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Craigslist Scams

 

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A reader emailed me that a person tried to scam him. The reader had offered a room for rent. Someone emailed him, stating to come from the UK.

I don't know the exact offer, but scammers on Craigs List work like this:

  1. You want to rent the room for $500/month
  2. They offer to pay $1200 (first + last month, plus $200 overpayment)
  3. You will get the $1200 per Fedex or UPS, as a cashier's check or money order
  4. Then they ask you to send the $200 to a friend whom they owe the money. You are supposed to send the money to that friend with Western Union or Moneygram
  5. You use your own $200 for this
  6. Your $1200 check bounces (it was FAKE!)


You just lost $200.
And your bank is angry at you for depositing a fake check.
The smallest problem would be a $30 fine for depositing a "bounced" check. Worst scenario: you get arrested for this.

There is a slim chance that the person is real, but if he offered to send money upfront, I bet it's a scammer.


Comments:

You are on page 2 of 2, other pages: 1 [2]
2009-07-27, 14:54:11
anonymous from United States  
rating
Here is one from today:


Thanks so much for replying my email,I really do appreciate it,I would
have loved us to see before making any plan but i really have a lot of
things to do right now.


More about me again I am a Pediatric nurse,30 years old..I am the neat type,I
like honest,responsible,trustworthy and hardworking people while I
dislike lazy,messy,uncaring people and I love pets so much,I am quiet
and easy going person to live with. I'm 5'7' straight. i like tourism
and,i don't keep late nights neither will i have overnight guest
around, but i am okay if you do,I was born and in France, as
there was where i had my university education and stay with my uncle
there!!

I lived almost all my life way in Paris (Really i know that most
renter will love to meet the person renting to before move in)I cant
judge myself but i am a God fearing and straight forward person that
respect you and your privacy, I was in my final year when my mum
died,i lost my dad before i was born,I grew up with my uncle after my
mum died...she was a nurse before she died,I took up the Matron
Line,because i love my Mum so much,And i was interested in the Medical
Line.Before She was Late I new a little about the Matron Line,I served
in the Paris Red Cross for 8 months,we have involved in projects that
includes orphans,orphanages,heart related diseases in children between
the ages of 4-10yrs,and we were also in Alabama when they had the
attack of hurricane Katrina

Ambition and Work:

I was looking to move over to your state, because i understand that
i'll be doing good overthere as i ve been told by my uncle's friend
who lives there..And i will be working with any hospital around as i
am also making en quires on that now...
Am sure You 'll really like the person that i am ,because i will also
do the dishing if you like,I work when i am to and relax when i am
to,I also like sharing my thoughts also....paying rent on time will
not be a problem as i will also be making the rent fee before the
month end....


Right now.I ve the support of my uncle about my well being,so you
shouldn't be bothered about if i am competent of paying the rent
I must confess am comfortable with the price and I will want to secure
the place down before my arrival so i will want you to tell me all
about the place,as i can't see it before my arrival but the
pictures...I also will want you to know that i have my car that i will
be coming over with,and little of my furniture's,please let me know if
there will be room for them..


With all that i ve said above,I have told you more about me.Let me also know how
i can go about securing the place down before my arrival,My Uncle just
told me that i have to be in the States By the End of this Month Or
before August 15th,So i
am getting my belongings ready to come. i will also be busy from next
week preparing to come over and let me know if you can take off the ad
off the site as i am going to secure the place with a deposit

Feel free to ask me any question and as i ve said,i am looking to move
in asap,but want to secure the place down now,so that i will not be
having problem concerning accommodation on my Arrival..

Have a blissful Day..

Thanks..
2009-07-27, 19:50:38
anonymous from United Kingdom  

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From:     infoweb33@bsumail.net (infoweb33@bsumail.net)
    Medium riskYou may not know this sender.Mark as safe|Mark as junk
Sent:     28 July 2009 01:21:07
To:    

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Email ticket number:754/22/76
Result winning numbers:10-12-24-25-41/03-05
DATE:27-July-2009
EMAIL AWARD CONGRATULATIONS!!!

