craigslist scammer.

S

starcrafttom

Active member
Well I have a kayak for sale on craigslist so I know that I will have to put up with a few scammers. I have sold there before and know the drill. Cashier checks for more then I ask so I can pay their shipper...etc. but today I got a new one.

Thanks for the prompt response.. I am ready to buy it now but i am not in town at the moment as i am a marine engineer manager and due to the nature of my work, It hard to make a phone calls and visiting of website are restricted but i squeezed out time to check this advert and send you an email regarding it. I really want it to be a surprise for my dad so i wont let him know anything about it until it gets delivered to him, i am sure he will be more than happy with it. I insisted on paypal because i don't have access to my bank account online as i don't have Internet banking, but i can pay from my paypal account, as i have my bank a/c attached to it, i will need you to give me your paypal email address and the price so i can make the payment asap for it and please if you don't have paypal account yet, it is very easy to set up, go to www.paypal.com and get it set up, after you have set it up i will only need the e-mail address you use for registration with paypal so as to put the money through. I have a pick up agent that will come and pick it after i have made the payment...
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You do not need my email address to pay me thru pay pal. but you do need it to empty my account. heres my response.

Hey that great. Love to sell it to you. I set up pay pal today. My email for pay pal is NoScammers@eatshit.com
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I haven't received a payment thru Paypal in a while but I think you do need the recipients email address to deposit money in their account. Not %100 sure though. May have lost a sale there.
 
I'm trying to figure the scam here...

It looks to me that having your email addy you use with paypal is only half of the puzzle he needs to crack your account, he still needs the password...

So, I can see where he would check in with your email addy and say he has forgotten the PW and to have a new one sent - but it will go to you not him (unless there is a way to redirect the reply)... But, he also has to answer the security question, so that makes it tougher...

What I suspect is that the URL he has put in there to set up a new Paypal account is the scam... Folks who click on that will be sent to a web site that looks like Paypal but is actually him... Once you give them that info he has access to your credit card...

Right? Wring? Educate me here...
 
the crook is good if he is. I checked properties on the Paypal link and it goes to the legit site. He would have to have your password in order to do anything except deposit money. Possibly he deposits from insufficient fund account and picks up item before it registers as insufficient on the account??
 
I have never had an issue with PayPal and after many transactions, a few of which have had to be un-wound, trust their policies. Some folks just write a confusing email, you have to confirm in person or over the phone most Craig's List deals. I like to use E-bay as there is some accountability for both sides that is worth their cut of the deal.
bob
 
I am confused. How is this a scam. It smells like one but I don't see it. If he had your paypal password he could simply drain the account. I have not used my paypal account for a while but I think he just needs you paypal name and he can make the transfer. The fund are automatically deposited to your account. Once you have the money you have the money. There is no clearing the account like a check.

I suspect that he may have a back up plan like offering a fake cashiers check...but so far I just don't see it. Could someone enlighten me. We all need to be aware of scammers so this report is welcome.
Chris
 
I am confused. How is this a scam. It smells like one but I don't see it. If he had your paypal password he could simply drain the account. I have not used my paypal account for a while but I think he just needs you paypal name and he can make the transfer. The fund are automatically deposited to your account. Once you have the money you have the money. There is no clearing the account like a check.

I suspect that he may have a back up plan like offering a fake cashiers check...but so far I just don't see it. Could someone enlighten me. We all need to be aware of scammers so this report is welcome.
Chris
 
I am confused. How is this a scam. It smells like one but I don't see it. If he had your paypal password he could simply drain the account. I have not used my paypal account for a while but I think he just needs you paypal name and he can make the transfer. The fund are automatically deposited to your account. Once you have the money you have the money. There is no clearing the account like a check.

I suspect that he may have a back up plan like offering a fake cashiers check...but so far I just don't see it. Could someone enlighten me. We all need to be aware of scammers so this report is welcome.
Chris
 
What do you want for nothing? Craigs List seems riddled with problems. As far as pay pal goes my American Express got banged up with three charges totaling 800+ dollars and it referenced PayPal and Toys R Us in Ca. None were my charges. I actually had to tell AMEX lets block the vendor. Then I said ok about a new card before this it gets worse. Not a fan of Paypal or other third party folks who have your credit card info. If I had as much trouble with scammers on Craigs List as some folks I think I'd be finding another way
Happy Trails
 
Over the years I have sold lots on Craigslist. If I don't get a name and phone number I hit the delete button. I never give any information of mine back to the buyer. Nothing! Call me over cautious but I never have a problem after I contact them.

I have good friends who do the same. This doesn't look to risky but as one other said, He gives way to much unneeded information in the email. JMHO

H :wink:
 
While in the process of selling my two older Mokai's I received an almost identical email. Difference being he wanted to buy it for his son. Had no doubt in my mind it was the opening round of a scam so just ignored it.

Tom, think you did the right thing!!!

Jay
 
Tom,

I can't speak to the Craigslist part of that email but the "I am a marine engineer" part is identical to an email I received through my company email. He wanted to buy one of our products and have a buddy pick it up. I had a good laugh as the product we sell starts in the six figures and takes a crane to move.

I figured I'm on someone's referal list as one of his ship mates contacted me several years ago wanting to pay a month's deposit to stay at a hotel I ran.

Boy, they must really pay marine engineers well but it sounds like they don't get to use a phone much......
 
You are correct , it sounds like a scam, I have used PayPal for small purchases, i think they need your e-mail address to send the money but i may be wrong..It's always a good idea when you use PayPal to attach a bank account and credit card number that has $ 1000.00 or less in it . That is what i do, for larger transactions i get the bank to contact their bank and just wire the funds. Tug
 
It looks like a scam to me and I base that on the wording and so forth. I have never been paid thur pay pal but I have used it to buy things in the past. I beleive that I have to sent a link but not my email that I registered the account with. I will check that out later today. I have had people try to scam me before so I am leary.

as far as craigslist as a market place I love it. I have bougth and sold a number of items , includeing boats, thur craigs but always in person. Never thru a third party.
And I'm not talking about pay pal but about the shipper. Paypal is a great service for buying over the net. But these days web site are secure enought that I use my card on line. I did not give it over the phone.

I do beleive that this is step one in a scam and unless he answers back i will not bother to contact him.
 
A part of craigslist.org scams are to harvest e-mail addresses (for questionable purposes, otherwise the message would be up front with their intentions).

You know, the ones, “is this item still or sale”, or similar, are only efforts to harvest e-mail addresses.

Since most folks are on to the, “is this item still or sale”, or similar, more elaborate messages like this lengthy one received, are to convince the reader that it is not “is this item still or sale”, or similar.

All the wording and the way the sentences are structured, perhaps this message is of foreign origin.

Each person’s PayPal account is identified by their (or one of their) e-mail addresses, pass words should be changed regularly.

I/we sell many items over e-bay, never had a problem with paypal, BUT when working with craigslist.org accept only cash.

FYI, there are bogus cashiers checks out there, be careful.

Regards,

Ron Fisher
 
If you sell anything, whether it be Ebay, Craigslist, etc and the person want to do a local pick-up. ACCEPT CASH ONLY PLEASE. I sold an item I had on EBAY and the guy did a local pick-up, paid with PAYPAL then reversed the charges. Do not want to get into all the details of what I went through just an FYI!!!
 
I too have sold and bought many items on CL and can usually spot a scam in the first sentance. This was definitely a scam. The poster was looking for sympthay (I work so very hard and never have time.....) and the ever present affinity angle (he's a marine engineer looking to buy a boat).
CV
 
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