is this a scammer?

[alex carey]

I put my lathe on craigslist and got this response.

Thanks for your quick response. I will be buying the item at the rate you wants to sell it. But the only convenient means of paying is mailing you a certified cheque and as for the shippment my shipper will come for the pick up when the check clear at your location upon your confirmation of receiving the payment and I don't want you to look for another buyer.I would have love to come down for the pick up but I don't have chance to do that now but I am satisfied with you description of the item. I will like you to give me the following information so that your payment can be issued out. 1) your full name to be on the check 2) your full contact address to send the payment to 3 zip code; your mobile and land number to reach you. Awaitsyour reply

...Sounds like a scam to me.

Alex

[Dewey Torres]

Yepper!!!


For sure it is a scam. Notice the misspellings and how they want to conduct a shady transaction. These are the tell tale signs of a scam. IGNORE!

[Dustin Cranford]

Kind of sounds like the Nigerian Lottery and I have won that thing 3 times and still haven't received my money. I would use your best judgement if I was you. Personally I wouldn't do what is being asked or take the chance.

[alex carey]

I sent an email back asking him to call me. If he is real he will call.

[doug young]

A friend of mine almost got burned by an identical scam up in seattle and the guy did call and they did have conversation. Craig'slist alerted him and stopped the deal. it is a scam all the way. be careful. doug

[alex carey]

thanks for the headsup

alex

[Doug Thompson]

Walk away this is a common scam, I had the same email for one of each tool or one of each lathe.

[Alex Shanku]

I bet if you were to continue dealing with him, he would eventually offer you a check worth MORE than what you asked. A common scam. Then you deposit and get screwed.

[Gordon Seto]

A call can be initiated overseas with VoIP with a local number shown on your caller ID.
A disposable cell phone number is impossible to trace.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Don't walk. Run or sprint away from this one. My brother that lives in Longmont, Co. came within a few hours of getting burnt by one of these scams. He e-mailed the guy to call him which the guy did with a heavy accent. After he was alerted he told the guy if he wanted the tools he was to come pick it up himself with cash as that was all he would accept in hand or no deal. Never heard from him again.

[George Guadiane]

I put my lathe on craigslist and got this response.

Thanks for your quick response. I will be buying the item at the rate you wants to sell it. But the only convenient means of paying is mailing you a certified cheque and as for the shippment my shipper will come for the pick up when the check clear at your location upon your confirmation of receiving the payment and I don't want you to look for another buyer.I would have love to come down for the pick up but I don't have chance to do that now but I am satisfied with you description of the item. I will like you to give me the following information so that your payment can be issued out. 1) your full name to be on the check 2) your full contact address to send the payment to 3 zip code; your mobile and land number to reach you. Awaitsyour reply

...Sounds like a scam to me.

Alex
The spellings are European/English, could even be Canadian. The information requested would be required by ANYONE trying to make payment in good faith (he didn't ask for your bank numbers, which would be an obvious scammer tactic).
It PROBABLY IS a scam, but you could issue a response such as:

"Thank you for your response.
Unfortunately, I am not willing to accept that form of payment, and I am not willing to have any aspect of this transaction handled by a third party.
The item(s) will remain available for sale until such time as I find a buyer who can pick the item(s) up and pay in person.
Thank You For Your Interest,
"

[Ralph Lindberg]

Alex, I agree with the others that conclude this is a scam. But I would like to offer a different idea.

Many of these SCAMers work by sending you bogus "certified" checks, for more then the agreed price. You are supposed to "cash" these checks are refund the difference.

What you do is "accept" the deal, when the "check(s)" arrive, contact the buyer and inform them that when you came home you found the envelope empty, someone had stolen the checks. Tell them they should stop payment (ya right), yada, yada, yada.

Most of these Bozo's will then send you replacement "checks" (over-night).

I got one bozo to send me two replacement "checks" before he clued in that I was tricking him into wasting his money on the over-night shipment expenses.

But so many "scam-ees" are now doing the "replace the checks" bit that I bet some of the "scam-ers" are getting wise.

