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7 Types of Common Craigslist Scams to Watch Out for

Suzanne Kearns

craigslist scamsIt used to be that when you wanted to find an apartment for rent, buy a used car, or pick up used, secondhand items like furniture or a washer and dryer, you looked in the classified section of the newspaper. But like with most other things these days, the Internet has taken over and made things even easier.

Nowadays, if you’re looking for any of these things, the best place to look is probably Craigslist, an online classified site categorized by city.

However, the technology that has made it easier to find what you need has also made it easier for scammers to take advantage of the unsuspecting. Craigslist is a perfect example of that. On any day of the week, you can find hundreds of local listings that include apartment and home rentals, cars for sale, concert and play tickets, jobs, and every conceivable secondhand item you can think of. But scammers are very creative and have put together elaborate rouses to trick even the savviest buyer.

The good news is that you don’t have to avoid Craigslist and all of its wonderful opportunities to avoid being “taken.” You just need to know what to look for.

Here’s a rundown of the most common Craigslist scams along with advice on how to avoid them.

Home and Apartment Rental Scams

If you don’t plan to use a real estate agent to look for a house or apartment, be on high alert for scammers. Avoid becoming a victim by understanding how they operate and what types of tactics they use. First, we’ll look at the various scams and then we’ll talk about how to avoid them.

1. The Popular Home or Apartment

In this insidious scam, the “landlord” will list a home or apartment at an unbelievably great price. They’ll feature photos of an adorable place with the desired amenities. Of course, they’ll have dozens of people respond to the ad and most will want to snatch it up before it’s gone. This landlord is all too willing to please everyone too. In fact, he will collect deposits, first and last month’s rent, and other fees from anyone who’s interested – and then skip town.

The problem comes when all the renters try to move in and discover it was never the landlord’s to rent in the first place. In one case, such a “landlord” walked away with $60,000 in collected fees from potential renters from a single apartment. A slight variation of this scam occurs when the crook rents a house or apartment with the intention of re-renting it to dozens of people.

2. The Middleman

Sometimes the story is that the owner of the home or apartment is sick, out of the country, or otherwise unavailable and his friend is helping out by renting the place for him. This is called the middleman scam because renters never come into contact with the real owner of the property. If they did, they would quickly realize the property isn’t even for rent!

After a renter pays the deposits and rent, the “friend” disappears and the renter is out the money and still has no place to live. This scam can also be pulled off by people overseas. They do it by finding a photo of a cute house, then listing it for rent. They target people relocating to a new city or town who can’t physically check out the house and won’t know it’s not located in the area claimed.

3. The Over-anxious Renter

Rental scams don’t just target renters. They target landlords too. The most common is the typical Nigerian scam where a person will agree to rent a house or apartment and then send the landlord a check or money order for the deposits, rent, and fees. After the check is sent, however, they realize they “accidentally” sent too much and tell the landlord it’s put them in a financial bind. They ask that the excess be wired to them right away. What the landlord may not realize, however, is that the check or money order is no good. Whatever money they wire the scammer will be their own money, never to be seen again.

housing scam

Now that you understand the basics of how thieves take advantage of tenants and landlords, let’s take a look at how you can avoid becoming a helpless victim.

  • Make sure the “landlord” really owns the house. If it’s an apartment or condo, you can call the related association or property management company and ask if you’re renting from the legitimate owner. If it’s a home, you’ll have to search the property records in the area that the house or apartment is located. If the names don’t match in either of these circumstances, you’re probably dealing with a scammer.
  • Get a copy of the landlord’s ID and call the local authorities to make sure it’s legitimate.
  • Do a quick Google search on the landlord’s name as well as the address of the house you’re considering renting. If they’ve scammed anyone else, you’ll probably find information about it online. In addition, you may find useful information about the house, like whether or not it’s been involved in previous scams.
  • If the person you’re dealing with doesn’t ask you for an application or doesn’t care to screen tenants with a background check, you may be dealing with a scammer. The illegitimate landlords will seem to make renting and qualifying as easy for you as possible.
  • Don’t allow anyone to overpay you. If they do, don’t release any funds until their check or money order has cleared your account. Some thieves can produce fake checks and money orders so believable that they’ll even fool banks until the check is finally bounced back weeks later. If this happens, you’ll be responsible for any money you’ve used against the funds and, in some instances, you may even be held criminally responsible. They will likely pressure you to wire money beforehand to “pay them back,” but don’t give in unless you’re sure there’s no chance of the original check bouncing.
  • If you’re a landlord, be sure to check all references, credit reports, criminal histories, and employers before you offer a lease.

Car Buying and Selling Scams

It’s possible to save hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars by buying a car from an individual rather than from a car dealership or car lot, and many people have turned to Craigslist to find one. But anytime there’s a large marketplace, the scammers aren’t far behind, and car sales are no exception. Here’s an overview of how these scams are carried out and hints on how you can avoid falling for them.

1. Fake Funds

Con artists are experts at producing fraudulent checks, money orders, and cashier’s checks. Some car owners have found out the hard way that after they release their car to such a buyer, the check bounces or comes back as a fraud. The seller is out a car with no real way to trace the buyer’s identity or location.

2. The Accidental Check

Just like in the housing scams, buyers will pay the seller with a cashier’s check or money order that looks real and then suddenly “realize” they paid too much. This usually happens with buyers who are overseas or otherwise unable to meet with the seller in person. The buyer will then ask the seller to just wire them the overage. Then the seller will arrange to have the car picked up by a middleman, or pick-up agent. By the time the seller realizes the check was a fake, they’ve lost the money they wired to the buyer as well as their car.

3. The Out-of-Town Seller

Some sellers will list a car at an unbelievable price and then tell the buyer a sob story to go with it. It may be they are going through a divorce, or have been transferred overseas and can’t afford to have the car shipped or registered to the new locale. Whatever the story, it justifies the low price and the buyer thinks he’s getting a great deal. But because the seller is out of the country, the buyer will have to wire funds to them in order to take possession of the car. You can imagine what happens next – the seller disappears with the money and the car is nowhere to be found.

4. The Safe Deal

If a con artist senses a buyer’s hesitation about wiring money before they have possession of the car, many times they will offer to do a “safe” transaction utilizing a company like Escrow.com or another online escrow service. They will tell the buyer to send funds via Western Union to the escrow account where they will be held until the buyer picks up the car.

Sounds good, doesn’t it? The problem comes when a spoof email (one that mimics a legitimate site) is sent to the buyer from the supposedly secure escrow site. The funds then aren’t routed to a legitimate escrow account, but rather a fake one. The seller is never heard from again and the buyer is left with no money and no car.

car scam

Despite all the dirty deals, it’s still possible to make a good, legitimate car deal on Craigslist. But you have to stay aware and pay attention to these warning signs.

  • If a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is. The way con artists lure people into their scams is by offering irresistible deals.
  • If you can’t meet with the buyer or seller in person because they’re out of the country or are sick, or for any other reason, you should proceed with extreme caution.
  • The seller wants to use an online escrow service of their own choosing.
  • The seller asks that you wire the money to an overseas account. Especially be wary when they request that you use Western Union, as many scammers use this service.
  • There is an urgency to the transaction. Either someone else is looking at the car or they have to sell it in a hurry. Scammers use a sense of urgency to force buyers to do things they wouldn’t normally do if they had enough time to think it through.
  • The only contact information is an email address and the buyer or seller claims they don’t have a phone number to give you.

Ticket Scams

Craigslist is a great place to look for tickets to a sold out concert, sporting event, or other event you can’t get tickets for through regular venues. In addition, airline tickets can bought and sold on the site when people’s plans change. It can be a great way to get those hard-to-find event tickets or save money on travel. But beware – the scammers have figured out how to steal your money with deals like these. Let’s start by looking at some of the most common scams. Then, we’ll talk about how to protect yourself from them.

1. Fake Tickets

Con artists have figured out how to use a printer, which is bad news for people buying event tickets. The thief will print out fake tickets that look like the real thing and then sell them to unsuspecting buyers. Depending on the event, these tickets can cost hundreds, or in some cases, thousands of dollars. Some scammers will sell complete season tickets for a sporting team or concert series. But when the buyer tries to use them, they’re told that the tickets aren’t real.

2. Selling Canceled Tickets

This is the latest and greatest in the scammers’ world. The seller will buy airline tickets with a credit card, then list the tickets for sale. As soon as they have a buyer, they will cancel the sale which renders the tickets worthless. But the buyer doesn’t know that and will believe they have a legitimate ticket until they show up at the airport and are told that the tickets were canceled. This leaves no recourse for the buyer because the airline didn’t sell them the tickets, the scammer did. And chances are that person will never be seen again.

i need tickets scam

If you don’t want to be taken for a ride when purchasing tickets from Craigslist, here’s how to protect yourself.

