Craigs List scammers are hot on the trail of suckers

[Iwillnevergiveup]

Maybe it's the economy or maybe it's been going on forever, but I had a recent experience that opened my eyes bigtime. I advertised in CA computer equipment for $300 and got an immediate response. The guy said he would purchase everything sight unseen. He would FedEx me a cashier's check for $2,500 which would include pick up and shipping. I was to keep an extra $100 for "my trouble" in cashing the check and then wiring the $2,100 to an address in PA. Then, the shipper would come the next day and remove the equipment.

I suspected a scam, of course, but took the check to a Wells Fargo branch on Saturday. He verified the routing number, but said it couldn't be cashed until it was verified recorded. Now, the check was from Cal State/San Marcos, Univ. Auxiliary and Research Services Corp. There really is such a thing, but I had no intention of cashing the check. Since it was Saturday, no one was in the business office, and the bank teller told me to return Tuesday.

Then I googled "craigslist scammers" and saw 48 pages of e-mails similar to the ones I had gotten. The bank will cash the check and the scammers will get the money when it's wired. Just one problem: the checks are forgeries. Unfortunately, it takes banks awhile to discover this, but when they do, the person selling the "merchandise" is on the hook for the money. And, of coure, no shipper ever comes to pick up anything. They have the money, and that's all they want.

Seller beware!

From Craig's List:

You can sidestep would-be scammers by following these common-sense rules:
DEAL LOCALLY WITH FOLKS YOU CAN MEET IN PERSON - follow this one simple rule and you will avoid 99% of the scam attempts on craigslist.
NEVER WIRE FUNDS VIA WESTERN UNION, MONEYGRAM or any other wire service - anyone who asks you to do so is a scammer.
FAKE CASHIER CHECKS & MONEY ORDERS ARE COMMON, and BANKS WILL CASH THEM AND THEN HOLD YOU RESPONSIBLE when the fake is discovered weeks later.
CRAIGSLIST IS NOT INVOLVED IN ANY TRANSACTION, and does not handle payments, guarantee transactions, provide escrow services, or offer "buyer protection" or "seller certification"
NEVER GIVE OUT FINANCIAL INFORMATION (bank account number, social security number, eBay/PayPal info, etc.)
AVOID DEALS INVOLVING SHIPPING OR ESCROW SERVICES and know that ONLY A SCAMMER WILL "GUARANTEE" YOUR TRANSACTION.

[Iwillnevergiveup]

1. The note that came with the check

Dear Sir/Ma'am:

How are you and your family doing? This is just to let you know that we are in care of the envelope sent to you by our agent, and for the safety of ours and not to get lost in the package and to be sure you did receive it. We will want you to email us back ([e-mail]) upon the receiving of the check so we can confirm that you get it for more instructions.

Regards

:crazy:

[ohheckyeah]

2. Who falls for this shit?

Why in the world would someone send a check for $2,500 for a $300 item?

[TheWraith]

4. People who are greedy.

Most scams play on the unrestrained greed of the average person thinking they can get something for nothing.

[waiting for hope]

5. Or desperation with a touch of ignorance ..

If it's too good to be true ... but in these economic times, people sometimes overlook such things.

[Iwillnevergiveup]

9. That's the scam

You cash the check...you don't even deposit it in your account. You take it to a bank branch the check was written on. In my case I get to keep $400 of that. Then you wire the $2,100 to the scammer and the bank takes a few days or a couple of weeks to discover the check was bogus in the first place. Then the bank comes after YOU for not $2,100 - but $2,500.

[Ian David]

10. What if you don't hold-up your end of the "bargain" and refuse to wire back the $2,100? n/t

[Iwillnevergiveup]

16. Then they figure I'm onto them

and they look for someone else. I'm going to the Wells Fargo bank manager on Tuesday to show him the check and tell him the story. But I'm also alerting Cal State/San Marcos because the check looks authentic absolutely.

[Leftist Agitator]

14. "Who falls for this shit? "

Retards.

[waiting for hope]

3. Craigslist job postings are ripe with scammers too -

I've responded to a few that the reply has been to get in touch with so and so recruiter - then I check out the phone number and domain name on the replied email and it's all about selling scam insurance from your home. Sickening.

[Quantess]

6. The scam I encountered was different.

It was a fake office job post that I emailed my resume to. I got a reply chock full of bad grammar and misspellings (never a good sign) claiming to be an international company based in England, and they wanted me to cash checks for them.

Just another version of the check cashing scam.

[Ian David]

11. Just so you know, the British spell "Color" with a "U."

:)

[Quantess]

13. LOL, no, the grammar & spelling resembled a Nigerian scam email.

But now I remember more rip-off job offers this year, falling just short of illegal. www.workforstudents has inviting ads, and I almost fell for it. I called them and they said "you sound perfect!!!" and wanted me to interview that afternoon. I was skeptical but I figured it couldn't hurt to sniff it out. So when I got there, I joined about 6 desperate looking people waiting for their interviews, and I noticed a "Cutco knives" poster on the wall, and walked right back out. I had already heard that the Cutco thing was a raw deal. They make you purchase a set of knives for about $80 so you can demonstrate the knives door-to-door. Tough luck if you don't sell any. I read that workforstudents.com also has people selling coupons door to door.

[Horse with no Name]

7. Craigslist has always had this problem n/t

[Quantess]

8. It's worse than ever, though.

I've used craigslist since about year 1999, and I've had countless good transactions and dealings with honest, nice, people. I even dated a guy for a couple of months (he turned out to be a dud, but he was an upstanding citizen nonetheless) but these days craigslist singles are filled with spam, hookers, or lowlifes.

I have also found jobs on craigslist over the years. Not until this May did I get a scam offer.

[Horse with no Name]

12. I've had several good and pleasant dealings on craigslist in the past

We sold a motorcycle last year on craigslist. It belonged to my SIL and thankfully, he didn't NEED the money. The bike bluebooked for $15k and he had it listed for $10k, perfect condition.
Guy showed up with 3 big burly friends and handed him $5k and said it was all he had. SIL handed it back and told him thanks but no thanks. It got tense for a couple of minutes because we weren't sure why he brought the muscle. The guy ponied up the rest of the cash. He was just trying to bully him for a better deal and most likely, he brought the muscle to protect himself from a scam because there was never a physical threat from any of them.
In Dallas last year, a guy showed up to buy a car listed on Craigslist. He was robbed and murdered.
Last week, again in Dallas, a guy showed up to buy a cell phone, he was beaten and robbed.
It's dangerous out there, but I don't think it is any more dangerous than putting an ad in the paper if you use safety precautions.

[elleng]

18. I found a GREAT apartment in craigslist.

[girl gone mad]

15. This month's Wired magazine has a cover story...

calling on craigslist to get with the times and clean up its act. Even Ebay has been taking steps to improve the consumer experience.

[babydollhead]

17. here is the scam that I was scammed with

The ad said free alli diet pills that she'd tried them but didn't like the side effects. I decided to ask for them. What could the side effects be that would be so bad? Her reply: sorry,that the pills had been claimed, but here was a web site for a free trial offer. UGH! They came from China 10 days later, $ days after receiving them, They emailed me by saying that since I hadn't returned them before 14 days had passed, that they were going to bill me 79.99 for the pills AND then they keep sending them to me even though I have canceled my subscription again and again. Now I just refuse to accept the delivery.