dealing with Craigslist scammers

Craigslist is probably fine but only deal in cash and at an agreed public location like a McDonalds or other fast food restaurant. This way there are lots of people around so you are not as likely to get ripped off.

Dont take a money order, check or credit card #'s. If someone says its the only way they can pay you, its probably a scam anyone who wants something on craigslist can meet in person (its local) and pay cash (pick a spot with an ATM)

Oh yeah. Check the bills to make sure they are real United States Secret Service: Know Your Money - Counterfeit Awareness

Thorsen said:

Craigslist is probably fine but only deal in cash and at an agreed public location like a McDonalds or other fast food restaurant. This way there are lots of people around so you are not as likely to get ripped off.

Dont take a money order, check or credit card #'s. If someone says its the only way they can pay you, its probably a scam anyone who wants something on craigslist can meet in person (its local) and pay cash (pick a spot with an ATM)

Oh yeah. Check the bills to make sure they are real United States Secret Service: Know Your Money - Counterfeit Awareness

Craig's List itself is an honorable list, all who use are not. Never accept or even comunicate with anyone wanting to do any dealings in the mail. When you cash the money order, you'll probably be arrested for forging a document. the point of the scam is for the "buyer" to get your merchandise before you realize they sent your a bogus check/money order/bank transfer, etc.

I've used Craig's many times, selling and buying, but only deal locally, period. I never post my email or phone number in my ads. I do put it as myname at email dot com, or my number as seven3two 6one42.

Craig's list is similiar to russian roulette, only there is two rounds chambered instaead of one.

I don't know if it is frivolous to contact the authorities though

Evil can only exist if good people fail to act.



Craigslist Scam Page:

Who should I notify about fraud or scam attempts?

craigslist | about > scams

Also your State's Attorney General's office. The bad guys are hoping you will think it is too much of a PITA because of the paperwork.

Its your call....

You can take the time and alert the authorities, but you will likely find out as I did that nothing is done. I filed a complaint through the Internet Crime Complaint Center. I never heard anything.

I went through a similar situation a while back where I was selling a computer component and posted it to Craigslist. A user contacted me, asked me to hold it, said he was on his honeymoon and would send me a check ASAP and then stop by and pick it up. Well, after a few days, I received a UPS envelope and it contained a check, not for the amount of the hardware sold $2,200, but instead for $4,600. The user contacted me via email shortly after receiving it and claimed that his secretary screwed up (and he should fire her for it), but new that I could handle the situation (with care and honesty). He provided instructions saying to immediately deposit it into my bank account, and then simply return the excess fund (minus of course $100 for my effort), as a Money Gram which his "shipper" would pick up when they came for the hardware.

If the above information didn't scream scam, for good measure, I did a little research on the check that I received. It was a business check and was written against a Company name (which had nothing to do with my transaction) and it was signed by a person that I wasn't dealing with. For fun, I looked up the company against which the check was written and talked to their secretary who informed me that the check that I received was fake, their information had been compromised and they had at least 50 fake checks written against their account. As she said, it won't clear..I hope you didn't cash it. I informed her that I did not.

So, in the case of this scam, had I cashed this $4,600 check...my bank would have given me $4,600. I would have then purchased a $2,300 money order, sent it back to this person. A day or two later, when the check moved along it's way, it would have been declared a fake, and my bank would then remove the $4,600 they put into my account. And there is nothing you can do, once you purchase a Money order to get that money back. So, I would have been out $2,300 had I proceeded.

At the end of the day, i got some nasty emails from this person saying they knew my personal information (he had a cell number and my work address...along with my hotmail account) and would come after me. Also got some emails from the shipper claiming they were nearly at my location for the pickup and if I provided them nothing, I would be legally obligated to pay them for their time and effort to get to me.

Let me guess........

You took prudent precautions with the original buyer, and the shipper never showed up.

Sound about right?