  • Know what you’re buying. This is one of the simplest, yet most effective ways to protect yourself against ticket scams. Every ticket looks different and not all scammers have the capability to print out an exact replica of the tickets they’re selling. They will instead print out one-size-fits-all tickets for a variety of events and because most people don’t know what the tickets should look like, they fall for it. Instead, make sure you not only know what the ticket is supposed to look like, but know the seating plan so you can check if the ticket has the right seat numbers and letters on it.
  • Ask for a receipt or invoice. If the seller can’t offer you proof that he bought the tickets with an invoice or receipt, then he probably never did. Ask for proof of purchase from the seller and tell them you want a copy of it. Next, call the event’s ticket seller and make sure the tickets were paid for. This is especially wise if you are buying a season’s worth of tickets because many times a scammer will show you a receipt that upon careful examination will show only a few tickets that have actually been paid for.
  • Verify the Seller. When a person buys season tickets, they’ll be assigned an account number that should match their name. If you’re buying season tickets, ask the seller for this information and then call the vendor, which will either be the team or ticket agent. Make sure the person you’re dealing with has an account and that the tickets they are trying to sell you are valid. If the seller balks at this, don’t make the deal – that means the tickets are likely fake.
  • If you’re buying the tickets through the mail, you’ll need to take additional steps to ensure you don’t get ripped off. Don’t pay the entire amount upfront, but offer to pay half when the tickets are mailed and the other half once you receive them. Put everything in writing via email, including all the seller’s contact information as well as the details of the transaction. And ask that the tickets be sent to you with a tracking number.

Escrow Fraud

Anyone buying a big-ticket item online wants to know the transaction will be safe. After all, it’s a little scary to send thousands of dollars to someone you don’t know and then trust them to send you the item. Out of that worry were born escrow service sites, which are companies that will legally hold money until both parties in the transaction are satisfied. It can be a great way to feel comfortable dealing with the buying and selling of big-ticket items. So it didn’t take long for scammers to find a way to profit from it. Here’s how con artists use escrow fraud to pull a scam.

1. The Safe Buy

When negotiating a deal for a large-ticket item, the seller will reassure the buyer that their money will be safe until the item is received. The seller refers them to an escrow service site they “use all the time.” When the buyer goes to the site, it looks legitimate and instills confidence. They deposit the funds into an account on the site and then wait for their item to arrive.

But it never does. What happened? The escrow service site wasn’t real. It was a phishing site – one that is set up to look just like a legitimate business. Many times these scam artists will mimic a well-respected site in an effort to make the buyer trust it. And too many times it works. The seller will be out their money and have nothing to show for it.

dirty money laundry

Here’s how you avoid this all-too-common scam.

  • Be cautious anytime a seller suggests the use of a certain escrow service site. There are legitimate escrow companies out there that provide great service. If you want to utilize one, pick it yourself. Never do business with a company you’ve never heard of, no matter how legitimate the site looks. In fact, if the seller suggests one, counter it with a site you know and trust. If you never hear from them again, you’ll know you just avoided a scam.
  • Carefully look at the site of the escrow service you are considering. Do they have contact information other than just email? If so, call and talk to them. Is English their first language? How about the content on the site – is it full of grammatical errors and difficult to understand? When you Google their business and domain name, what do you find?

Fake Craigslist Guarantee

Craigslist is a great site that allows buyers and sellers to come together even if they don’t live in the same city. But they don’t get involved in the transactions of their visitors. Still, many scam artists have devised a way to make a buyer feel comfortable by making them believe the purchase has been approved and is protected by Craigslist. Here’s how it works.

  • A potential buyer will receive an official looking email from Craigslist saying they have researched the seller and approved the transaction as safe. The email will further say that Craigslist will offer a buyer’s protection service if something does go wrong with the transaction. Next, it will guide the buyer through the steps to complete the purchase, such as sending money. But the email is a fake because Craigslist doesn’t offer any such thing. If you get an email like this, the seller is definitely a scammer and you should report them to Craigslist so they can remove the listing.

hacker scams

Job Scams

Looking for a job is tough enough, but if you get scammed in your job search, it can be downright disheartening. That’s exactly what happens to some job seekers who answer ads on Craigslist. If you’re looking for a job online, read about what to avoid below.

1. The Nanny Job

Some scammers post jobs for nannies and babysitters, targeting the young and inexperienced. They claim they’re moving to the area and need someone to look after their children. They generally offer a nice salary, but not outrageous enough to ring any alarm bells. Once they “hire” someone, they’ll mail them a check along with instructions about exactly what to do with the money. These instructions might be things like buying groceries for the new house, taking out an amount for their salary, and paying the rent to the new landlord.

And that’s the scam. The check the scammer sends the employee is not good and the “landlord” is a part of the scam. The employee will send money from her own account, relying on the employer’s check to cover it, and then everyone disappears. The employee, who thought she had landed a great job, is now out the money and on the line for all of it.

2. The Payments Job

If you’ve read this entire article, you’ll be able to spot the scam here before you get to the end. An employer will claim they’re having difficulty receiving payments from their customers because of trouble with their bank or even their country’s financial regulations. They’ll offer to pay a percentage of each sale to someone who will receive payments into their account, take out their cut, and then wire the balance to the employer. Of course, the received payments will bounce or be fraudulent and the person will be out any money they wired.

Job scams often revolve around an employer who asks the employee to wire money somewhere. This is always a scam. If someone hires you legitimately, they’ll never ask you to use your own bank account for their means.

Fake Craigslist Site

Finally, be certain you’re on the authentic Craigslist site whenever you make a transaction. Con artists have created spoof sites that are made to look exactly like Craigslist, but are only designed to take your money. The official website address is http://www.craigslist.org/ - anything other than that is not the real deal.

Final Word

Buying and selling on Craigslist can be an awesome experience. For example, you can find deals you couldn’t otherwise locate in your local area. As long as you pay attention to the details of each transaction and stay aware of the signs that alert you to possible scams, you should be fine. If you believe you have come across a scam, mark it as such at the top of the page and email Craigslist at [email protected]

Have you ever been scammed by a listing on Craigslist? What other fraudulent tactics have you come across on the site?

(photo credit: Shutterstock)

Categories: Money Management, Scam Alert, Spending and Saving

Suzanne Kearns
Suzanne lives in Texas and has been a full-time freelance writer for 20 years. She’s written for numerous business and financial publications, both online and in traditional print media. She also owns her own small business and has a passion to help others achieve their dreams of financial independence. Her goal is to eventually work from a remote island that is equipped with Wi-Fi.

Learn more - including co-founders Andrew Schrage and Gyutae Park.

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Comments

  • Jblakebarnett

    Hello,
    Am glad to hear from you and thanks for the information you get back
    to me, Everything sound good to me and am okay with you and i will
    instruct my secretary to issue out the payment to you asap and for
    confirmation,And as soon as you receive the payment Mike will now have
    access to come for the lesson, More so i want to tell you that the
    Payment will come to you in excess payment which is over payment which
    will included the nanny fees on the check am sending to you, because
    the nanny will need the rest money to relocate to your location with
    my son for the tutor lesson….Please as a good teacher i will want
    you to help me to handle this payment with care and with the
    instruction when you receive the check….When the tutor start in two
    week time if you take good care of my son i will compensate you for
    another extra $100 for the tutor lesson of son. As soon as you receive
    the payment you will deduct your own money for the tutor lesson of my
    son for the 1 month and you will have the rest money send to the
    nanny, the nanny information to send the rest money will be email to
    you as soon as you receive the check.. i will instruct my secretary to
    issue out the payment to you asap.
    Hope i can trust you with nanny fund and you will handle this for
    me and i will be happy if my son achieve his aim in future?

    Thanks and God Bless You and Mike is excited to meet you

    Thomas

    “Smile and Dance to the song of life”

    Sent via Black Berry by AT&T

    Never trust a person with two first names, lol or someone who is unfamiliar with the work “I”

  • http://twitter.com/BlogandSave Savings.com Blog

    the apt scam almost happened to me. this lady listed a great condo and said she was out of town. she wanted me to wire her a deposit and she would mail me the keys. good thing i realized she was lying!

  • http://creditshout.com Amanda at CreditShout

    Great post, I think the main thing to remember is that if it seems too good to be true than it probably is! I think you said that once or twice in your post. And use your gut instincts!

  • http://twitter.com/BountyBuy BountyBuy

    Great article Suzanne!! With common senes and a few simple rules most can be avoided.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_2U2RKNDJOXE6L4M7HIF3FYSF5Q Catherine

    I was scammed on Craig’s List by a low-life calling himself “Wayne Burford” with an e-mail address of “[email protected] I was a first-time poster on Criag’s List and had a couch for sale. This rotten character claimed to be sending me a certified check for the couch and I was to hold it for him. Stupid me, I believed him and waited in vain for the money to arrive. He then e-mail me he that needed my full address and name to send the check to. Again, I obliged. Two weeks later, this thief got a hold of my credit card number and attempted to charge a number of expensive items on my card. Thank God my credit card company notified me immediately. Just about all of the attempted purchases were declined. This “Wayne Burford’s” IP address is somewhere from the Northwest area and/or Californa. Be wary of mindless creeps like him and others. I reported him to all the proper authorities. He even had the nerve (after I send him some scathing e-mails) to threaten to sue me and he was “turning my e-mails over to my attorney.” I have yet to hear from him or his “attorney”. However, I hope I do, so that I can meet this monster face-to-face and put him behind bars where he and his king belong!

