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is this a scam

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3pairs12

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Nov 20, 2007
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1,639
Location
Texas
I am selling some misc gun stuff on craigslist.I know its prohibited, but oh well. Anyway I got this response should run away?

I would like to make an outright purchase, so i will appreciate it if
you can withdraw the advert from the web.I will pay an extra $50 for
the posting to be taken down from Craigslist. I just got married some
days ago and im presently on my honeymoon.I will be paying via
certified bank check.Furthermore my mover will be coming over for the
pick up..as i might not be available for the pick up myself but am
OK with the information from the ad. My secretary will handle the
payment.I will need the following information details to make payment
arrangement 1,Your full name to be on the Payment.2 ,Your postal
address.3,Your phone number both land and mobile.4,Your postal
code.????
I will really appreciate it buying this item from you.So you get me
the required information for your payment to be issued asap.
Thank you
 
Here's a trick to find that sort of stuff. Find a unique looking sentence, like "I would like to make an outright purchase" or "My secretary will handle the payment". Search using quotes. When you find a bunch of ads mentioning the same things, you can be pretty sure it is a scam.

In this case, almost any given sentence comes up with several people posting the same thing.
 
Too many people involved !!! If I was in no hurry.... tell the guy you will hold for so many days for (him) to pickup with Cash or Postal Money Order. My thoughts..YMMV!

Jimmy K
 
That's a pretty common scam. If you want to play with him, just respond sure -- but you need payment by A) Cash or B) Postal money order. It will fall through very quickly.
 
Scam Red Flags
-Paying more than your item is listed for
-Weird sounding sentences that are too good for the internet
-huge block paragraphs
-tons of information required
-almost TOO generic american name emails ie. [email protected], not all the time but mostly
-too good to be true
-money orders! no one does money orders on CL, CL is for FTF transactions and that is why they have different sections for states and cities
-Vacation: no one buys stuff on CL in their home place when on vacation or out of the office
 
That's almost word for word the same message I got when I listed a power tool on Craigslist. In fact, the only messages I ever got were all from scammers. When I replied "face to face only, cash only" I never heard back from any of them.
 
It was kind of funny. I got an email asking if I still had it. Very short and to the point. I responded yes I do, and 1 minute later that was the response I recieved. I mean fast. Before I asked you guys I gave hime my cell number and said if you are serious call my cell phone number. Nothing yet and its been an hour. I am almost inclined to mess with this guy now and see if his "mover" will meet at some other location. I sure as heck will not give him my address. Even though my email probably popped up with my first and last name and the ad has my city listed as location.
 
Here's the response you want...

"Hi, my name is XXX and I live over in XXX (near where you live). I've been looking for this model for a while and would like to meet you in a public place tomorrow so I can have a look. I have cash, so if everything looks good we can do the sale there. I have a CC permit and other ID if that helps any."
 
Yeah that's typically what I look for, just never had a scammer respond before. So at first I was thinking sweet $50 extra bucks I'll just drive to his office and drop it off. No way is his mover coming to my house. Still no call weird huh?
 
I received a similar note last December when I was selling a ring on Craigslist. The guy told me where he lived, which was about 5 states away. I did a little on-line research to find local "activities" and...I sent him this response, and haven't heard from him since:
------------------------------------------------------
Funny thing-

I will actually be in your area on Friday. I have been involved in Law Enforcement for many years. I actually have an interview on Friday at the Coffeewood Correctional Center to be a guard and spiritual advisor for people that have various compulsions, primarily con artists and scammers.

As I'm sure YOU must be aware, these people are the scum of the earth, and try to take advantage of people that are suffering and hurting. Imagine someone taking advantage of someone else? Some people.

I'm meeting there to try to meet with some convicted felons to try to find out what makes them tick, what drives them to screw other people out of money.

Having studied compulsive behaviors extensively, I'm convinced that shock therapy, especially when mixed with pain compliance, will allow people to curtail their desire to screw hard working, honest people out of their monies and/ or goods.
 
Yeah I was thinking about giving him our cheif of police's number and the local station address. I like your response better though.
 
It is absolutely, positively, 100% a SCAM. When I sold some tools on CL a few months ago I noticed I got a dozen of these scam emails. The service has become totally infected with them. Bots apparently monitor the new ads and automatically email these scams to the sellers.
 
100% scam,

I got this EXACT same message verbatim a few days ago on a freezer I am trying to sell on craigslist.

If they ask to withdraw the ad it is a scam NO EXCEPTIONS

They will scam you for anyting too just because you are on craigslist. It could be a paperclip or a car.

am almost inclined to mess with this guy now and see if his "mover" will meet at some other location
Click to expand...

They never intend to pick it up most of the time they just defraud you of your money.

I have had this kind of thing happen with gun sales on GunsAmerica even. Of course it is never a big thing becasue they never intend to receive the item anyway.
 
Last edited:
Nate thanks for the link some of those are hilarious. I like the one " I don't know about art".
 
I think this is an ungood situation.

Don't respond and sell the stuff on ebay using a paypal account or on Gunbroker.com. This person might be paying you with a fake check, setting you up to get robbed or or or or...

I don't like it at all.
 
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