Craig's List Scammers
02-27-2012, 06:23 AM
#1
New Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: 02-03-2012
Location: Ithaca, NY
Posts: 13
Craig's List Scammers
I want to get out of my HHR LS and into an SS (or a loaded LT 2LT) so I advertised my car on Craig's List. I've gotten three responses so far.
1. One guy offered me a ridiculously low offer of $5,500 "instant cash money" for the car.
2. A gal called me and said she works for "Longview, Inc.", which she says is a company that matches buyers with sellers. For either $249 for one deal, or $149 for another, she could find me a buyer fast. How'd she get my number? It wasn't in the ad!
3. A woman alledgedly named Kate Walker who claims to be a "marine biologist" emails me to say she wans to buy my 2009 HHR LS for $12,000 for her father, who is a mechanic. She says she wants to make a quick purchase because she's about to go to sea for a big marine biology project. She says if she buys my car she will want to pay with PayPal. Whatever. She never comes to see the car, or asks to come and see the car, and she never provides me with any contact info whatsoever. But two days after her weird email I get an "Instant Payment Notification" supposedly from PayPal, and it says"Kate Walker" has deposited $13,550.00 USD in my PayPal account. The car is selling for $11,995.00.
Then I get an email saying she is going to sea to work on her marine biology project, so someone from some moving company is going to come and pick up the car. But before this can happen, I am to wire the $1,350.00 mover's fee at a cost of $200 in Western Union fees to a "moving company agent" in Vancouver, Washington state named "Anna Coghlan." Ms. Kate Walker says that is why she put $1,550.00 more in my PayPal account than the actual price of the car. I need to "help her out" to facilitate the sale by forwarding this "extra" money in my account to the moving company, since she is headed out to sea and does not have the time to do it herself. Right.
So out of curiosity, I log onto PayPal. Of course, there is no new money in my account. There is no new money in my account pending verification. As realistic as that "Instant Payment Notification" I received may have looked, it was bogus, as I suspected. So I forward it to PayPal for investigation. They get back to me in less than a half hour. Yup. It's a scam.
I emailed "Ms. Kate Walker" and told her I reported her to the FBI's Internet Fraud Division as well as PayPal's fraud division. I advised her not to contact me again. She hasn't.
I'm kind of disappointed with Craig's List now. I have deleted my 2009 HHR LS ad. I know it's not Craig's List's fault, but so far advertising on Craig's List has proven to be nothing more than an open invitation for opportunists and outright scammers.
1. One guy offered me a ridiculously low offer of $5,500 "instant cash money" for the car.
2. A gal called me and said she works for "Longview, Inc.", which she says is a company that matches buyers with sellers. For either $249 for one deal, or $149 for another, she could find me a buyer fast. How'd she get my number? It wasn't in the ad!
3. A woman alledgedly named Kate Walker who claims to be a "marine biologist" emails me to say she wans to buy my 2009 HHR LS for $12,000 for her father, who is a mechanic. She says she wants to make a quick purchase because she's about to go to sea for a big marine biology project. She says if she buys my car she will want to pay with PayPal. Whatever. She never comes to see the car, or asks to come and see the car, and she never provides me with any contact info whatsoever. But two days after her weird email I get an "Instant Payment Notification" supposedly from PayPal, and it says"Kate Walker" has deposited $13,550.00 USD in my PayPal account. The car is selling for $11,995.00.
Then I get an email saying she is going to sea to work on her marine biology project, so someone from some moving company is going to come and pick up the car. But before this can happen, I am to wire the $1,350.00 mover's fee at a cost of $200 in Western Union fees to a "moving company agent" in Vancouver, Washington state named "Anna Coghlan." Ms. Kate Walker says that is why she put $1,550.00 more in my PayPal account than the actual price of the car. I need to "help her out" to facilitate the sale by forwarding this "extra" money in my account to the moving company, since she is headed out to sea and does not have the time to do it herself. Right.
So out of curiosity, I log onto PayPal. Of course, there is no new money in my account. There is no new money in my account pending verification. As realistic as that "Instant Payment Notification" I received may have looked, it was bogus, as I suspected. So I forward it to PayPal for investigation. They get back to me in less than a half hour. Yup. It's a scam.
I emailed "Ms. Kate Walker" and told her I reported her to the FBI's Internet Fraud Division as well as PayPal's fraud division. I advised her not to contact me again. She hasn't.
