I got scammed big time.

[350zman]

ad

[hatehereyes]

If all you need is his address, isn't that where you met up with him in the first place to to see if the mini was working?

[mkrishnan]

Sorry you got taken. It seems to me that the police go after scam artists all the time... I'm really surprised they're completely unwilling to do anything about it. Perhaps you should try again and emphasize that you're reporting a scammer rather than you're reporting having been ripped off.

[350zman]

yeah i know i thought they would at least help but the cops around here suck, about a month ago my roommates window in his car got smashed and a 300 dollar radar was taken and they didn't even come out.. No we met up at a local gas station.

[rgarjr]

Dude that sucks, sounds like you got really ripped.

[r.j.s]

You don't happen to have a description of the car or his license plate?

I'd call the police back, and report it as a scam, and ask if the gas station has any surveillance video. That would come in handy for the police.

[GOPboi]

do you have his phone number?

i recently sold my mac mini also for 300, i provided the guy my phone number to the seller and told him if he needed anything, to let me know. he hasn't call me since so i assume all is well.

sorry to hear about that man

[mikeinternet]

If you met at a gas station, where did he plug in the mac that he had working?

[hatehereyes]

If you met at a gas station, where did he plug in the mac that he had working?

That's what I'm wondering...

but to the OP, I'm sorry to hear that. Seems like it could've happened to anyone.

[350zman]

no no phone number whats wierd was it was all email the guy seemed really cool nothing fishy but o well, yeah i know the car the plate was hidden in his window i recall that. But i called up apple the guy on the phone was really cool he told me all the info is there he even told me it was registered to the area im in so i know it was def his.

the reason the apple guy could not release the info was because of privacy purposes. i wish i knew someone that worked there.

[Illicit]

that's an awful story. but i guess the lesson is don't trust Craigslist sellers/buyers until the deal is completely finalized.

[Sun Baked]

It is a con game, of course it is a police matter.

If he simply sold you a non-working machine, and said it was working, it would be a civil matter.

Since he did an elaborate game of showing you one machine which you were buying, and then swapping it for another one while he wraps it up ... moves it into the con game arena and a minor crime.

---

Nice scam though, and all it takes is buying all the dud and broken Minis you can lay your hands on.

[350zman]

yeah i mean the guy was smart he gave me his working mini to try then told me hell pack it up he then switched it with the broken one and boxed it up for me he was smart.

[dukebound85]

yeah i mean the guy was smart he gave me his working mini to try then told me hell pack it up he then switched it with the broken one and boxed it up for me he was smart.

do it again as i assume he will list it again right. this time have your friend be the buyer. then have the cops on alert or reqest, nah i dont need it packed up lol

[350zman]

honestly we were thinking that and he did respond to emails to met him again but should i call cops to come?

[dukebound85]

honestly we were thinking that and he did respond to emails to met him again but should i call cops to come?

just have the undercover cop be the buyer. surely if its a scam operation they would do it

[LagunaSol]

I called police they said its civil mater and cant help.

Yeah, steal a $.75 candybar from a store and the cops will be all over you. Yet get ripped off for $300 (or more) and they don't care.

I bought a car once and discovered the odometer had been tampered with. The car had double the miles it was showing (I confirmed by tracking down service records). The police, the DMV, and state officials didn't do a thing to help me. I had to do it all myself through the small claims process.

Grrrr. I think I'll go steal a candybar...

[acurafan]

If you met at a gas station, where did he plug in the mac that he had working?
inverters to plug into the cig lighter.

damn, that sucks you got scammed. next time bring along a buddy to help you out, that's what my friends do. take pics of items and his plate #.

[trevpimp]

This is why I never look at buying stuff from people.

I would just go back to where you tested it and look around for anything that you saw him use (car etc). Or just order another one from him, (im sure he'll do it again)

Order it to be on a different location, when you see him thats when you address the problem. If he doesnt want to give it back just knock his a$$ out.

[Sun Baked]

Order it to be on a different location, when you see him thats when you address the problem. If he doesnt want to give it back just knock his a$$ out.

aka, put an even bigger weight in the Mini and toss it through his windshield (back window in states with free replacement), when he comes to sell one to your buddy.

Which gives the cops an incentive to pull the vehicle over, if you also take a bat to his tail lights.

[sn00pie]

It seems like you got scammed by a professional. I'd put up a notice and see if anyone else got scammed in the same way you did. This guy definitely thought this through and it is unlikely that your his only victim.

Write down everything you can remember about him, like height, skin color, hair etc. Also try to remember everything about the car, color, model, make etc. The more information you have the more likely you are of finding him and recognizing him if you see him.

In most cases the cops are useless, file a police report, but after that I'd take the matter into my own hands. Go to your local sports store and pickup a wood baseball bat. It's gonna come in handy :)

[MTI]

Make a nice printed note to tape to the case and put it on a shelf as a reminder to yourself about being careful. Sorry, but that's probably the highest value it will ever achieve.