    • Ukatir

      I just got one too. I am selling a painting and a chandelier. Same person replied to both ads. expressing interest in the item. Two weeks later (today) I received another email. I suspect scam. I AM THINKING THAT WE ALL SHOULD LOOK OUT FOR THESE TYPES THAT ASK FOR INFORMATION…

      His/her name and info:
      Daniel W. Comb ([email protected])

      Here is. the first email.————–
      “I’m interested in buying the posted item from you. Let me know if it is still available for sale.”

      Here is the second one.———–

      “Sorry it took long to respond as I was busy at work. I have read through the ad and satisfied. I would have loved to give you a call, but I’m out of town on a geophysical investigations in the mountains and won’t be back until 30th of August. So, coming to your residence for inspection won’t be possible and will appreciate it much better if you can get back to me with its present condition. Do pull down the ad from the Craigslist so I can be assured that I’m at hand of the item.

      More so, I’ll love to make an instant purchase and will be paying by check and it is going to be overnight payment. You can get back to me with the following information to facilitate the mailing of the check.

      1. Your full name
      2. Your mailing address
      3. Your phone number.

      I’ll have a shipper come for the pickup as soon as you have the check cashed.

      If you need to reach me, send me an email or text my pinger # (720) 551-9091 (text only) as I drive in range every three-hours to check correspondence and respond at that time. I look forward to reading from you soon. Thanks.”

      I HOPE THIS HELPS SOMEONE. I JUST WASTED 40 MIN. LOOKING ONLINE ABOUT SCAMS-

      • C6209P

        I just received a similar set of emails also about a piece of furniture I’m selling. Something felt off about the story they gave me so I started googling Scam reports on Craigslist. When I saw your post, I knew I was right. Thanks for posting. I only wish I could really give this person a piece of my mind.

      • Chrisf_513

        When I get the teaser email from a scammer I immediately give them my cell # and ask for them to call me to discuss payment and options. Needless to say I never get that second emaI…..

    • the_romanian

      Catherine, how did he got hold of your credit card?
      I need to know if you ever find out because I am in the same situation, where I trusted some guy called “Sir Matt Williams” he was interested in buying my stereo equipment, and sent him my name and address. The transaction started looking so fishy that I am definitellynotcashing his “cashier’s check he is sending it to me via UPS, nor sending the “rest of the money” to “his “mover” who’s address is in California…

      • Mr Levad

        This one is interesting and seems to be recurring. I’ve been exchanging texts that came across this same way also… he wants me to cash his check then send funds to his shipping company, of his choosing, via western union.
        The number, area code 619, backtraces to southern California.

        This guy said he wouldn’t give me the name of the shipping company, and I asked for his name and contact info also, and I lost contact with him this afternoon. I only have one work credit card, and haven’t used it yet, so that previous experience of Catherine is very curious also. so wonder if they’re info fishing after just anything they can get, he did ask for mailing address and physical address.

        Mr Romanian, have you had anything bad happen involving other accounts since this?

      • http://twitter.com/krystalwolfgrl crystalwolf

        The FBI has a cybercrimes unit, I suggest all of you file reports with them.
        They ask also how much money you have been scammed out of.
        Do it! And don’t put anything on Craigslist b/c its a scammer paradise!

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_K7OO7LFASWZARG4QGD7VMUYJSE Kristina

    I’ve never been scammed on craigslist but I’ve felt the effects of a scam. I had one of my apartments used in a scam, one that was actually for rent. You can image my surprise when a guy shows up and cusses me out because his key doesn’t work in an apartment that is currently vacant.

    Its not exactly an easy situation for the landlord. Often times the rent is quite a bit lower then what it should be. Not to mention that scammers don’t exactly care who they get their money from since their not actually renting.

    The guy that showed up had bad credit when I ran his report. Couldn’t pay the actual price of the rent. No deposit, bad credit and not enough income. What am I suppose to do? The guy is to high a risk a tenant and I depend on rent to pay my bills.

    It basically turned into a bad situation all around. He was out of money and I had to deal with the stress of talking with the cops and him. There doesn’t seem like anything landlords and owners can do to prevent their properties from being used.

  • Dantheman_450

    I posted an ad on a local classifieds site and a recieved an email telling me they are interested in hiring me to be a personal assistant. They wanted me to plan appointments and be on call all the time. So they wanted to confirm that my phone works properly so they sent me a code over the phone which said it had something to do with craigslist. I hadnt even heard of craigslist since that moment so i knew something was suspicious. The catch was they lived in new york city and I lived in canada and they said they would mail me a check for $4580 and that i would take my percentage of my paycheck and send the rest thru western union to a “client” of theirs. I ended it then and there. Thier phone number is (347)384-9004. I was wondering if there would be a way to catch this scammer or trace the number.

    • Worldwildwest

      A Reverse phone look up Thru Google might Work.

    • JG

      I had a smiliar incident- his name was Dempsey Lampard- The ad was for a Broker Assistant job. I got a reply that asked for my information which was weird because i had attached my resume. So I played along but not giving any additional info then I got another repy saying I got the job- I had never talked to anyone or had an interview, that he was going to send me a paycheck but I was to deduct my salary from the check he sent to me and send the rest back to him after I deposted the check!! I knew immediately it was fraud and a scam so I let CL know what was going on and never responded. This person made it clear I was to be honest and trustworthy.

    • Middleman5150

      just type the number in google search,it will come up as many times as it has been posted,go from there

  • Mariaguardado58

    I wAs really. Close to getting scammed. By a man on craigslist. By the Name of Al ramireZ. He claimed that he was renting a beautiful 2br home for 600/month and 500 deposit. My boyfriend and I had barely came back from sending him the money (deposit) thru western union to Nigeria Africa because he said he had to leave there for a biding. Something felt wrong so I started doing some online research and found the person and the same story he had told me and many ppl wrote about how he tried to scam them .

    Remember he goes by the name of al Ramirez and his wife engal

    • BekahLyn25

      OMG !!!! thats what i was talking about in my previous comment !!! We gave him all of our information, never sent the money … but now he has all of our info !!! i also know of a few people that actually sent him the money… is there anything i/we can do ????

  • Bekahlyn25

    i NEED HELP PLEASE !!!!! If you have discovered that someone on here is a scam artist, and you actually know of people that they have “gotten over on,” what do i do?? Is there a number i can call, or an e-mail address i can write my concerns to, or maybe a site that has a form i can fill out …. IS THERE ANYONE I CAN TALK TO ??? Please help me …. If anyone anything or can help me, please e-mail me at [email protected] !!! Thank you soo much in advance. Rebekah

    • Middleman5150

      e-mail craigslist,they have an address, the FBI has an e-mail address,altho most of them are fraud, dont contact the person,you can also alert your local police,they might have some information the can share with you

  • vz0914

    I was selling a part for my truck and now i have been sent a check. he goes by Jim Wuertz and he says he will contact federal angecies if i try to take his hard-earned money. he has some of my info not all of it, but i want some help as to what should i ask from him before i even think about cashing this check. it has the symptoms of a scam if anybody else has heard from this man lemme know…

    • Ckapp289

      The same guy has tried to scam us. After I told him i wasn’t cashing the check and it was a fraud, he said the same thing about his “hard earned money”. Dont Cash his check!!

    • ukatir

      send it back, just send it back or trash it

    • Middleman5150

      hold your ground and do nothing,he will not come after you because he is a scam artist and cant afford the exposure ,I went through the same thing I told the guy lets pick a court date,Ill meet you there,never heard from him again, what ever you do DO NOT SEND HIM MONEY,and do not cash the check

    • Chimptor

      Take that check to the police and see if it’s real. It’s not, and tell him you went to the Feds yourself!!

    • Chimptor

      Take that check to the police and see if it’s real. It’s not, and tell him you went to the Feds yourself!!

    • Johnreich5

      Tell the kook you accidentally lost the check, that he needs to cancel that check, and kindly ask him to send you a new one. when he says,” that was a cashiers check you moron!!!!” Apologize and ask him to print another magical check and shove it up his arse.

  • Dejon13williams

    Why do people still fall for anything having to do with nigeria?

    • Johnreich5

      Nigeria is synonomous with honesty.

      • Onoh Udensi

        Oh c’mon -_- not all Nigerians are scammers…

  • Bettyboopeyes47374

    I am looking for a caregiving job.I live in Richmond,in.And I keep getting people that want me to take a errand service job? They send a check for me to take a check to the bank and wait for it to clear then pay someone else for items.I don’t think it is legit.Anyone have this experience?

    • The_romanian

      Nobody would send you a real check or real money if they don’t know who you are.
      Stay away.

