Only then you will know they are legit. It part of their code.
Posted on 01/01/2016 1:14:41 PM PST by Oshkalaboomboom
I put some furniture up for sale on Craigslist. Now I have someone texting me from Vermont (I live in Georgia) wanting to buy sight unseen, claiming to be a flight attendant who is away most of the time but will send a pickup agent as soon as we complete the transaction via PayPal. It seems pretty obvious that it's a scam but it must work some percentage of the time because they keep trying it.
Be very careful in dealing with anyone on CL.
Yep. Me Too. Donate once and you’re a mark forever.
I think you are being scammed. I get emails and letters from Cruz and I have never gotten anything like that.
Arrested? What, from India or the Philippines??
Well, I don’t have any ideas for this one...however...for the ones who call(usually with an Indian accent) and tell you that they are from Microsoft and that there is something wrong with your computer...I usually tell them that I am a Mennonite—a religious order that prohibits ownership of computers, etc. It really stumps them.
Just fyi I have sold the furniture to people who came over in person, left a cash deposit and are paying cash when the furniture movers come to pick it up. So this CL scammer is just a distraction. I’m interested to see how they intend to separate me from my money, furniture or both.
Only then you will know they are legit. It part of their code.
postal money orders can be faked also. I had a former girlfriend that was scammed this way. I was an experienced bank teller and could not tell the money order was fake (I found out about it months after it happened).
“But ask them to do a bank transfer...”
That’s the easiest way to do it. I just gave them my account number and password and they could put the money in without a hitch. Oh - except I forgot, and had to text them my mom’s maiden name which came up for them on that password verification question. Silly me!
A few years ago, I listed some appraised high value jewelry and a high end watch for a relative.
None of it sold but I got this persistent scammer with very broken English claiming to be a Marine who couldn’t get any leave from wherever he was. I think he picked random names of bases all over.
After a few days he gave up since I hit him with routine questions and the answers were always different.
One way they work is they want send you a bank check for the amount of the purchase plus the fee they have to pay the pick-up agent. They say just cash the check at your local bank and give the difference to their guy when he shows up to get the merchandise. Every body is happy, you get your price for whatever you are selling, the buyer gets the stuff you don’t want anymore and the agent gets paid for his services.
What really happens is that you cash the check at your local bank, give the difference to the agent, who is really part of the scam, he leaves with the cash and the stuff. Then 3-4 days later you get a call from the bank that the check did not clear and you have to pay back the cash you took out, plus overdraft fees. You just paid someone a bunch of money to come take your stuff away.
You didn’t understand. I said bank to email transfer. Many banks do it. The poster uses a hotmail account or whatever, gives NO banking info. If the sellers are so innocent, let them use their bank account.
I just ignore those emails from Ted. (And here I thought I was the only one that got it! Because I’m so important and special!!) I do go onto his website and donate there directly instead of ever replying to any email. That goes for anything. I’m guessing it is harder to fake a website than an email.
My wife asks me once in awhile about emails.
“They say they are going to cancel my Amazon account unless I update my password - do you think it’s a scam?”
She always does this though - she yelled at me years ago when I asked her why she asks me questions when she already knows the answer. So I just humor her. “Yes dear - it’s a scam. And if it isn’t (but it is), they aren’t going to not want you spending money with them by kicking you off.”
Ignore them.
I said, bankers checks and once it has been cashed at the poster’s bank, then give them the furniture.
False bankers checks are all over the place. You deposit the check, give them the goods and 2 weeks later the bank tell you it was a fake bank check. It happens all the time.
“You didn’t understand. I said bank to email transfer.”
I was just trying to be funny. I don’t do much of craiglist. So it goes from the buyer’s bank to your bank’s email account? I’m guessing that is something that you set up with the bank ahead of time? That would also be good protection against thugs that just want to steal your car - like happened with that couple selling the husband’s old mustang or something. The couple were found dead and the car gone.
Have them overnight you a money order...
Only accept Paypal from Ebay accounts. You can check their reputation. However, you can still get ripped off.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.