nitrosportsandrunner

so, i had my KM baja on creigslist.

i got the following email yesturday:

Sounds Good,

I am ready to purchase it asap. I anticipate that I'll have a Certified Check issued out to you from my bank.I'm in no rush with you till fund's are cleared in your bank. You do not have to bother yourself about the pick up. I'll instruct a Shipping Co. Agent to come for pickup at your door when you must have gotten your cash at hand. Kindly e-mail me back with your physical address such as Name,Address (NOT P.o.box) City, State, Zip-code, Phone Number. I will be sending the payment via Fedex 2nd day delivery. You can proceed to take off the ad on craigslist because I don't want any other interruption by another buyer, so get back to me with your full name and address with your phone number to mail out the check to you tomorrow.

My Regards
Steven J Edwards
209 Glendevon Way
Columbia, SC 29229

Sent from my iPhone

NOW, this might have raised a few flags for me, but i had just spoken with a guy on the phone earlier in the day who was very interested. the guy had just had $2500 worth of RC stuff stolen. among the stuff was his hpi baja. he said he would buy my baja as soon as he could sell his 4x4 slash.
it wasnt until todays email that i realized the guy i talked with wasnt the same guy who sent these emails.

but this email came today:

I just receive the confirmation from my client that the payment as been issued out and was mailed by the US Postal. It will be delivered to your address soon from now according to the courier ,but to my greatest surprise the check issued out including the total money my client is owing instead of the actual cost of my purchase from you which is more than your amount for the item which is to be paid as i instructed him to do. This is a terrible mistake and i was just informed this so please once the check is delivered please take it to your Bank and have it cashed or deposit. You will then deduct the cost of my purchase plus an extra $50 to offset the cost of your run around expenses.The rest of the fund should be sent to my shipper via western union the same day you do receive the payment so that my mover can make the trip over for the pick at once. the money is to be splitted before on different name for you and my shipper which is now coming in whole to you. I will need your immediate response via email assuring me that i can trust you to handle this with care and have the remaining fund returned appropriately.I am hearing impaired and will hope that your intentions remains noble though out the duration of this transaction.
Thanks and God Bless

Regard's
Steven J Edwards
209 Glendevon Way
Columbia, SC 29229


this sounds alot like the kinda scam, where i cash that check...send the extra to him only to have the check bounce a week later.
it also very suspect to have someone offer full-price on a used KM baja without even asking me any questions about it.

when this check comes, i will take it to my bank and see what they say. it its gonna take a while for the check to actually clear...im not gonna mess with it.

if that is the case, should i try and inform someone? i mean, i have an address on this guy. if he is doing a scam, he needs to be cought.

thoughts???

BigTb17

Really sounds like a scam. How does somebody accidentally make out a check for too much, and then how do they send it without noticing? Not only that, but why not just cancel it and send another rather than having you cash the hole thing, Western Union the difference to him, and keep some extra for your troubles?

Western Union itself is a red flag, as is the fact that he wants somebody to come to your house to pick the item up. He supposedly gave you his address, why not have you ship it, it has got to be cheaper than having a company go and pick it up from your house.

Also, there is the way he talks and the fact that, like you said, he seems to have no interest in what you are actually selling beyond saying he wants it.

The whole "I'm sending a check for too much, send me the difference via Westwrn Union as soon as you get it" is a classic scam. If you really want to try to make this work, try to take control of the situation, tell him the things about the transaction that don't work for you and how you'd like to do it instead. A normal person who wanted that car enough to pay asking price plus $50 ( for your trouble with the check ) would be willing to work with you on the arrangements, this guy likely will not.

proanti1

My Feedback: (2)

Yeah, scam. I would not even bother with his fake check, you know 100% that it will not clear.

Ttam Says Blarg

This has scam written all over it..

