Craigslist scammer

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Hello I'm New here! Joined: 12 May 2010 Posts: 1

I recently posted an ad on Craigslist offering up our sofa for sale. I recognized this person as a scammer almost immediately, so I decided to have some fun with him.
He called himself Robin Collie and his email was [email protected]

Quote:

SCAMMER:

hello, How are you? Is the above still available for sale?

Quote:

ME:

It's still available, yes. If you're interested, let me know when you can come over and look at it. We live in xxxx.

thanks.

Quote:

SCAMMER:

Hi,
Thanks for the reply. Am trying to set up an apartment for my brother and I would be needing your item. I hope its in good condition?
I would have loved to come and take a look but am at a business seminar and may not have the time. On the other hand, my brother is quite unavailable, he's impaired. So if you dont mind, am willing to pay with a certified check. I don't mind paying an additional fee of $50 for it in order for you to take the ad down from craigslist.
My P.A will send the certified check to you via courier service once i get your reply for the payment, I'm going to need
-Full name to be on the check
-Address which the payment would be delivered to
-And your phone number
I will also arrange for my mover to come for the pick up once you might have cashed the check.
Regards.
Hoping to hear from you soon.

Quote:

ME:

Hi Robin.

You're very kind to offer me an additional $50 for my troubles. Thank you. You seem like a serious business person, I hope you enjoy your seminar. I'm sorry to hear about your poor brother. I hope our sofa brightens his days!
I forgot to mention in the ad that the sofa also has tons of urine, blood, and puke stains on it. If you spray fabreeze on it and only breathe through your mouth, it's just barely bearable.
Sorry about that, I hope this doesn't change your mind.
Also, the sofa seems to have a wasp hive somewhere under the cushions. We've just learned to ignore the noise. If you don't shake it too much, they keep to themselves. Trust me, you'll get used to it after a while.

If you're still interested in our beloved sofa, please let me know and I'll be glad to send you my all of my info and remove my ad.

thanks!

WILL HE STILL WANT THE SOFA???

Quote:

SCAMMER:

hello,
thanks for the mail. Am satisfied with the condition and will be purchasing as well. So i will need the following details so that the payment can be sent to you ASAP...

-Full name to be on the payment
-Address which the payment would be delivered to
-And your phone number
Hope to hear from you soon...

Quote:

ME:

Okay, here's my info:

Bill L. Lewis
11000 Wilshire Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90024
USA

phone number: (888) 622- 0117

Thanks!

this is the local FBI fraud agent.

Quote:

SCAMMER:

hello,
Am very grateful for your understanding. My brother would be so
happy. I have contacted my P.A about your payment. It should be ready
for the mail soon. I will inform you as soon as the payment is in
transit. Regards to your family.

Quote:

ME:

Great! Thanks.

Quote:

SCAMMER:

Hello,
My P.A just contacted me that the check has been sent to you but
only to discover that she made a mistake in the payment that has
already been sent to you. She including the cost of some other
furnitures and the moving cost with yours. She made out the payment of
$2250 instead of the actual amount. I guess she's out of her state of
mind cos she just left to attend to her mum who is critically ill in
the hospital. The excess funds is for other purchases to be undertaken
my mover. I dont really know how this works but the best way is that
once you have the check, deduct the money for the good plus the extra
$50 for taking the ad from craigslist. The remaining fund should
please be sent to my mover through western union at any of their
outlet close to you so that they can come for the pick up immediately
and have my other furnitures picked up as well. Please mail me at once
to let me know that I can trust you to have the money given to my
movers.

And there it is...

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 12 May 2010 Posts: 4

This is my first week on this site. I have to admit I am a bit illiterate about the terminology and technology you use Embarassed

. I appologize if I have not followed some of the rules Confused

.

Here is what my scammer had to say about my items for sale.

SCAMMER
Wednesday, October 8, 2008 9:03 PM
From:
"david baeur" <[email protected]>
Add sender to Contacts
To:
[email protected]
** 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.html

Hi.
Please I'll like to know if the furniture you posted on here is still available for sale.will also appreciate if you can attach some closer view of the furniture Please get back to me promptly. Thank you

this message was remailed to you via: [email protected]

ME
Was it the bunk bed/futon you were interested in? Sorry I can't get you a close up until I get home tonight. I guessI'm not sure what you want a close up of? I copied and pasted it from cragislist for you here. It is a factory welded piece. If you look at the left front post there is a yellow looking thing there - that is still the factory sticker we have never tried to get off.

Jul let me know what parts you want close ups of and I will get them before 8 PM tonight.

My 16 year old has grown out of this phase - must sell ASAP. call me 689-XXXX.

SCAMMER
ok, I appreciate your response to my inquiry. I really want to buy this furniture from you. I would love to come and check it myself but
I just got married and I'm presently on honeymoon pls remove the advert from Web, i don't mind adding $50 extra for you to do that, so i can be rest assured that the item is held for me. I should believe it is in good condition as stated. i will be making the payment via check or money order so i will need your full name that will be on the check and your full address where you can easyly receive the package via courier and i will arrange for the pickup myself.
Also i need to have an understanding with you because the payment i will be sending will run in excess which after you faithfully deduct
your own exact amount from it then you will give the balance to the moving company after you might have cashed the check and have cash
with you , please get back to me if you are okay with this and i will implore you to remove the ads off craigslist because i really want to
purchase this asap

ME
Thank you for the offer to purchase this item. With so many scams going on where people send money and ask for you to cash the check and then send or pay someone else the difference, I am inclined to ask for your personal information. Name, Address, Phone Number, Employer etc. The other option is to Western Union or Money Gram the funds to me. Almost every country you may be honeymooning in has both of those options.

I hope this does not change your mind about the purchase. If you are on your honeymoon, why are you on the computer on Craigslist and in such a hurry to purchase this item? When are you going to be back from your honeymoon? Sorry to ask so many questions, but I don't want to be caught up in a scam.

If you do not want to give me any of the information requested, or send funds by Western Union or Money Gram, please just contact me again when you get home and can come and look at it for yourself. You will want to help take it apart so you can get it back together unless you are sending movers that will do this for you.

I also have a foosball table ($300), older metal desk with wood laminate top in great condition 60x30 ($50) and a piece of carpet remnant that has been professionally edged @ 12x14 ($75). Any interest in these items?

Just let me know.

NO OTHER COMMUNICATION FOLLOWED.

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 07 Jul 2010 Posts: 3

i'm pretty new too, but from what I've gathered in these forums, a successful bait takes patience and creativity.

in your case, you got a nibble, but you have to reel them in slowly.