Craigslist buyer wants to pay me via money order: scam?

Hi Dave (and thanks for all you do!)

Just wanted to add that this scam goes the other way too. I saw a MacBook on Craig's List for a pretty unbelievable price and listed by a "lady" who was moving to England.

Of course it turned out that the money had to be shipped to a clearing house (in Nigeria it seems), and the MacBook would also be sent there, and then that very "reputable" company would forward each to buyer and seller. I did not do it of course.

Beware what's too good to be true. It's a sure clue to these scams.

jessica

I wanted to say thank you for posting this. I had exactly this happen and I just ended the transaction. Something seemed a little off when they asked me to take all of the money then send the payment to the shipping company. So I googled the name of the buyer and it brought me to a Criaglist scam website and then to yours. So thank you for your website and your information.

No matter what, everyone should do some research on their buyers before striking up a deal and if something seems sketchy it probably is, so don't do it.

THANKS ! for posting this info. I'm usually pretty in-tune with the typical scams, and even though we were suspcicious on this one, until we rec'd the last email suggesting we will get a money order for 2x the cost, and we have to use a particular shipping company, we were going to move forward. Then I googled his name, and the exact scheme was identified as a scam. I am embarrased I was falling for it - until the last email when it became quite clear it was a scam.

Thanks,
Brad

Wow my friend was looking for a roomate and this lady from mexico replied on craigslist. He was only asking for 460.00 and she was going to give him 2300.00 to pay for the rent and have him send the rest to a travel agency so she could fly up here. This popped up some red flags for us so we did a little bit of research and came across your site. It sounds like this is the same type of scam and we have severed all contact with this person and asre going to turn the money order over to the police.

Do not accept money orders online!!

Check out the e-mail that I received after posting something on Craigslist and you'll find that it is worded almost exactly like the one that you received but is coming from a different e-mail address. When I e-mailed them back they told me to send them my info asap or they wouldn't do it. Obviously a scam - I'm so glad I found this site and saw the e-mail that you got as well!

Hi,

Thanks for your reply.I want you to know that i want the best for both of us in this transaction.I'm cool with your price which is $130,please let me know if you will accept payment with Money order as it's the only way i can pay you at the moment.

I would have loved to come take a look at it but i am presently out of town.Please send me some pictures,i also want to believe it is in a good condition.Also,don't fail to reply with your cell number,full name and address where payment should be sent.I want you to take the posting off craigslist today and consider it sold to me.As for pick up, it will be handled after you receive your payment.

Expecting to hear from you soon.

Carlos.

Hey, I came across your site and a lot of scams out there.
Check out my E-Mail Scam.

michaelmcbride00@gmail.com

Hello kenley,

Thanks for getting back to me,I am interested in your item and i will
like to buy this item from you...am okay with the price listed for
it...So please do withdraw the advert.I will also like you to
know that i will be paying via Certified Bank Check or money order
due to the distance I am and personal commitment.I will need you to
provide me with the following information to facilitate the mailing of
the check as soon as possible..

Your full name
Your mailing address(residential)
Your phone number.

I will like you to know that you will not be responsible for
shipping,i will have my shipping agent to come over as soon as you
have cashed the check.....Await your response as soon as possible.

Thanks....

harry

--------------------------------
Strange how is E-mail is michael mcbride and look at the similarities between the two emails. Lol.
& He claims himself to be "harry" if you haven't noticed. Hope this will help you all. What to stay away from

I just got this scam as soon as i posted my bass guitar up and within 10 mins I got someone asking me if it was in good condition, i responded and he sent me this. With no name or any mention of my item at all or any talk of a bass.

I am okay with the price of this item and the condition of items and 'll like to make an
outright purchase of this item immediately because am in need of it and we want to get as
soon as possible, I anticipate that a Money Order or certified check will be sent to you via
express mail or ups or Fedex as the mode of payment, concerning the pickup, i will be
responsible for that, where the mover will come for the pick up at your location upon your
confirmation of receiving the payment(as soon as check clears at bank) and i want you to
remove this item from the ad now. So i will send the payment which will include the pick up
charges, in which you will make payable to the mover via money gramm/Western union
immediately after you have receive the payment and you will be compensated with $10 extra
for your running around to the money gram/Western union outlet to avoid the delay. And I
would really love to come for the viewing but due to my work frame that might not be
possible.....and I will like you to provide the following payment information as soon as
possible;
full name .........................................
full home address (physical).......................
City...............................................
state..............................................
zip code...........................................
tel#...............................................
As soon as this is provided i will let you know when payment is mailed out and i will update
you on when you will receive the payment and give you instructions on what to do....thanks
and i hope we handle this in good faith.
Thanks.....

These craigslist scams really annoy me. A couple of years ago I was looking to sell my truck and got four responses from people that wanted to send me a check for more than the truck was worth. They wanted me to ship it them and keep the extra amount. This turned out to be an overpayment scam, which I didn't fall for.

Only do locally with Craigslist, no paypal just pick it up in person or no deal.

I got a similar email for a dress I had put up for sale which isn't even that expensive.
First the guy emailed me asking if it's still available and I said yes, then he sent this:

"Hi,

Thanks for the response.In a few days you will get payment. I will be paying by money order so give me your full name and address to make them payable to as i do not want to loose this sale to someone else. If you will keep it in my favor, i dont mind adding twenty dollars for the delay. Pick-up wont be a problem as i already have an arrangement for that.I will like you to also send me some pictures to look.

