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Craigslist Fraud

Just thought I'd share my recent experience with attempting to sell some audio equipment on Craigslist.  Attempted to sell a Audio Research Ref 3LE.  I know now that doing so via Craigslist was probably stupid.  Anyway, I had a guy from out of state reach out to me.  Said that he wanted to buy it.  Asked that he send a cashiers check.  A couple days later the FedEx arrives with a check for $12K more than what I was asking...  The alarm bells went off.  Check was from a business in Chicago and the FedEx was from Florida.  They did a very convincing job of making up the check.  Reported it to the police - so I could feel better.  They let me know that the scammers would probably have come back and asked that I send part of the money back to them.. as if.  Rang the company that the check was reported to have come from (The Belt Railway Company of Chicago).  They said that I was the 6th person in the last week that rang them.  Wanted to put this out for y'all and hope that no one goes through this like I did.  Very thankful that it only cost me time, frustration and some dents to my ego.  
128x128thelostdutchman
rtorchia's avatar
rtorchia
138 posts
 
I have made a number of successful transactions on CL for all sorts of stuff and met some very nice people. In my ads I state that I am hip to all of the scams so it isn’t worth wasting time for either of us. Of course some people try but I ridicule them and move on.
axo0oxa
98 posts
 
I am sure that there are scamming on all different sites, some sites more prone that others, but they are all out there prying on people. This is the reason I always sell or buy where there will be face to face contact and a cash transaction or a known bank check is used. This then means that most of my sales or purchases will be fairly local, within an easy days ride both back and forth. I do this because I am a worrier and this removes most of it for me. Others are better at rooting out the scams and are comfortable buying or selling long distance. I could never do this. Maybe you should rethink how you buy or sell. I just used Craig's list to sell two high end bikes with no problems. I did have a few scammers approach me. All the scammers wanted to transfer through shipping arrangements and not willing to come and meet face to face. Those emails were just deleted by me.
muggyjones1234
4 posts
 
I too had a brush with a Craigslist scammer. I had just posted a listing for a Pioneer Spec-1 & Spec-4 combo. A day later a reply came that said something to the effect I should reply to a separate E-mail address, outside of Craigslist which tipped me off immediately, but I did just for curiosity. I was told the buyer had no problems with my price & he was definitely interested, then the next day he stated he unfortunately had to work & couldn’t pay & pick the items up himself (which were listed as pickup only) but he could send me a cashier’s check, swore it was good, I could even go cash it first & receive the money, along with a 50 additional bucks for doing so, he would arrange for a 3rd party to come pickup the items after I had my money. Now I’m clearly aware of these fraudulent cashier’s checks, your bank will gladly cash them for you & then in a wk. or 2 when they bounce, your bank will hold you responsible for repayment, I stated that the only way we would do business is that he would have to come to me with cash & make the exchange in person, I never heard another word.
emcallaway
8 posts
 
I've sold a few things on Craigslist, always local, never very expensive.  As I think about offering up some nicer gear soon, I have thought about listing on Craigslist, but I'm nervous about asking someone to bring $3000 cash to the Starbucks parking lot.  Has anyone used Venmo or PayPal to close those deals?  Any thoughts?
teo_audio
2,197 posts
 
one time I won an eBay item worth about $6k-8k, for $2k.
the guy slowed it down and never mailed the item, kept delaying and so on. in the end 'his wife packaged it and sent it' as he said would finally happen.
Turned out it really was a desperation sale to help cover costs....he really was in the hospital and basically dying from diabetes complications and his wife had to package it and send it, late.
Way to feel bad.....
the odd time it really is legit. but only the very odd time.
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