Craigslist Scam (How does this work?)

[Paul Simmel]

This is the 3rd time someone has tried this. and here is the exact email. Please, how does this work? Does the check bounce after the item is picked up? Does the item EVER get picked up? If I CASH the check, do they somehow get my numbers and/or info?

=-=-=-

Thanks for the quick response, i'll really like to have the item but i
wouldnt have time to be around in person so pls I'll be sending you a
Cheque via my bank for the cost of the item. Because of the nature of
my job, I'll not be available to pick up the item myself, with this,i
will be sending someone come pick the item up on my behalf.i hope you
do understand...

So I'll like you to provide me with the following information so as to
notify the payment for the item.
1.Full name to be on the cheque
2.Home or work address (Ups doesn't deliver to P.O Boxes)
3.Phone number
4 The final price As soon as you have cashed the cheque I'll make
arrangement with my mover concerning the pick up. Pls do me a favor of
removing the Ad from CL as I'm committed to buying it. Have a nice
day.

Dr. Tyler

Edit: Last year I actually played this out for some scaffolding I had for sale. Same sort of email, same exact deal (can't pick up or see in person... will send "mover". etc.), and I got a check via UPS. Then when I didn't cash the check, I had a guy with a heavy accent calling me. "Did you cash the check... did you cash the check"? Check looked real... I tore up and ceased emails and answering phone. Just wondered how this WORKS?

[Jon Lanier]

They like Winston Churchill's famous speech and put it into practice: "Never give up, never give up, never give up!"

That or they are just leeches of society.

[Thomas Bank]

Two things I see are that the check (cheque?) bounces or their "mover" picks up the item and everything else in your shop while you are not there...

[Darren Salyer]

UPS sent the check? I wonder if they somehow have insurance on the package, or make a claim against UPS somehow? This one beats me.


But if you will send me your account # and password, I'll look into it on your behalf........... Just Kidding!!!

[Paul Simmel]

I suspect this is a foreign scam, and I suspect no one will ever "pick up" anything. It somehow has to do with your cashing the check. Giving a phone number... even an address... is really no biggy.

OBVIOUSLY, nor I or anyone with a brain is going to let an "item" be trucked away before the "check" clears. Maybe the check does clear, then get canceled somehow? But I suspect SOMEHOW, tha act of cashing the check is the key to the scam.

[Roger Fournier]

Good information here:

http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams

[Eric DeSilva]

Its a fake bank check. The bank will show it in your account because it takes a while to detect the forgery. Meantime, they get a shipper to pick the stuff up, drop it off somewhere else. Then, the bank gets word its a forgery, they remove the funds from your account. You have no real idea who the buyer/forger is, since they didn't actually pick anything up. All you have is the moving company, but they have no liability since you allowed them to pick it up. They just dropped something off somewhere and its gone. So, you are out of luck with no recourse.

[Paul Simmel]

>>> UPS sent the check? I wonder if they somehow have insurance on the package, or make a claim against UPS somehow? This one beats me.

Yeah, I got a special delivery from UPS! with an "official" "cheque". If I recall the amount was for MORE than the asking price... had something to do with sending HIM back a certain amount (after mover was paid)? Don't recall exactly.

But these guys are out there every day and they wouldn't be doing it if it didn't work enough of the time to make it worth their while. Now I want to KNOW how this works! Report to FBI, also!

[Paul Simmel]

Here's my response:



-=-=-=-



Before we proceed I need to know if you know what a turnip-truck is. I only deal with people who know about turnip-trucks, their nature and all. Sorry, this is the only way we can proceed, due to the nature of my upbringing.

Looking forward to following this to its logical conclusion!

Signed,

Who-Kicky-Dicky

[Danny Thompson]

You just gave the key. The check was for more than you asked, so he would ask you to send him the difference. Your bank would accept the check, initially, but would later take the money back once they discovered it was a forgery, and you would be out the money you sent to the guy.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Hello,

UPS sent the check? I wonder if they somehow have insurance on the package, or make a claim against UPS somehow? This one beats me.

Using UPS avoids having the US Postal Service getting involved.

[Lee Schierer]

I agree with Dan, they are relying on your greed. The check came for more than you asked for your selling price so you rush off to the bank and deposit the check. Then you get asked to send back at least part of the difference keeping a little bit for your trouble, so you mailk a check. Then the bank discovers the check you deposited is invalid and deducts the amount from your account. You are out the amount you sent to the unknown stranger and still have the merchandise in your house because they never picked it up.

As noted they avoid using the USPS as there are laws against mail fraud, none for UPS or FedEx fraud.

I'd write back an say that you may have been born at night but it wasn't last night and keep your listing on craigs list going.

[Tom Veatch]

Danny nailed it!

Similar thing happened with a couple of 100# propane bottles I had on Craigslist. Guy wanted me to ship them to England of all places. Propane bottles must be in very short supply in the British Isles.

Same deal; forget why, but the cashiers "cheque" would be for more than the amount and I was to refund any balance. My response was that I'd charge a 10% fee on the gross amount of the check for my fiduciary services, and that nothing would be shipped nor would any refund be issued until after my bank confirmed that the "cheque" had been honored. As expected, never heard another word from him.

[Matt Meiser]

I wouldn't write back at all--just delete it.

Whenever I post something on Craigslist, I put something at the bottom to the effect that "Scammers need not apply--no, I won't take a check and send you the difference". I also always put in the ad that I'll only take cash at the time of pickup. I figure I'll say right up front that I'm not falling for it. It seems to work because I don't get these types of messages, or maybe GMail is getting rid of them for me. The other thing that seems to work is pricing the item to move fast so they don't even get a chance.

[Myk Rian]

I got an e-mail like that for a bandsaw I was giving away for FREE.