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2009-07-30, 16:23:43
anonymous from United States  

Codey Valentina Here is my picture too..‏ 4:22 AM
Codey Valentina ***Interested in your Rental***Reply As Soon As Possible
Codey Valentina $500 Room for Rent

$500 Room for Rent
From: Codey Valentina (sritzo2@gmail.com)
Sent: Wed 7/29/09 8:09 AM
Hi,
Good day to you,Hope you are doing fine? I understand that you postedan ad that you have a room available for rent on craigslist.com.I amhighly interested in knowing the availability of the place and i willalso want to know more about the neighborhood ,the place and utilitiesincluded...??... About me...I am a pediatric nurse and a single lady of 30,i don't havea pet.....I'll let you know more about me if i can know the availability of the room.I live with my uncle in France presently andwill relocate to the united states soon. I have seen rooms that are okay on the website but the owners are noteasy to get along with,so i will want to know more about you too.Amonth to month lease would be perfect......i plan to arrive by the midof August.All that i'll want to know is the availability and totalmove in cost before moving in. I will be willing to let you know more about me.
Kind Regards,
Codey Valentin- --------------------------------------------------------------------this message was remailed to you via: hous-3ennc-1289023491@craigsl. org---------------------------------------------------------------------

This individual tried to scam me this week. I thought to google the name first. Glad I did. Other mails from this person matched verbatim some of the other posting. BEWARE!!!
This image was also posted here:
Dating scammer Osai Williams from Ghana
Dating scammer Kelly Grant
Dating scammer Jessica Adam
Dating scammer Faustina Blankson
Dating scammer GRUPO DE DISCUSSÃO EM PORTUGUÊS



Keywords:
2009-07-31, 20:39:23
anonymous from United States  
I posted the picture in the previous comment. This is the letter that I received today. I also met another individual locally who had posted an ad for a room on craigslist and he received the exact same letters that I did. BEWARE!!! They will get no response from.
______________________________________________________________________________________


I await your urgent Response....‏
From: Codey Valentina (codeyvalentina147@gmail.com)
Sent: Fri 7/31/09 5:00 AM
To:

Hi xxx,

How are you doing?Thanks for the detailed reply..

I just got in touch with my uncle and we decided on mailing the
payment on Monday August 3rd,2009 and its due to arrive in three four
working days.Please let me know if this is OK with you.

Just to let you know that my things will be delivered to the home
prior to my arrival.I'll sure keep you posted as regards the shipping
of my things and my flight itineraries as soon as i have it.

Thanks for willing to give me the room,I can't wait to meet you.

Best regards,

Codey Valentina


2009-08-19, 10:42:15
anonymous from United States  
rating
You will not stop these losers from dong this by reporting them. They have nothing else to do but to make up new email addresses to run the scam from. The way to stop them, or limit them, is to waste THEIR time and resources. So play along. Make up some stock scam responses to string them along. The more time they spend trying to work you the less they have to start a new scam. If you can get them to commit fed ex fees or overnight mail fees to send the phony check even better. That way you take those costs right out of their pocket. It doesn't sound like a lot, but remember that in Nigeria the cost of a stamp may be their wage for a day. And you get the added bonus of a phony check for some outrageous amount made out to some ridiculous name like Mickey Mouse. Frame it and laugh at the fool who thought they were scamming you.
2009-09-12, 20:32:58
anonymous from United States  
Read thru all the emails and can say that I fell for one of these scammers about two years ago. Got a cheque and took it to the bank and deposited it and withdrew the money that I was to send them back and keep some fee money. Briefly, I wired the money via Western Union, where they had a agent, and a couple of days later the bank informed me that the check was a rubber check. I was held liable for the money and I am still paying the money off to the bank. Please be aware that all of those scammers out there offering you a job in exchange for you sending them a portion of the money and you keeping 10% is a HOAX and a SCAM! Don't fall for this scam as I did or you will be paying for the bounced check!
2009-09-27, 11:29:14
anonymous from Canada  
I had a room to let also and recived a couple of emails from supopsed social workers who were looking to move to mky city from So dakota *(funny they both were working in So Dakota huh?) same things sent pics of my [place and they wanted to 'secure' the room with a Money order for firsdt, last and damage deposit, and also send thier buddy some cash over and above.. I thought it was stupid for them to send a complete starnegr that kind of money so I told her to wait till she got into town and we'd deal in cash only.. last i heard from them at that time
2009-09-29, 00:16:56
anonymous from Canada  
Another craig list scam is the guy that wants to hier you to drive an important client aropund your city for a few days same thing sends you money up fromt for salary and you get stuck and the 'client never shows up
You are on page 2 of 2, other pages: 1 [2]

 

 

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