James."
His email is: jamesludwig119@gmail.com

Not even knowing it's a scam I just didn't feel like giving my address and wait for a money order, so I told him I can keep it and he can pay me cash when he comes to pick it up. Later I just got a little suspicious and googled his email and found out it's a scam.

I am very tempted to write back to him and tell him Karma will hunt him :)
Also was wondering if we should report such cases, how and where?
Thanks

I posted an item on Craigslist and got 2 responses back both of which were creepy. Most people on Craigslist say "I'll take it-where are you located?" and that's about it. These e-mails were way to formal..

"Hello,
Thanks for your prompt responds, However, i will need your name and address for payment,As am only able to make payment by money order at this time b/c i am away on assignment. It will be nice if you can send me more pictures. It will take about 7days for payment to get to you. As per pick-up, I will make arrangement for the pick-up after payment
has been received by you. I don't mind adding thirty dollars so you can keep it in my favor. Please take the posting off Craigslist today and consider it sold to me, Include your phone number.
Expecting to hear from you soon.
Regards
Adams Levine."

"Thanks for getting back to me really quick. I will so much appreciate it if you can have the advert taken down from C.L I don't mind adding an extra $50 for you to do that so that I can be rest assured that the item is in hand. I wouldn't be able to come over for the check up due to my tight schedule but my mover will be coming over for the pick up once payment issued has been clarified.I will also like you to know that i will be paying via check and it will be over night payment due to the distance,once again You don't need to bother yourself with the shipment ok, i will do take care of that. So, i will need you to provide me with the following information to facilitate the mailing of the check.
Your Full Name,
Physical Address,
Zip code and phone number for the mailing of the check for payment.
Once again, I will like you to know that you will not be responsible for shipping...i will have my mover come over as soon as you have cashed the check.
Regards,
Mike."

It's amazing to see how they use the same wording again and again. I am glad I checked this out, although I was never going to reply to them...too creepy.

Ohh, let me add another to the list. A lovely email sent by rosemarywashingtonbase1@gmail.com

"Hi,

Thanks for getting back to me, I am interested in purchasing the above item mentioned and I am paying by money order which will take few days to get to you. Please provide your full Name, Address and your phone number for payment. As per-shipping, I will make arrangement for the pick-up after payment has been received by you. I don't mind adding $50 dollars so you can keep it in my favor. Hope to hear back from you.

Thanks.

Rose"

Same thought as Dessee, how to report something like this? All the fraud complaint sites are if you've been defrauded or such.

i need a payapl payment information

Hey, I just got an email a few days ago that looked almost exactly the same as a lot of y'all's. It read:Hi,
Thanks for the response.I am willing to pay your asking price.I will pay by money order as its the only way i can pay you at the moment due to the fact that i am away for an assignment.I will make arrangement for the pick-up after payment have been received by you. I dont mind adding an extra $20 just for you can keep it in my favor.Reply with your full name and address where payment should be sent.and phone number that i can reach you with .Please take the posting off craigslist today and consider it sold to me.
Expecting to hear from you soon.
Regards

I replied by saying I only accept cash and will not accept money orders, etc. What do you wanna bet I'll never hear from this guy again? I looked on Bing Maps for the guy's name around my hometown...nothing. Honestly, these scammers are pretty stupid.

I just received one of these scams and stupidly sent them my name, business address and phone number. After sending it I felt duped so I Googled 'money order + craigs list' and found you.

I have already responded to the scammer that I've changed my mind and can only take cash but my question is: will these scammers do anything with my info other than try to scam me again?

Thanks in advance for a response or comment.

The same guys that Dessee mentioned above are still using the same form mail. Here's one that I received this morning. I don't expect a response from them since I've asked for cash only on pickup.

--

Thanks for the response.In a few days you will get your payment.I will be paying by money order so give me your full name,address in full and phone number to make them payable to as i do not want to lose this sale to someone else. If you will keep it in my favor, i don't mind adding twenty dollars for the delay. Pick-up wont be a problem as i already have an arrangement for that.Would have loved to come take a look myself,but it's unfortunate that i am out of town.Would not mind you sending me some pictures to look,that will do.Thank you for your anticipated co-operation.

the scams continue. here's my latest:

From: mark jones

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--
Hello,
I am glad it is still available for sale.I am very much interested in buying your item and i am ok with the price. I am only able to make payment by money order at this time b/c i am away on assignment. Please provide me with your name , address and phone number for payment. It will take about 7days for payment to get to you. As per pick-up, I will make arrangement for the pick-up after payment has been received by you. I don't mind adding thirty dollars so you can keep it in my favor.Please take the posting off craigslist today and consider it sold to me. Thanks
Expecting to hear from you soon.
Regards
MR mack jonses

So do they just come take the product then? Or what is the point to this.. Take it and by the time we find out it is too late to do anything? Or just to put us in the hole financially?

I just got a scam e-mail for an item that I'm selilng on craigslist.

