Is This A Scam?

[dustman_stx]

For all of you getting the scam wanting to send a "courier" or use a cashiers check: Why not say "sure, bring it on over" and then have the cops waiting?

[PenJoe]

Originally Posted by cmysstailights

I wouldnt accept anything but a bank certified check. Sounds fishy. When i post on craigslist i use some numbers and characters to make up my number. If they are interested they fugure it out

Sorry, but a certified check can be just as bad as counterfeit money. By far, a direct bank to bank money transfer is the safest. Nothing signed over until the money is in the bank.

At one time we had a $26K sale where the buyer brought cash. He came to the bank with us where the teller counted it and made certain is was legit.

We had another deal that was a scam. I played the "buyer" to the point they were sending a check, someone would pick up the item. We refused and they sent a check anyway, demanding that we do the deal. The check was written on a Boston college account. Certain this was a scam, I called the college and provided the information. They looked up the account and sure enough, it was their bank account number. Only problem was that it was not the bank they had the account with. When the " buyer" again contacted me demanding the deal go through, he threatened turning it over to the police. Shaking in my shoes, I gave him the number of the police department. That's the last we heard. But the fact is, the scammer played it to the hilt. Had I been intimidated, I would have been scammed.

[salwolfe]

Originally Posted by KFX450RXC

My F450 and Vengeance are for sale here and on craigslist. While in the shower a little while ago, I received a call with a voicemail and a text stating he wanted me to call him back and as the text read, "I would like to buy your fifth wheel and truck please call me at ........"


So I call back and get no answer. Just his voicemail. Its hard to understand so I just hung up. I call again 5 minutes later and he answers.


Basically, he says he's in Maine. But the phone number when tracked says its from Lanexa, Va. He has brain cancer and they plan to tour the country for awhile. He asks some specific questions about the camper but at the same time, it appears fairly obvious he's not extremely knowledgeable about RVing. He likes the two patios, the three-season doors, the three ACs, and the four TVs. But this is in my ad so it could just be someone looking over the ad and blowing smoke my way. He asks about the truck, the golf cart I'm including, and the reservations I'm giving away if someone buys the camper. But again, not the most confident conversation from someone.



He asks where I'm located and I give the general "just outside of Raleigh". He wants to know if there's a major airport there and as the phone call is coming to an end, he says he's going to be calling about a flight and will be calling me back in the morning.



His name was weird and again, hard to understand. I believe he said it was Mizquila or Migquila. He says its Italian.


So what now? I've sold a ton of stuff on Craigslist and heard them all, I thought. If he calls me back tomorrow and says something like he can't come down to RDU but he'd like to send me a check, I will just hang up. But what if he calls me and says he's flying down in a few hours or a few days? If he's actually here, hard to scam someone like that. I won't take any checks. If he wants my truck and camper, he'll have to wire my bank he money in order to get the titles. Wiring money is fine and I see no way for that to be a scam. A bank check to BotW and Andrews will have to clear before they send the titles.



So a lot awaits his potential phone call tomorrow. But I like to think things through and anticipate possible scenarios before they happen. Is there any angle I'm missing here? The small possibility that this guy is legit and plans to give me $125,000 is the only reason I am playing along. When I sold my 2011 F450 and Cyclone five years ago, the buyer who bought both did just that. We met at his bank and the teller wired both leinholders the money and gave me a bank check for the equity. So its always a possibility.

Well, did you get the call back?

[KFX450RXC]

No phone calls today. I'm about 50% surprised. I figured the guy would at least try to play this out. My guess is he was going to call and say he couldn't come so he's sending a check for more than enough, have me pay a driver to haul it to Maine, then refund him the extra money once I've paid all my expenses.

Anyway, some of the responses here are hilarious. Only get cash? Seriously? That's 1250 $100 bills. Surprised you didn't recommend a duffle bag or a briefcase.

If I never post about this anymore, it went away. If I hear anything from him, I'll let y'all know.

[Daycruiser]

Originally Posted by Susanmcnabb

I sell real estate and wiring money can be a scam just like a cashier's check or money order it's a Scamp

Wire Transfers can be rescinded, I recently sold a vehicle to a guy I met with but didn't completely trust since he was from out of town. The day he wire transferred the money to my account I was at the bank 5 minutes after the transfer completed and immediately moved the money out of that bank to another bank so he couldn't rescind it. It was legit in the end but I was taking no chances. Bank checks are almost as worthless as personal checks these days, they are constantly being forged and the banks will put holds on them just like a personal check unless you can cover the amount of the check with your own funds that they'll lock up until the hold clears. Large amounts of cash like $125K will garner lots of attention from the IRS, Bank Examiners, probably local LEOs too. Guys walking into their local branch to deposit $125K in cash are likely suspect at least.

[rockfossilman]

Originally Posted by KFX450RXC

My F450 and Vengeance are for sale here and on craigslist. While in the shower a little while ago, I received a call with a voicemail and a text stating he wanted me to call him back and as the text read, "I would like to buy your fifth wheel and truck please call me at ........"


