Scammer on craigslist!

[jodini]

I know...they are everywhere! But this is your typical scam! I'm selling my Vicki Chance II on craigslist right now and a guy says he lives in California, but would have his movers pick it up on their way out of town. I had the vicki chance marked for $225.00...and here pops up this check for $2330.80 from UPS. He then emails me immediately and says, the movers will come buy and pick up their half of the check ($2100.00) and I'll keep the rest of the check! What a nice guy!

So I called up the bank "Silicon Valley Bank" and they confirm that it's not legit and do not negotiate with this guy named, Joe A Casper (but on the check was some other signature and on the envelope it says Ramse Ghattas.

You've been warned guys. I wish their were only good people out there! I thought how it was interesting how this guy always said, "God Bless" and "just had a death in the family" and other personal things.

I turned it over to the authorities and see what they do with it (probably nothing), so just want to give you guys heads up. Cash Only and meet them at the garage station down the street! Just a shady world out there!

Joe

P.S. The check is from "INFO SEARCH MEDIA, INC." and the bank is "Silicon Valley Bank" and the envelope did come out of California. I think the guy lives here in Nebraska but I just want to warn you guys ahead of time!

[luckydog]

greedy people will fall for stuff like that,

you wouldn't believe how may old people get scammed everyday here in Florida!!

[Card Shark]

There was someone running the same scam here in Virginia awhile back. It was actually on the news. They had scammed a local Police Officer. He fell for it and cashed the check. When the check came back, he ended up losing his job.

[jodini]

WOW! Unreal!

[Card Shark]

Lost his job over check fraud, even though he only received the check, they went after him for fraud due to depositing it.

I rarely sell on Craigslist, when I do it is cash only. Also I talk to the people on the phone first before I make arrangements for us to meet.

[Chumsize]

Hmm... there was a guy who lives quite close to me here in ye-old Silicon Valley that was selling a Vicky Chance II a couple months back. Wonder if they are related... if so could always send over "a coupla hard, pipe-hittin' (fellas), who'll go to work on the holmes (there) with a pair of pliers and a blow torch." Yunnow... get medieval on his ass?

heheh... still love that movie...

[mxfaiman]

Yeah I have delt with a few like that. A few weeks ago we were trying to sell a china cabinet (if you need one send me a PM. I still have it.) And we got a similar email. Knew it was fake right off the bat because what person in their right mind will give you double for something, let alone via check. They basically said they would pay for half of it and then have their "guys" come pick it up and then send the other half a few days later. not right. When dealing on CL and someone wants to pay by check, I'd go deposit it before you let the person leave with the item (you might meet a a bank to make it easier.) Otherwise deal in cash only or paypal.

[luckydog]

checks or money orders can bounce a week after you deposit them, some people have been known to pass conterfiet bills too!!

[jodini]

Luckydog...I agree! The guy WANTS me to cash it, because I can get the money from my bank no problem, but when they find out that the check is bad, it comes out of my account!

[emmadog]

Yep. Depositing the check is no guarantee that it's good. As LD said, it'll all seem on the up and up and the person leaves with the item. Then a few days later the check bounces and you're screwed. Lost of scams depend on this very fact to take advantage of naive sellers.

[candyflip]

cheques are virtually dead in this country... and have been on a downhill slide for many years.

Business to Business is about the only time they are used now.

Paypal, cash, credit cards and direct bank transfers (acct to acct) are the only ways things get done on this side of the pond.

[jodini]

I heard their are some paypal scams (I talked to a guy that works there) and that is...if it's not don't thru ebay, that the customer can just say they never got the item and request for their money back via paypal. If it goes thru they can get their money back and put your account into the negative. It's happened to me before where I did a magic show for Apple Computers and 3 months later, their finace department didn't recognize the payment that went to my account (which was a large amount) so they were refunded! So not only did my paypal go negative but the other funds came out of my bank account and checks started to bounce. Needless to say, they eventually fixed the problem (about 3 months later) but it just made me realize how shady paypal is!

CASH IS KING!

[luckydog]

paypal got sued years ago for tying up checking accounts for chargebacks, i don't think they caan do that now