OK boys and girls, let's see a show of hands..

[Ozz]

I ran an ad on Craig's list... no not that kind of ad...
For A/C units. Got a response: "I want it."
A little vague.. so I asked what size A/C unit, new or used and so on.
Here is his resopnse:

Thanks for your reply to my inquiry ill instruct my secretary to
make the check to Your full physical address,via FedEx It will be
delivered within 2-3 days i think, kindly delete the Post on
craigslist...

I'll be responsible for the pick-up and the pick up money will
be included in your payment to avoid delay and to enable pick up
company to schedule an appropriate time for the pick-up at your
apartment after check has been cashed,as i have other properties
to be moved alongside with yours.

Please get back to me with, Name to be on check and address with zip
code..plus Mobile # to Contact you as well i want you to understand me
that would have really love to come for the viewing but due to my
work frame that might not be possible,but if you have the pics,might
want to have a good look...

Many Thanks

So, we all know it is a scam, but what do you think he will eventually ask for?
and I didn't know they got Craig's List in Nigeria..

[Mrs. CountryGuy]

I would block that email addy ASAP. And, I would NOT respond again.

[DQDick]

When we sold all of our furniture and other stuff on Craig's list I got at least one of those on every item. We just put in the ad and replied to anyone who asked if we still had the item that it was cash only. Some still tried after that. An interesting assortment of lies for all occasions. Currently on a cruise was my favorite, but living in Europe and buying it for my child, posted to Afghanistan, and currently going thru a divorce and busy moving all got honorable mention.

[Ozz]

Strange. But how are they going to form the 'sting?' What will they ask for?
Carol, I won't continue the dialog, good advice.

[Carl n Susan]

Ah come on, have a little fun and encourage the guy. If you can't play with his brain a little you aren't trying. What he wants is money. He will send you a money order (which is phoney) for more money than you are asking. He will have some excuse why it is an excessive amount and will ask you to wire transfer the difference back to him.

It takes up to two weeks to "clear" a check including a money order. The wire transfer happens immediately and is non-revokable. Your money to him is long gone when the bank comes back to you about the phoney money order and retrieves their money.

Ask him to wire you the money and see what happens.

[bighornram]

When you post anything on the web you open yourself up to all sorts of wise a** comments by some who are too shallow to appreciate what you have to share or target you for spam or scams with contact info they can find on you.

I posted the battery that came in my Monty when I did changed to 6 volt battery bank. Also advertised a dryer. Both items generated 2 or 3 of those replies every day for several months. The bottom line of the Craigslist email is a link to flag as scam or spam. I finally just reported any reply that didn't contain more logical human interaction. Doubt I'll use craigslist again.

** CRAIGSLIST ADVISORY --- AVOID SCAMS BY DEALING LOCALLY
** Avoid:  wiring money, cross-border deals, work-at-home
** Beware: cashier checks, money orders, escrow, shipping
** More Info:  http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams

Hi.
        
            Do  you still have it for sale? kindly get back to me asap.


------------------------------------------------------------------------
This message was remailed to you via: *****-*****@sale.craigslist.org
If this email is a scam or spam please flag it now:
h**p://craigslist.org/flag/***************************
------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Ozz]

Good advice, yep I flagged it and another that came in.
Thanks Carl, I get it now.

[camper4]

People have tried to scam me twice on Craigslist. I was selling a car.
The next step is to ask you for an account number. Having the other info will then give them access to your account. They like to nibble the info of people so they are less likely to be detected.
I have heard of others having the scam issue tried on them too.
Craig's list will let you "scam" a message you suspect.
Too bad that happens. I have also sold items successfully on Craigslist.

[DQDick]

The problem is you have to wade thru that minefield. At the same time, however, Craig's list works. We sold all of our furniture, a canoe and other things and got what we asked for. Living out here in the boonies an auction wouldn't have got us 10% of that. In addition, since I insisted on cash in hand, my Motorcycle turned into sort of an online auction and I got a lot more money than I asked. We're in the flint hills in the middle of Kansas and sold things to people from Tulsa and Omaha and everywhere in between. I recommend Craig's list, but you do have to put up with the crap and be careful.

[RickW]

Like Dick said Craigs List works but you may have to put up with a little crap to get it done. I sold my F250 back in April. I knew how much I needed to make me happy. I added $2k to the price to have some room to negotiate on with the price. The buyer only asked me to come off the price by $200. The $1800 bonus paid for almost 40% of the Level-Up I installed on the Monty the following month.

