Craiglist Scam

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Hello I'm New here! Joined: 30 Apr 2012 Posts: 1

It's been a while since I've been courted by a scammer - can't say it's been long enough. I'm selling a bike on craigslist in my locale, and I got an email looking suspiciously... suspicious. I used to visit this site to goof on these turds and to keep informed, and it has served me well; it makes it easier to spot the tactics and prose they use.

It starts out with the typical badly-constructed, polite dialogue then goes straight to the weird terms of payment and shipping. I googled his email address just to make sure, and it's listed to a scammer. I don't have the time, the imagination, or the follow-through to play with this one myself, but if anybody wants a crack at him, be my guest. By the way, he used two email addresses right off the bat. Here's one -
[email protected]
This is the entire body of the email:

Perry [email protected]
8:04 PM (52 minutes ago)

to me
Hello,

Thanks for getting back to me am ok with the price and the
condition..thanks for the prompt response to my mail. I will be buying
it from you so please kindly withdraw the advert and . Please to be
informed that i will pay you with a certified bank check and once you
have the check cashed at your bank then i will arrange for the pick up
at your place..I will need the following details to mail the payment
as soon as possible.

Name to be on the check___________________
Full contact Address(Not P.O.Box)______________
City__________________________________
State_________________________________
Zip Code_______________________________
Cell phone #__________________________

Pls note that FedEx/Ups does not deliver to P.O box and the payment
for the item will be overnight to your address asap.i really need
this item and i will
appreciates you if you can help me to save item
till the payment arrives as it will save me some extra cost....and my
shipper will come as soon as you have the check cashed in hand, So
please send me an email only Regards
Thanks

Awaiting for your prompt response

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 30 Apr 2012 Posts: 1

We received the exact same email in response to an ad we placed on craigslist for a sailboat. The email was also from [email protected]. The odd email and verbage of the email clued me in, so I did a simple google search of the email address and found this (and several other references to this email on other scam sites. I also wondered what sort of buyer was going to send a shipper for a small, trailerable sailboat.

Bryan

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 12 Jul 2012 Posts: 3

I got the same thing, I've decided to have some fun:

Here’s a response I got from a scammer yesterday. My radar went up when the word “Gift” and “hearing impaired” were mentioned.

** CRAIGSLIST ADVISORY --- AVOID SCAMS BY DEALING LOCALLY
** Avoid: wiring money, cross-border deals, work-at-home
** Beware: cashier checks, money orders, escrow, shipping
** More Info: http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams

Hello, I am interested in buying this as gift to someone dear to me. Please, Can you reduce the price for me? Email me back because I am hearing impaired. Thanks

Salia

________________________________________
My response:

From:[REDACTED]
Date: Wed, Jul 11, 2012 at 6:03 AM
Subject: Re: New couch
To: [email protected]

Dearest Salia,

Please allow me to introduce myself; I am [REDACTED], esq. The Remo Microfiber couch I listed is a veritable steal at $600. What price are you willing to pay? Also, I have several other signature furniture pieces I am also willing to part with. Are you interested additional items?

Sincerest Regards,

[REDACTED]
________________________________________

I got her interest:

On Thu, Jul 12, 2012 at 1:47 AM, SALIA <REDACTED> wrote:
I am very glad for your response. I am believing no one has bought it yet and that is why I am offering to pay the full price on the ad. I am very busy I will not be able to see it. If the picture you showed on the ad is what it is, then I think we have no problem with it otherwise, there is something new you would like to say about its condition. I will send you a bank check for both the actual and shipping cost. Don't worry, I will do the searching for a private transporter that you will pay when they come for the pick up. If we are moving ahead, email me back with the name and address for the bank check.

Regards!
________________________________________
Now the fun begins:
From: [REDACTED]
Date: Thu, Jul 12, 2012 at 3:11 PM
Subject: Re: New Couch
To: Salia <REDACTED>

Ah, Sophia, you are the answer to a prayer! Yes, full price is of course acceptable. I completely understand very full schedules, I myself, in addition to dealing in rare and hard to find furniture items, raise competition ocelots, have my own vineyard developing 37 different strains of cough syrup wine, and run a benevolent organization where I provide monetary scholarships to deserving people from foreign countries who wish to come and take internships in America learning the fine art of Mylar paper origami. We gave out over $15,000 in donations this month alone!

Anyway, enough about me, let me know when you are ready to proceed, and also if you are interested in other furniture pieces! Just today I acquired a mortar and pestle from the early Mesolithic period!

Best regards,

[REDACTED]

Posted: Fri Jul 13, 2012 12:27 am

Welcome Regip!

Looks like you are progressing nicely.

Just one word of warning though--both this form and main, where your other post is, are google searchable. While it doesn't happen often, sometimes scammers will google names or email addresses of their victims. If he found you here, you would undoubtedly lose your bait.

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 12 Jul 2012 Posts: 3

Thanks for the tip. It may have already happened (or my last email was over the top, because I haven't got a response back.

Posted: Fri Jul 13, 2012 4:02 pm

Or he just started his weekend early.

No reason not to post baits in progress- just change or even shorten the names when you do.