  • Glygio

    I just got a check from a person that is hiring me for a personal assistant job. The name of the person is Nichole Laricks. I think is a scam as well but she said to cash the check e take my part and send the rest to a client in Philippines. Anyway where am I being scammed if the check is cashed immediately?? Is there possibilities to be a real job???? I will not cash the check until I have clear idea of this.

    • Camillepress08

      Hey did you end up figuring if this was a scam or not? I’m in the same situation but I’m in michigan and she’s in Finland, saying that she’ll send a prepaid check to a PO box. Everything about it sounds a little off, so I think I’ll stay away. That is, unless you think she’s legitimate

      • The_romanian

        It is smart of you to stay away. Finland is far away…

    • The_romanian

      If you go to your bank and cash the check, you will get money from your bank, but when the (fake) check is bouncing back to your bank, the bank is charging you the bounce check” fee (usualy $25-$35). This is not a huge amount, the huge amount is the one you sent to Philippines, which probably “Nichole” wants you to do it by means of cash (Money Gram or Western Union).
      To recap: you will be paying your bank the bouncing fee, be out of the cash you sent to Philipinesand face fraud prosecution by your bank due to the fake check that you just cashed through the bank. I would say the chance of this being a real job is very slim.
      Good luck!

    • Julie

      If you cash the check and it bounces (which it will), you will be liable. Run from this one.

    • Middleman5150

      its a scam,got the very same e-mail from the very same man,I cant believe he has the nerve to keep doing this,dont people ever wise up to mr Nichole Laricks

  • Mabuon2323

    Has anyone heard about a craiglist scam involving paypal?

    • Nanson4

      My son is selling his boat on Craigslist, the buyer tells him he dosn’t have time to see it, too busy…Wants to surprise his son with it. ~~ I can’t image who would buy a car or boat withour driving it, or ar least seeimg it. Does this sound like a scam to you..

      My son dosen’t have an account with PAYPAL.

      Nancy

      • Middleman5150

        pay-pal is the new scammer’s method of receiving your cash,you set up an account to a phoney PayPal account giving them your complete financial information in which they steal your id and go on a shopping spree themselves, they will hit you for years,trading to others who will start all over again, NEVER USE PAYPAL FOR ANYTHING

      • Chimptor

        This is a scam. No one, and I mean, NO ONE buys any item sight unseen. Avoid this person like the plague!!

        • ryan sawle

          im actually buying a truck of craigslist without seeing it in person yet. i have more money than you and loseing $10,000 wouldnt even matter, hahahahahahah you are poor

      • Ryan

        I am in a lil pickle myself i am trying to buy a car but everyone i try to buy a car from is out of the state and wont meet up or is leaving soon and needs the money sent right away with the title and everything. I am very cautious in buying a car now and pretty scared. I agree with you i dont really think anyone should buy a car or boat without looking at it or test driving it.

        • Evaapbt

          If they won’t meet up, there’s probably no car to see. They’re just trying to get you to send them money.

      • jker

        yes it’s a scam. Anything like that with some lame sob story is.

      • Evaapbt

        total SCAM. No one in their right mind would by anything like that without actually seeing it first. How do they know it really exists if they don’t see it. The for sale ad could be a scam, right? They don’t care. They’re just trying to send you a fake check to cash on your account and then leave you paying the overdraft and the amount of the fake check when it doesn’t clear their fake account.

  • Troy52192

    Some people are just plain fools to fall into a scammers trap. If you think its fishy,
    I wouldn’t do it. If the person wants the item so bad, He or she can pick it up and pay cash.

  • RickN

    I just received an email in regards to a Craigslist item I am trying to sell. It comes from an area code 720. The guy says that he is going to mail me a check, and then arrange shipment for the items, which I am selling for $2,000. I so wish I could arrange for a face to face meeting! I ain’t a little guy, and I sure would like to have a coming to Jesus discussion with this jerk!

    • Elizabeth

      I just had the same email exchange via a craig’s list ad (also a $2000 item):

      “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 which takes only a day.
      You do not have to bother yourself about the pick up. I’ll instruct a
      Shipping Co Agent to come for pick up 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 Overnight FedEx Express Mail
      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
      Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless”

      • http://www.facebook.com/kasey.l.larson Kasey L Larson

        I just received an email almost word for word like this. It’s disappointing. I hate scammers

      • http://www.facebook.com/cynthia.buhler.79 Cynthia Buhler

        I have gotten several similar wanting to send check or bank draft and have their assistant pick up, of course after I have cashed the check…and for my trouble they want to send me an extra $50. When I respond reminding them of my cash only on pick up policy, I never hear from them again.

      • Marx027

        Does anyone know if any of the law enforcement agencies, FBI, Interpole, USPS, (wire fraud), FTC, getting involved in these crimes?

  • The_romanian

    I need to know if anybody can tell me what bad things can I expect if I sent somebody my name and address.
    I trusted some guy called “Sir Matt Williams”, who was interested in buying my stereo equipmentI posted in Craigslist, he liked it whithout seeing it (only the pictures I posted on Craigslist), and asked my to send him my name and address (which I did).
    The transaction started looking so fishy that I am definitelly not cashing his “cashier’s check he is sending to me via UPS, nor am I sending the “rest of the money” to “his “mover” who’s address is in California…
    Comments anybody, please?

    • Isamanthajane

      Had a friend who listed his condo for rent on Craigs list. He received a response from someone in England who claimed his business was trasferring him to the U.S. He then proceeded to say that he would be send a cashiers check for $1500, which he said should be used for the security, rent, etc. payment and the balance should be given to his interior decorator who would be furnishing the apratment. Nothing made sense, my friend never cashed the check and he still has all the phony information this jerk e-mailed. Don’t trust anyone if it doesn’t sound right.

    • Chimptor

      I’ve had the same scammer contact me. My advice is that if you do recieve a check or money order do not open it, go to the FBI, or local police and give them the envolope so they can dust for prints and see if it’s a fake check. If its real go through with the sale, if not, let the police do their job. These idiots are probably I.D. thiefs as well so keep a close eye on your bank accounts. And never, ever give out your social security number. I live in the country and have seven dogs and I am well armed, you see I was stupid enough to give out my address, so, I’m ready if someone wants to try something. Just trust no one untill they are standing in front of you with cash, and always demand CASH, NO CHECKS, CASH ONLY, PERIOD!!!!!!

      • Evaapbt

        I’m betting that you’re absolutely right about the I.D. Theft portion of their scam as well. Its amazing what info can be found on the internet by searching an address or telephone number in Google.

    • Friedman

      Never give any one your address! Your tel #! Deal locally only!
      I sell on Craigs list and they have gone this to me already 3 times!
      I asked for 150.00 for the item and they sent me one time 1,500 cashiers check. He told me that he was out of town and that his secretary had made a mistake on the amount & to keep 100.00 for my troubles and send him the merchandise and the remainder balance.
      3 times already different item different amount but the same story!

      My daughter is looking for a car. We answered one ad that sounded really good 2 days ago. He wants the money in advance so we said we are only 10 minutes away from his location and we want to see the car before we buy it. He says that car has already being crated and it must be shipped????

      hello!!! we are 10 minutes away we can come and pick car now we have cash in hand and we will give it to you when we get the car!

      Silence! No respond! What is wrong with that request? He says he has EBay protection plan and not to worry.
      BE AWARE OF THESE SCAMS!
      DO BUSINESS LOCALLY! NEVER SEND MDSE.
      YOU PAY FOR IT WHEN YOU GET YOUR MERCHANDISE!
      OR IF SELLING? THEY COME TO YOUR PLACE.. YOU DELIVER AND YOU GET YOUR MONEY ASAP. NO CHECKS NO BULLSHIT!

    • Evaapbt

      Any time they want to send you a check in advance without seeing the item you have for sale, its a scam! You have to think to yourself, “would I buy something sight unseen?’ I’m pretty sure you’re saying NO, you wouldn’t. Niether would anyone else that didn’t have some ulterior motive.

    • Evaapbt

      Any time they want to send you a check in advance without seeing the item you have for sale, its a scam! You have to think to yourself, “would I buy something sight unseen?’ I’m pretty sure you’re saying NO, you wouldn’t. Niether would anyone else that didn’t have some ulterior motive.

    • Kacenasimi

      yep same story here…posted the stove for sale for 999 and guy sends me check for 3200…I should wire the rest of the money to the shipper!!! think I was born yesterday:-)

    • [email protected]

      Thanks. Now I won’t be cashing that $3000 check. Grrrrr! I hope they like getting messed with back!!!!!

  • Pretty_poison30

    Anyone heard of a text message scam from Craigslist. My friend posted a “Wanted” ad for pool equipment. She listed her and her husbands phone numbers. They were both sent a text message with a link to some photos but the photos wouldn’t open. Says they are not supposed by devise. Not sure if this is a scam but when she called it was not a working number.