Hi,
I'm glad it's still for sale. I'm going to London for a brief
business,but I will instruct my assistant to prepare and mail you your
payment which I'm sure you will get it in about 4 - 6 business days.
I'll add $20 extra for the delay. Money Order is the means I can pay
you with. If this is acceptable by you, Send me your info i.e full
name, mailing address(not a P.O.Box) and your phone number so payment
can be mail out immediately.I will also make arrangement for pick-up
which will be after you must have received and cashed the Money
Order.Awaiting your info. Thanks

Yea, just got one on item selling on Craigslist..
reads just like the last one!!:

From: Martin Wood (rbraybusher@gmail.com)

"Hi,
I'm glad that you still got it. I'm presently on vacation but I will ask my assistant to prepare and mail your payment. And I am sure you will receive it in the next 3 - 7 business days. I will add $30 extra for you to keep it in my favour and also for the delay. I will pay you with Money Order. If this is acceptable by you, Send me your info i.e your full NAME to cash money order and ADDRESS for the payment and also a contact NUMBER. Arrangement for pick-up will be after you must have received and cashed the Money Order.
Awaiting your info
Thanks."

lol

Hello To Everyone Reading This - Please Do The Following:

When you receive an offer from a perspective buyer to purchase your items you listed on-line ie: Craigslist, Ebay, Backpages, etc.

If they are not local or don't leave you a local call back number do the following Don't Waste anytime do what is listed below this statement:

Report the email as a spam (google, hotmail etc. they all have the button at the top) and it will be forwarded to the spam department and forever deleted for you and no future receiving of any emails from that address plus they will track the ip and port number address and shut them down. (I know I patch holes in network security)

NEVER EVER RESPOND TO SOMEONE WHO IS NOT LOCAL NOR CANNOT LEAVE YOU A LOCAL CALL BACK NUMBER

Try these statement when posting your AD'S:

1) Ad Will Be Deleted Once Item Is Sold - Don't Ask If Avail

**** If your phone number is in your ad ****
2) No Emails, Locals Only - If you don't have a car or today is not pay day keep searching

**** if no phone number in your ad ****
3) Email us when you have cash in hand and transportation so that we won't waste your time or ours

4)
a First person with the money and in person gets it
b Will not hold - first serve only
c No Paypal, No Checks, No Gift Cards, CASH ONLY

5) Alternate Pay - United States Postal Money Order (it can be cashed for the full amount at U.S. post office no fee's and you only show any kind of ID to say you are you) * * * Remember if you are going to ship an item charge the buyer the fee's on top of your asking price *Delivery Confirmation $0.95 *Signature Acceptance $1.95 *Insurance $10 for every $100 of it's value

DO NOT SHIP ANYTHING OUTSIDE THE US (no tracking nor delivery confirmation avail. for international mail)

Will kill 99% of spammers

If the offer is much better then what you are offering then IT'S A SCAM

LAST BUT NO LEAST SINCE MANY ARE TRYING TO MAKE ENDS MEET BY SELLING OFF STUFF GO TO YOUR LOCAL OFFICE SUPPLY HOUSE AND BUY A BILL MARKER - It's a brown felt-tip marker that if a bill is fake the ink will show - There are many would be money makers out there and they know that small bills work the best for scamming and if you deposit those bills (the bank marks them) you just lost all the money and your stuff and a call from the fed's (the 1 or 2 bill rule is out the door the banks now report any bill)

* * REMEMBER * READ IT * IF ITS DOES NOT LINE-UP WITH YOUR CONDITIONS * DELETE IT * ARE REPORT IT AS SPAM *

Be Safe

Peace In HIM

I placed an ad this wednesday and immediately was hit by the same scam. Thank you to all that posted w/ details so that I could recognize this scam.

See below:

Wendy Colman [wendystoress@gmail.com]

Hi,
I'm glad it's still for sale,You will receive the payment in a weeks time,i would have loved to come and see it in person but due to the busy nature of my job that wont permit me,i will be making payment by money order and i will be needing your full name and address make them payable as i do not want to lose this sales to someone else,if you will keep it in my favor,i dont mind adding twenty dollar for the delay.pick-up wont be a problem as i already have an arrangement for that. Thanks.
Wendy
---
Hi David,
You should get your payment this week. I will appreciate if you can get the ad off craigslist so i can be sure you are keeping it in my favor. Please let me know as soon as you receive it so i can start making arrangement for the pick-up. I will be off to a business trip in London this week. Is there a number you can be reached on? Thanks
Wendy
---
(The Red Flag)

Hi David,
Your payment has been sent but there is something i think i must bring to your notice immediately. I just discovered there is an error in the payment sent to you. My assistant sent the payment meant for another item thats more expensive than yours. I have called the post office to see if they could retrieve it but nothing positive. I really dont know what to do now. Please and Please, you can go ahead and cash out the Money Order at your Bank when you receive it, deduct your payment and send the balance via western union to the details i will provide you with. Can i trust you to do that for me?
Wendy
---

Hi David,
Thanks for putting my mind at rest. I am sure you will get payment this week or early next week . Please let me know as soon as you have received it. I am scheduled to leave town tomorrow for a very important business engagement in London but i will keep in touch. My plan is for a moving company to pick-up for me when you get payment. So please let me know when you receive it so i can tell you where to send my balance and also schedule pick-up as I will prefer you sending my balance via western union. You can also deduct the western union charges from my balance.
Wendy
---