However, this story did remind me of a situation back in the 80's, when a hard drive company (Western Digital?) was attempting to fool investment auditors by putting bricks in cardboard boxes to show how much valuable inventory they had in the warehouse.

[350zman]

That would be amazing But so true cops will arrest u for candybar but not a 300 dollar mini such bs tax dollars at work

[350zman]

He def knew what he was doing in the box was iLife disks power supply everything. I ended up selling the iLife disk so I didn't loose out 300 like 240 but still I'm mad I can prob part everything out and stuff

[Jack Flash]

So, where did you plug it in at the gas station?

[rgarjr]

Any pics of the weights inside that mini?

[sn00pie]

So, where did you plug it in at the gas station?
In the cigarette lighter in a car. If it was his car, surely you remember the make and model?

[iNew2Macs]

In most cases the cops are useless, file a police report, but after that I'd take the matter into my own hands. Go to your local sports store and pickup a wood baseball bat. It's gonna come in handy :)

Cops only really do their job when they are giving tickets to people who really dont have money laying around.

Wtf? Cops give tickets for not dropping a student 18 inches from the sidewalk?

Its kinda hard to that when the sidewalk parking is full!!!

Theyre so fast to give out tickets but when something like this happens they dont look into it as they do with their tickets.

Now I have no problem with police, because there really are cops out there that are cool and do their jobs perfectly. ;)

[MTI]

Any pics of the weights inside that mini?

Wondering if there's an upgrade path? :D

[magamo]

That sucks. How come the police do nothing about this scammer?

[Keebler]

i'd call the cops back and see if you get someone different on the phone and keep looking to see if it gets posted again. brutal!

[rhett7660]

I am curious as to how you presented your case to the cops? Did you talk to the front desk person? Did you talk on the phone? Did you talk to one of the detectives?

Just curious as to what you did?

There is a difference of a transaction between people and stealing a candy bar from a store. Come on now.

[Kardashian]

Tell the Police that this man is putting listings online, essentially stealing from people.

He's done it to you, and has tried with someone else (in this case, your friend).

Take prints outs of e-mails, and of the advertisements.

Arrange to meet him, and bring a Police officer along - or, get your friend to meet him, you take down his license plate and as much information as possible, and whilst the deal is "going down" call the Police and say "I've just met a buyer off Craigslist, and I'm having trouble".

When the police arrive, approach the thief with the police in hand. If he runs, then he police have a reason to chase him - and witness it themselves.

[iNew2Macs]

Tell the Police that this man is putting listings online, essentially stealing from people.

He's done it to you, and has tried with someone else (in this case, your friend).

Take prints outs of e-mails, and of the advertisements.

Arrange to meet him, and bring a Police officer along - or, get your friend to meet him, you take down his license plate and as much information as possible, and whilst the deal is "going down" call the Police and say "I've just met a buyer off Craigslist, and I'm having trouble".

When the police arrive, approach the thief with the police in hand. If he runs, then he police have a reason to chase him - and witness it themselves.

Lmao, just tell them the guy even threatened to hurt a cop if they try to stop him. Haha thats when all the cops come in to make sure he gets locked up ;)

Thats one thing good about cops, they have each others back. :rolleyes:

[hatehereyes]

Maybe try taking it to an Apple store and see if AppleCare will cover it? :p

[Kardashian]

Lmao, just tell them the guy even threatened to hurt a cop if they try to stop him. Haha thats when all the cops come in to make sure he gets locked up ;)

Thats one thing good about cops, they have each others back. :rolleyes:
'lmao'? I was being serious.

[iNew2Macs]

'lmao'? I was being serious.

Im talking about the joke I made.

[magamo]

As other posters said, probably calling the police back is the most logical option. But I wouldn't mind if the OP listened to Sun Baked and packed heavier weights. If you're planning on throwing the mini back at the scammer, please keep posting the story, 350zman.

[350zman]

ya i will prob end up calling police back. but not much i can do it seems my only hope is to get someone who works at apple and get his address and such his serial number to his personal mini is my best bet. I used a power inverter to check the mini out. the weights were a shift knob, batteries and power brick all tapped up.

[theDUB]

Ah, the old bait and switch.

If he's a pro he will probably run the same scam again to the next sucker. You should try and meet up with him again and......

[350zman]

i am

[theDUB]

What do you envision happening if/when you meet up with him again?

[magamo]

ya i will prob end up calling police back. but not much i can do it seems my only hope is to get someone who works at apple and get his address and such his serial number to his personal mini is my best bet. I used a power inverter to check the mini out. the weights were a shift knob, batteries and power brick all tapped up.

I hope the police would take care of... Whoa. By "shift knob," you mean the round handle thing sitting in the middle of a car? I don't know what I'd do if I found that thing in my computer.