  • Sploozy

    This just happened to a friend of mine. They paid their first, last and cleaning deposit of $1600.00. They moved all their stuff in a van and went inside to shampoo the carpet and pull out the ruined/stained carpet when a man walked in the door demanding to know who they were and wanted to know what the ‘hell’ they were doing. They told them, “We are the new tenants” and the man promptly told them he was the owner of the house and it was NEVER up for rent or for sale…My friends found the add in Little Nickel in Everett, Washington State…they are now out $1600 and are homeless because of some selfish, rotten scammer. I am just stunned that someone would know when the real owner would be away, how did he get keys, i just have hundreds of questions as to how this works but apparently it does work.

  • Bgd1964

    heres one:
    Hi,
    I really appreciate your response .I want you to consider
    it sold,Please do withdraw the advert from CL to avoid
    disturbance,anyway I don’t have time to come over to take a look
    because of my Business but you don’t need to bother yourself with the
    shipment, I’ll take care of that by engaging the services of my mover,
    hence I’ll be sending a check and it will be delivered to you via
    United Parcel Service, so I’ll need you to provide me with the
    following information to facilitate the mailing of the check.
    1.full name on the check.
    2.Full Physical address to post the check
    3.City, State and Zip Code
    4.Home & Cell Phone to contact you.

    Note that the payment will be shipped to your address and once again
    I will like you to know that you will not be responsible for shipping
    i have my mover that will expedite the pick up as soon as you have
    cashed the check,N.B UPS does not deliver to a P.O box addresses.

    Regards
    Michael

    beware I received two almost identical emails from two different people saying almost the exact same thing.

    • Saturngrl715

      My husband has also got the exact same email I’m pretty sure from the exact same guy.

    • fakecheck2012

      I received about 6 Different E-mails the same as yours Yesterday I received a check my item was for 325.00 the check is for $1850.00 then I received a text message asking me if I got the check and gave me the name and all the 411 to send the remained western union so I called the Company’s office that was on the check and ask for the Guy that signed the check they said they was no one worked there with that name and said they had got 9 phone calls from others that received checks she already knew the complete story she ask me to send the check back to her. I told the person in the text last night that I called the Company’s and they said it was a Fake Check and he said my check is not Fake so Monday Morning I am taking all Copies of the E-mails and the check to the Local Police …

      • Friedman

        I sell on Craigs list and they have gone this to me already 3 times!
        I asked for 150.00 for the item and they sent me one time 1,500 cashiers check. He told me that he was out of town and that his secretary had made a mistake on the amount & to keep 100.00 for my troubles and send him the merchandise and the remainder balance.
        3 times already different item different amount but the same story!

        My daughter is looking for a car. We answered one ad that sounded really good 2 days ago. He wants the money in advance so we said we are only 10 minutes away from his location and we want to see the car before we buy it. He says that car has already being crated and it must be shipped????

        hello!!! we are 10 minutes away we can come and pick car now we have cash in hand and we will give it to you when we get the car!

        Silence! No respond! What is wrong with that request? He says he has EBay protection plan and not to worry.
        BE AWARE OF THESE SCAMS!
        DO BUSINESS LOCALLY! NEVER SEND MDSE.
        YOU PAY FOR IT WHEN YOU GET YOUR MERCHANDISE!
        OR IF SELLING? THEY COME TO YOUR PLACE.. YOU DELIVER AND YOU GET YOUR MONEY ASAP. NO CHECKS NO BULLSHIT!

      • Johnreich5

        I am in the middle of the same scam as we speak. what tipped me off is the buyer willing to pay asking price plus 30 additional dollars. Of the items I have sold on Craigslist, I remember dealing with ruthless bargain hunters low balling me all day long. Never once did I get offered additional dollars above asking price. i was not hip to the scam but now i am and I am awaiting a check that he overpaid on.I just received the overpaid e-mail. I am going to kindly tell the kook that I will send him a check for the difference.” Please give me your name, address, cell, and the amount.”, When he says thats no good, i need you to wire it, i am going to tell him I cant because i am on house arrest for stabbing a guy who tried to have me cash a bunk check. If and when he does give me an address, I will write out a check in crayon for triple the amount and send it to this nimrod

        • DemocratsareCraigslistCons

          I like your style (i.e. house arrest for stabbing) I just recently told a “street person” who was following me continually asking for money and drugs that I did not do drugs as required by my parole terms after repeatedly stabbing a dude who wouldnt leave me alone. Drunk as a skunk and high as a kite he heard that message loud and clear.

    • Evaapbt

      They all say almost the identical thing because they are all scams.

  • V.M

    I have a Doctor emailing me from the UK about tutoring his 16 year old daughter for 4 weeks in English while he was here to work 4 weeks, and he wants to send me a check in advance. Now he said the check for the CAB DRIVER AND MYSELF was made out to ME and he asks that when it comes to me I go to a bank and have the cab drivers money wired to him and I cash my portion out.

    I told him I cannot do that, and that I would be fine with not receiving the first payment in advance. I can wait until our first lesson with his girl.

    What do you think of this Wayne Clim at [email protected]?

  • anya

    Hello everyone
    I do computer work, I just post my service information on the crag list and it seem very odd to me that I receive 2 email that they will send me 10 laptop to me to repair and update for them, they will send me the laptop by mail to me to fix and also pay me by check only. I did not do any work for them yet they ask me to send them 1. My full name 2. Address 3. Cell phone. and 4. The best time to call. Any comment ??

    • Evaapbt

      They’ll send you a check to “pre-pay” for your service but pay over and above what you are asking to be paid. Then they want you to send that “extra” money to someone else (which it actually them). The check is fake, you’ve cashed it at your bank and sent them the money but your account gets debited for the total amount of the fake check. DO NOT give them any of your information and don’t even respond to them. That is the scam!

  • Lovemyzoebug

    Hello,
    I have definitely just been scammed after reading all of these familiar postings.
    It is truly incredible how selfish and worthless these fakes can be.

    A week ago I posted on cl for anyone who needs child care. Soo right away I got a message from a Clarion lady specifying she needs care for her 2 year old girl. These people were from UK London first off, so that already had me thinking. Secondly they said they were going to send a couple grand via us certified mail to me. I was to keep 500 then pass on the rest to her travel agent, who I’m assuming is also getting fraud over as well.
    So to make a long story short i, something that is too good to be true usually IS.
    Don’t fall for it whatever you do , don’t accept or cash any checks or make any offers with people that found like this or have a similar story/deal to make with u.
    Haha they think they were slick.

    • Shesthatunique1

      Okay.. I tonight found out this clarion person’s location.. let me guess her daughters daughter is Courtney…She asked you for the nearest hotel location where you are… her daughter knows a lot about you ( ummm… for a two year old child thats pretty damn impressive!!.. Anyways.. She is not a she after all….

      • Shesthatunique1

        the checks are fake.. however I am glad they sent it to me due to the fact it sent me right to a great description and I am going to make sure that this person gets a vacation at club fed. ;-) .. they tried to scam the wrong chic!

  • Chimptor

    I hope it’s helps you out there. These are the names of known scammers out there scamming on the “I’m out of town and I want to buy your item without seeing it so please take the advert off and I will send you a money order or cashiers check for the amount plus enough to pay my movers with “X” amount for your running around, scam” Doug Farvin, Hank Williams, Rodwell Daryl, Mark Anthony, Richard Criswell, James Matthew, Jeff Wilfred, Sean John, Luis Milan, Mark Smith, William Sander, Steve Walter, Jennie Raleigh, Phillip Cole, Dray Bank, Grant Seth, Swaraj Karunakara, Bred Hhshhj?!?!? (Really?), Evonne Trujillo, Dye Senna, Nery Winter, Johnny Johnson, Daniel Brock, Channe Williams, Jack Webber, Phil Fletcher, Derrick Hanes, Earl Lucas, Raymond Stone, Lewis Duke, Joseph Amico, James Costa, Christy Bauer, James Burrows, Ian Barlow, Phillip Scott, Chris Anderson, William Lehman, Alberto James, Collins Baright, Nicole Parker, Lancy Adams, Michael Wilson, Sean Martins, Craig Scott, Anthony Daniel (The Actor Who Played C-3PO In Star Wars), Dan Browlers, Dr. John Honeycutt, Barry Smith, Kyle Steve, Patricia Green, Hayes Peter, Cole Platt, and Barry .

    • Ogggheen

      You can add Chris Tucker to that list.

      • Charmed

        And David Richard

        • Bananahammock

          Also add Mark Brykalski…he’s on a business trip in Paris but will buy a crappy piece of furniture, sight unseen, for $50 over your asking.

    • Cersie65

      add to that list Bruce Williams who claims to be in Afghanistan,MerryJack who i think works with donovandonard(that person e mailed me first then Merry Jack with the im too busy sob story.

      • Danielle Lexie

        There is a really sneaky scammer named Alicia Ashley & she gave me a email from the name [email protected] she says she wants you to poat ads on craigslist and she will pay you 400. The check was fak & I did not cash it. I am filing a report right now.