The truck was advertised in Dallas where I live. The buyer flew in from St. Paul, MN. Like Dick I insisted on it being a cash sell. Because he had to borrow money to purchase the truck his bank, USAA, got involved and I accepted the Cashiers Check from USAA after my bank verified that they did issue the check.

As for scams, I did get two of those responses. Took me a while to figure out how the PayPal scam worked. Was never going to move forward with it but I just had to know how it worked.

My favorite response was when some gal responded and said her boyfriend would purchase the truck for her but she had to pay for the insurance. She wanted me to find out how much insurance was for her! I responded with if I have to shop for her for insurance for a 11 year old truck, she could not afford it. She never emailed me back.

[steelpony5555]

I have used Craigslist a lot and yes you get the spam, but they are easy to delete and move on to the next good response. I just find it hard to believe that they continue this charade, but it must pay off for them. It is hard to believe that anyone responds to them but they must.....oh wait my very smart, and he will tell you he is smart, brother in law almost did it lol lol. His son was looking to buy a motorcycle, so lets ask Dave the biker about it. Well it was a crotch-rocket and what the heck do I know bout plastic motorcycles lol lol... But he did send me a copy of the Craigslist ad for an R-6 that was in amazing shape for a ridiculously low price.. Basicly read the wife of a dead husband was selling it and lived in Co. and wanted to handle the sale thru Ebay???? I think she meant Paypal. And once it was all paid and done she would have a shipper pick it up. Had to call him and ask just how dumb he was???? If he did this I had an amazing piece of property on the ocean in Co. I would let him have cheap. I think he is still embrassed about it 2 months later lol lol. It's just funny how these guys write in terrible English, sounds like those instructions you get with stuff made in Korea...

[billhoover]

I've used Craig's List also. One guy sent me a bank draft, and another sentg a certified check...neither were any good. Cash only is the way to go.

[bigskyjimmy]

I have gotten many of those scams I found a way to avoid them and most of the flakes and it works 90% of the time ,ALWAYS hide your Email address when posting a AD and make them respond to a phone number and SPELL out your phone number, scammers and flakes usally don't like calling just Emailing

[patbarton]

The most popular scam like the one you mention will eventually end up with a fake cashier's check. Of course, the check will be larger than the amount owed, but conveniently the dirtbag will ask you to send the change via Western Union. Your bank will dutifully cash the check, and three to four weeks after you send the WU moneygram, your bank will say, "Say, Jim, that check was a forgery. Give us back the money ASAP."

I know someone who fell for this scam. Got four fake $1,000 cashier's checks, sent the scammer close to $1,000 via WU, and kaboom....

ANY mention of a third-party shipper is a SCAM.

[Allen in MT]

I had just recently posted on CL a nice little parolr wood burning stove and that same day I got the same inquiry. I told them it would be be better to just bring the cash when stove is picked up and said if I got a check I would have to call the bank and verify the check and then there would be a 10 to 14 day waiting period for the check to clear before stove is picked up.
Never heard from him again

[tanner1070]

I got a similar scam selling a car a few years ago. Like you, it was way tooooo fishy! I did have a friend who lives in Oregon buy a motorhome on Craigslist. The motorhome was located in the midwest, he bought it sight unseen. Sent his check for 80K, saw that the check was cashed and so he then flew back to pick it up and guess what... No person, no more money and NO motorhome. Burned big time! Besides obviously being extremely mad his money was gone, he said the embarrassement of getting scamed was the worst feeling. Beware out there...

[Devildog]

Alot of the.customers i deal with on this are fake money orders brought onto the post office to cash. We can spot the security violations on these pretty easily. If it is fake mone.y order, take all your.documents and the money order to your local postmaster for forward
ing to the inspection service.
That is why they send it fed ex. That is not fraud through the mails. Any emails is also helpful.

[K&Gs3400RL]

I sell on Craigslist all the time, I just ignore and delete ones that sound like that.

[WeBeFulltime]

I have used CL many times to sell items. I always state phone calls only, local pick up only with cash. Never had a scam attempt.

[Parts Ed]

We will get the occasional scammer faxing/e-mailing/relay telephone operator wanting 1200 spark plugs or cummins diesel parts we just round file them or tell the phone operator that it is a scam.....