Re: OT - Items for sale - anybody seen this?

[S V G <vsyevolod@yahoo.com>]

     There are a bunch of scams going around like this, most of them 
worded similarly or at least
with the same modus operandi.  I actually dealt with one of these guys 
last year.  I was selling
an item on Craig's List for $150.  This guy wants to receive pictures of 
it and hear about it's
condition.  I had already listed a lot of info about it's condition, this 
was my first tip off. 
Anyway, I sent photos and didn't hear back for a coupla weeks.  I inquired 
again and they
apologized for not getting back to me.  They said a check would be in the 
mail.  A few weeks later
I received a check and the same day got an email from them saying that 
they believed that I got
the check by now.  The check was mailed from Denmark, and it was a 
cashier's check for $4,000 from
a bank in Utah.  They asked me to cash the check, wire them the difference 
and they would have
their courier pick up the item from my house.  I took the check to the 
post office to ask them if
it was a forgery or not.  They confirmed that it was and asked me if I 
could get an address or
phone number from them.  I tried and was not successful.  A few weeks 
later I received a phone
call from London, the man's voice sounded African.  He asked if I had 
received the check and when
could they expect a wire?  I asked for his name and telephone number and 
he refused to give it to
me.  This happened a second time a week later.  I asked him if he was 
aware that the check was a
forgery.  He vehemently denied it.  End of story.

     A couple of clues that should prick up anyones ears.  They never 
refer to the item by name
other than perhaps in the Subject Line.  They always ask for more info, 
pictures, condition,
regardless of how well you described it in the first place.  Even if you 
ultimately don't fall for
it, it's a huge waste of time (at least the first time...)  Hopefully this 
email will save a few
people from that.

     Evidently, even though your bank may cash the check for you, when it 
comes up as a forgery a
few days later, you are held responsible.  Nowadays whenever I receive a 
scam asking me for photos
and more information I usually respond "How about you go intercourse 
yourself instead?" (though
not in such polite terms.)  Funny thing, I usually never hear back from 
them...  What, is it
something I said?

     EBay is turning into more and more of a nightmare.  I just got an 
email from them today
informing me that they are no longer supplying the complementary vaseline. 
 Instead, they are
raising their rates to 8% of the final sale if it's under $1,000.  If one 
of these scammers pulls
that kind of ca-ca on you, it's not as easy to wiggle out of it for fear 
of receiving negative
feedback.

     If you live in the States, CraigsList rocks.  It was recently sold by 
the initial guys,
though they put a bunch of terms on the sale, like it always has to be 
free, no pop up ads, etc. 
These guys really did us all a favor.  They even have a link on their 
front page warning people of
scams like the ones we're talking about here.  I believe that Harmony 
Central does too.

              Stephen




<<Since advertising with them recently, I have gotten three replies from 
European countries who
are 
seeing the ads on the web.  However, the replies are ALL worded almost 
exactly the same, even 
though they are from different sources.  This smells of something rotten, 
to me...kindof like
those 
hoax mails you get about "I am the recipient of a multi-million dollar 
family trust and I need
your 
help in dispersing it".

Anyway, here is the text of the last reply.  Has anybody seen these?  Are 
they malicious?

"Hello,
Ê I saw yourÊ AdvertÊÊ over the web and am much interested in buying it. I 
live here in the 
Germany, I will be responsible for the shippment down to my location, so 
please kindly write me
backwith 
your last offering price. And i will also need some recent pictures of it 
, I will like to know 
the condition and please let me know if it is still availableÊ . I am 
Looking forward to your 
soonest reply"

As I said, I got replies from Italy (address no longer active when I 
replied w/ pics), and another

this morning from Canada (haven't heard back).

this third one worded the exact same way was what pricked up my ears.

sorry for the off topic...I'm just curious now.

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