    • Ken Barlow

      and Tyler Dino and T Williams

    • euclid

      One more, Paul Daniel. He said he is a footballer for Southend FC in Epsom, England.

      • euclid

        email address [email protected]

    • Mtnester06

      Add Tom Wellington too!

  • Lesley

    Well i think this is pretty terrible.. I found an apartment listing for way too cheap from a man claiming to be a reverand serving on a missionary in West Africa (Nigeria) and hos wife was in Melbourne , Australia because she was disabled and i could only call him because she lost her hearing in an accident. And they wanted me to wire a 500 deposit through Western Union and then they would send me the keys of course i didnt and reported them. However that is terrible karma claiming to be a person of God

  • facebook

    What about the Property Management companies who show you a rental property, then tell you to apply and pay a $30 application fee online. IF they approve you (and maybe others), the first to show up at their office with a cashier’s check in the amount of the deposit made out to the PPM. They say you will get a receipt but no lease until the property has been vacated, cleaned and is ready to turn over to you. Anyone had any experience with this scenario?

  • qwertyoner

    look here’s how you do it wait for the check to clear get your money from the bank that they put in there and then its yours if you find no funds don’t send the item if you around funds take it out immediately and there ya go quick cash obvious way to make money and figure whether or not it was a scam and scammers can’t get anything from just an email so PayPal they a screwed I have – funds in my account so they aren’t getting anything then when I grab my cash close the account and then open another account in the same bank if you like it under a different email a d that’s how you stop scammers and keep their fake cash if you think its a scam

    • Ironmn1

      Heres the problem with that. If it’s a fake check, but real account of an unsuspecting person, you just stole their money.

    • Johnreich5

      Sounds like you are in on it

  • zeitmer

    Thanks for the article. Now I will never deal with Craigslist again…..

  • Joyvi

    Here are the new scammers: If you receive a buy request from the following, please do not send him your items
    [email protected] Brandon sands as
    name

    and [email protected] attached to the name Robert Payne

  • Pan

    Almost without exception, the emails copied and pasted here from suspected scammers shave glaring grammatical spelling errors. That in and of itself should be a red flag when someone is claiming to have an “agent” or some other professional who will assist them in their purchase.

  • Eric

    I’m in the process of selling my car on Craigslist,
    I put the ad on and at least 5 hours later I recieve this email…
    “Hello! let’s do like this, actually now I’m not in town for now, Icame to visit my son so i wont be able to meet with you but am okay
    with the price as seen on the advert, I’ll proceed in issuing a Check
    out to you and when you received the check , I will make arrangement
    for pick-up. So get back to me with below details asap.
    Name:
    Address:
    City:
    State:
    Postal Code:
    Phone Number:
    And as soon as this is provided, the payment will mail out via Usps
    Priority mail to you and i will let you know when
    its mailed out. I need you to be honest with the sale as I am a God
    fearing person.
    Thanks
    God Bless.”

    I was VERY hesitant, WHO ON EARTH would send a check to a person they don’t know, for a car they’ve NEVER driven or actually seen before..
    He says he’s “not in town”, that tells me he lives near me. I live in southern NY..
    SO I got an IP address from his email adress and looked up his name in the nearest location and it says he is from Palo Alto, CA… CALIFORNIA!!!

    NO WHERE NEAR ME!
    Anyway… His name is John Owen, his 2 emails are
    [email protected] and [email protected]
    Watch out for him!!!

  • Candace

    This is the email I received…… Thanks for the prompt response to my mail. I will be buying from
    you so please kindly withdraw the advert from C.LIST. Please be
    informed that i will be paying with a certified check from my Bank it
    will be delivered to you via United Parcel Service (UPS), so I’ll need
    you to provide me with the following information to facilitate the
    mailing of the check…

    Name to be on the payment………..
    Home address………..
    City…………..
    State………..
    Zip Code…………..
    Cell phone #…………….

    I will make arrangements for the pick up as soon as you have your
    money I am completely satisfied with the advert and the payment will
    be delivered within 24hours.** I use a hearing impaired phone
    # and will receive your calls via email **..I’m sorry for the late
    respond to your email …N.B UPS does not deliver to a P.O box
    addresses.Thanks

  • sillygrl

    I posted some furniture on cl, always the same scam, “out of town, need personal info for cashiers check, arrange pick-up & shipping, mispelling & bad grammar”, the first one I got, I directed it to spam. Now numerous replys with different names and URL’s go staight to spam but, they all have the same scammer profile, I don’t even open them anymore ,just delete with the other trash. I still get legit cl requests in my regular email.

  • Veronica

    I also got a scam email: Selling furniture:
    Alright,Your asking price is quite reasonable and affordable considering others I’ve seen lately, So i’ll buy take it. the payment will be made via PayPal for the safety of both. I Dont have access to cash. Am at work here out of the states. so i will like to have your PayPal email address where the funds will be sent. And also the
    address where it will be picked up because am arranging for a pick up with a local moving company. and i’ll need it to get home before me.
    So as soon as the funds is sent, they will come for the pick up.

    Please write me back today.
    Thanks.

    Needless to say I ignored this emai. It came from ‘Marie Claire’

  • jaykay

    I recently posted an ad on craigslist for a car from the dealership I work at, and got 2 responses. One I know was a scammer because it was a long email with a pathetic sob story. The other was grammatically questionable. I also just got an email claiming to be from the CEO of craigslist, saying I won a free macbook and they had some special promo deal with apple. He’s saying I need to claim it now to recieve it. I know this is fake, so I’m just trying to get the word out about it. These people are worthless peices of trash and it disgusts me.

  • Evaapbt

    THE LATEST SCAM!!! Don’t know if this is new, but I’ve seen it a LOT while trying to sell stuff on Criagslist. Have gotten several email responses to my for sale ads where they will set up day and time to come view the item and get the sellers address. Shortly there after, usually right before they are scheduled to arrive, they will email to give some excuse why they can’t make it and want to reschedule for a “weekday morning”. Well lets see, they have my address and now they want to know if I’ll be home on a work day. I always tell them I work from home, so come on by. How strange that I never hear from them. Also, they will never call even after having your phone number. All the communications are done via email only.

  • HopeItsFine

    PLEASE HELP ME! I’m freaking out! I think I’m getting scammed!
    I found a great place here in city I live in. It’s for a private bedroom. I actually went to the place and saw the room. It’s a married man whose kids live with the grandparents. So I’ve met the kids briefly. The wife I met very briefly yesterday. Everything seemed fine except… issues kept coming up. For one, he insisted I pay him the deposit in cash, which i did but i asked we write it down on paper. But it wasn’t until now I realized just having his signature isn’t enough, there’s no printed name (just the date, the amount i gave him, the general address of the place without the apartment number, and his messy signature). Also, the last name on the apartment intercom is different than the name he told me. 3rd, the first time i asked to see his id, he weaseled his way out of it saying the stuff in his apartment cost more than 500 deposit and that he wasn’t going to move out like that. I gave him the deposit September 27 2012 expecting to move in October. but supposedly the girl that had been previously renting the room I want, had issue with finding another place so she’s still there, ALMOST A MONTH LATER. Initially he asked if i wanted my deposit back, but i said it was okay because it kept sounding like she just needed an extra week…. until almost a month later now! He won’t let me even meet this girl, claims he wants to keep everyone’s business separate. He wants me to move in by the end of this month because supposedly him and his wife are going on a trip to Vegas next Wednesday and want someone already settled in to also keep an eye on the place. He had me move a couple of my boxes in yesterday, but wouldn’t even let me see the room, just placed my boxes in the dining room. Supposedly I’m going to rent a truck this weekend and move the rest of my stuff in the room (and according to him, if some of the girl’s stuff is still in the room he’ll just move her stuff to the side). Everything just seems fishy. I’m freaking out now because I’m scared he’s scamming me and probably a lot of other people. What if he’s just taking a lot of people’s deposits? Then, in the next couple of days he’s going to skip town!! Today I tried asking to see him tomorrow but he said wait until this Saturday. Is this a con artist? Or am I just being too paranoid? What should I do now??

  • PatternSeaker

    Great articles here. I’m using Craigslist for the first time to sell a couple of items and find this site to be very helpful. Thanks to everyone for posting your stories on this site! There is an interesting similarity among these scammers in that they seem to want you to remove your Craigslist posting right away. Is this just to give you the impression they are sincere, or is there incriminating evidence that is destroyed once you remove your post?

  • A Frequent Craigslist User

    [email protected] and [email protected] is definitely a scammer. Watch out!

  • Onenut4life

    I would just like to add to Robert Paynes new methods of trying to fool people into sending him items. This guy really pisses me off. I am disabled and with disability checks are next to nothing to live on, so any item I am selling, every dollar means a lot to me because it took me a very long time to save up to buy the item I was selling. Just to see this guy prey on people like myself, I feel so bad if he has already conned another person in a simular situation where they are going to be unable to recover from such a loss and are selling things just to pay for their medical needs.

