Watch out for scams!

[philipt42]

http://providence.craigslist.org/sys/2619701566.html


This listing will probably disappear in a few days, but this is the message I got from the person who put the ad up when I replied:

Hi there,
My 15" Macbook Pro is still available and it's in excellent condition, has a
Wrapsol clear skin installed on top and bottom case and palm rests and also
the battery has only 67 power cycles on it. I'm selling it because I already
bought a new iMac and I don't need the macbook any more. This is the newest
model which was just released on February 24, 2011, with the Thunderbolt
Port. It was purchased on March 31 from an Authorized Apple Reseller and it
has every available upgrade and accessory,it's still under warranty till
March 31, 2012 but you can also purchase additional extended AppleCare
Warranty coverage. This unit, runs OSX Lion 10.7.1, comes also with MS
Office 2011, Adobe CS5 and iLife 2011, I will provide the install discs for
all the software and also the original purchase receipt. The final price I
want for it is $1100.
Get back to me if you are interested in purchasing it so I can provide more
details!
Thank you!

I emailed back saying, yes, I was interested. (I was, of course, skeptical, but I also thought I should at least go through the motions, as the unit mentioned would be a spectacular deal). This is what he replied:

On Fri, 07 Oct 2011 07:55:45 -0400, Benjamin Stone <benstne@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi again,
Before we go forward with this sale I want to tell you that I'm in Tampa, Florida.
I will make the deal only through eBay. I'm a member of the eBay Buyer protection program and using this service you will get a 5 days testing period after delivery and the shipping will be supported by me. I want to let you know that this will be a fast process , I will ship the macbook overnight and you will receive it the next day, and I will be only receiving the money from eBay after you receive the macbook and confirm the purchase to eBay.
Let me know if you are still interested in buying it so I can contact eBay and set up a transaction asap. In order to do that I will need to contact them with your name and address (for shipping) and after this you will be automatically included in the eBay Buyer Protection program and you will receive an invoice with further info about the process.
Regards

I included full text and email as a reference for those who google before they buy (and everyone should!)
So, yeah. Be careful on Craigslist!

 

[palpatine]

it's a scam, but if we posted every scam, then the forums would be packed. maybe we need a separate forum for scams, but i don't think we should post them here. it ends up being like the emails i get every few weeks from relatives warning me about this or that computer virus. i just write back and say "i use a mac." here, i will just say "i use my brain"

 

[jenzjen]

Reply and ask him to just put up an auction with a BIN, see what happens.

 

[philipt42]

it's a scam, but if we posted every scam, then the forums would be packed. maybe we need a separate forum for scams, but i don't think we should post them here. it ends up being like the emails i get every few weeks from relatives warning me about this or that computer virus. i just write back and say "i use a mac." here, i will just say "i use my brain"

That's one way of looking at it...on the other hand, I saw a few threads on other forums documenting similar scams, so I thought that having it here, google/mroogleable would be a good thing. Not everyone is as intuitive around scams, and a few of the posts I saw after a quick google to confirm that the above was a scam were people complaining about being ripped off! So, yes, people do fall for these things.

----------

And yes, in retrospect, it does look like those emails my grandma is constantly sending me...nonetheless...

 

[rhinosrcool]

Craigslist is cash only. Also, you go through CL because you want to see it in person. Even if the seller put it up with BIN, I wouldn't touch it. You know the saying "if it's sounds too good to be true.....".

 

[GGJstudios]

If you read the MR Guides and search the forums you'll find quite a few threads on this issue and plenty of information and warnings about buying and/or selling on Craigslist.

Even Craigslist warns you about scams: http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams

 

[palpatine]

If you read the MR Guides and search the forums you'll find quite a few threads on this issue and plenty of information and warnings about buying and/or selling on Craigslist.

Even Craigslist warns you about scams: http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams

yep. i appreciate the heads up, and i hear that people fall for the scams, but i don't think this forum is the place to have the discussion.

this is, after all, just a variation on an old theme. someone asks for money in exchange for an item shipped from a distant location for a cost that seems too good to be true.

 

[philipt42]

yep. i appreciate the heads up, and i hear that people fall for the scams, but i don't think this forum is the place to have the discussion.

this is, after all, just a variation on an old theme. someone asks for money in exchange for an item shipped from a distant location for a cost that seems too good to be true.

Honestly, I just wanted to get the text of the scam out there, so when someone googles it, they see this thread. Just my first instinct.

Now I need to find a legit MBP!

 

[rkahl]

You guys must be crazy. Everyone knows there is no scamming on Craigslist!

 

[the707]

thanks for posting I just got the same guy exact same message. Coincidentally I will be in Florida next week! I'm sure he will be eager to meet me so I can pay in person.

 

[philipt42]

thanks for posting I just got the same guy exact same message. Coincidentally I will be in Florida next week! I'm sure he will be eager to meet me so I can pay in person.

Haha nice! Be sure to report what he says.

 

[noisycats]

Ha, my local CLs has him selling an iMac out of Florida with a South Carolina receipt.

Thanks for the heads up.

 

[lkwan]

wow he is working houston,tx!!!

darn too good to be true!