From: Mark Morgan

Hi,
I'm glad it's still for sale. I'm going on a vacation to London but I
will instruct my assistant to prepare and mail you your payment which
I'm sure you will get it in about 4 - 6 business days. I'll add $20
extra for the delay. Money Order is the means I can pay you with. If
this is acceptable by you, Send me your info i.e full name, mailing
address and your phone number so payment can be mail out immediately.I
will also make arrangement for pick-up which will be after you must
have received and cashed the Money Order.
Awaiting your info

Thanks
Mark

from alex smith alexsco2008@gmail.com
date Wed, Jun 16, 2010 at 12:07 PM

Hi,
Sorry its taken so long for me to respond,You will receive the payment in a week time,i would have loved to come and see it in person but due to the busy nature of my job that wont permit me,i will be making payment by money order and i will be needing your full name and address or po box address to make the payment to as i do not want to lose this sales to other buyers,if you will keep it in my favor,i dont mind adding twenty dollar for the delay.pick-up wont be a problem as i already have an arrangement for that.
Thanks.

Ok, so I just started posting things on craigslist also, and this was from one of my potential buyers. Everything started to sound fishy so I started doing some research and asking around.. From what I have learned is to always go locally and always take cash..

Hello,
Is your item stil for sale? Can i see more picture of item
Calvin

Thanks for the prompt response am quite satisfied with the condition .Am very much interested and i am really okay with the item and i will love to make an instant purchase,so please do withdraw the advert from Craigslist and considered it SOLD to me,I will add $30 to the purchase price, for you to hold it for me.I would have loved to come take a look myself but i am a very busy but i'm okay with the item. I will be paying you by money order.It will take 2 -3 days for the payment to get to you, it will be sent via courier service due to the distance.You don't need to bother your self with the shipment okay,i will take careof that,so i will need you to provide me with the following information to facilitate the mailing of the Money Order, so that I can have my assistant get the money order ready.

1. Full Name to write on the Money Order
2. Address where payment will be sent to not P.O BOX (b'cos my courier service does not deliver to p.o box)
3. City
4. State
5. Zip Code
6. Home or cell Phone Number

Once again ,I will like you to know that you will not be responsible for shipping i will have my mover come over for the pick up as soon as you have cashed the Money Order.

Calvin

Hello ,

I have forwarded your information to my assistant to proceed with the payment to the address you gave me.You should receive payment within the week.Once payment is received we can proceed with the pickup.Thanks for your understanding and patience.I would like you to take the posting off CL today and get back to me.

Thanks!Have a great day, waitting to hear back from you soon.

Calvin

Hello ,

I have forwarded your information to my assistant to proceed with the payment to the address you gave me.You should receive payment within the week.Once payment is received we can proceed with the pickup.Thanks for your understanding and patience.I would like you to take the posting off CL today and get back to me.

Thanks!Have a great day, waitting to hear back from you soon.

Calvin

Thanks for your honest and understanding, my assistance mistaking sent you 850 dollars, As soon as you receive it kindly take it to your bank and cash the money order immediately then deduct your item cost plus the money i offered you and send the remaining money to the mover's via Western Union Money Transfer. I will look forward to your email as soon as you've received the payment, the payment will arrive soon.

Have a fantastic day!
Calvin

1st mail from lisaborder_01@hotmail.com :
------------------------------------------------
Greetings, I have just viewed the list of this lovely item up here,i will like to know if the item is still in Good condition,and let me know the total cost of it. Regards
------------------------------------------------

2nd mail:
------------------------------------------------
Hi,
Thanks for the reply,and am happy to read from you. am interested in buying your item for my son who will be taking his flight to Africa(Nigeria)tomorrow night for a project in school. so i will offer you euro2,500 for the total cost of the item plus shipment via Registered mail post office or TNT to Nigeria.
i will be remitting the payment via bank to bank transfer to your bank account. so let me have your details in order for me to proceed with the payment:
=========
Full Name:
Country:
Tell:
=========
Bank Name:
Iban:
Bic:
==========
Hoping to read from you fast,
Best Regards
------------------------------------------------

I didn't reply anymore...

OMG, I just saw a Teens Mom episode about this last week. We just listed our item on Craiglist and got 2 responses from people that want to send money. My husband thought it sounded funny, myself I wanted to trust people. I told my husband to go ahead and we just wont send or do anything until the money order clears. That was until the last email... RED LIGHTS went off as soon was we read it.

(1st person to respond vanbooby10@googlemail.com)

Hello,

I'm completely interested in buying it.

I anticipate that I'll have a Check issued out to you.I'm in no rush with you till funds are cleared in your bank.I'll instruct my mover to come for pick up when payment has been cleared. Kindly e-mail me back with your Name, Address, City, State, Code and Phone Number for the Bank Cheque.The Check should get to you within 2-3 business days via USPS postal service.

Please remove the Ad if you are interested in selling it to me to avoid interruption by others.

Expecting your response with details requested.

Thanks

(2nd person jinks.steven01@gmail.com)

Good Morning:

How are you doing together with your family, Hope great. I just wanted to know if this Bike is still up for sale, what is the price
and the condition?