I'm kind of disappointed with Craig's List now. I have deleted my 2009 HHR LS ad. I know it's not Craig's List's fault, but so far advertising on Craig's List has proven to be nothing more than an open invitation for opportunists and outright scammers.
Last edited by davids8560; 02-27-2012 at 06:31 AM. Reason: typos
02-27-2012, 06:51 AM
#2
Platinum Member
Join Date: 12-06-2009
Location: Alabama
Posts: 11,381
Sorry to hear about your experience. Just remember it is Craigs List. The website that pops up in the news all the time regarding anything from scammers to killers.
Me. I'm not going anywhere near that site.
Me. I'm not going anywhere near that site.
02-27-2012, 07:04 AM
#3
Deceased
Join Date: 06-30-2010
Location: Kannapolis NC
Posts: 25,739
David, unfortunately you may have gotten some "optional extras" when you opened that false PayPal message, please make sure you update your virus protection and firewall software. This happened once to my wife's antiques business and we found a key-stroke logger and spam bot on her server, both had made it past the "best Norton anti-virus money could buy".
02-27-2012, 09:18 AM
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: 10-19-2011
Location: N.Y.
Posts: 1,553
I am pretty sure the objective of the fake email was to have you go to a fake paypal site where They would gather your password.
It's not just craigslist, this happens from eBay listings as well.
Unfortunately. It's part of dealing. With the internet
It's not just craigslist, this happens from eBay listings as well.
Unfortunately. It's part of dealing. With the internet
Last edited by bigjacksauto; 02-27-2012 at 10:56 AM.
02-27-2012, 09:24 AM
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: 07-17-2006
Location: Dallas, GA
Posts: 6,052
Norton and McAfee both suck for catching things along with being major resource hogs. If your running W7, start using Microsoft Security Essentials.
I have the corporate edition of Norton and McAfee available to me free at work, nether hold a candle to Security Essentials.
I have the corporate edition of Norton and McAfee available to me free at work, nether hold a candle to Security Essentials.
02-27-2012, 09:25 AM
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: 07-17-2006
Location: Dallas, GA
Posts: 6,052
Yup....... They just hope you will sign into your "paypal" account with the link they provided.
02-27-2012, 11:19 AM
#10
Senior Member
Join Date: 06-22-2010
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 387
Hey David, Welcome to the internet! I have sold many cars on Craigslist with no problems. You have to exercise good judgement when sorting through replies to your add. The "lowball" offer for 5500 was probably real and it was just that, an offer. You are not obligated to take the offer and should not be upset, some people need to sell in a hurry and do get rid of cars on the cheap side for quick cash due to financial reasons. The company that offers to match you with a buyer is a waste of money! Simply put in your add that you do not need any help selling the vehicle, if they still call tell them you are not interested. The woman offering to pay with paypal is a SCAM!!! There are many variations on this scam with many back stories but, they are all scams. Accept nothing but cash or certified check and in person only (your bank is often a good place to meet for a final sale). The rule is if it seems to be too good to be true......you know the rest. Don't let the scammers get to you and ruin a good free service..if you are too naive you will get taken advantage of.
Here are some simple thing you can do to have success with a Craigslist car sale.
1. Get you car clean, really clean (a detail helps) and take some good quality photos. This often makes ALL the difference. No one like a dirty looking car. Use a site like http://claspics.com/ to place large photos in your add.
2. Write a clear concise add with bullet points of the pros of your car. Remember you are trying to sell the car, but there is no need to lie in the add. Please avoid the long rambling paragraphs, people want quick info.
4. Come up with an add title that stands out to help steer people to your add.
Don't accept offers over the phone tell them that you will only accept CASH offers in person. Really this is up to you though, if they make a phone offer and you think it's fair take it (don't let them talk you down on the original offer though).
Hope this helps! Good Luck!
Here are some simple thing you can do to have success with a Craigslist car sale.
1. Get you car clean, really clean (a detail helps) and take some good quality photos. This often makes ALL the difference. No one like a dirty looking car. Use a site like http://claspics.com/ to place large photos in your add.
2. Write a clear concise add with bullet points of the pros of your car. Remember you are trying to sell the car, but there is no need to lie in the add. Please avoid the long rambling paragraphs, people want quick info.
4. Come up with an add title that stands out to help steer people to your add.
Don't accept offers over the phone tell them that you will only accept CASH offers in person. Really this is up to you though, if they make a phone offer and you think it's fair take it (don't let them talk you down on the original offer though).
Hope this helps! Good Luck!