotiate prior to a test drive. Both quickly agreed to my asking price after I insisted that they look at the car in person. Neither asked any rotary-specific questions.

They were both texting me fast and furious, but I haven't replied to either since they asked for paypal info, and that was 5+ hours ago.

I had a similar affair with an Indiana guy and a bike, though it involved an ebay auction that failed to make reserve. Perhaps it's a Midwest thing.
Jim

I'm thinking:

1) They "pay" the money, someone picks up the car, and PayPal mysteriously reverses the transaction.

OR

2) They "pay" the money, no one picks up the car, and my attached account is mysteriously drained.

Definitely a Midwest thing but good people are all over. I can tell a BSer on the phone pretty quickly. The guy I talked to today is in the middle of rural Indiana with a hard to find bike I've been searching for nationwide. He is as solid as they come, he offered to deliver the bike to me if I buy his plane ticket home! He likes to MC tour. :)

IF in doubt .... This

As far as I'm concerned if someone wants to buy a car via a txt message then there is no way they're legit.

I bought the Lotus via craigslist. It was about 250 miles away and it would take me about a week before I could make the trip. I offered to PP a deposit and the guy said no, he'd just hold it for me. I even had to delay the trip by a day since the day I wanted to go it was raining cats and dogs and I didn't want to drive it for the first time in that weather. I got there, test drove it went in to square up the title and payment and saw a stack of memos from phone calls about the car in the time he held it for me.

I'm an Indiana guy...and a car I sold last year, I had 5 people email/call me frantically to buy it. I agreed to the first guy. The others said they would pay more than asking price. I respectfully declined. First guy said he would overnight a deposit from Germany, and said he would be there in two days with the remainder to pick up the car with cash. I said "just come in two days with the full amount. the car is yours." ...just an old school gentleman's agreement. worked absolutely flawlessly. He showed up, looked at the car for 20 seconds and handed me an envelope of cash. easiest transaction EVER.