Thanks

Dr. Steven
Thanks for your reply concerning my inquiry. I am quite comfortable
with the condition of the Bike. I will add $30 to the purchase
price... for you to hold it for me,Please provide your full name,
Address and your Phone number so that I can send your payment.I will
be paying you by a Money Order. It will take 2 -3 days for the payment
to get to you,As for delivery, I will make arrangements for the
pick-up after you have received payment,If this meets your approval,
kindly get back to me, as soon as possible, with your name, phone #
and mailing address where payment will be sent, that I can have my
assistant get the Money Order ready, No P O Box please because fedex
will not deliver in thereso Note: As soon as you have your money in
hand, we can talk about the picking up of the item. I would like you
to take the posting off site today and consider is sold to me.

Best Regards.
Dr. Steven.

Hello:

Sorry I haven't contact you until now,I was away because I was called that my wife was seriously sick and she was being rushed to the hospital: After several test that was performed on her we got to know that she is suffering from breast cancer and she has to go through surgical operation I am sorry for not getting back to you until now am sorry for the delay the payment has been mail out and you are expected to receive this in 2 business days.

Here is the address below where the payment was sent to.

xxxxxx

I want to inform you that my assistant have send out the payment to your contact address you gave me, but there is something I think must bring to your notice. After a reconciliation of my account,I discovered that some how my assistant have over paid you.The payment that was meant for another transaction was sent to you and the one meant for you was sent to another, however I want to believe I won't have any problem with this and if I can trust you with my money.Please once you receive the payment, I will like you to take it to your bank and deposite it for clearance, then deduct your money for the item and send the remaining via western union or money gram to the manager's of the shipping company that will come and pick-up the item at your place.

Thanks
Dr. Steven.

I just got one of these, exact same format. Annoying. But what I don't understand about the explanation is the following: Why on earth would I be responsible for someone ELSE depositing a phony check into my bank account? That is their problem (the check issuer for writing a bounced check, or the bank's for accepting the bad check, especially when they tell me that it's accepted up front, and I can see the funds in my account!) Furthermore, aren't cashier's checks and money orders pre-paid and guaranteed by the issuing bank to be valid? Even assuming that they are phony, can't a competent bank be able to see this immediately? Especially in the age of lightning-fast electronic transactions and information communication?

Guess I just don't get it. But thanks -- I'll tell this "buyer" to go fly a kite.

Curry

Thanks dav,

I've just got the email below, and answered "Come with cash and pick it up":

Hi,
Sorry its taken so long for me to respond,You will receive the payment in a weeks time,i would have loved to come and see it in person but due to the busy nature of my job that wont permit me,i will be making payment by money order and i will be needing your full name and address or po box address to make the payment to as i do not want to lose this sales to other buyers,if you will keep it in my favor,i dont mind adding twenty dollar for the delay.pick-up wont be a problem as i already have an arrangement for that.please include the last 4 number after your zip code to speed up the delivery of your payment

I have posted a car for sell ad in Craiglist , and received this email in response the next day:

"Thank you very much for the response. I will be happy to buy it. Note that you will not be responsible for shipping and handling. My shipping company will come to your location for pick up. Kindly provide me your name and full address so i can forward it to the shipping company to calculate the cost of pick up for me. Do get back to me as soon as possible.

Mary H"

Pretty sure it's a scam.

I'm selling a WORTHLESS BROKEN freezer on craigslist. I received this exact e-mail only from 'Wendy Hills'
I've asked for a phone number to discuss the details and received another email ignoring my request and asking again for my full name, and address. This is most defiantly a scam. But I think I'll test Wendy's nerves, I'll be the most frustrating, incompetent seller she's ever tried to scam. Thanks for the help!
:)

Another one for the files. Thanks a ton for making creating this site so I confirm that it was a scam.

Hello

I just spoke with you on your cell but the line was breaking.Meanwhile thanks for the consideration as am very okay with your final price 165$.Anyway I have concluded with my tutor on buying the item. The link of your ads had been sent to him and he really likes the item. I'm interested in buying this item for my new music class starting in a couple of weeks and we are in a top gear of preparations. he is very okay with the details on the item. Sending more picture will be awesome though,i just hope the item will be as good as speculated.
I would have been happy to travel down for the pickup and take a glance on the item or pay via PayPal since my class will be starting anytime soon, but due to circumstances beyond my control, that wont be possible because I'm kinda busy with a project that was awarded to me which have taken me out of home for the past few weeks. We both really like the item and I'll instruct on sending payment via certified united postal money order {which I purchased from the post office} . I would had love you to send the item via a courier service but my tutor insist and he gave an instruction that he wanted someone I mean a picker to come for the pick up from your location or a public place of your choice. so that the picker (Mr Ben) can handle it with care.Money orders was bought and it include your payment for the item and for the picker.
After Cashing the Money orders at your bank. An agent will be picking the item up from a location of your choice.After you must have cashed and deducted the money of your item you will help to give my picker the excess funds so they can come to any location of your choice.i just hope i will be able to trust you in this because i was almost riiped off in my last transaction.Anyway I'll email his contact to you as soon as you received the payment via FedEx/UPS.So more importantly How should your Name appear on the Money order and what full home address should I mail it to? With your valid phone number. Kindly consider it sold. God bless.

This name and email address seems to also be connected to this type of scam:
John Anderson
gsdghdhh@googlemail.com

I nearly fell for this scam too and then decided to google.. here's the email I received about a bed frame that I posted for sale.

The first email asked if the item was available - totally normal.. I replied yes and then got this email.