So I call back and get no answer. Just his voicemail. Its hard to understand so I just hung up. I call again 5 minutes later and he answers.


Basically, he says he's in Maine. But the phone number when tracked says its from Lanexa, Va. He has brain cancer and they plan to tour the country for awhile. He asks some specific questions about the camper but at the same time, it appears fairly obvious he's not extremely knowledgeable about RVing. He likes the two patios, the three-season doors, the three ACs, and the four TVs. But this is in my ad so it could just be someone looking over the ad and blowing smoke my way. He asks about the truck, the golf cart I'm including, and the reservations I'm giving away if someone buys the camper. But again, not the most confident conversation from someone.



He asks where I'm located and I give the general "just outside of Raleigh". He wants to know if there's a major airport there and as the phone call is coming to an end, he says he's going to be calling about a flight and will be calling me back in the morning.



His name was weird and again, hard to understand. I believe he said it was Mizquila or Migquila. He says its Italian.


So what now? I've sold a ton of stuff on Craigslist and heard them all, I thought. If he calls me back tomorrow and says something like he can't come down to RDU but he'd like to send me a check, I will just hang up. But what if he calls me and says he's flying down in a few hours or a few days? If he's actually here, hard to scam someone like that. I won't take any checks. If he wants my truck and camper, he'll have to wire my bank he money in order to get the titles. Wiring money is fine and I see no way for that to be a scam. A bank check to BotW and Andrews will have to clear before they send the titles.



So a lot awaits his potential phone call tomorrow. But I like to think things through and anticipate possible scenarios before they happen. Is there any angle I'm missing here? The small possibility that this guy is legit and plans to give me $125,000 is the only reason I am playing along. When I sold my 2011 F450 and Cyclone five years ago, the buyer who bought both did just that. We met at his bank and the teller wired both leinholders the money and gave me a bank check for the equity. So its always a possibility.

The Lanexa, VA part could be legitimate if he's on a cell phone. I have moved causing my cell phone number to show my location near SE Pa, but now live in SW Pa.

I would still make a point of meeting at the police station though.

[tuxedo]

Just opened e mails so have not read all.

Short version, had Class B for sale on Rochester NY Craigslist. Receive call. They. are 350 miles away (NYC) and want to come see. Show up. Like unit, agree on price $20k or so. Has rental car. Discloses they are from Johanesburg South Africa. Oh well, say to wife, Scam. Goes to car and returns w cash. Took them to our bank and deposited, which is the one and only safe way! Stayed w us a couple days, helped them at Motor Vechile to Register and Title., then they left to tour US. Great couple and great visit.

Point is, be wary, be super carefull, cash only in to your bank before signing over title. But, be open to odd situations.

[CLOGENE]

Originally Posted by Rdeemat

Obviously you’re not acquainted with the craigslist scams. I sell lots of stuff on Craigslist. Get lots of calls from scammers. Typically they say they will send a pic up guy and give you a cashiers checks, BEWARE they are no good. If you want to sell something on craigslist meet the buyer someplace away from your home and cash only, no checks, no cashiers checks, cash only.

Even if the guy gives you cash, go to the bank to be sure that the cash is not counterfeit. There is always that possibility.

[amblt]

Originally Posted by JMark

Not to scare anyone but BE CAREFUL. few years ago a guy in Canada had his truck advertised. 2 guys came for test drive. Killed the owner and took the truck. (and the killer could have easilly afforded to buy the truck).

That killer was recently convicted of killing both his ex girlfriend and his father as well some years before. A real nut case that boy.
I had a call some years ago in reply to my ad for an RV for sale on a site dedicated to the genre. The caller claimed to be from somewhere in Europe, was willing to send someone to look at the trailer, all this for a very inexpensive used RV. The kicker was that he wanted my banking details in order to send me a deposit. I ignored him, but he was persistent. He only went silent after I told him I had sent copies of all our messages to the RCMP.

Cheers

[amblt]

Originally Posted by Daycruiser

Wire Transfers can be rescinded, I recently sold a vehicle to a guy I met with but didn't completely trust since he was from out of town. The day he wire transferred the money to my account I was at the bank 5 minutes after the transfer completed and immediately moved the money out of that bank to another bank so he couldn't rescind it. It was legit in the end but I was taking no chances. Bank checks are almost as worthless as personal checks these days, they are constantly being forged and the banks will put holds on them just like a personal check unless you can cover the amount of the check with your own funds that they'll lock up until the hold clears. Large amounts of cash like $125K will garner lots of attention from the IRS, Bank Examiners, probably local LEOs too. Guys walking into their local branch to deposit $125K in cash are likely suspect at least.

Here in Canada, debit card transactions are managed by an organization called "Interac". Cash transfers are available on their system using email to transfer only information between the buyer and seller- such as the password (set by the seller) for the transaction. The funds themselves are transferred using normal bank to bank protocols and security methods and cannot be rescinded once the recipient has accepted and deposited the funds. I assume there is a limit on the size of transactions, but it certainly enough to cover a reasonable deposit against the full price. I have used the system to transfer some significant amounts (up to $10K) and it works well.