[Keebler]

i wonder if you'd be able to talk to the manager of the gas station to look at the footage to see if you could get the license plate and picture of the guy on the camera. They should have surveillance cameras?

I'd try that.

[350zman]

ya possibly but i guess i envision meeting him like with some buddies like give me my money back and give him the mini back if he says no then that shift knob will end up in his window or ill follow him to his house or something idk?

[GSV]

Maybe you could try bribing someone at the Apple store to give you the info?

[theDUB]

ya possibly but i guess i envision meeting him like with some buddies like give me my money back and give him the mini back if he says no then that shift knob will end up in his window or ill follow him to his house or something idk?

And when he pulls his gun out your next move will be.....?

[r.j.s]

And when he pulls his gun out your next move will be.....?

Really. If he has done this before, chances are he is prepared for when it goes bad. Confronting him without the police is a bad idea.

[waloshin]

ya possibly but i guess i envision meeting him like with some buddies like give me my money back and give him the mini back if he says no then that shift knob will end up in his window or ill follow him to his house or something idk?

Even though he scammed you doesnt mean you can take the law into your own hands, I wouldnt be throwing anything at his car, or stalking him if I were you!

Go back to the police station, and let them sort it out. Though its going to be hard without any witness to proove that he scammed you.

[WizardHunt]

So, where did you plug it in at the gas station?

He must have had a power converter that hooks up to the car's cigarette lighter and converts voltage from 12 volt to 110 volts. You can run small tv's , computers, video games etc. from these. I would not suggest a toaster though :p That is sad that people go around and take advantage of others like this.

He is likely to do it again, true, but I bet in either a close by city or another part of town. The true scammers are smart. They are like lightening, they will not strike in the same exact spot, but it will strike again.

[theDUB]

He must have had a power converter that hooks up to the car's cigarette lighter and converts voltage from 12 volt to 110 volts. You can run small tv's , computers, video games etc. from these. I would not suggest a toaster though :p...

Yeah, we already solved that mystery in post #39.

[350zman]

Even though he scammed you doesnt mean you can take the law into your own hands, I wouldnt be throwing anything at his car, or stalking him if I were you!

Go back to the police station, and let them sort it out. Though its going to be hard without any witness to proove that he scammed you.

yes i agree thats why im not going to meet with him again but im trying to get his name and adress so i can go to police or something or emil him with his personal info and see if he likes that :D

[J&JPolangin]

...if this really did happen the way you said it did, you need to elevate the matter with the police.

[350zman]

i called twice and i submitted an online claim to the FBI. but nothing yet its been a few days :/ and it happened exactly like i said.

[Apollo21]

I also was scammed with a car sale and as another guy said, the police and gov't don't give a ***** about you or your money. In my case they said they couldn't do anything... but of course THEY took him to court and fined him for an illegal car inspection so they could get "THEIR" money!

But I see 2 options:

1) Get the police to interrupt another dealing with the guy and catch him in the act. See if they would agree to tell him he needs to give you your money back... hopefully he would out of fear.

2) Get some firepower and take your money back. In #1 they can't force him to give you the money so most likely you'll end up with nothing.

You better do something though. You sound practically resigned to the loss of your money by this *sshole!

[Little HZ]

i managed to take down the serial number while he was not looking to check the warranty etc.

I'm really sorry this happened to you.

It seems to me that you should not have had to be furtive about getting the serial number, etc. It it was an above-board deal, he should have been more than willing to give you that info, his car license #, &/or phone #, and if he was not willing to share that info, it would have been a big red flag ... :confused:

[350zman]

well it was strictly email communication he explained his phone was broken and it happens so he responded by email. and we set up meeting point.

[jnc]

You don't want to hear this, but... why did you ever let it out of your sight?

Don't be put off by internet buy-and-sell, just use what you've learned from this next time.

[ab2650]

If you're determined to get this guy's address, take the serial down to the closest Apple store. Spot the Genius that looks like he needs cash the most, and tell him "I need a name and an address," then hand him the serial number with two or three $20's folded up.

[jaw1034]

Hire an attorney. Or, and possibly as a general rule, don't buy anything from the trunk of a car.

[snberk103]

This is a long shot.....

See if you can file a small claims court action. I forget if you said you had his name or not, but you might be able to start the claim even if you don't know his address. Put down "no fixed address" or something. In anycase, once you have the claim registered, then go to the Apple Store. With proper court document in hand, you may find that the scammer's address is now available to you.

If you can wrinkle out the address this way, you now have two options.

1) Serve him with papers. If he shows up, since you have serial number, and his address, and a copy of the Craigslist listing, and all the email correspondence you had, and he will only have a wild and colourful story, you will likely win. In civil case, which this is, the judge only needs to find "on balance" - not "beyond a reasonable doubt". In a civil case, having a file full of papers beats a wild and colourful story. If you win, the scammer will need to pay the $300 plus all the court costs. He will likely not pay, and you're screwed unless you can find his bank and garnishee it.