"Hi
Thanks for the response.I am willing to pay your asking price.I will pay by money order as its the only way i can pay you at the moment.I will make arrangement for the pick-up after payment have been received by you. I dont mind adding an extra twenty dollars so you can keep it in my favor.Reply with your full name,cell phone number,and address where payment should be sent.Please take the posting off craigslist today and consider it sold to me. Expecting to hear from you soon.
Regards"

When I saw *money order* the little red flag started waiving in my head and that's how I found this site.

Glad I avoided the scam!

I wouldn't sell my precious Zune HD to someone with grammar that bad anyway.

here is an email from my scamer.

Hi,
Got your mail. I'm due for vacation to London but I will instruct my assistant to prepare and mail your payment which I'm sure you will get in about 4 - 6 work days. I don't mind adding $20 extra for the delay. Payment will be by M O or cashier check so send me your info (i.e full name, mailing address and your phone number) so payment can be mailed out immediately. I will also make arrangement for pick-up which will be after you have received and cashed the payment.
Awaiting your info.
Thanks
Jason

Here's another - hope it helps all future Craigslist patrons. From "Alex Garry"

I appreciate your response to my inquiry. Am interested in buying
your furniture. I would love to come check it out myself but I just
got married and am presently on honeymoon to hawaii with my wife. I
would love a surprise inclusions in our home on our return.Please do
withdraw the advert from craigslist as i don't mind adding $50 for you
to do that, so i can be rest assured that the item is held for me. I
should believe it is in good condition as stated.I will be making the
payment via a certified check or , which my secretary will mail across
to you.I'll be picking the item from you with the aid of a mover. My
Mover will be coming to pick it from you once the paypal has been
cashed. Please I will need both your full name and physical address
along with your phone number to issue out the payment.
Best wishes
Alex

From: Michael Rains

Hi,
Thanks for the response.I am willing to pay your asking price.I will pay by money order as its the only way i can pay you at the moment.I would have loved to come take a look but i am presently out of town on an assignment.I will not be back in town soon. I dont mind adding an extra twenty dollars so you can keep it in my favor,Please send me some pictures.I hope it is in good condition.Reply with your full name,cell phone number,and address where payment should be sent.I will let you know how i intend to go about the pick-up.Please take the posting off craigslist today and consider it sold to me.
Expecting to hear from you soon.

This is the video I Email scammers when I figure out they're trying to scam me! I sugest you all watch and do the same. Justice is definitely served! Maybe they'll all finally realize how truly pathetic they are for doing what they do, after seeing this!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHSte37BrOs
Long video... but so worth it.

What happens if they send the money order and you take it to the bank and ask them to check if its fake?

I got an email from Shawn Nancy in answer to a posting I did looking for a job and Shawn Nancy offered me a job it consisted in getting money from her clients by mail and sending it to her because she was in Dubai (yeah right) and asked me for my personal information and at that point I
Did not suspected that it could be a scam and I gave my po box address and my cell number and yesterday I realized it's a scam because she wants me to receive a money order and cash it and then send her the money. I have not received anything yet what should I do if I receive a money order to my postal office box, am I in any trouble for giving my info?

Cristian, you're not in trouble. If you get a money order, just destroy it: it's going to be a fake anyway.

Thank you Dave for your answer I feel way better now thanks :)

Dave,
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I received an email that had the exact wording as the first example TODAY! The first email came yesterday asking if the item was still available and I replied that it was. After I received the second email, I read it several times and thought it was a little "off." I searched the email address on-line and didn't find anything. So I then called a friend who is a craigslist addict and after a few lines she stopped me and said "Scam, scam,scam!"
Well I jumped on the internet and found plenty of information but was shocked when I read the same words!
One thing I did notice from every site that posted the scam emails, most come from gmail accounts. Wondering if there is a reason why they mainly use gmail? Since I use gmail, I really feel like switching to a different email service!

I'm posting again because I am so angry that honest people like us can't sell something without people attempting to scam us. I'm not sure if this information had been posted before and if it has, I apologize. I found several websites that will track an IP address for free. With an IP address you can find the geographic location that an email was sent from. I'm sure not all out of town buyers are scammers but I bet 95% are! Some scammers are getting smart and blocking them but not all! The worst part is one of the people who contacted me that I thought was honest and really interested...well he lives on the other side of the country. It's so frustrating! Here is the website I used and it worked great!
http://www.ipaddresslocation.org/

Got another one:
Date: Mon, 13 Jun 2011 03:31:00 -0700
> Subject: Re: Loft Bed with Trundle - $400
> From: myerkim10@gmail.com
> To:
>
> Thanks for the prompt response..I fully understand the condition of
> what i am buying. I'm ready to buy it now for my personal use but am
> not local and due to the nature of my work, phone calls making and
> visiting of website are restricted but i squeezed out time to check
> this advert and send you an email regarding it.Note that you will not
> be responsible for shipping and handling. My shipping company will
> come to your location for the pick up. Kindly provide me your name
> and full address so i can forward it to the shipping company to
> calculate the cost of pick up for me. And concerning the payment, i
> will prefer 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 because i have my bank account attached to it. I will also
> need you to give me your PayPal email address so i can make the
> payments immediately and if you don't have an account with PayPal yet,
> it is very easy to set up, go to http://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 deposit the fund. So get
> back to me with the following details:
>
> Your Full Name:
> The Pick Up Address including Zip Code:
> Your PayPal email address for the payment.
>
> Thanks and in anticipation of your response.
>
> Best Regards.
>