[Eric DeSilva]

They don't have to ask for your bank info for it to be a scam or give you a check for more than the purchase price--if you send 'em the item you are still out the item. Takes a bank several weeks to detect a fraudulent "certified check"--only when it comes back from the paying bank declined. You could always ask him to send the check, but state you will will not post/send items until the check clears and funds are available with no resort. Check with your bank, wait til the check comes back declined for payment, and then you have a nice canceled fraudulent certified check suitable for display.

[Jeff Nicol]

The original post states that " shipper will pick up AFTER check has cleared" So no merchandise was ever sent to any one. So if the guy gave you the name and number of a local and real shipping company that was to pick it up after you had the bank and all parties involved make sure the check is real, and the money was in your hand. Could be O.K. Ask him what financial institution he would use to get the certified bank check. If he won't give it to you then it is a scam. Sounds like a lot of work on your end but if it was the only offer to buy, a few calls could not hurt.

I sell on e-bay a lot and if the money ain't good the item stays in my hands!

Jeff

[Don Carter]

Alex:
The certified check is the problem here. Run from this transaction! It may take as much as a month or more for the "check" to return to your bank as a fraudulent check or stolen blank check. Reputable buyers will not purchase your lathe in this manner. Believe me, I was a banker for thirty years and this is not the way you want to go.

All the best.

Don

[Eric DeSilva]

...after you had the bank and all parties involved make sure the check is real, and the money was in your hand.

Therein lies the problem. Most banks, for a certified check, will credit your account immediately or near immediately. Then, when the check does not clear, the funds will be removed by that bank. Money in hand is *not* enough. Money from issuing bank paid to your bank is the only guarantee outside of cold, hard cash.

[alex carey]

I copy pasted the message into google and I came up with a million responses of people getting that exact same message.

I checked my email this morning, I got ANOTHER one almost exactly the same with a few words different. I had no idea there were that many scammers on craigslist. You can report their emails to craistlist so thats what I did. I also sent them email saying

"reported"

doubt it'll do anything but whatever.

Alex

[Bill White]

Just send the tools to me. I will sell 'em for ya, and I'll be sure to send you some sort of payment someday. (Jokin' of course.)
What really amazes me is that some poor schmuck will fall for this crap.
Bill

[Richard Madison]

Don,
What is a safe method? Am considering selling an item worth several thousand dollars in the spring. Is there another safe kind of transaction other than cash American dollars?

[Don Carter]

Richard:
That is about it.:) It really depends on the buyer and the buyer's location, as well as the size of the transaction. If the buyer is my next door neighbor I would probably take his personal check.;)

All the best.

Don

[Richard Madison]

Thanks Don. Appreciate it a bunch. Seems like, several many years ago, a chashier's check was good as gold. Not any more.

[Billy Tallant]

Definately a scammer...Another clue to recognize on craigslist...is the buyer asks you what type of condition your item is in. You have posted in your ad that your item is in excellent condition...the buyer then asks you what type of shape it is in.

Just another clue that that the buyer has not even read your ad...I've sold quite a bit on craigslist & I get a laugh now everytime I see the responses come in.

[Dave Lehnert]

Scam for sure. Too many other buyers to sell to without all the hassle. BUT................

I had a friend that sold an old car on e-bay for like $40,000. I guy out west purchased it. Sent check. Sent a truck to pick it up. Turned out to be all good. Guy called a week later and said he loved the car and thanks for a great transaction. You never know.

[David Cramer]

If it were me, I'd simply ask, what's "your" phone number, both land line and cell? The response would inevitably be neither of my phones is working. They are suppose to be down for another week or so. My older brother has dealt with this many times. Legitimate buyers would rarely hestitate if they were pursuing an item that they really intended on buying. Offer to lower the price slightly if they come by with cash. It's 99.9999999% a scam.

David

[Kim Ford]

Alex;

This happened to me on two occasions. Both times the english was broken in the e-mail and/or the letter they sent along. Both times a cashiers check was sent in excess of the purchase price, asking me to pay shipping and wire a handling fee to a broker. Both checks were frauds, I called the bank, both fake checks. They said that this scam is running all over the country and that I could contact the authorities but there were so many of these that it would not be of much benefit. We, lost nothing but did gain experience.

My rule, craigslist, ebay, or any other site. Payment is by cash, Pay Pal, or US Post Office Money Order. It's sad that we have come to this, but it's the only safe way.