Talk to the court clerk, and get their advice.

2) Find his scam on Craigslist (use a different email since he is likely smart enough to not respond to a previous victim) and meet him again - with a friend nearby. When he shows you the working Mini.... serve him with papers, and take the Mini. Have a bill of sale all ready to go. Tell him, sign over the Mini to (you need this so he then doesn't claim you stole it) and you'll drop the court-case. Hopefully he doesn't want to deal with paperwork, and he'll sign.

For the scammer, it will be easier to just steal another Mini and continue his scam than to get bogged down in paperwork.

If you can, find a detective who is sympathetic and give them copies of the Craiglist, his name and address. Perhaps they will sting him.

Good Luck.

[Kardashian]

ya i will prob end up calling police back. but not much i can do it seems my only hope is to get someone who works at apple and get his address and such his serial number to his personal mini is my best bet. I used a power inverter to check the mini out. the weights were a shift knob, batteries and power brick all tapped up.
Probably? Why? Can you afford to lose that money?

An Apple employee is not going to risk their job because you were silly enough to get scammed. Sorry, the guy who sold the computer was a douche, but you need to be on your feet when dealing with strangers - especially where money is concerned.

You have options. You say you already have him baited. If the Police won't help you set up something before hand, call them while your friend is doing a deal with him, like I said, and say the deal is going bad.

When they get there, tell them what he's done to you, and then to your friend - give them the e-mails as well, and the computer as proof.

This is your best bet - not relying on Apple to break the law for you because you'd rather take your 'buddies' and smash someone's windows in - while he sits back laughing that he's scammed you.
ya possibly but i guess i envision meeting him like with some buddies like give me my money back and give him the mini back if he says no then that shift knob will end up in his window or ill follow him to his house or something idk?
Why are you acting as though you 'don't know' what to do?

People here have given you sound advice - follow it and stop beating around the bush. People come here for help only to sit back and whine about it.

[jnc]

If you're determined to get this guy's address, take the serial down to the closest Apple store. Spot the Genius that looks like he needs cash the most, and tell him "I need a name and an address," then hand him the serial number with two or three $20's folded up.

Assuming that'd EVER work, the Mac could have belonged to anyone. The store could have a log of the original purchaser, but it may have passed hands many times since then

[350zman]

yeah i really appreciate everyones advice im going to try to set up a meeting with him and contact the police and try to set up a mini "sting" i doubt it will work out

[Kardashian]

yeah i really appreciate everyones advice im going to try to set up a meeting with him and contact the police and try to set up a mini "sting" i doubt it will work out

Even if you have to stretch the truth by saying you went along with a friend who was buying a computer that just 'happened' to be the same guy - they can't 'get' you for anything, you've done nothing wrong.

You just need to get this guy and the police in the same place, or, failing that, get his address and/or license plate and approach them with that information as well as the email's and the computer as evidence.

You need to be willing to do more than letting an Apple employee bail you out here. If you valued you're money, you'd exhaust every single outlet available to you until this idiot pays up and is caught.

[magamo]

yeah i really appreciate everyones advice im going to try to set up a meeting with him and contact the police and try to set up a mini "sting" i doubt it will work out

You know the throw-it-back/bribe-a-Genius/whatever funny posts are not serious, right? I'm not saying I think you're trying to do something stupid, but I just wanted to know what "mini sting" means.

[350zman]

Mac mini sting operation lol

[trevpimp]

If you're determined to get this guy's address, take the serial down to the closest Apple store. Spot the Genius that looks like he needs cash the most, and tell him "I need a name and an address," then hand him the serial number with two or three $20's folded up.

Hahaha I like that way better :D

Serious business.

[Gregintosh]

Why don't you call Apple Care and tell them you moved recently and you want to make sure you have the correct address on file. Ask them to verify the address for you.

Be like "I wanted to make sure you guys have the right address cause I moved recently. What address is it showing I am at?"

Maybe they'll give it to you.

After they say it, say "Oh that's right, I guess my brother must've already called and updated it. Thanks!"

The worst they can do is say no.

If that doesn't work then ask yourself, "what would Jack Bauer do?" :)

[350zman]

Why don't you call Apple Care and tell them you moved recently and you want to make sure you have the correct address on file. Ask them to verify the address for you.

Be like "I wanted to make sure you guys have the right address cause I moved recently. What address is it showing I am at?"

Maybe they'll give it to you.

After they say it, say "Oh that's right, I guess my brother must've already called and updated it. Thanks!"

The worst they can do is say no.
I actually really like that idea!

