Craigslist cheque scam: Selling Vir Heroicus Sublimis

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Hello I'm New here! Joined: 10 Mar 2018 Posts: 2

First post, hope I'm putting in the right forum and that you'll all get a rise out of this, especially if you're a fan (or not a fan) of modern art. Smile

For context I've been selling some items on Craigslist and regularly get contacted by certified cheque scammers. The way the scam works is that the scammer offers to buy an item but is "out of town", and then sends a fake certified check which looks real enough to be honored by a bank. They ask that you deduct the funds for the item and then send the rest to the "movers" via Moneygram or Western Union. A week later your bank contacts you to say the check was a fake, and you're on the hook for the money you've sent.

Here's the initial email chain:
https://image.ibb.co/jLVhYS/email_thread_1.png

The scammer, Robert, introduces himself and offers to send a cheque. I respond with the name "Barnett Newman".

Here's the full text conversation that ensues:
https://image.ibb.co/jcGTq7/text_convo_redact.png

In addition to the table that he is "buying", I sell him Vir Heroicus Sublimis for the grand old sum of $2000 USD Laughing

He actually sends a real Fedex overnight priority envelope with a tracking #, addressed to Barnett Newman XD

It's a long image (1.4mb), but here's a preview:

After the cheque is delivered, he starts to harass me via text from multiple different #s, and it's getting a little aggressive, so I block them all.

And then I get these emails:
https://image.ibb.co/k2EgA7/email2_redacted.png

He threatens to report me to the FBI's fraud unit and the "local CIA". Doesn't he know who funded the abstract expressionists Wink

Hope y'all enjoyed, and let me know if you have suggestions on how I should reply next hurrhurr

Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2018 8:43 pm

Welcome to Eater, I'd recommend having a read of the stickies and rules before you go any further.

http://forum.419eater.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=237673

Specifically the bits on safe baiting and not involving Innocent Third Parties in your baits (in your case MoMA)

Quote:

irst and foremost, remember that the people we are dealing with are criminals. They may seem ignorant to us, but in the end these are con artists who happily (and all too often successfully) steal money from anyone they can, including their own countrymen. There are no depths to which a lad will not sink to steal money. Therefore:

Don't use your real name. You may think it's common enough, but when combined with only a few pieces of information your lad may be able to track you down.

Don't use your real address, or that of anyone else. While it's pretty obvious not to use your real address, be aware of using other locations. Giving out the address of your local strip club may seem funny, but at the same time you're violating Innocent Third Party rules.

Don't use your real phone number, or that of anyone else. Take advantage of the numerous free phone transfer services such as K7, or use a pre-paid phone which you've made sure doesn't have any links to your real life persona. You may wish to turn it off at night though.

Quote:

We do not involve innocent third parties (ITPs) in our baits. This means any real person or entity, regardless of your opinion of them, who has not consented to be involved in your bait. You may use contact information of confirmed advance fee fraud scammers such as we bait here, but do not use contact information for any other third party, including, but not limited to: police departments or other law enforcement agenies, hotline phone numbers, telemarketing companies, shady mortgage brokers, etc.

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 10 Mar 2018 Posts: 2

Thanks for the feedback...apologies for missing the bit about innocent third parties, I meant no harm. I actually sent them a heads up email to ignore and destroy the check when it arrived. I did this whole thing before discovering 419 Eater and posted bc I thought the community would appreciate reading the thread.

Noted on the policy for future and I understand the rationale...ty.

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