Does this seem like a scam to anyone else?

[ajs09876]

What is the name of your state? MN

I was selling a van on craigslist and this was the conversation through email:

HIM
Hello,
i want to know about the availability of this item and the mode of payment that will suit you th best,get back to me real soon.

thanks

Me
We have had a few offers on it, but we are not going to be home until 6 tonight. We have a few people coming to look at it at that time. We are only accepting cash. You are more than welcome to come down and see it also, we will go with the best offer. Let me know what you decide.

Thanks,

HIM
hello,
Thanks a lot for your prompt mail, i really appreciate it a lot .I would have loved to give you a call or come over to view it up but am very busy i have alot of consignment this time, email me how your cash will be deliver to you or i will ask my client to send you Check, so that you can have the check before the end of the week please get back with your contact address,phone number the check will be mail out to you this week .So in view of the above, here are some of the details I will need for final assurance of the payment to you below:

(1) Full Name
(2) Mailing address, no p.o.box please
(3) Your Cell and home telephone number

Regarding the shipping, I have a shipping company that would take care of the pick up of my consignment for me and ship to my destination and all arrangement about the Sales Documentation and the pick up. I also want to alert you on the fact that you will be receiving an overdraft payment, which will cover the money for the pickup (pickup and shipping to the final destination).

Once you get back to me with all the above, the payment will be issued out immediately and it will be sent to you . Hope to hear from you immediately.

Regards
XXX
===========================================================================
i will let you know as soon as the payment get sent tomorrow and make sure you have the advert deleted from the craigslist.And the Status for the item will also send to you so that you will know when it will get delivered to you?..Thanks
XXX

Sound like a scam? Also if it is, Is there a way I can report it so others don't actually take his check and get scammed?
Thanks

 

[mb94]

It's a scam. It's one reason why craigslist says to only do business with local people (no shipping or going through third parties). Just let them know that you are only accepting cash (no checks) and he'll probably go away.

There are a couple of variations on the scam. One is where it is just a plain old bad check, and you'll be out your van. Another involves them sending an overpayment (to cover your shipping costs) but then canceling the whole transaction and asking for the money back (but you can keep the overpayment part, for your trouble). After you send them the money back you find out that the check was fake and you are out for whatever money you sent to him. In the final version, they'll send you an overpayment (including shipping) and then arrange for a delivery person to pick up the van, but ask you to pay them out of the overpayment. A few weeks later you find out the check is bad and you are out the van AND the money you gave to the delivery person.

There isn't much you can do. In fact, he hasn't actually done anything wrong at this point. Hey, maybe he is an interested buyer who just so happens to be using the playbook of one of the most common internet scams!

 

[HomeGuru]

If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck**************.well you know the rest.

 

[CraigFL]

If you click on the SCAM info for Craigslist, you will see samples of letters like that one. I don't understand why they keep sending them???

 

[seniorjudge]

If you click on the SCAM info for Craigslist, you will see samples of letters like that one. I don't understand why they keep sending them???

Because people keep falling for this scam!

I love the easy questions....

 

[HomeGuru]

Yup, way to easy.

 

[ajs09876]

Yeah. That's why I asked about it because I was wondering if I should report him to Craigslist or the BBB or something. I kind of figured it was a scam, they never even came to look at the van or anything.

 

[HomeGuru]

Yeah. That's why I asked about it because I was wondering if I should report him to Craigslist or the BBB or something. I kind of figured it was a scam, they never even came to look at the van or anything.

**A: deal with real people that will do a test drive and negotiate with you.

 

[ajs09876]

Oh, I had already sold the van yesterday night. This was just an email I received this morning and I didn't want any one to possibly buy in to this scam.

 

[HomeGuru]

Oh, I had already sold the van yesterday night. This was just an email I received this morning and I didn't want any one to possibly buy in to this scam.

**A: yesterday night? It should be either day or night. Like last night.
Is it possible to have a yesterday night nightmare yesterday?

 

[ajs09876]

All right, I meant I sold it Yesternight!

 

[HomeGuru]

All right, I meant I sold it Yesternight!

**A: ok, now how you getting around?

 

[ajs09876]

In my Bonneville. The van was an extra vehicle that should have been sold a long time ago.

 

[seniorjudge]

In my Bonneville. The van was an extra vehicle that should have been sold a long time ago.

So be glad you sold it yesternight.