[michael.lauden]

WOW that guy got you good. i have always thought about how easy it would be to scam someone on craigslist.

people are too trusting

i.e when i traded my Fender Deluxe Reverb for a mint AC30..... the guy just made sure it powered on and took it.


and when i traded my AC30 after a tour stint when it was all banged up, tubes were popped and had a spill stain on it for my Mac mini ( :) )

the guy just took my word for it that it worked... while i tested his mini down to the core

[theDUB]

The problem with meeting up again is that he's gonna know what's up as soon as he sees a former victim is waiting to meet him.

[awmazz]

I actually really like that idea!

You don't have to pretend to be him. It's your Mac Mini. You paid for it, so it's your serial number now. He's stolen it from you. Apple is harbouring a felon by not revealing the name of the man who now has your stolen Mac Mini in his possession.

You need to make that very clear to Apple that the name and address they have listed for this serial number is for the man who stole it from you. Also report the serial number as stolen to the police. Don't bother with the 'con job' angle. It was straight out theft. Just tell them he swiped it from you while you were at the gas station, which is the truth. Let him argue differently after they arrest/charge him.

Edit. I personally don't see any difference between him swiping it by switching it when you weren't looking, or simply swiping it from the back seat of your car when you weren't looking. Same thing. He swiped it. Theft is theft and is a crime, not a 'civil matter'. He is in possession of stolen property.

[snowmoon]

+1 File a police report with the serial number that he showed you as stolen.

[Apollo21]

You don't have to pretend to be him. It's your Mac Mini. You paid for it, so it's your serial number now. He's stolen it from you. Apple is harbouring a felon by not revealing the name of the man who now has your stolen Mac Mini in his possession.

You need to make that very clear to Apple that the name and address they have listed for this serial number is for the man who stole it from you. Also report the serial number as stolen to the police. Don't bother with the 'con job' angle. It was straight out theft. Just tell them he swiped it from you while you were at the gas station, which is the truth. Let him argue differently after they arrest/charge him.

Edit. I personally don't see any difference between him swiping it by switching it when you weren't looking, or simply swiping it from the back seat of your car when you weren't looking. Same thing. He swiped it. Theft is theft and is a crime, not a 'civil matter'. He is in possession of stolen property.

I thought this was a good idea at first. But there's a problem. Apple's records would show the mini as registered to that guy for months--which wouldn't be the case if he just stole it and then called to switch the address. So in court it would just look like the OP claimed 'his' Mini was stolen (I assume he doesn't have any record of paying for it), while the scammer would say Apple can verify it's always been his and the OP is lying.

[DesignerOnMac]

well it was strictly email communication he explained his phone was broken and it happens so he responded by email. and we set up meeting point.

Can you go to craigslist on a different computer and use a different email addy and contact him?

Just a thought...

[350zman]

the mini he showed me then switched was his personal mini it was litterally bought a month ago the serial said warrent expires in 3/10 and he told me it was 1 month old then when he swapped it with the "fake" one but the one thats 1 month old is def his personal computer.

[aaquib]

So, when's this deal going down??

[Mariusz1977]

Get some internet justice!

Watch for his craigslist ad again when he tries to pull the same scam. Try to get his phone #. Setup a new email address (like a new yahoo account) and arrange a meeting with him @ the same place. Don't let him know it's you, let him beleive it's a new mark. Be there with a camera. Take his picture, his car's picture, the license plate too. Get in his face, get some good pictures. Get a friend also to come along with a video camera or video device to record the whole thing.

Post them all here and then send an email with this thread's url and he can see us trashing him.

If you can get his car's license plate, you can also go to DMV and pay a small fee to get his name, address and phone #. Then start a blogger account and post all the info and enlist the internet community to make his life hell. Post the video on Youtube with his name, home phone & address in the comment section.

Give him the $300 worth of PAIN that he just bought himself. It's only fair.
"Revenge is a dish best served cold."

If you need inspiration, read these:
http://www.419eater.com/html/letters.htm

[CalZephyr]

How did you memorize a serial number that fast?

I wonder what he'd have done if you had refused to let him "re-pack it" for you...

Have your friend go through the whole bit, but refuse to let him re-pack it. Take out an envelope with the money in it. Show the guy the money and put it back into the envelope. Then ask the guy to go ahead and grab the box for you while you get your trunk open. When he turns to get the box, you slip the cash envelope into your pocket quickly and withdraw a second identical envelope with an equal thickness/weight of paper inside - play money, scan some real bills and print them out (just kidding ATF), or whatever. If you can do the move smoothly, lick the envelope and seal it up. Put the box in the trunk, close it up, hand him the envelope and get out of there like your pants are on fire. Classic misdirection switch.

If you want to try a different misdirection, sew a pocket inside a coat big enough to hold the mini, put the phony weighted mini in the pocket and after trying out the working one, before he can take it back, find an opportunity to make your own switch. Tell him you changed your mind and don't want it after all and then get out of there.