Cheers

[PenJoe]

Originally Posted by tuxedo

Just opened e mails so have not read all.

Short version, had Class B for sale on Rochester NY Craigslist. Receive call. They. are 350 miles away (NYC) and want to come see. Show up. Like unit, agree on price $20k or so. Has rental car. Discloses they are from Johanesburg South Africa. Oh well, say to wife, Scam. Goes to car and returns w cash. Took them to our bank and deposited, which is the one and only safe way! Stayed w us a couple days, helped them at Motor Vechile to Register and Title., then they left to tour US. Great couple and great visit.

Point is, be wary, be super carefull, cash only in to your bank before signing over title. But, be open to odd situations.

We had one of those odd situations that worked out. And, we are super cautious when dealing on Craigslist.

We bought a collectors car at auction locally and had it for a couple of years. Deciding to sell it, we put it on craigslist. A buyer, stating he was staying in town for a few days, came to look at the car. He knew we had bought the car at auction and for how much. It was determined that he lived in New England-we were in Florida. The buyer tells us that he has two businesses-one in our town and one in Massachusetts He would pay for the car with a check and have a shipper pick the car up and transport it north.

So, the red flags are flying in a strong wind big time. He is willing to write a check on a newly opened checking account and wait until we are certain the check has passed before we sign over the title and he makes arrangements for shipping. The check will be #1. Okay, lets do some checking before we fall for this almost certain scheme.

We call the bank and determine it is a new account and there are more than adequate funds to cover the transaction. More research reveals he does have businesses in both states (porn stores no less). A deal is made to hold the car for a month. A receipt with the provisions equivalent to a contract is signed by both parties. The buyer agrees to photos of him with the car. We accept check #1 and deposit it immediately. At the end of week 4, the funds are still good, the buyer arranges for pickup, the hauler picks the car and title up. As phony as the deal appeared, it was legit.

[wabakami]

Originally Posted by amblt

Here in Canada, debit card transactions are managed by an organization called "Interac". Cash transfers are available on their system using email to transfer only information between the buyer and seller- such as the password (set by the seller) for the transaction. The funds themselves are transferred using normal bank to bank protocols and security methods and cannot be rescinded once the recipient has accepted and deposited the funds. I assume there is a limit on the size of transactions, but it certainly enough to cover a reasonable deposit against the full price. I have used the system to transfer some significant amounts (up to $10K) and it works well.

Cheers

X2
Done so countless times as well, works great.


Geoff
.

[mnoland30]

I live in NM, but purchased my boat in Spokane, WA. I had a cashiers check from my bank, which I thought was as good as cash. We went to the seller's bank, and they called my bank to make sure the check was good. I was lucky my bank was open that day. That simple.

Nothing strange about looking all over the country for an expensive item on Craigslist. Onecraigs is the app.

[KFX450RXC]

Well. I said I wouldn't respond but I am. Still no word from my buyer in Maine. But I just wanted to respond to add some comments about other posts here.

As for the bank checks, that is supposedly a common scam. Bank checks are being counterfeited so well, they're getting through the system for a few weeks. Say the guy in Maine says I'm sending you a $130,000 bank check and he wants the item shipped to him. I deposit the bank check, pay off the loans, hire a courier to drive the camper to Maine and in the end, I still have $2500 left over. I am supposed to wire him the left over money. In a couple of weeks, the bank calls and says that bank check was fraudulent and when will I be returning them the $130,000.

As for craigslist being searched throughout the country? That's easy. www.searchtempest.com is awesome if you're looking for something in particular and are willing to travel. Makes searching craigslist all over far easier.

[5er_tom]

My experience has been that almost every contact the first few days after posting are all scams.

[Chief T]

I follow the advice given by Fox Mulder... Trust No One

[GaryK.]

Take cash only

[MarkDNC]

Originally Posted by GaryK.

Take cash only

It's $125K.
Who is going to pay cash for that?

[Chazman]

Originally Posted by KFX450RXC

Well. I said I wouldn't respond but I am. Still no word from my buyer in Maine. But I just wanted to respond to add some comments about other posts here.

As for the bank checks, that is supposedly a common scam. Bank checks are being counterfeited so well, they're getting through the system for a few weeks. Say the guy in Maine says I'm sending you a $130,000 bank check and he wants the item shipped to him. I deposit the bank check, pay off the loans, hire a courier to drive the camper to Maine and in the end, I still have $2500 left over. I am supposed to wire him the left over money. In a couple of weeks, the bank calls and says that bank check was fraudulent and when will I be returning them the $130,000.

As for craigslist being searched throughout the country? That's easy. www.searchtempest.com is awesome if you're looking for something in particular and are willing to travel. Makes searching craigslist all over far easier.

Thanks for the info on searching craigslist for the entire country. I never knew about that and it will come in handy!