    I first had a fishy feeling about his email right when I read it. Without asking many questions, just if I still had it and asking how much it would cost to ship to his address. I went and got quotes from Canada Post and Fed Ex as per his request and gave him more than one option with each shipper. The guy goes and picks the most expensive one too, this is when REDFLAG instantly popped up. Why would this guy offer me $200 for my item plus almost $90 for shipping and then he could buy a brand new one for not much more. This made no sense. The nerve of him trying to get your item shipped to him even faster too.

    Robert asked me for my paypal address and said he deposit the funds next day. I’m very knowledgeable about computers, including security and software. This guy is a very bad con-artist, well you will see with the following picture:

    [IMG]http://i45.tinypic.com/21e6edu.png[/IMG]

    Various mistakes all over, as in the very first line showing “Reciept Of PayPal Payment Received from…” This would always be Reciept of… not Of. There is no transcation number, its saying Pending Transcation but at the bottom it says its been completed. This guy is just bad at scamming and I hope people see these mistakes instantly and know to trust their gut first and look into it if it seems fishy.

  • Joannkfarrell

    thanks- I didn’t know there were fake escrow shipping sites- glad I googled and found your tips!

  • nesjopat

    i have apply for a lot of jobs on this site then late last month some one send me an email saying i got a job to take care of his grandmother,this person got my number but never call always be sending me emails then i got a check in the mail for me the deposit and when it got clear i should send back email to let the person know so they can make plans for there grandmother.but why would this person send a check to someone they don’t know and giving me a bouns also before i even start working.

  • [email protected]

    This just happened to my cousin. The job was to pickup his daughter at the airport and driver her around for 2 weeks. When he agreed to it he sent him a check for $3400. He then wanted my cousin to send $1500 to some man in L.A which supposedly was an agent that was gonna get her an apartment. There was so many red flags I suggested to go to the bank to see if the check was gonna bounce. The bank informed us it was a scam and the check indeed will bounce. A week after the check was deposited it bounced. At the end of the day, we didn’t lose anything but be very cautious when dealing with anything.

  • chicka91

    BEWARE OF THIS RECENT JOB SCAM I CAME ACROSS WITH!! I still have all my emails from her
    If anyone wants to see how she actually writes and asks and says. So just let me know

    [email protected] is a job scam!!
    So about that email address. Her name is “chloe”
    She posted an add under general labors as “housekeeper/babysitter needed”
    To watch her beautiful twins as i read the add it sounded like it was her and her
    Husband were busy working and they needed help with watching her twins.
    Well anyways when i replied to her add mind u i did not send her a resume or anything
    I just replyed telling her that i had open availability to watch her kids whenever thats all
    I said. Well the next day she told me she was excited and couldnt wait to meet me
    But she described herself as a single mom with twins and had her own business.
    So she would need me mon thru fri and pay me 620 a week.
    I was like ok and im a complete stranger she doesnt even know and btw she told me
    She lives in detroit michigan and will be moving to portland or.
    So she told me she wanted to pay me in advance and also send in extra cash for a
    Whe.elchair she wanted to get her daughter who had an accident the wheelchair
    Was going to be delivered to me. So she told me to send her my address and stuff
    And she would send the check. After the check comes she told me i had to
    Put the money in my bank account only i cant cash it just put it in my bank account
    Then she gave me alist of toys to get her twins and keep my money and transfer the
    Remaining of the money to this other account she gave me for the wheel
    Chair so then it would get delievered.
    I did not follow through because i read that the check they send are cashier checks
    And are fake and then ur left liable for the rest of the money u over drew bcuz
    It takes the bank for the check to clear.
    I hate job scammers they really think some people are stupid she tried to fool
    Me but i outsmarted her that dumb&*%
    Anyways i just wanted to warn anyone about this chloe she could have multiple accounts
    Or sumtin just to try to make some money dont fall it.
    Whos really going to send a stranger their money especially 3000 dollars yeah right
    And trust you with it, Get Real.

    • chicka

      Sorry about the typos in my message i wrote in a hurry sort of.
      But yeah she said she would send in a check 620(my payment in advance) +2260(wheelchair) + 250 (toys)
      I did not believe that. Dont fall for things too good to be true.

  • Jaswant

    BEWARE OF THIS SCAM I CAME ACROSS TWICE!!
    In order to sell my furniture, I posted an ad on craigslist. The first two responders by the name of Danny B and Rose Smith were both scams. They will write a long email describing the method of payment by money order or pay pal and will assure you that the furniture will be picked only after you receive the payment. However, they will not negotiate the price or will ask any other details about the furniture. They would suggest that the money they are sending is more that we asked and use the excess money to pay the movers. It is a big SCAM, please donot respond to these kind of emails.

    • Sd104369

      I was just asked to do the same thing. I’m selling a bed. They sent a thousand more than I was asking and wanted me to pay 500 out of my pocket to the pick up agent and 500 to the movers. Luckily I called paypal and they made me aware of the scam. I put them on the spoof list. The name is James Mike

    • Shadowrider

      I have also been asked to pay handlers the excess amount for a piece of furniture I have for sale. He also did not ask to negotiate the price. A check arrived and was from a school, the name signed was not who I have been dealing with. I believe now that this is a scam too. Thanks glad I read this.

  • Vicky_porter

    another recent scam is the sister that ill be moving to my location so I can take care of her. They will send you a check to cover all costs , including medical supplies, and including my pay, I sent an e-mail back asking them what type of insurance the sister had because most insurances cover the costs of medical needs I also asked them WHY WOULD YOU BE SENDING YOUR SISTER TO where I am….. Huge red flags came up

  • Peter Aberporth

    Hwere’s a weird on with a twist and I haven’t worked out the scam yet. I advertised a wardrobe and got an immediate reply from a guy who wanted to pay with a cashier’s check and refused to wire the funds to me. I knew this was a scam but I decided to find out what this person was up to. After loads of promises to send a check, a check arrived by Fedex so he had to have paid about $14 to get it to me. The item I was selling was $450 and the check was for $2900, apparently because he wanted me to pay for the freight out of it.I deposited it after I told my bank I was suspicious. It was from some weird banking institution.My bank agreed that it was weird so we deposited the check. Five days later it bounced and cost me $20.00. He kept on bugging me to find out when I had deposited it and I claimed I was out of town and couldn’t do so for a few days. In the mean time I found out it had bounced. During this wait, ANOTHER check arrived for about $2400 so I spoke to my bank about this one and it, too bounced eventually. I had actually called the bank and they verified funds the day I deposited it. That cost me $20.00 as well and again, it cost him $14 to Fedex it to me.

    He didn’t get any money out of me, he didn’t get my wardrobe and he spent $30 Fedexing me the bad checks. How does he make out on this? What is the scam?

    • Huntin_boy95

      Yes, the exact same thing is happening to me. he sent me two checks each for $950 and told me to deposit it and give the rest to the “movers”. Its nothing more than a scam. If they have your phone number you need to block them other wise theyll keep calling you.

  • Urbanljones85

    here is a small time (but still annoying) scam people are doing. there are huge amounts of people selling broken electronics for parts on craigslist for pennies on the dollar. a potential scam artist will buy a broken electronic, then contact someone to buy a good electronic that works well (of the same make and model type) and then call that person of talking about calling the police because they have received a broken electronic and want their money back. so now the seller of the good electronic (assuming they didn’t write down the serial number before they sold their merchandise) is stuck with the broken electronic and out of the money, and the scam artist has both the money and the good electronic (which they generally sell to double their money).

  • Nanapampam

    When the buyer shows up by him/her self without help to load furniture be careful. This happened to me just the other day. Helped load the entire bedroom suite, buyer went to the truck, I was thinking to get the cash to pay. To my amazement the buyer drove off. I reversed search the phone number the buyer called from and was able to get an address. The buyer ignored all calls and texts. Went to the Ddress and was told by the spouse that the buyer did pay and I was the one trying to pull a scam. I have filed a police report and hope charges are filed. The other bad part is this person has my address. The police suggested to always meet at a public place never give out your address. Unload furniture to the ground not the buyers auto. They pay the money. It protects the seller and the buyer. Buyer can’t drive off without paying and seller can’t get money and drive off without giving the buyer the property. Some really good information – it only cost me $450

  • Jdecolt

    hey everyone :) i recently got an email about a babysitting job i applied for on craigslist and am a bit concerned now. Just wondering if anyone has ever heard of a Mia Graham in connection with any scams?