Have a friend with nerves of steel to attempt either of these. Have any burly magician friends? :D

[350zman]

i know i kept thinking about if i never let him repack it what he would say. I actually wrote down the serial # really fast. but i already signed up for a new gmail account and emailed him about the ad again.

[CalZephyr]

Post them all here and then send an email with this thread's url and he can see us trashing him.

That's assuming he's not already on here. He's a mac guy, and he's on the net... could be here as well.

There are scumbags everywhere. It's too bad.
:(

[magamo]

He's a mac guy, and he's on the net... could be here as well.

My thought exactly. The OP should be careful not to be fooled by a ridiculous idea posted by a newbie who just registered or someone who has "mini" on his signature.

[foothead]

Could you post a link to the craigslist post? I'm sort of interested in what he said about it.

Also, try this.http://www.johnru.com/active-whois/trace-email.html If he used a private email address, you will be able to trace it to his IP address, and from there, do an ip whois, and you can figure out who he is.

[gianly1985]

I thought stuff like that only happened here in Italy.....
It is a very common scam in Naples....and in the box you find....ACTUAL BRICKS!
At least you have got a fake Mini...

[musio]

from reading this thread it all seems long in the tooth, you might get it you might not, etc, etc, he won't pay court claims even if you win,etc ...this whole situation is all unfair for you and costs you so much time which you can't get back.

why not go down the baseball bat route? Somone that plays dirty deserves the bat methodology.

[pilotError]

You got scammed. I've seen this same scam with speakers out of the back of a van, stereo's and computers.

Best you can do is report him, but unless the cops actually trip over him...

[snberk103]

Injecting a bit of humour while we wait to see how this ends up....

In NYC there was a fellow selling new, in the sealed box, stereo speakers out of the trunk of his car. It was all very "shady" - cash only, lots of looking over the shoulders, etc. Someone finally called the cops, who arrived - to find there was nothing illegal going on.

While everyone assumed they were getting a great deal on speakers that had "fallen off the back of the truck", in fact the seller was legitimately buying cheap speakers from a discount store, and selling them for double the price.

He was making a fortune, no overhead, virtually no operating costs, etc. He was actually paying his income taxes on the sales, and plugging the parking meter. All he was doing was taking advantage of gullible greedy buyers.

To the OP - quite honestly, I think your $300 is gone. Its fun to fantasize about how to get it or the Mini.... but keep in mind the outcome, if it escalates, could lead to violence. If you end up assaulting the scammer, the cops won't care about your story - it'll be your butt in jail, not his. That could be the better outcome, if he carries a gun.

[nhcowboy1]

I don't know who you are or where you are, but I agree with previous posters who've said to escalate this with the police. Be calm, be credible, be convincing - and keep going up the line until you find someone who'll listen to you.

If you exhaust your resources at the police department, then go to your town council person, city supervisor, or whoever it is that the police chief answers to. Bottom line is that this was not simply a bad bargain or a lack of prudence on your part - it was an illegal confidence scam, and the guy who did it can be prosecuted.

If you have the serial number from his computer, that - along with your report - should be more than enough for the police to obtain a warrant to get the guy's name, etc. from Apple. You saw the guy and can describe him - if the guy the police come up with looks the same, then all's well. If it's not the same guy, well, then you're probably out of luck.

[snberk103]

Last minute thought...

Have you contacted Craigslist? They'll be interested in knowing one of their posters is scamming people. They may only revoke his account, but at least its a start.

[r.j.s]

Last minute thought...

Have you contacted Craigslist? They'll be interested in knowing one of their posters is scamming people. They may only revoke his account, but at least its a start.

I don't think CL has accounts, it's been a while since I used it, but I think you just post using an email address.

[aaquib]

I don't think CL has accounts, it's been a while since I used it, but I think you just post using an email address.

You can opt to have an account as some postings require it, but for simply selling electronics, a user could verify the post by only his/her email.

[Shuttleworth]

There is a high probability that there are his fingerprints all over the inside of the Mini you got, especially on the sticky tape.

[r.j.s]

There is a high probability that there are his fingerprints all over the inside of the Mini you got, especially on the sticky tape.

That's right. More evidence for the police to build a case on.

[michael.lauden]

You can opt to have an account as some postings require it, but for simply selling electronics, a user could verify the post by only his/her email.

yeah you just make an account so you don't have to verify each e-mail. the account also has a page where you can track all of your listings.. it makes a lot more sense than doing it individually and keeping track of e-mails...

in some things like weird sexual things you have to pay, or for job listings i think.


but yeah... again with the police thing... it's a 500$ computer.. that really sucks and all... but it's going to be a while before the police get to it (or atleast i remember that happening the 5+ my house was robbed down in Lake Worth, FL over the course of 2 years)

[sn00pie]

Use some basic forensics and capture fingerprints from the Mini. Might come in handy sooner or later.

Edit: I would try the AppleCare technique someone pointed out on the last page. That will pretty much guarantee you an address.

