WWYD - Craigs List & possible scam (long, sorry)

I had listed a pair of lamps on Craigs List for $200. I got a few responses. 1 was from a guy very eager to buy the lamps as he said he was being tranferred to England for work and looking for some items to furnish his new place.

He sent me another email asking for my address and phone # so that he could send me a certified check and he would arrange to have his mover come inspect and pick up the lamps. So I gave him my info.

The next email from him was that he was trying to consolidate errands and asked if he could make out the check for more than the lamps and would I give the excess to the shipper who came for the lamps. I told him this was fine -- that as soon as the check cleared I would give the money to his shipper.

Then I received the check from UPS nextday air for $3000! But the check was hand-signed by a person. The check did not have any indication on it for me to know that it was from him or what it was for. It was sent from a company in Indiana. This immediately did not feel right to me. Why would he be trusting a total stranger with $2800???

Then I got an email from him yesterday asking me what was going on. He seemed angry and said that according to UPS the check had been delivered the day before and I had not contacted him yet to send the balance of the money. He wanted me to send it to his shipper via Western Union. I sent him back an email saying that he never gave me the info on his shipper and he needed to give it to me again. I also said that I needed to verify if the check was from him and he needed to tell me the amount of the check and where it came from.

Everybody around me was telling me not to trust this, and that it didn't sound legit, so I called the bank the check was drawn on. They told me it is a scam. They said this is a group based in Nigeria and that the check will be no good. They said to stop corresponding with this person and he will stop contacting me. I got nervous b/c I gave him my address and I'm home all day with my 2 DDs so I called the police to make a report. They also told me the same info about the scam and told me that I had nothing to worry about -- that if I just stop corresponding with him he won't come after us b/c he is nowhere near us. So I put it out of my mind.

Last night I checked my email again and he did contact me again giving me the "shipper's" info. He also said that the check WAS from him and that it was for $300 (not the $3000 that it was actually made out for).

Now, I guess a small part in the back of my mind is still hoping he is an honest person who geniuenly wants to just buy my lamps. So I'm thinking of sending him back an email saying that the check was not for $300 and that I can't cash the check I received but if he still wants the lamps he can either do this "arrangement" with his shipper who can pay me when he comes for the lamps; or that I will cash the check, and when it has CLEARED I will send the $ to his shipper.

WWYD?

Message edited 10/24/2009 7:07:10 AM.

Re: WWYD - Craigs List & possible scam (long, sorry)

DO NOT EMAIL him again.
It is a scam! The police even told you it was.
This happened to a woman I worked with. Once she stopped emailing him he moved on to someone else.

Re: WWYD - Craigs List & possible scam (long, sorry)

Posted by Mssissy

DO NOT EMAIL him again.
It is a scam! The police even told you it was.
This happened to a woman I worked with. Once she stopped emailing him he moved on to someone else.

Re: WWYD - Craigs List & possible scam (long, sorry)

As I was reading the story, I kept thinking from the minute it started "I hope she didn't give him money!", "I hope she didn't give him money". So relieved to read you didn't. Thank goodness!

My advice is don't give him any money and consider yourself she so lucky. So many people have fallen to this exact scam. You acted wisely up until this point and smartly. Walk away.

Re: WWYD - Craigs List & possible scam (long, sorry)

STOP STOP STOP!!

Do not continue speaking with this person any longer. Unfortunately, they don't want your lamps, they want you to be stupid enough to play along. Don't let yourself get scammed!

Re: WWYD - Craigs List & possible scam (long, sorry)

This scam is on the news almost daily.....STOP !!!!!!!!

Re: WWYD - Craigs List & possible scam (long, sorry)

just reading your first two sentences its a scam..

-so they have your address...
-they will have your checking info after your check clear (to some extent)
-the check will bounce...maybe get clear at first but then come back to haunt you
-you would of shipped your items, and there is nothing you can do about it

If you really want to sell something, go to eBay or some other organized selling method. Ok, so you have to pay some fee's but its peace of mind that the transaction is handled in a techincal and legal way.

I have sold one thing on Ebay...a car so i didn't have to worry about shipping anything. guy came with cash and i used a marker to verify they were real bills...

Craigslist has many flags saying of typical scams.

Re: WWYD - Craigs List & possible scam (long, sorry)

Definitely a scam... I would rip up the check and stop correspondance

Re: WWYD - Craigs List & possible scam (long, sorry)

Total and complete SCAM!! Stop all communications....

Re: WWYD - Craigs List & possible scam (long, sorry)

yes that is definitely a scam. even if you read through the "scam" section on craigslist, it will list what you just described...

Re: WWYD - Craigs List & possible scam (long, sorry)

Now that I know it is a scam I really want to send him back an email letting him know that I know it is a scam. Would that be bad?

Re: WWYD - Craigs List & possible scam (long, sorry)

Just stop corresponding period.

This is a well known scam and has been going on for ages.

If you stop, eventually he will as well.

Re: WWYD - Craigs List & possible scam (long, sorry)

I agree with everyone else-let it lie and just ignore further emails from him.

Re: WWYD - Craigs List & possible scam (long, sorry)

Anytime someone wants to send you a check for more than the stated amount in the ad, and ask you to send back the balance, it is a SCAM.

Re: WWYD - Craigs List & possible scam (long, sorry)

Re: WWYD - Craigs List & possible scam (long, sorry)

This happen to my grandma with her couches too... it is total BS.

Re: WWYD - Craigs List & possible scam (long, sorry)

Re: WWYD - Craigs List & possible scam (long, sorry)

Its a scam!! Something very similiar happened to my parents when they were selling on Craigs List!

Re: WWYD - Craigs List & possible scam (long, sorry)

Just stop emailing him.

The fact that he knows your address, IMO, isn't a big deal. In the old days, he would have just looked it up in a phone book.

He will just move onto someone else, they are just out to scam people for money is all.

I would not contact him again and just move on.

Re: WWYD - Craigs List & possible scam (long, sorry)

Total scam.

When I sell something on Craigslist I post cash and pick up only...no scammers. That usually deters them.

Re: WWYD - Craigs List & possible scam (long, sorry)

i was selling stuff on craigslist and got tons of those types of emails. being away and needing the item .asking the seller to remove the item and it would be sold. i became suspicsious when they didnt want to come see some of the items. plus craigsist has a notice on the home page about it being a scam.

Re: WWYD - Craigs List & possible scam (long, sorry)

This is a scam. The idea is that you cash the check, send him the difference, and then the check will come back bounced in a few days.

Re: WWYD - Craigs List & possible scam (long, sorry)

I wouldn't email him back.

If you really feel the need to do it, I'd say that you've sold the lamps to someone else because you were informed by both the bank & the police that it was a scam.

If you need a laugh, Best of Craigslist - Nigerian Scammer another one

Message edited 10/26/2009 6:40:17 AM.

Re: WWYD - Craigs List & possible scam (long, sorry)

I don't mean to sound rude, but who actually falls for this and sends back the $$??

Re: WWYD - Craigs List & possible scam (long, sorry)

You don't even need to bother replying. This scam is done in THOUSANDS of letters everyday to ebay, CL... you name it.

You are not the only one.

It's a person in London (seems to be the place of preference!), Canada, etc...

Someone from Canada wanted to buy my late FIL 10 yo crown victoria. Desperatly wanted it. Would pay extra for it. Sure... like they don't have old junk cars in Canada.

They don't know live here. Don't worry!