Craigslist, Scammers or just Coincidence?

[maxkillz]

Well I put http://detroit.craigslist.org/ele/819226954.html on craigslist early this morning and i got a few emails that i don't really trust. All of them want me to ship to Africa and they only want to use paypal. Should i just take the money or what? one guy offered me $500 for this even though i only posted it for $300

Hi......I am interested in this item, i will like to purchase it for my Uncle who study in Boston University,who is on excursion in West Africa Nigeria,does it have its original box,accessories and work perfectly?,and let me know is condition.last price and the Pics. method of my payment is PayPal get back to me with your PayPal email address so i can transfer the payment to your PayPal account and i will pay you $500 including the shipping cost.
Thanks.
Walter Obama
206-339-3534

Hi seller,
I saw your advert on Craigslist,I want immediate purchase of this item to my friend in west africa.Whose wedding will comes up soon,I want to get this item as a gift for her.I will offer you $320 for the item and $150 for the postage cost to her.I will be waiting to have your paypal confirmed email address as to make the payment,i want you to treat this mail as a matter of urgency.Hope you will get back to me soon.Plz my personal mail annaince@hotmail.com.Hope to hear from you soon

hello seller,
am mrs Venus Smith from los Angeles i was i am a bank teller at bank of America(boa)los Angeles branch.i am a happily married,i have been searching for this particular item,and i will like you to know that i will like to be buying it for my only son who is out of the state he his on an holiday with his DAD in Africa his dad is an international road contractor he his on a business trip to Africa,so i will like to buy this item for him because he his celebrating his birthday soon and he has been asking of this item please i will like to know maybe you can ship worldwide,and i will be offering you($400)including the shipping to him in (Nigeria) and i will be paying via Money gram(Money order)and i can even pay via PayPal,i will like the shipping via USPS(EMS)global express 3-5days...please get back to me so as to know what to do...Thanks.
Mrs Venus Smith.

All offer way over and want it in Africa, 2 in Nigeria :-? :-? Coincidence or scammers?

 

[FokoF]

Scam! Dont trust anyone from Africa, especially me! ;D
Most likely a scam, west africa is black market heaven....

 

[daguin]

Scam! Dont trust anyone from Africa, especially me! ;D
Most likely a scam, west africa is black market heaven....

Require the same thing from them that they require from those that they scam.  Have them use Western Union.  No charge backs that way.

As we have seen on this very list, the PayPal "dispute" process is ripe for abuse.

Peace,
dave

[highlight]**EDIT**[/highlight] oh yeah . . .give them NO personal information.

 

[maxkillz]

[quote author=FokoP link=1220109609/0#1 date=1220112732]Scam! Dont trust anyone from Africa, especially me! ;D
Most likely a scam, west africa is black market heaven....

Require the same thing from them that they require from those that they scam. Have them use Western Union. No charge backs that way.

As we have seen on this very list, the PayPal "dispute" process is ripe for abuse.

Peace,
dave

[highlight]**EDIT**[/highlight] oh yeah . . .give them NO personal information.[/quote]
If you know craigslist then you know they don't even have my email so i THINK im safe, one person responded saying that they arn't a scam, even though i didn't say anything about it : at this point all i will take is cash and in person because i love cash and shipping time to them is almost instant and free..almost

 

[maxkillz]

i just got this, when i checked who it was being sent to it had well over 400 names

Hello,
My organization deals with item placed on the website as an agent……I have a client who has really shown interest in the above named item you placed for sale and would really want to issue the payment in form of Money order Or US Cashier Check. Will you be accepting a Money order? We have a reliable shipping company that take good care of the shipment of the item, so you are not going to be stressed about the shipping and the attached picture of the item is very important if available…….. ok.
Provide your CONTACT NAME, ADDRESS AND PHONE NUMBER if you are interested in selling so that I can have it forwarded to my client for immediate payment issuance. Please contact me ASAP via email for further questions as regards this transaction If you really show willingness in selling this item and am expecting your response ASAP.
BEST REGARDS.

what do you guys think? trustworthy?

 

[pullbangdead]

What they MIGHT be trying to do, which I have seen happen, is they will send you a money order/check for MORE than they owe you, and ask you to send a check for the rest of the money order to some other party. Then, when their funds bounce, you're left having already sent a check to someone else.

eg: Your item is $300, they send you $500 and ask you to send the other $200 to another "client" ("saves us the fees, hassle, etc.") Then, they cash the $200 and cancel your $500 or it bounces or whatever, and you're out your item and the $200 you sent to someone else.

The whole idea of craigslist is to deal local. If you end up shipping it, you defeat the whole purpose of craigslist, and only encourage scammers like these. I don't know exactly what their angle is, but they are almost certainly working an angle of some sort, it is a scam.

