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craigslist/ebay scam help

andiwm2003

andiwm2003

macrumors 601
Original poster
Mar 29, 2004
4,477
620
Boston, MA
I have not been scammed but would like to know what to do about a likely scam.

some guy offers a mountainbike ($5000 retail) for $2000 on craigslist. he has pics of it in front of a garage.
however with everything that looks too good to be true this MTB is listed in ten cities.

i responded from my yahoo spam email account saying im interested.

now the guy writes back saying he is a army sargent and the bike is in california and he does the deal through ebay's vehicle purchase program because it's safe for me. i would pay ebay and he ships the bike and I have five days to look at it before ebay releases the funds.

obviously bicyles are not covered in the ebay vehicle purchase program and I don't think ebay holds my money for five days. the guy just takes the money while I wait for the bike.

so here are my questions:

how does the guy get to the money without leaving a paper trail/address?

how do I report this to ebay because I thing he is using a fake or hacked account? right now I have no real ebay ID from him so I can't report him.

is there a way to make this guy's live miserable? let's say pretending to have sent the money to reno nevada so that he drives all the way up there for nothing or such?
 
Just report it to the appropriate parties involved (Craigslist, Ebay, maybe local authorities) and let it go. I've seen some concerned individuals make their own Craigslist ad exposing the scam, but I wouldn't go any further. Vigilante justice isn't worth it and poses more risk than reward. You already know the scammer is willing to defraud people, why make yourself more of a target by "teaching him a lesson". Actions like that usually don't end well. Just my $0.2
 
It seems like Craigslist is a breeding ground for scam artists and criminals to take advantage of people. It's good for free stuff or garbage that people want to get rid of. So here's my advice always make sure that the person you meet is the person who sent you the email. Always get a copy of a valid drivers license with a current address so you can sick the cops on them. Otherwise don't do business with people on Craigslist, unless you want to take chances of getting ripped off, or buying stolen goods.
 
mscriv said:
Just report it to the appropriate parties involved (Craigslist, Ebay, maybe local authorities) and let it go. I've seen some concerned individuals make their own Craigslist ad exposing the scam, but I wouldn't go any further. Vigilante justice isn't worth it and poses more risk than reward. You already know the scammer is willing to defraud people, why make yourself more of a target by "teaching him a lesson". Actions like that usually don't end well. Just my $0.2
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Agreed. Just report the ad to Craigslist and be done with it.

eljanitor said:
It seems like Craigslist is a breeding ground for scam artists and criminals to take advantage of people. It's good for free stuff or garbage that people want to get rid of. So here's my advice always make sure that the person you meet is the person who sent you the email. Always get a copy of a valid drivers license with a current address so you can sick the cops on them. Otherwise don't do business with people on Craigslist, unless you want to take chances of getting ripped off, or buying stolen goods.
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A copy of a drivers license? Sorry, but I wouldn't ever give that to someone I was buying from. Yes, you need to take reasonable precautions like meeting in person in a public place and only dealing in cash. For example, I just sold some Rockies tickets on Craigslist. Got my asking price (face value of the tickets) met at a local Starbucks and walked away with cash in hand in 10 minutes.
 
You wont actually pay ebay. That will change as the scam progresses. Be careful if you string him along.
 
While working for an employer awhile ago that they made it a common practice to make sure a drivers liscence number was always written on personal checks. Because they would sometimes get bad checks etc, so that way the person who writes the check is responsible for payment to the bank.

If you're legitimate and not some kind of criminal what do you have to worry about? Lets say I want to buy a computer from someone on Craigslist and they meet me wherever.

So if I ask them for their ID why would it be an issue, unless there hiding something? I wouldn't want to be the victim of some low life who is trying to sell me a stolen laptop or car without just to have it confiscated at my expense when I find it's its stolen and the police confiscate it and investigate me.

If you're telling the truth you have nothing to hide and nothing to fear.
 
Sorry, but there is no way I would give some random person a copy of my drivers license just to buy something from them. A legal address and drivers license number is a good place to start for stealing someone's identity.
 
ucfgrad93 said:
Sorry, but there is no way I would give some random person a copy of my drivers license just to buy something from them. A legal address and drivers license number is a good place to start for stealing someone's identity.
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I agree with you there. So why not swap Id's? if theirs is legit and yours is too? Then its all good.
 
That varies state to state I think have to ask the cops what to look for with fake Id's. Every time you pay cash for something to someone you don't know, with no way to locate them? That like asking for trouble.
 
ucfgrad93 said:
Sorry, but there is no way I would give some random person a copy of my drivers license just to buy something from them. A legal address and drivers license number is a good place to start for stealing someone's identity.
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I'm with you 100%
That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. I would NEVER give anyone my personal information just to save a few bucks. There's just so many ways that can go wrong.
 