[snberk103]

Use some basic forensics and capture fingerprints from the Mini. Might come in handy sooner or later.

Edit: I would try the AppleCare technique someone pointed out on the last page. That will pretty much guarantee you an address.

Nah, I don't think AppleCare would fall for that. The first thing they would do is ask for your old address. Though I suppose you could try the ole "Why don't you tell me and I'll tell you if you're right" trick. But Apple does try to hire people who are little bit smarter than that... else, how could they fix our systems over the phone? :D

Fingerprints? When did we turn this into a CSI thread? If the victim can get the police interested, then perhaps they might find fingerprints useful.... but the victim.. ? :)

[sn00pie]

Fingerprints? When did we turn this into a CSI thread? If the victim can get the police interested, then perhaps they might find fingerprints useful.... but the victim.. ? :)
Hehe...I love CSI.

I'd imagine that if the OP was able to get fingerprints off the Mini he was sold and he managed to meet up with the alleged perpetrator, then the police could connect the the fake Mini with the person being 'accused'? Or else they would never have sufficient evidence to let the 'case' fly. It's basically one mans word against another.

God I should stop watching CSI :D

[foothead]

Try to find the IP from his email like this. http://www.johnru.com/active-whois/trace-email.html Generally, Craigslist will set the sales email to forward through your real email, or whatever email you used to verify the sale. If you can find his IP, you can do an IP whois and then contact the ISP, telling them that he scammed you, and they might tell you who he is. If not, give the IP to the police, and they can find it out.

[Shuttleworth]

Fingerprints? When did we turn this into a CSI thread? If the victim can get the police interested, then perhaps they might find fingerprints useful.... but the victim.. ? :)

Bizarrely I wasn't implying the victim could do something himself with the fingerprints, unless he has access to the police's database it'd be useless to him. However it may come in handy when he gets the police involved and the scammer says "never seen it before", only to have his grubby pawprints all over the fake box.

[snberk103]

Bizarrely I wasn't implying the victim could do something himself with the fingerprints, unless he has access to the police's database it'd be useless to him. However it may come in handy when he gets the police involved and the scammer says "never seen it before", only to have his grubby pawprints all over the fake box.

Sorry, I understood your post to be saying that the victim should make copies of the fingerprints, instead of the police if/when they get involved.

[IWantItThatWay]

This remind me of a story lol:

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=15622&page=2 - it's called "How I Caught a Counterfeiter With a Little Help From My Friends"

[rkdiddy]

While this story really sucks and upsets me - I think you have to chalk this up to a good lesson learned.

In all reality it is only $300 and the amount of time you've already put into "investigating" this and your safety - has to be worth more than the $300 you lost.

[o2xygen]

OP, any updates? I think scamming is disgusting, no matter what value. I really hope you take this guy down (lawfully, not physically).

[Gregintosh]

While this story really sucks and upsets me - I think you have to chalk this up to a good lesson learned.

In all reality it is only $300 and the amount of time you've already put into "investigating" this and your safety - has to be worth more than the $300 you lost.

Well that assumes that the spare time the OP (or any of us for that matter) can be put to a higher value use.

Unless the OP is foregoing generating money in favor of investigating this, then it could be worth the while. $300 is quite a bit to some people as well, so maybe it is worth chasing. I assume if someone was looking for bargains on craigslist they didn't have the money to buy a new unit or it would have presented a hardship.

The lesson here is though, consider your options carefully. A lot of people, and who can blame them, try to get the most bang for their buck and are especially tempted by the amazing deals that come along (which usually border on sounding too good to be true). In all aspects of life though, the cheapest option isn't always the best option, in fact it rarely is. Usually its a better idea to pay the extra few bucks and be guaranteed of your choice.

In the end things usually balance out financially, and the cheaper option usually costs more in time and hassle.

In this case, attempting to save $300 cost the OP a Mac Mini. The next $300 worth of bargains the OP will get in his life, assuming they all work out, will only balance out the loss incurred here in this one incident.

I too was really cheap once, thinking I'd save a few bucks, so I got a taxi cab to help me move my stuff instead of a proper moving service (I didn't have a lot of stuff, just one car load worth). I saved maybe $20 over hiring a private moving service for the hour, but one of my bags must've fallen under the seat of the Taxi and I am missing two miniDP to VGA/DVI cables, a few USB cables, and some blank CDs.

The cost to replace the items is far greater than the $20 I saved by being cheap and getting a cab instead of a moving service. I have no doubt had I hired a moving service/van none of my bags would go missing cause they'd all be in one place.

The same goes for buying used cars versus new cars. You save money now, you pay extra in repair costs and hassles later -- unless you get very, very lucky, but that's rare.

[maverick72]

Friend named Rocky and a baseball bat. Always does the trick and he would think twice before scamming.

