Off-Topic I've been scammed - Disaster Averted

[beyond.omega]

I posted my Fluidity set for sale on a local online classifieds board, and I got this:

Hello,
I am interested in buying your stuff so let me to know the last price....

thanks....

I thought it was real, so I replied and I got this:

Thanks for your quick reply. I want you to know that the price is okay by me also I want you to know that I shall be making the payment to you by check, also I have a shipper who will come for the pick up after you have the check cleared by your bank
and you have the money in your account, so kindly get back to me with the following details below needed for the payment so I can send the check to you asap ..

Name on check: -
Address : -
City..
State..
Postal Code: -
Price:-
Tel: -
Email:-

Hope this is clear
with regards

And then like some kind of moron, I sent him all that info. No it gets worse. I have different physical and mailing addresses. I gave him both.

Does anyone know how this scam works? Is it an identity theft scam? I've read about some scams where they send you money and then it turns out to be fake. If it is the second I guess I am safe. Does anyone know anything about this?

[twinkletoes]

I once got a reply like that too, where they said they'll send me a check and blah blah blah. It seemed weird to me so I never replied and then I googled it.

It appears for this scam, they'll send a check but it'll bounce. So then you're responsible to pay the bank and you don't have your stuff anymore.

There are a lot of scams out there though. But I'd say if they do send a check do not cash it. Just send it back to them unopened.

Craigslist scams

I found this too:

Phony Money Orders and Bad Check Scams on Craigslist

There are some things that should immediately raise red flags for anyone buying or selling on Craigslist. A few of these are:

Buyers wanting to pay by money order
The buyer is from another country or continent such as Nigeria in Africa
The inclusion of "business partners" in what should be a relatively simple sale
Over-complicated payment and shipping processes which try to trick you into shipping the item for sale first and them paying later.
There are many variations on this theme and many will involve official looking packing slips and money orders or checks from institutions you trust such as Western Union. Many times the wording of the emails sent to you will seem odd and the grammar poor. That's because they are little more than form letters with terms and language designed to excite you, confuse you or put you at ease with what is nothing more than an old fashioned Nigerian 419 scam.

Sometimes you will receive a money order first. If you decide to take the risk and accept payment by money order, make sure it clears at the bank before you send them your goods! These money orders will often bounce or be counterfeits and if you ship your goods to the buyer right after you drop the payment you received off at the bank you may be in for a rude surprise. If someone wants what you are selling so badly that they want it shipped halfway around the world then they can probably wait a few more days for it to be shipped. Don't be swayed by threats if the buyer starts using them on you. Insuring that someone's payment is valid is quite fair.

[Kitten]

Omg! Call your local police immediately. Then call both the bbb and your state's attourney general.

[CharM]

Be glad you figured it out before you received and cashed the check. I'm pretty sure they won't steal your identity, but they'll probably send a bad check. I don't think the cops will care, but it won't hurt to let them know, and maybe USPS if that's how it's sent.

[bzar]

Originally Posted by CharM

Be glad you figured it out before you received and cashed the check. I'm pretty sure they won't steal your identity, but they'll probably send a bad check. I don't think the cops will care, but it won't hurt to let them know, and maybe USPS if that's how it's sent.

yes - don't cash any kind of check or money order, or any electronic form of payment.

and if they send you anything, like a check, don't even respond, and don't give them the fluidity bar. tell them you want real cash. if not, tell them another buyer is willing to give cash.

[TinierTina]

Originally Posted by bzar

yes - don't cash any kind of check or money order, or any electronic form of payment.

and if they send you anything, like a check, don't even respond, and don't give them the fluidity bar. tell them you want real cash. if not, tell them another buyer is willing to give cash.

I know there recently aired a 20/20 on Craig Newmark founder of Craigslist, about his pooh-poohing his advertisers' ignoring rules against recalled items being sold on his site. Still, also contact the IC3 of this country (part of the FBI) if there is any way at all to identify the respondent email or URL, other than the relay email via Craigslist ...

[KarenJo]

If it makes you feel better, the info they asked for is pretty easy to come by and not that helpful for identity theft without things like your SS number or bank account or credit card numbers. So I think the scam will just be that the check will bounce. Most people don't realize how long it takes for a check to actually bounce and then for you to be notified, usually by snail mail. They count on that lag time.

Just tell them you have a cash buyer willing to come by your work tomorrow to pick it up at your convenience and unless they can beat that, you're sorry but you'll go with the other people. No rules against that on Craig's List and they won't actually report you to The Authorities since it breaks no laws.

[Kitten]

Originally Posted by CharM

Be glad you figured it out before you received and cashed the check. I'm pretty sure they won't steal your identity, but they'll probably send a bad check. I don't think the cops will care, but it won't hurt to let them know, and maybe USPS if that's how it's sent.

If something bad comes of it, it'll help to have the police report.

[beyond.omega]

Originally Posted by KarenJo

If it makes you feel better, the info they asked for is pretty easy to come by and not that helpful for identity theft without things like your SS number or bank account or credit card numbers. So I think the scam will just be that the check will bounce. Most people don't realize how long it takes for a check to actually bounce and then for you to be notified, usually by snail mail. They count on that lag time.

Just tell them you have a cash buyer willing to come by your work tomorrow to pick it up at your convenience and unless they can beat that, you're sorry but you'll go with the other people. No rules against that on Craig's List and they won't actually report you to The Authorities since it breaks no laws.

This helps a lot. I feel better that I don't have to worry about identity theft.

It wasn't craigslist - it was a local online classifieds board, so I do have their email address, but its just some throwaway hotmail. I guess they can trace the origin, but if its the check bounce scam, I think they are usually based in a foreign country, so not really anything anyone can do.

I did tell them it wasn't available, and I haven't heard back.

Thanks everyone. Disaster averted.

[iheartsts]

So sorry this happened to you.

Note for future use...if they don't reference your specific item in their email, don't even respond to them. I've gotten lots of bogus emails on Craigslist that say stuff like," you still got it?" If they don't say what "it" is, I don't reply. A legitimate buyer will say "do you still have the fluidity bar?" or "I'd like to purchase your fluidity bar", etc...

I was selling a camera once and someone offered me $100 more than I was asking if I'd ship it to Africa to his missionary friend...all I meeded to do was give them my paypal account number so he could deposit the money into my account... there are all kinds of scams out there...sigh.... I've had lots of great experiences selling on Craigslist, but it's frustrating dealing with all the creeps out there.

If you don't cash any checks, you should be ok. I'd maybe mail them back and say I already sold it for cash...and report this...but as previously stated, they didn't get any info from you that isn't already out there all over the place, unfortunately.

Take care and I hope things work out ok.

ETA: glad the crisis was averted!!