So then how would you check to see if say a Macbook, or iPad is stolen before making the exchange? I don't know if you read the thread about the fishy Macbook someone posted here a few weeks back that they got through Craigslist?
 
eljanitor said:
So then how would you check to see if say a Macbook, or iPad is stolen before making the exchange? I don't know if you read the thread about the fishy Macbook someone posted here a few weeks back that they got through Craigslist?
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How about a link to that thread? Personally, I don't buy computers or high end electronics from Craigslist. I generally don't buy anything over $200 from Craigslist or ebay. But when I use Craigslist, I aways check that the item is working before handing over the money. I don't worry about whether or not it is stolen.
 
ucfgrad93 said:
How about a link to that thread? Personally, I don't buy computers or high end electronics from Craigslist. I generally don't buy anything over $200 from Craigslist or ebay. But when I use Craigslist, I aways check that the item is working before handing over the money. I don't worry about whether or not it is stolen.
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You just can't be too cautious dealing through Craig's or eBay. Even if you meet with the seller and the device is working perfectly on the spot, it might just crap out on the way home or somewhere down the line. It's a big risk, period. I agree with you, I wouldn't buy anything with a high price mark on Craigslist, eBay, Amazon, etc.
 
ann713 said:
You just can't be too cautious dealing through Craig's or eBay. Even if you meet with the seller and the device is working perfectly on the spot, it might just crap out on the way home or somewhere down the line. It's a big risk, period. I agree with you, I wouldn't buy anything with a high price mark on Craigslist, eBay, Amazon, etc.
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Just how long should someone who sells you something on Craigslist be responsible for the item? As far as I'm concerned, when I take possession of the item (after checking it) then it is my responsibility, not the sellers.
 
ucfgrad93 said:
Just how long should someone who sells you something on Craigslist be responsible for the item? As far as I'm concerned, when I take possession of the item (after checking it) then it is my responsibility, not the sellers.
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Didn't mean to say that the seller should be held responsible should anything occur after a purchase, but really, anything can easily be misrepresented these days. Dishonest individuals would go to lengths to make a buck or two. This thread might be of some interest to you. In this situation, thoroughly checking the device wasn't suffice for the buyer.
 
ann713 said:
You just can't be too cautious dealing through Craig's or eBay. Even if you meet with the seller and the device is working perfectly on the spot, it might just crap out on the way home or somewhere down the line. It's a big risk, period. I agree with you, I wouldn't buy anything with a high price mark on Craigslist, eBay, Amazon, etc.
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it's sad but I agree. i only buy small price items on ebay/craigslist (laser pointers and such) or odd stuff that is highly unlikely to be used as scam object (old used minolta lenses, snowboard boots that are out of production, old movies). only exemption are ebay shops with 10 000 positivie ratings but then you can buy from B&H or Amazon (only Amazon itself). So far never had problems.

It's a shame that someone will fall for the mountainbike scam. I can't do more than report the guy. Would be tempting to string him along and see where it's going but then it's not worth the effort after all. I guess at some point he's asking for western union money transfer.
 
Amazed at the sophistication

Just so you know, not just bikes, no vehicle is covered through the ebay vehicle protection program if it is not bought through ebay. You would be amazed at how well planned this scam is, here is the best part:

Once you show interest will receive an invoice from "ebay", it looks VERY authentic, replete with the logo, color scheme, 1-800-Number for customer service and an online chat. The toll free number and chat are hosted by a 3rd party and manned by someone who will actually pick up the phone and answer questions. Ask them for a manger and they will tell you he is not in right now. Ask them more questions and they will literally direct you to go to the actual ebay vehicle protection program link, hoping you don't read the fine print.

Eventually, they will insist you WIRE the money to "ebay", even suggest you classify the wire as PERSONAL so as to "not be hassled by the bank regarding the transfer"

In the future, if you find a deal too good to be true, get a reputed 3rd party to verify it, I've used WeGoLook.com in the past, they have thousands of background check verified "lookers" across the US who for under $50 can go in person and check stuff you want to buy online.

Here is the fake invoice
 
I'm just rarely suprised at all the scams lately everywhere.

That's why I said what I said about getting someones ID or drivers license.

I remember going in for a job interview, and sitting down with some manager guy for a management position of some kind. It was just one lie after the next. They lied to me to get me to come to their telemarketing slave factory, and I was thinking to myself , "Telemarketing isn't what you said over the phone for the interview."

After informing me of how rich I was going to become and how rich he has gotten by working at this place, he hands me a script and says read this to me as if I were a customer. It just got better and better. I was told of course I was a natural etc etc...... Then he leads me into a large room filled with other people frantically making calls looking really stressed out. I look at the script he handed me and examine the line" Ok sir / madam let me place you on hold while I check my computer for prices. So I pointed out to him, "I see a pad of paper and a pen and a phone. Wheres the computer?" I looked around wheres anybodys computer here!?! Then with a smile he says "So when do you wanna start making some money? Id like you to start tomorrow if you can."

PT Barnum once said, "Theres a sucker born every minute."
 
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