Taking vacation to London,hmmm! Just got that one on item was selling, Thanks very much for the info. Sounded fishy from start to finish. Do appreciate your site Thanks Mike

I also have just happened to get one of these emails while trying to sell a couch on Craigslist here is the info.

from Myer Kim myerkim10@gmail.com

Thanks for the prompt response..I fully understand the condition of what i am buying. I'm ready to buy it now for my personal use but am not local and due to the nature of my work, phone calls making and visiting of website are restricted but i squeezed out time to check this advert and send you an email regarding it.Note that you will not be responsible for shipping and handling. My shipping company will come to your location for the pick up. Kindly provide me your name and full address so i can forward it to the shipping company to calculate the cost of pick up for me. And concerning the payment, i will prefer 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 because i have my bank account attached to it. I will also need you to give me your PayPal email address so i can make the payments immediately and if you don't have an account with PayPal yet, it is very easy to set up, go to http://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 deposit the fund. So get back to me with the following details:

Your Full Name:
The Pick Up Address including Zip Code:
Your PayPal email address for the payment.

Thanks and in anticipation of your response.

Best Regards.

Being in the IT field I have come across many things like this. The sad thing is tons of people fall for them and later on get screwed. Please be cautious when dealing with stuff like this. I always say if it sounds to good to be true it usually is.

Thank you so much. You're response was very helpful!

I've been contacted TWICE in the past week with these kinds of requests, check out the latest request by a "Dave Edwards"...

"How are you doing? I really appreciate your response to my earlier mail,I'm willing to buy it now and I want to be sure if its still in good condition, preferably if I can get more close up pictures, cause I will not be able to come for inspection. All I really need from you is the exact details. As for the payment, I will be paying Via Interact Email Payment for the cost of the item, I will be needing Name, Address, Your interact Email, Cell phone number you can be reached and your final price.

Due to the nature of my work I am a very busy hard working man. Please do withdraw the advert as am definitely buying it from you and it would be sad for me to have the payment only to be informed its been sold. As soon as you received the fund let me know so I can make arrangements for the pick up. The Pick up of the item would be arrange by me after payment made and confirmed by you. Also am deaf and will like to be contacted via email. Thank you for the understanding
Regards,
Dave."
Too good to be true? Most likely is. I've decided to stay away after reading other posts here, sounds too familiar.
Becky

I played along with the whole scheme and received the UPS package with the cashier's check today. I was selling a whole kitchen of 4 appliances, so him hiring a shipper was totally believable. Anyway, I sold the appliances to a nice young man with cash yesterday. When I told the schemer that I sold the stuff after waiting two weeks for his check, he sweetened the deal by telling me to keep $100 and wiring the rest to his shipper (because he was having many things picked up and shipped by them). I told him I would, but I was thinking of just sending her a nasty note along with his fake check.

The "shipper" is a woman in Allentown, PA. Should I give all of the stuff to a postal inspector? Or can they do anything?

Kyle, dunno, maybe you can call the sheriff and they have someone who deals with fraud? Otherwise, glad you didn't get ripped off!

I am trying to sell an item on Craigs List and was excited to have a potential buyer, however, this is the latest email I received. It instantly made me realize it was a scam, but only after I had given up my name and address. I'm hoping nothing bad will come of this?

From rbraybusher0
I think i urgently must bring to your notice,I discovered that somehow my assistant had over paid you. the payment meant for another transaction was made out in your name and sent to you, however I want to believe I wont have a problem with you on this. Once you received the payment, I want you to proceed to the bank and cash the Money order, deduct your money and send back the balance to me. So I can proceed with arrangement for pick-up. Once more, I hope I can fully trust you with this? I will await your response on this so my mind can be at rest.
Richard.

Stacey,
I too was selling something on craigslist and it was the last email that I new it was a scam, but I had already given up my name, address and phone number. I also hope that nothing bad will come of this.
Email From: J S rhonicaluvsjeff.com
I urgently have to bring something to your notice. I just found out
that my Assistant overpaid you. The payment meant for another
transaction was made out in your name and sent to you. However I want
to believe I wont have a problem with you on this. Once you receive
the payment, Please proceed to the bank and cash the payment, deduct
your money and send back the balance to me via western union. So I can
proceed with arrangement for pick-up. Once more, I hope I can fully
trust you with this? I will await your response on this so my mind can
be at rest.
Thanks

OMG .. I just had the exact same offer.. the fact that buyer wanted to give me extra $20 to hold the item for him and take it down from craiglist,made me suspicious.. why will someone want to pay more than what I ask for??? Thank you for your posting.... Deep down I knew it was a scam.
PEOPLE BEWARE!!! I am attaching my posting and scammers reply ( I removed my full name and my email of course ) :

Re: KIDS Traveler TWO seat Wagon - $75 (East Windsor,NJ)‏

3:27 PM
From: Morris Russells (morrisrussellss16@gmail.com)
Sent: Tue 8/30/11 3:27 PM
To: alexa zco (aa@hotmail.com)

HiThanks for the response.I am willing to pay your asking price.I willpay by money order as its the only way i can pay you at the moment.Iwill make arrangement for the pick-up after payment have beenreceived by you. I dont mind adding an extra twenty dollars so you cankeep it in my favor.Repdollars for inconveniences. Please keep it inmy favor.Kindly reply with your full name,cell phone number,and address wherepayment should be sent.You can stop other offers and consider it soldto me.Expecting to hear from you soon.Regards

Please i want to rename my site name to another name, so if i do it can i let you know about it. Please

Wow. Thank you so much for this site!!! Just got one of these "offers" for a couch I'm selling. Seemed weird. Did a little research and found your site. Thank you, thank you, thank you for saving me the time and sheer annoyance!!!