Police?? Are you kidding. He will get a slap on the wrist + a "its bad" to do that.

[baypharm]

I have done many craigslist transactions in person and have always had a great experience 100 per cent of the time. Whether or not your transaction is civil or criminal depends on the state you were in at the time. Some states say it is civil others say criminal. You did not tell us where it happened. In the future get a license plate number, driver license number (making sure the photo matches the guy or girl who handed it to you), and you should be set. Also understand that craigs list is haven for unloading stolen computers, electronics, etc. You can buy a new sealed Macbook Pro for less than a thousand dollars. These transactions should be avoided. Dealing in stolen property is a felony in all states.

[mikeinternet]

So what was taken out of the mini to fit the weights? Everything?

Just curious why he would do it that way. Where do you get mini cases??
He must have had a mini that was shot or something. Scrapped out what parts still worked and added the weights.

Not likely this will be a repeat scam.

What I don't get is... What could those parts be worth? Why didn't he just give you a dud mini. Then you may not have even realized it was a scam and just assumed the mini was not happy with your monitor or something.

[o2xygen]

So what was taken out of the mini to fit the weights? Everything?

Just curious why he would do it that way. Where do you get mini cases??
He must have had a mini that was shot or something. Scrapped out what parts still worked and added the weights.

Not likely this will be a repeat scam.

What I don't get is... What could those parts be worth? Why didn't he just give you a dud mini. Then you may not have even realized it was a scam and just assumed the mini was not happy with your monitor or something.

I guess buying a whole bunch of old broken CD mac minis and then selling them as new working C2D mini's would bring in a nice healthy profit. He could probably sell the broken parts as working for a bit of extra cash aswel.

[jra81984]

You met at a Gas Station? They have Surveilance cameras EVERYWHERE I am sure you can get his plate info and his appearance quite easily. I would speak to the police again about this.

[Kardashian]

So, 350zman, what progress have you actually made?

[Pixellated]

So, 350zman, what progress have you actually made?

It seems that he's given up... Like in Britain, the police in America seem to bee absolutely useless.

[coogee]

No disrespect intended but couldn't the OP be someone scamming to try and get some information on a, probably stolen, Mac via its serial number.

The original request is for an Apple employee to look up a Serial number.

i called apple with the serial number from the guys comp the mac guy said on file is a name and address but due to privacy laws he cant help me.


Call me a cynic (cynic!) but my instinct says the OP is not what they declare themselves to be and are trying to get access to some Apple Database information for reasons unknown.

The original 'story' of the scam seems far too pat to me. Weights in the Mini? Gas station location? The switch? The quick notation of Serial number?

Just going on what seems most likely, the scam story doesn't seem most likely to me.


I'm happy to offer the paranoid angle at the very least. :cool:

[Chrycopsycho]

I love all these comments about "the cops will arrest you for stealing a candybar" etc. I AM a police officer, so here's the scoop; this is NOT a civil matter, it's theft. Intent was proven by virtue of passing off a weighted box purporting to be a thing of value (computer) in exchange for something of value (your cash). Contact a shift supervisor and tell him or her this situation.IF you STILL run up against a wall, contact your local D.A. As for the serial number issue, a simple search warrant will force Apple to provide police with owner information. This really isn't rocket science, and it's irritating to have an entire group of fellow officers who DO work diligently lumped into the "'cops won't do anything for anybody" category because a few of us are too lazy to do what they swore they would do when they accepted the badge.

[jsw]

No disrespect intended but couldn't the OP be someone scamming to try and get some information on a, probably stolen, Mac via its serial number.
We've seen a fair bit of that as well. The lack of any included pictures, the somehow-being-able-to-plug-in-a-monitor-and-run-it-all-at-a-gas-station, the furtive copying of the serial number (why?)... it's not like the story doesn't have its holes.

That doesn't mean it's a scam, but there are definite red flags.

@Chrycopsycho: good post. If the OP is being truthful, then he certainly has other avenues to pursue. Thank you for what you wrote.

[3lutz3toe]

This is a good suggestion and I’d follow this if I were u!
$300 or 400 these days is no chump change!

(interesting that the cop didn’t even offer any suggestion to go about it. Maybe the person was supposed to handle so of course they didn’t have one)

I love all these comments about "the cops will arrest you for stealing a candybar" etc. I AM a police officer, so here's the scoop; this is NOT a civil matter, it's theft. Intent was proven by virtue of passing off a weighted box purporting to be a thing of value (computer) in exchange for something of value (your cash). Contact a shift supervisor and tell him or her this situation.IF you STILL run up against a wall, contact your local D.A. As for the serial number issue, a simple search warrant will force Apple to provide police with owner information. This really isn't rocket science, and it's irritating to have an entire group of fellow officers who DO work diligently lumped into the "'cops won't do anything for anybody" category because a few of us are too lazy to do what they swore they would do when they accepted the badge.