  • Meme

    Hello everyone im having some issues as well with craigslist. i found this amazing steal on a 2009 nissan maxima used with 52,000 miles and the seller wants $4000. the seller is in a different state , says they have to sell it next month but my thing is i asked for more contact info such as a number and i have yet to receive one. i really need a car and ive been stressing and starting to lose hope. im really tired guys please give me some advice/feedback. im not going to wire anything and i wont meet up or anything but i need some advice

  • Meme

    WATCH OUT FOR A USER WHO GOES BY LAURIE OSERN ! SCAM SCAM SCAM!!She is selling a Nissan Maxima 2009 3.5 from Oklahoma City , OK! All se wants is the $ ! but she kept asking for my information such as phone and personal! she kept asking for the money through google wallet! She didn’t wana give me her # or any of that.! For ever response she just kept saying the same thing. Basically copying an pasting! She’s using [email protected]

  • [email protected]

    I recently came across a lady that wants to sell her car for an incredibly low price she is going through a 3rd party finance team which is ebay.. I got what looks like to be a ligit invoice from ebay with instructions on how to pay for the vehicle.. Does this sound like a scam?

  • http://www.facebook.com/cynthia.black.568 Cynthia Black

    How about this one? I reported it to PayPal… it came as a PayPal Instant payment notification for an invoice legitimately sent to this supposed client. If I hadn’t suspected the spelling errors and weird rerouting request I might have believed it…

    Auction Details
    Item Number: N/A
    Transaction Status: Confirmed
    Buyer’s ID:[email protected]

    Please Follow Procedure:

    We wish to inform you that Juliet Joe has made his intentions known to PayPal
    ® that he will like $950.00 USD to be sent to the recipient’s address below
    . You are required to send the $950.00 USD via Western Union Money Transfer.

    All you have to do is reply directly to this email with the
    MTCN Number#(10 digit) and the Sender’s Name and Address used when sending the money through Western Union Money Transfer. You will receive a “Confirmation Email” from PayPal ® Service informing you that your PayPal® account has been credited with $8,550.00 USD as soon as the above information’s has been received and Verified by us.

    This payment has been deducted from the buyer’s account and has been ”
    APPROVED” but will not be credited into your account until the MTCN Number#(
    10 digit) is sent to us for verification, so as to secure both the buyer and the seller.

    Questions
    Please reply directly to this email to contact PayPal® Customer Service Department concerning this Transaction.

    Note: As this transaction was done via our e-mail payments service, any inquiries and necessary information should be sent to us by directly replying to this message
    because of the status of this transaction, it has not been passed on to our customer care phone service section,and all inquiries should be directed back to this e-mail as it
    is the being monitored for this transaction.

    Please, understand that this is a security measure intended to help protect both the Buyer and the Seller.We apologize for the inconvenience that has caused you.PayPal® will be responsible for any loss incurred during the course of this transaction.

    Thank you for using PayPal.

    PayPal Team.
    Scott Thompson
    President
    PayPal, Inc

    PayPal Email ID PP307

    Copyright© 1999-2012PayPal. All rights reserved. PayPal (USD) Limited is authorized and regulated by the Financial Services Authority in the United State of America as an electronic money institution. PayPal FSA Register Number: 226056

  • need some advice

    has anyone heard of a scam where you get hired as a personal assistant and they want you to open a new gmail account for them and post various jobs on craigslist. Such as they are needing a driver, etc.

  • Sandra

    My daughter was hired to babysit and purchase things for a couple moving into her area and sent her a $2,000. check after speak via e-mail twice. He said they were moving to her area and wanted her to have cash and to deposit it into her acct. They would meet up with her and give her the address once they figured out where they were moving to. They had most of her information. When she asked for his, the e-mail was ignored as if they never rec’d that e-mail. So, they had name address age but not photo which they asked her for. She did not send. She rec’d the check to day and I said do not cash it. Some how the bank would hold you responsible for it after weeks down the road when they found out it was not real. Don’t know what this does for them but thank God I have a smart kid who figured it out.

  • Kaeloe

    I have laptop on Craigslist right now. More scammers done contacted me then buyers….
    There numbers#
    13852024431
    13308228134
    16572066685
    17249646678
    12025053411
    13524696210
    15034686967
    13479519971
    The list keeps going!!!!
    The Paypal scam

  • Rocio13

    I just had someone try to scam me too!! I posted an ad on Craigslist for pet sitting and this lady named Fiona Smithson replied and everything seemed ok until she repeatedly kept asking for my info so she could send me the check before she moves down here from Indiana… Long story short, she sent me the check. I haven’t gone to deposit it because I then realized it was a scam. What do I do with the check now?? And how do I get her off my back??? Im also now worried because this person now knows my address… Please help

  • Scammer Slammer

    Here is another scammer from Craigslist to watch out for:

    From: Samantha Clive [email protected]
    Hello.. I just got a message from my secretary that there was a
    mistake on the amount of the check sent to you.. The amount was
    surpose to send to my shipper that want to come for the pick up cos i
    have about 23 items at another locations which they need to pick up
    along with your own.
    Here is what i want you to do once Ups have deliver the check, Go
    ahead and deduct your own funds with extra $100 as your running around
    and have the rest wire to my shipper via western union ( using money
    in minute service)
    Here is my shipper information where you need to send the rest funds to.
    Carlos Morris
    St louis MO 63118
    Once you wire the rest funds then get back to me with transfer details.

  • pickley

    Someone named “Josh Sanderson” who claimed to be hiring massage therapists for spa in my state. Then we got on Skype, because the location was still a bit far from me – but I was willing to do 3 days on 3 days off kind of thing. Anyway, turns out he owns a massage parlor in another state. He was creepy and sketchy the whole time. Then when I told him I knew he was scamming me, he sent me a nasty email. He lied about quite a few things. Not sure if he is a sociopath or serial killer, but he wanted, very much, to come to my state and get a “sample of my services.

    “We could meet at Starbucks, and if everything worked out, we could go back to my place.”

    Be careful, ladies. He will mention a wife, too, but she’s probably not real. Lots of “wives”on Craigslist. I’m almost certain he’s an emotional manipulator type. Break you down, then get you to do what he wants kind of thing.

  • http://www.facebook.com/evangelionunit00 Garrett Carbaugh

    I recently got scammed through a craiglist listing about a car.

    The seller sent me information related to ebay (and the protection policy), which at the time didn’t raise any red flags, granted this was my first time. The proposed seller posed information about their current location and asked for address information for shipping purposes, again since this was supposedly being handled by ebay I continued correspondence. I did look at the the vehicle history (from it’s VIN) and noted that the car’s current registration wasn’t in the same state as the seller’s, not fully aware of the situation I decided to wait. I asked a few more questions, and then called ebay directly, the response was a slight shock (this whole transaction was fraudulent), but not a huge surprise luckily no money had moved anywhere.

    It was a learning experience for me but here’s what I took away from this:

    If they ask for your physical address information don’t respond.

    If they current location doesn’t correlate to the car’s current registration and title don’t respond (not local not worth it).

    If the seller isn’t willing to give your the VIN number stay way.

    Luckily this situation didn’t come to fruition, but it was a scare nonetheless.

    I hope you find this helpful.

  • Littlehelp

    Hey they i a new scam in Craigslist in DC. Is the Rev Pierce Walker and his wife Sarah Walker. Don’t let them take advantage of you. Their emails are [email protected] and
    [email protected]

    • jane

      Was this for an apartment, I think they have changed there names. Can you give me more details about what you went thru. Rev Hector Peterson and his wife Kate Person are trying to sale me a place

      • Shaie

        This is a scam! Don’t do it!!!

  • Helllooooo

    DFW area scam. Office Clerk/ Messenger. Don’t take her offer. Name is Emma Caputo and makes you make emails with her name for her and spend your money to post in Craigslist that she will ‘reimburse’ and she’s supposedly a real estate consultant out in Dubai for now. Her grammar and spelling is that of a four year old so I don’t get how she’s even allowed to be a real estate consultant.

  • CraiglistGuru

    The most obvious trends of CL scammers that you can easily pick out every time are their gmail and yahoo email addresses, and/or their phone numbers. Just about every scammer uses an email address that implies a first and last name AND it’s followed by a two-digit number. Examples: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] You see the pattern. Are there legitimate email addresses like these? Of course, but most sellers/buyers on CL never ever put a personal email address in their ad. When legitimate people placing an ad ask you to respond via email, they are ALWAYS referring to the Craigslist reply address–that long and wacky address in blue text next to the “Reply” button in the ad. So, if you see a personal address like those shown above, it’s a 99% probability that it’s a scam. Now, check out the phone number. If the area code is not local to you and is geographically no where near you, you are looking at a 90-95% probability that it’s a scam. I have to leave a 5-10%+- margin because obviously there are some people like me whose cell phone plan was purchased on one side of the country but have since moved to live on the other side. Point is, it should raise a huge flag. Call that number repeatedly throughout the day if no one ever picks up, but don’t leave a message. They placed the ad and told you to call for more details, so they’d better pick up their phone sometime. They should be expecting the calls! So just wait until they do. If they never pick up to answer, move on because it’s a scam. If someone does pick up when you call, ask the right questions that lead you to get all the information that this article addresses and follow this article’s counsel–especially the too good to be true counsel. And ALWAYS beware of the bait and switch–in any category! If they start trying to talk to you about something else, or heavily load the conversation about some process or another product/service, then terminate your desire to pursue it any further, because that my dear friends and consumers is called fraudulent practice.

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