On Oct 15, 2011, at 1:47 PM, Myer Kim wrote: myerkim10@gmail.com

Thanks for the prompt response..I fully understand the condition of what i am buying. I'm ready to buy it now for my personal use but am not local and due to the nature of my work, phone calls making and visiting of website are restricted but i squeezed out time to check this advert and send you an email regarding it.Note that you will not be responsible for shipping and handling. My shipping company will come to your location for the pick up. Kindly provide me your name and full address so i can forward it to the shipping company to calculate the cost of pick up for me. And concerning the payment, i will prefer 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 because i have my bank account attached to it. I will also need you to give me your PayPal email address so i can make the payments immediately and if you don't have an account with PayPal yet, it is very easy to set up, go to http://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 deposit the fund. So get back to me with the following details:

Your Full Name:
The Pick Up Address including Zip Code:
Your PayPal email address for the payment.

Thanks and in anticipation of your response.

Best Regards.

Here is my scam from today

from victor r michala
Thanks for keeping me touch with the scams

Hello,
Thanks for your mail, and am sorry for the late respond, i dont know what happened to my yahoo account, i cannot reply the message i have in my inbox so thats why i couldn't get back to you. The price of the item is fair to me and i wouldn't want to loose it so it would be my pleasure to add another $20 to the asking price so you can sell the item to me and also tell other interested parties that it has been sold to avoid competitions. I don't have much time to come over to take a look because of my Business i have limited time, i am ready to make money order to you but i need you to get back with your full details as
1)Full name for Payment
2)Full Address
3)city
4)State
5)zip code
6) cell or home Phone Number(also let me know the best time to reach you on phone
I will be waiting to get those infors from you later today so i can make money order out to you immediately, Please don't bother yourself about the pick up, i know a forwarding courier in your state, they will handle the pick up immediately you inform me that you got your money order cash, then i will contact them to come for the pick up of the item at your location at your own best time....
I will be waiting for your quick response tomorrow latest.
Stay Blessed.

Thanks for posting this! I received a response today for an ad I placed with the identical text from your example:

"Hello, Thanks for the response.I am willing to pay your asking price.I will pay by money order as its the only way i can pay you at the moment.I will make arrangement for the pick-up immediately after payment have been received by you. I don't mind adding an extra thirty dollars so you can keep it in my favor.Please reply with your full names,cell phone number,and address where payment should be sent.Please take the posting off craigslist today and consider it sold to me. Expecting to hear from you soon. Regards, A.Long (along@ymail.com)"

Too fishy to accept, I'll follow your lead and decline for cash only. Thanks for the warning!

I received the same exact email scam while trying to sell something on craigslist. The first email was sent asking if the item was still available and when I responded yes I received the following response.

"Hi Thanks for the response.I am willing to pay your asking price.I will
pay by money order as its the only way i can pay you at the moment.I will make arrangement for the pick-up after payment have been received by you. I dont mind adding an extra twenty dollars so you can keep it in my favor.Repdollars for inconveniences. Please keep it in
my favor. Kindly reply with your full name,cell phone number,and address where payment should be sent.You can stop other offers and consider it sold to me.
Expecting to hear from you soon.
Regards"

Just as most other people thought this just did not sound right. I searched the net and found your web site here. I sold many other things on craigslist and never experienced such a scam.

Thanks for all the other postings and info.

Thank you for your site and all those who have posted. Here is the one we received today. the first email came from andyjanson21@gmail.com and the one posted below came from jansoandy@Yahoo.com.

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.Thanks Sent from my BlackBerry® Wireless.

Got this today from jsboutiqueinc16@gmail.com

Hi,
My assistant told me your item is still for sale on list, I will add $30 to the purchase price for you so that you can hold it for me as i am on a business trip and wouldn't want to loss it to someone else. Please provide your full name, Address and your Phone number so that I can send your payment.I will be paying you by a Money Order ... It will take 4 -5 days for the payment to get to you and as for delivery I will make arrangements for the pick-up after you have received payment.kindly get back to me, as soon as possible, with your name,phone # and mailing address where payment will be sent.
Note:As soon as you have your money in hand, we can talk about the picking up of the item. i would like you to take the posting off from craiglist today.
Best Regards

Thanks for having this site, education is power, this was my first craigslist posting and received this message after a few hours. I responded back to the person to send me their telephone number so we could discuss and havent heard anything back.

What is my risk, as a seller, to accept payment via western union, and only after getting cash in hand sending the sold item? The out-of-town buyer has agreed to forward the money and has given me the MTCN#. Am I at any risk by doing it this way? If there is a fraudulent transaction with the buyer and WU it wouldn't come back on me in any way as I wouldn't be presenting a fake document like the money oorder scam. Am I correct in my thinking?