SyCo_VeNoM

scam
My dad got the same crap when he was selling his Cadillac.
Heres what happens (my sister in law confirmed this she works for a bank) your bank will clear it, and a week or 2 later they will retract the funds due to the bank the checks from finding out it was either a stolen account # or some other stuff.
So you will be out of a baja, and get slammed with the fees from using a rubber check, and $50 additional

schuttman

SCAM..... I had someone do the same to me on some parts on racinjunk, the check was no good
and cost me $20. The person keep wanting me go ahead tan take money out b-4 the check cleared
and send it to them.... YARIGHT......

nitrosportsandrunner

thanx guys.
i was feeling uneasy about the deal but wanted other opinions.

i just sent him this email:
hi, when your check arrives, i will simply rip it up.

i believe you are playing a scam. you never even asked about what i am selling, and you are willing to pay my full asking price plus extra for the work of sending the money back to you? sounds like a load of bull to me.



you need to get a real job and stop trying to steal money from other people!

now i got to put my KM ad back up on CL.

Sigma.40

My Feedback: (1)

I read recently, that this scam is almost as old as the prince of Nigeria scam. People suck.

Lunchboxer

LOL, Western Union.. hee..

LewAshby

When I get these types of replies, I just say: Bring cash when you pick it up in person.

TIGER76

Doesnt sound too legit tbh []

avoid m8 if i was you

pede_187

I would also say this is pretty suspicous. And if I recall correctly, Craigslist specifically says that if instructed to use Western Union, it's probably a scam.

ScottStaypuff

Sucks that peopls are that way, but they are. If it sounds too good to be true, it is!

If the check comes through the mail I would contact the post office and see if it qualifies for mail fraud, which is a federal offense. Try to bust the guy.

rc2008

My Feedback: (25)

SCAM!!!!!!! i feel uneasy just reading about your situation.....i also wouldn't trust some random people coming to my house to pick it up...next thing you know all of your stuff will be missing.

The_Shark

money talks, bull***** walks, you can shove that check where the sun don't shine... and then eat it... beeouch.

you want my item? cash in hand or if online, paypal only.

its a scam, anytime you have a huge bite like that, and a huge list of how to go threw shipping and vito will come pick it up, and extra money.

i will always shoot a e-mail back before giving any info.

craigslist sucks. 9/10 bites are fake.

airmayle

Ya, this is your basic email scam. Wording is a little different but all in all the same type of scam. Just be careful with the fake money orders when selling online.

DaveG55

It's a scam for sure, zero doubt about it.

What I'm wondering though is all the scam stuff you see for sale on CL. You know like cars priced too good to be true wanting you to send cash/MO yada, yada, yada

I can just see the e-mails flying when you get one of the scammers trying to sell a scam car getting paid by one of the scammers trying to pay with a fake check...
A match made in heaven right there...

stylicho

Yeah, it's a scam. You should be able to tell by the poor grammar itself. Ive had these numerous times. Never trust anybody over the internet. Most likely this **** is in Africa.

SigMan

My Feedback: (21)

the God Bless at the Bottom was the dead give away..... SCAM !

stylicho

Nobody would come to his house I dont believe. They want you to western union the money after you get the check. They dont care anything about the item being sold. Hell, these clowns even pop up when selling in your local newspapers. I had one guy trying to buy a puppy using this same scam. What was so funny about it was the guy needed an English translator to call me via phone. I was thinking to myself what the hell is this as I was talking to her who was talking to the "buyer" lol.

stylicho

They also say deal locally. That avoids 99% of the scams out there.
Edit: Woops, that was in response to the guy who said Craigslist says avoid Western Union.

Airplanes400

My Feedback: (349)

If a check were to be sent by the scammer, the check would be drawn on a bank on the other side of the country. You're in Maine, so it would be drawn on a California or Florida bank. Most likely, California. The so-called buyer would send you a FedEx or UPS shipping label that would also bill the shipping back to you.

If this were to play out like the scammer intends, in the end you would have sent him $500+ of your money (or whatever the overpayment was), have sent the scammer your item, have paid the shipping, and be hit with a return check fee from your bank.
The scammer would get your money, your item, and free shipping ... pretty slick, huh? Sadly, many people fall for this scam.

The scammer will NEVER go to your house. NEVER ... they want to be anonymous. But many people fear this might happen. The scammer knows this, and plays on that fear.

hairy46

My Feedback: (1)

SCAM!!!! Take the check and address to the police! And have them see if they want to go on with it and wait for the guy to show up! So many SCUMBAGS in here on earth!

jcoop65

really? I cant believe you all would even consider giving this the time of day. And you gave him your address?

SigMan

My Feedback: (21)

the time of day is 7:10 am Central.