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Urgent help/I cant get screwed over right?

H

Hylekmi

macrumors regular
Original poster
Dec 8, 2010
101
0
Hi guys, I am currently selling my Macbook on CraigsList and i think that this buyer is a little fishy. Heres the email

Thanks for your quick respond ,i am located in Remsenburg city in NY but currently out of state ,i really need to buy this and send to my brother outside the state as a Promise gift .I have been trying to buy this on eBay but its so very stressful buying on eBay. I will offer you $750 for the item and $130 for shipping so as to close the auction as soon as possible.I will be paying through PayPal because i have a verified account with PayPal.So kindly get back with your PayPal email address so i can make payment into your PayPal account and if you don't have an account you can simply log on to WWW dot PayPal dot com and register for one.Get back to me if my approval is granted.I would like to see the pictures please.


does it seem like a good idea to use paypal to do this. Or is it a scam?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
matbook101 said:
What he will do once he gets the ipad is call paypal up and say he didn't authorize the payment. Then he has a free ipad and you have an investigation for fraud on your hands.
Click to expand...

What if i can provide those emails?
 
If its too good to be true then it usually is. Offering more money is an easy way for scammers to hook unsuspecting sellers.

I use Craigslist and I only go with cash deals and no shipping.

by the way, while the name changes I get these offers all the time. Walk away and deal with a person face to face (in a public place) and only accept cash.
 
It's a scam. And if you ever get in a dispute and you're on the "selling" end you will lose 100% of the time. PayPal is incredibly stupid like that.
 
Here is a very similar post - from Oct 2010 - listed on a "watch out for these scams" page [link]

Thanks for you reply,i am located in Remsenburg city in NY,i really
need to buy this and send to my son schooling outside the state as a
gift .I have been trying to buy this on ebay but its so very stressful buying on ebay.I will offer you $430 so as to close the auction as soon as
possible.I will be paying through PAYPAL because i have a verified
account with paypal.So kindly get back with
your paypal email address so i can make payment into your paypal
account.Once payment clears,shipment will be handled by me through my
personal fedex account,so you dont have to pay for shipment.Get back
to me if my approval is granted.I would like to see the pictures
please…………………
Thanks
Click to expand...

Look familiar? I was struck by the reference to Remsenburg, NY... must be full of nefarious types. Just in case somebody reading this thread (now or later) was tempted to tempt fate.

Note the same misplaced period after 'gift' in the 1st sentence....
 
I cant get screwed over right?

Hey guys, i posted earlier about my issue on craigs list. The guy said that he would send me a cashiers check. Thats legit right? I feel like it is.

heres the email.

Hi,
Am glad it's available. I'm going on a vacation to London but I will instruct my assistant to prepare and mail your payment which I'm sure you will get in about 4 - 6 business days. I'll add $20 extra for the delay. I'll pay by M O or cashier check so send me your info (i.e full name, mailing address and your phone number) so payment can be mailed out immediately. I will also make arrangement for pick-up which will be after you must have received and cashed the payment. Awaiting your info.
Thanks
 
I have read multiple times about cashier's check fraud...even within the fraud pages of craigslist itself.

'Sounds' legit...yes, actually IS is another question:

Do NOT accept a check for more money that you are requesting for the item. They will request that you forward the overpayment to someone and then you will be out the extra money.

And, if it's a foreign cashier's check while your bank may say it has cleared, the check may actually not have yet, so 'friend' who picks item up may get the item for free after the check ultimately fails to clear.

See this:

http://www.snopes.com/crime/fraud/cashier.asp
 
Do not ever deal with anyone on Craigslist without meeting them in person and getting a payment directly. Cashier's checks and money orders are common tactics for fraudulent payments, because you won't know until too late if they're fake. Get cash, do it in person, and do it in public (with at least one friend with you).

jW
 
Hylekmi said:
Hey guys, i posted earlier about my issue on craigs list. The guy said that he would send me a cashiers check. Thats legit right? I feel like it is.

heres the email.

Hi,
Am glad it's available. I'm going on a vacation to London but I will instruct my assistant to prepare and mail your payment which I'm sure you will get in about 4 - 6 business days. I'll add $20 extra for the delay. I'll pay by M O or cashier check so send me your info (i.e full name, mailing address and your phone number) so payment can be mailed out immediately. I will also make arrangement for pick-up which will be after you must have received and cashed the payment. Awaiting your info.
Thanks
Click to expand...

Wrong. Phony cashiers checks are a common scam. Be very concerned about any individual that knows more about you than you know about them. He is asking for your name address and phone but did he provide his information? Deal with somebody who is willing to come quickly and bring cash. This guy that wants you to wait 4-6 business days for payment by mail is defeating the whole purpose of craigslist. I suggest you reply and say that you have some other interested parties and he should contact you when he gets back from London and bring cash if he still wants the item.
 
Hylekmi said:
Hey guys, i posted earlier about my issue on craigs list. The guy said that he would send me a cashiers check. Thats legit right? I feel like it is.

heres the email.

Hi,
Am glad it's available. I'm going on a vacation to London but I will instruct my assistant to prepare and mail your payment which I'm sure you will get in about 4 - 6 business days. I'll add $20 extra for the delay. I'll pay by M O or cashier check so send me your info (i.e full name, mailing address and your phone number) so payment can be mailed out immediately. I will also make arrangement for pick-up which will be after you must have received and cashed the payment. Awaiting your info.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Fraud. Anything not face to face = fraud.

No doubt.
 
Every time I have ever put an item up for sale, about 80% of the responses to the ad were either spam or scams. You need to be very careful with Craigslist. Always meet them somewhere with a lot of people and only accept cash and preferably bring someone along with you.
 
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