 

[maxkillz]

What they MIGHT be trying to do, which I have seen happen, is they will send you a money order/check for MORE than they owe you, and ask you to send a check for the rest of the money order to some other party. Then, when their funds bounce, you're left having already sent a check to someone else.

eg: Your item is $300, they send you $500 and ask you to send the other $200 to another "client" ("saves us the fees, hassle, etc.") Then, they cash the $200 and cancel your $500 or it bounces or whatever, and you're out your item and the $200 you sent to someone else.

The whole idea of craigslist is to deal local. If you end up shipping it, you defeat the whole purpose of craigslist, and only encourage scammers like these. I don't know exactly what their angle is, but they are almost certainly working an angle of some sort, it is a scam.

I had the same exact thing almost happen but it was with a house and they wanted $7000 instead of only $200. They said they needed some cash back to pay some people to furnish the house and the check was to go overseas....somehow i didn't believe them

 

[maxkillz]

Is it just me or do you guys get would be scammers emailing about stuff on craigslist all the time just today i got over 20 emails and 17 of them wanted me to send it overnight to Nigeria...after i tell them i will take the check and wait for it to clear in the bank then i will send it out, they stop bugging me. so far i have only got 2 serious offers but they are low balling it quite a bit. they had the nerve to compare my deal to a solitary PHAT PSP that they saw for $75 and they want me to sell for $100....I mean craigslist is good when your selling furniture and things of that sort but selling electronics on there is getting aggravating. Am I just unlucky here?

 

[HumanSymphony]

lol nigerian scammers, won't they ever get freaking caught? You think they'd find 'em since all the ones i've encountered wanted me to send items to the US EMBASSY. Clearly the embassy can't find out who owns those scamming PO boxes :

 

[maxkillz]

lol nigerian scammers, won't they ever get freaking caught? You think they'd find 'em since all the ones i've encountered wanted me to send items to the US EMBASSY. Clearly the embassy can't find out who owns those scamming PO boxes :

well i get a few saying they will send a person to my house to pick my my "item", i wonder if i could have police waitninf for them when they got here : just in case ;D ;D

I am interested in purchase it if you are ready to sell for me, So please let me know the present condition including your last asking price you are willing to sell it, with some other pictures,and am sending to my Grandson that recently traveled to abroad (Nigeria) for a research program.Also, I will pay you $500 for the payment including shipping of this item. This item is to be shipped directly from you to Grandson address at abroad via USPS ( EMS ) Global Express Mail. My mode of payment is Paypal.Kindly close the auction and get back to me with your payment details so i can make the payment asap.
Hope to read from you soon.

Regards
Colin Evigan
206-338-4159

another one from Nigeria i just got, seriously who goes to Nigeria? anyone want to call the number and see who answers? XD

 

[HumanSymphony]

206 is a washington area code lol i could call it for free but i dont feel like talkin to some scammer douche

 

[maxkillz]

206 is a washington area code lol i could call it for free but i dont feel like talkin to some scammer douche

hmm mines a 208 area code, i don't remember where i bought the cell phone though. stupid 2 year plans

 

[ndrew2505]

my opinon is to have fun with them. give them fake names like Richard Head or fake phone numbers like 334-382-5968(last 7 digits spell f**k you if you look on the keypad of a phone). it gives me a good laugh and passes time....

 

[maxkillz]

my opinon is to have fun with them. give them fake names like Richard Head or fake phone numbers like 334-382-5968(last 7 digits spell f**k you if you look on the keypad of a phone). it gives me a good laugh and passes time....

lol i wish i thought of that

 

[sk8er4514]

Nigeria and other countries in Africa don't care about chargebacks, which makes PayPal very vulnerable to scams....

rule of thumb for craigslist: don't ship anything anywhere. just meet the person at the local grocery store to sell stuff.

 

[VillageIdiot]

What they MIGHT be trying to do, which I have seen happen, is they will send you a money order/check for MORE than they owe you, and ask you to send a check for the rest of the money order to some other party. Then, when their funds bounce, you're left having already sent a check to someone else.

eg: Your item is $300, they send you $500 and ask you to send the other $200 to another "client" ("saves us the fees, hassle, etc.") Then, they cash the $200 and cancel your $500 or it bounces or whatever, and you're out your item and the $200 you sent to someone else.

The whole idea of craigslist is to deal local. If you end up shipping it, you defeat the whole purpose of craigslist, and only encourage scammers like these. I don't know exactly what their angle is, but they are almost certainly working an angle of some sort, it is a scam.

I don't see how you can fall for this if you just wait for your $500 to clear then send the item and the $200 back.