I listed an early 60's IH tailgate on Craigslist I've been emailing back and forth with this guy in Louisiana all day. So then he sends me this message: I won't be able to come in person to make a personal checking and then pay in CASH.Would need you to provide me with more photos.I will make a payment by sending you CHECK payable in your name and once received and it cleared check for your in bank, will then have shipping service arrange for pick up When they start telling me how the fund transfer and shipping will be handled my scam alert goes off in my head so I emailed him back: I will send you some good pictures. The funds will be handled in a Fed Wire money transfer from your bank to my bank. You will need to also send your bank's name, what branch of the bank you use, address and phone number of the bank used. I use a UPS packaging location in Des Moines for all my shipping. I have contacted them and with insurance on the package the shipping and packaging will be about $140. Thanks! So he emails back: We always use the check to buy items but nothing can be done to your vehicle until check is cleared in your bank after the check is cleared so I will arrange for pickup only need your mail address and your full name to be on the check I'm thinking scammer!
This guy sounds like an idiot... not worth the time you've already spent conversing with him. Definitely a scammer...
Not that it will help much but at the bottom of the scammer's email there's a link you can flag the reply as a scam. "Please flag unwanted messages (spam, scam, other):"
For when there speaking for like this wire transfer checking banking information good for checking shipping to come not in person...... Red flags go off for me! You want a wire transfer and understand how to get money with no paper trail, yet can’t structure a proper sentence I say scam ! Tell the guy to go back to Nigeria and keep your parts and money safe at home. Just my 2 cents !
Scam all the way. Poorly structured English and check BS, it wreaks of a scam email from Nigeria, not Louisiana. For Craigslist sales, sell the tailgate locally-in person for cash. If you're willing to ship it list it on ebay.
Sometimes when I get these people on the hook I yank them very hard. I am fairly fluent in several Mid Eastern and eastern European languages. It can be fun when you begin telling them about their neighborhood when you have never been there wanting to deliver or pick up something in person while there on vacation, Google Earth is fun!
Hell, it sounds like both of you are scammers. Fed wire transfer.....my bank to your bank?? I don't do that and will not buy if a seller suggests such. I do a Postal Money Order to a individual. If a prior relationship exists, I may do a personal check but only if I know them or the business and they know me. For a big ticket item.....I'm traveling with cash. I mean how hard is this?
If proper usage of the English language is a prerequisite for selling an item, I would have missed a hell of a lot of sales over the years. Maybe the guy is an legal immigrant? Let him send a check, cash it your bank and wait for 2 or 3 weeks to make sure it's cleared and have your bank certify that it's been cleared. Either the check doesn't clear or it does. Then ship the parts. Doesn't sound to difficult to me......
When and if the alarms start going off in your head then just stop the transaction at that point. Its almost always a scam if they won't come to see the parts in person or want to pay with a check and have a shipper pick it up. I have bought and sold a lot of stuff over the web and when an alarm goes off in my head I simply move on. I don't need the money so badly I should take a chance on giving my parts away. I guess fortunately for me the folks I buy from are willing to ship at my expense. Paypal and money orders seem to work just fine.
If it's too good to be true, it is! To me it has SCAM written all over it. Tell him you have a buddy that can collect and pay and that'll be the end of it.
I have bought and sold tons of stuff on the net, checks are good, but I wait till it clears. Nothing leaves my possession till the money is mine. PayPal is also good, have had no problem. I have a separate account, just for PayPal and transfer the money as soon as received. For big ticket items I buy, it’s a road trip and Benjamins. Just my way, it works for me. Bones
If YOU are selling it, ask where in Lousigeria he at, tell him you are a cross-country truck driver, and you may be able to deliver it to his place (for a few bucks of course). If he starts back pedaling, it stinks. If he gives a location, hit him with the "Turdsburg? My uncle lives in Turdburg!!" I have to call him and let him know! Small world , Huh?" Like said before, if the cheque clears and the money is in YOUR account, they can't get it out again. You should be able to sniff this one out.
Sounds like a scam, but maybe the guy isn't well spoken or even literate. You could ask him to send a photo of his photo driver's license and another photo of him standing in front of a famous Louisiana landmark. Then do money order-those those can be scammed as well.
I sold parts to someone overseas for $300.00 by them using Western Union. When it came into localWestern Union office, they cashed it right there with no problem. I just showed my ID, got my cash and then I shipped the parts out as agreed. No risk, no checks, just cash.
"I won't be able to come in person to make a personal checking and then pay in CASH.Would need you to provide me with more photos.I will make a payment by sending you CHECK payable in your name and once received and it cleared check for your in bank, will then have shipping service arrange for pick up" The buyer say's that he will wait until the check has cleared your bank to arrange for shipping. Maybe the guy just doesn't speak English. The bank can tell you if the check is fake when you hand it to them.
Sometimes people just dont agree on payment, but the wording the guy from Louisiana is using kinda bugs me.
It's been a long time since I sold anything online and I've read that money orders can be scammed so I called my bank and that is what they told me was the safest way, a bank to bank Fed wire transfer. They also told me that I could do a Western Union wire transfer where I'd have to go to a Western Union location to pick up the money. There are no local Western Union locations here so I'd have to go a ways just to get the money. The bank also mentioned Paypal but I'd have to set up an account. I have taken money orders and personal checks on previous sales, years ago. I never had a problem with a personal check but I got screwed on a money order once. Thanks for all the responses. I emailed the guy the following yesterday and I haven’t heard back since: Where are you in Louisiana. I have a lot of friends and relatives down there, I could have one of them pick up the cash in person.
This ought to scare a scammer. And there is certainly a HAMBer near him in Louisiana who can go visit the guy to see if he has an old car
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