How does the craigslist scam work?

danger_mouse_tm

I put an antique soda vending machine up on Craigslist. Within minutes I get a text from a long distance number saying "I'm very interested in your antiques. Please email be at some gmail account if you still have it asap."

when I email them saying I still have it. i then get a reply saying that they will buy IT for the asking price plus 50 quid extra but because of their work schedule they can post me a cashier's cheque and have their husband collect it. They need my name (for the cheque), my address (for UPS) and the final amount. Obviously, It's a scam. I've even replied telling them I am a billionaire and would like to just send them money but I haven't had a reply!

nava

danger_mouse_tm wrote: »

I put an antique soda vending machine up on Craigslist. Within minutes I get a text from a long distance number saying "I'm very interested in your antiques. Please email be at some gmail account if you still have it asap."

when I email them saying I still have it. i then get a reply saying that they will buy IT for the asking price plus 50 quid extra but because of their work schedule they can post me a cashier's cheque and have their husband collect it. They need my name (for the cheque), my address (for UPS) and the final amount. Obviously, It's a scam. I've even replied telling them I am a billionaire and would like to just send them money but I haven't had a reply!

You lodge the check on your bank (some might have the money available to use straight away) a few weeks after the money will be taken from you bank as it will be a fake check.

You will find more info google just search for "cashier check scam", to learn about other scams you can also search for "scams selling online".

oeb

nava wrote: »

You lodge the check on your bank (some might have the money available to use straight away) a few weeks after the money will be taken from you bank as it will be a fake check.

You will find more info google just search for "cashier check scam", to learn about other scams you can also search for "scams selling online".

More specifically, they will usually send you too much money, either as a mistake, or to cover for an additional expense (such as shipping).

They then ask for that back, usually via WU. Your cash goes to them, their check eventually bounces.

As an example, you have a car for sale for €8,000. Scammer says he wants it, is in <random country> and will also pay for it to be shipped. Shipper requires cash on pickup, so sends you a cheque for €10,000 to cover €2,000 shipping. Couple of days before pickup, scammer calls you "I'm going to be over in <your area> in two weeks and can collect car myself and drive home, please WU me the €2,000 difference"

Guy never shows up, bank calls a couple of weeks later telling you cheque was fraudulent and debits your account €10,000 leaving you €2,000 in the hole.

Amounts will vary, and occasionally they will use the scam to actually get an item, but this is only usual with hard to trace, valuable, easy to sell items (like electronics), normally it's just about the money.

danger_mouse_tm

Thanks all for clearing that up. I recall my brother selling his 3 year old hyundai coupe on a reputable car site. Fine car, highest spec, lowest mileage. I would have loved to buy it if the wife would have let me! He was inundated with people offering more than what he was asking for the car to ship it to the UK (and beyond!).

It's very sad that people resort to this kind of scam (or even any kind). What's worse is the people who get taken in! I find as i'm getting older I'm not as sharp as I used to be. Just yesterday we were looking for a grass box for a snapper ride on mower. I couldn't believe my luck when I say it for an awesome price on a website. It wasn't until I completed the order and went to pay that I discovered that I had to email them (on a gmail account) to arrange payment. A simple WHOIS before the website name in the search bar revealed they were based out of Indonesia. More google searches leading to lawn care forums led to me finding out that many have been scammed with the promise of cheap lawn care items!

C.K Dexter Haven

danger_mouse_tm wrote: »

Thanks all for clearing that up. I recall my brother selling his 3 year old hyundai coupe on a reputable car site. Fine car, highest spec, lowest mileage. I would have loved to buy it if the wife would have let me! He was inundated with people offering more than what he was asking for the car to ship it to the UK (and beyond!).

It's very sad that people resort to this kind of scam (or even any kind). What's worse is the people who get taken in! I find as i'm getting older I'm not as sharp as I used to be. Just yesterday we were looking for a grass box for a snapper ride on mower. I couldn't believe my luck when I say it for an awesome price on a website. It wasn't until I completed the order and went to pay that I discovered that I had to email them (on a gmail account) to arrange payment. A simple WHOIS before the website name in the search bar revealed they were based out of Indonesia. More google searches leading to lawn care forums led to me finding out that many have been scammed with the promise of cheap lawn care items!

asking buyer to go off-site to arrange payment is also a sign of a scam- at the very least, you don't have any comeback on any of the protection that the site itself offers, such as eBay/PayPal but in general, it's a sure sign you're about to be scammed