BLOGSERVATIONS

Avoiding the PESTS of the World Wide Web!

How these scammers manage to still work their trick is amazing to me. But here is some advice for newbies to posting items for sale on Craigslist. Proceed with caution, for I guarantee that you will receive many responses very similar to the following…

I am interested in buying and i am satisfied with the conditions and the price. Because i read through the AD, i will more appreciate if you can remove the posting from craigslist to avoid any disturbance and I’m glad to let you know am highly interested in buying this items for my Daughter-in-law and i will make my payments with a bank certified check and i will be responsible for the pick up when check clears in your bank. Please get back to me with the following information so that the payment can be endorsed:

1)Full Name to be on the Check,
2)Your Physical Address, City, State & Zip code
3)Your Mobile Phone Number.

After the information is been supplied, i will give you an update upon the payment and once again i will be highly grateful if you can withdraw the ad from craigslist and make me your favorite buyer.

Thanks for your understanding, and will be awaiting your response..

“Make me your favorite buyer?” Really now.

You’ll notice that I’ve italicized some of the more idiotic sounding phrases, as well as phrases to look out for, because they can serve as flags to help you identify a scammer. English is not the native language for most of these scammers, who are most often not even based in the U.S., so misspellings and poor grammar are commonplace.

Use common sense, and deal with people in your local area who are willing to pay cash, and at the very least showup in person!

Sometimes this response will follow an initial inquiry which might seem harmless enough, something like, “is the item still available?”

In the instance that you receive anything resembling that final response mentioned above, disregard it. It’s a scam. First, what kind of purchaser takes control of the sale and demands such things as removal of the ad, or your personal information?

A typical correspondence might go more like this…

“Is the [insert item name here] still available?”
“Yes it is.”
“Would you take [insert dollar amount here]?”
“How about [counter offer]?”
“You’ve got a deal. Can I come take a look to make a final decision?”
“Sure… Let me know when you think you might want to stop by and I’ll give you my address and number.”

And so on. Sometimes an interested buyer will provide you with their number and may want to talk first. That is a good way of getting an idea who you are dealing with.

DO NOT let anyone talk you into anything. YOU are in control of who you sell your item to, and YOU decide when they see it.

I’ve posted so many times on Craigslist that I can tell everytime I get the initial response from a scammer. Most often it is “is the item still available?” or worse, “Is the items still available?”

Think about it. That’s a canned inquiry. “Item.” Who talks like that? I don’t. Do you? A more legit inquiry to an ad would likely include the name of the thing being sold. Look for inquiries like these…

“I’m interested in the bedroom set, is it still available?”
“Is the futon still for sale?”
“Do you still have the microwave available? I’ll give you $50.”

A scammer is not paying attention to what is in the ad, he or she is responding to many ads, constantly, in order to increase their chances of success. They won’t even bother typing a specific item name, it would take too long. Much quicker just to copy and paste, paste, paste, paste.

So, how does the scam work? The only way I can see the scam paying off for the crook, and that is what they are (aside from being plain ol’ scumbags), is in a refund, requested before their check finally bounces in your bank account. I’m amazed at how many people would actually fall for this. At least one line from the X-Files was truthful, “Trust no one!”

There’s NO WAY I’m handing any money, or a product, over to anyone unless my wallet is covered first. Either I bought something and have it in my hand (unless of course your dealing with legit marketers who are shipping the goods), or a check has CLEARED my bank account.

Selling on Craigslist? Use caution, and when you do receive a response from a scammer, and you will, just say what I say…

“Nice try moron [or a fitting moniker of your choice]!”

Sometimes I get a little more wordy and tell them to get a real job and some integrity. Not that it would change anything, but it feels good.