Craigslist Scam I can't figure out

[zene55]

I just listed several items on craigslist. Within an hour I had several emails like this:

Hi

Thanks for your response. I'm going on a vacation to London but I will instruct my assistant to prepare and mail your payment which I'm sure you will get in about 4 - 6 business days. I'll add $20 extra for the delay. I'll pay by M O or cashier check so send me your info (i.e full name, mailing address and your phone number) so payment can be mailed out immediately. I will also make arrangement for pick-up which will be after you must have received and cashed the payment.

I am not sure how they are working their scam, any ideas? I always insist on cash.

 

[Soundguy]

the scam is, they will try to send you a fake cashiers check.. which you cash, then they go pick up your stuff.. then the check bounces. sometimes they overpay, and have you send the rest back tot hem as a check or cash.. or to a 3rd party for shipping.. when the cashiers check bounces.. you are out the bounce money plus the item.. plus what you returned as change or sent to a 3rd party.

I wish they'd pursue these guys, catch them, and skin them alive... publically... then pop their heads out on poles at the entrance to cities .

and yes.. i'd be PERFECTLY fine with this kind of punishment for these types of organized crime types.

soundguy

 

[murphy1244]

These scams are really getting old.When-o-when is the US Attorneys off ice going to after these people.

 

[polo1665]

I just listed several items on craigslist. Within an hour I had several emails like this:

Hi

Thanks for your response. I'm going on a vacation to London but I will instruct my assistant to prepare and mail your payment which I'm sure you will get in about 4 - 6 business days. I'll add $20 extra for the delay. I'll pay by M O or cashier check so send me your info (i.e full name, mailing address and your phone number) so payment can be mailed out immediately. I will also make arrangement for pick-up which will be after you must have received and cashed the payment.

I am not sure how they are working their scam, any ideas? I always insist on cash.

There are scams that center around sending you a bad check to pay for merchandise. After you cash the check they give you some sob story about not being able to pick up the merchandise and ask for their money back. You send them a good check for the refund and then find out their check was bad. You are out the money and possibly a penalty from the bank if you overdraw the account. I'm not sure that is the scam this guy is playing, but it is for sure a scam. Don't accept any check. Even so called "certified" checks are unsafe.
You are safe asking for cash. It is the only safe option these days.

Edit: I was muddling around while Soundguy got er done.... lol

 

[tallyho8]

They will NEVER pay cash. They will send you a good looking fake cashiers check for the amount plus shipping and a little extra for you. Then they tell you to cash the check at your bank, wait 2 days, then wire the shipping charges to XXXXX who will pick up the item next week.

No one ever comes and picks up the item because they don't want it. They want the cash.

You wire the money and a couple days later your bank debits your account for the bad check you cashed.

It is difficult for American authorities to arrest these people because they are usually in Russia, Nigeria or some other far away country that it is hard to extradite people from.

 

[Soundguy]

this would be a good time for a commando extraction team.

posession is 9/10's of the law right?

go in.. get them.

drag them back here kicking and screaming.

and torture them to death on tv.

wonder how long it would take for the scam to stop.. when they know that a seal team will be at theor doorstep a couple hours later??

I'd be ALL IN for this.

Could put it on pay per view and help finance the military action for this.. maybee sell DVD's for further financing ...

no mercy for crooks like these..

soundguy

 

[zzvyb6]

Use Internet Explorer to 'View Source' on the email. Then locate the I.P. address of the sender or sender server. Then take this to Google and find out the country and city of origin. A LOT are from Moscow, Russia.

We have a problem here in Michigan where the Secretary of State's office sells the email addresses of people who renew their plates and licenses on-line to anyone who wants them. I just renewed and guess what: the IRS needs some money, UPS has a package to deliver needing shipping charges paid in advance, the USPS also has a mystery package for me, 'Feb-Ex' needs some shipping charges paid and 'PayPail' also has some account issue (just click on the link). Last year I went to the S.O.S. office for a direct transaction and I escaped all these scams. The 2 years previous, the same type of scams were coming in.

Sometimes you will see an e-mail address in the source. When I do, I have my Matlab server send 10 million e-mails to them asking them to beg for their life, in Portugese. The very last one I got originated in Brazil. This takes a while but sure is satisfying. (I have the night shift computer do it)...

 

[zene55]

I was thinking it was something like that. If this originated inside the US it would be fraud.

 

[zene55]

Could craigslist make the contact a web based email and it would insert the ipaddress of the sender? That would show you which country the buyer was in.

 

[tallyho8]

Here are 2 emails I just got today. This one in reply to a Craigslist ad I put in with the price in it: "Hello, i will like to know if this goods still for sale and what is the price ?"
It is easy to determine that it was not sent by an American. I don't answer these because then they have your email address.

The second one: "Account Holder,
This Email is from Technical Support Center. We have been monitoring this account through our server's log file and have noticed that this account is been accessed from different distinct location simultaneously as against webmail policy and we had sent you a notification before which you did not respond to, for security purpose we will be shutting down this Account unless you verify this account by filling out the outlined Information below or your account will be suspended within 72 hours.
Username: ................................
Password: ...............................
Location: ..........................
Warning!!! Failure to update this account after 72 hours of receiving this warning will be tantamount to losing this account permanently.
We apologize for any inconveniences.
Sincerely,
Technical Support Center"

When I view the options in my email I can see that it was sent from IP address 108.59.252.58. Then I go to 108.59.252.58 - IP Address traced to - and it shows me that the email originates from Nigeria.

The sad part is that some people fall for these scams so they keep on doing it.