Craigslist.com

Tina

Tina

Banned
Dear TTW Posters,

I've got several emails (like the following email) to buy my items via craigslist.com. I wonder this person is a serious buyer or not. Any advice!! Thank you.

Tina

------

Hello Seller,
I will like to show interest in buying your item ,My name is Jeremi Moses
from florida .. I came across your item and i have really read all the
description of the item and I'm very much interested to buy it
I will like to ask you some few questions..
1.How long have you owned it?
2.Any available photo?
3.How much are you asking for it?
4.Do you accept a (Cashier Check/Money Order)as a mode of payment?
5.Get back to me with your Full name,address and Phone # to further our
discussion.
Note that you don't need to worry about shipping as i have a private
shipping company that will take care of the shipping and delivery of the
item once payment is been received by you.
Mr.Jeremi
 
P

ProgressoR

Hall of Fame
Tina this is a scam. He says item instead of what it is. And he wants all your personal details.

However if you choose to reply to him, you might as well provide him with your bank account number and all your account passwords.
 
Tina

Tina

Banned
ProgressoR said:
Tina this is a scam. He says item instead of what it is. And he wants all your personal details.

However if you choose to reply to him, you might as well provide him with your bank account number and all your account passwords.
Click to expand...

Thank you for your reply. You save my life:) -T
 
Lakers4Life

Lakers4Life

Hall of Fame
I agree, Unless they actually state the item or service you are selling, don't bother answering them. Especially when they have a some odd link.

Most replies to a Craiglist ad will ask more normal questions pertaining to the item.

Use common sense.
 
Hoons54

Hoons54

Rookie
i recently encountered something like this while trying to sell my badminton gear on craigslist. The buyer sent me a check for ridiculous amount.... 2 thousand and change. I told him I'm going to rip up the check and told him to go f@%$ himself/herself and go burn in hell for trying to scam me. Most likely it's one of nigerian scammers....
 
Tina

Tina

Banned
Lakers4Life said:
I agree, Unless they actually state the item or service you are selling, don't bother answering them. Especially when they have a some odd link.

Most replies to a Craiglist ad will ask more normal questions pertaining to the item.

Use common sense.
Click to expand...

I received several emails with links too.
 
Larrysümmers

Larrysümmers

Hall of Fame
Hoons54 said:
i recently encountered something like this while trying to sell my badminton gear on craigslist. The buyer sent me a check for ridiculous amount.... 2 thousand and change. I told him I'm going to rip up the check and told him to go f@%$ himself/herself and go burn in hell for trying to scam me. Most likely it's one of nigerian scammers....
Click to expand...

i am always getting emails from them. they are amusing.
 
S

slice bh compliment

G.O.A.T.
Jeremi Moses/ Hahah, sounds EXACTLY like my good friend Nigel Seladu. I've had good internet dealings with him! He's in Florida now? Wow! Last we spoke, he was still back in Nigeria. He's evidently really well-connected over there.

Seemed I was the only one to actually answer his emails. Maybe he changed his name to Jeremi to appeal to the US boyband culture, and Moses to add some credibility.

Anyway, I hope you know I'm kidding around, just making an oblique Murray Hewitt reference (not Andy and Lleyton, but the mgr of Flight of the Conchords).

Best of luck selling your....item.
 
Tina

Tina

Banned
slice bh compliment said:
Jeremi Moses/ Hahah, sounds EXACTLY like my good friend Nigel Seladu. I've had good internet dealings with him! He's in Florida now? Wow! Last we spoke, he was still back in Nigeria. He's evidently really well-connected over there.

Seemed I was the only one to actually answer his emails. Maybe he changed his name to Jeremi to appeal to the US boyband culture, and Moses to add some credibility.

Anyway, I hope you know I'm kidding around, just making an oblique Murray Hewitt reference (not Andy and Lleyton, but the mgr of Flight of the Conchords).

Best of luck selling your....item.
Click to expand...

I know you are joking with me, a well-known boxer-SBC:)
 
Lakers4Life

Lakers4Life

Hall of Fame
Tina said:
I received several emails with links too.
Click to expand...

The big tip off is the "From" name never matches the Salutation name.

Also Craigslist ad links always have and area (location) in between the domain name and ad number.
I.E. losangeles.craigslist.org/sgv/spo/1827941995.html
 
chollyred

chollyred

Rookie
I sold a guitar on Craigslist this past Christmas. I couldn't believe all the scam and spam emails I got. One thing I learned was NEVER accept a Cashiers Check or Money Order for anything sold as they are almost always faked.

Deal with local buyers only, and make sure any checks clear before sending anything anywhere. If possible, deal in cash. Cash is king.

The experience was so painful, I don't know that I'll ever use Craigslist as a seller again. I have had two good (cash) transactions as a buyer.
 
Rockitdog

Rockitdog

Banned
Craigslist is just terrible. I listed a racquet for sale and got all kinds of junk Spam from people for services that had nothing to do with my item for sale. Its becoming a joke!
 
Photoshop

Photoshop

Professional
http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams
always, always, always deal locally. and cash only! no exceptions.

also remove the reply-to email address and just put your phone number in the ad. that significantly cuts down the number of potential scammers (to almost none) and you'll sell your item faster.
 
goober

goober

Legend
Tina said:
Dear TTW Posters,

I've got several emails (like the following email) to buy my items via craigslist.com. I wonder this person is a serious buyer or not. Any advice!! Thank you.

Tina

------

Hello Seller,
I will like to show interest in buying your item ,My name is Jeremi Moses
from florida .. I came across your item and i have really read all the
description of the item and I'm very much interested to buy it
I will like to ask you some few questions..
1.How long have you owned it?
2.Any available photo?
3.How much are you asking for it?
4.Do you accept a (Cashier Check/Money Order)as a mode of payment?
5.Get back to me with your Full name,address and Phone # to further our
discussion.
Note that you don't need to worry about shipping as i have a private
shipping company that will take care of the shipping and delivery of the
item once payment is been received by you.
Mr.Jeremi
Click to expand...


I am not sure it can get more obvious than that. Complete form letter-

1. "I will like to show interest in buying your item" What kind of english is that? Nigerian english-lol?
2. Never mentions what you are selling or asks relelvant details.
3. Cashiers check.- big no no
4. Has a private shipping company- seriously? Maybe its because uh they don't want to give out their foreign address?
5. Mr. Jeremi? Who calls themselves Mr. and inserts their first name not their surname?
 
J

jswinf

Professional
slice bh compliment said:
Jeremi Moses/ Hahah, sounds EXACTLY like my good friend Nigel Seladu. I've had good internet dealings with him! He's in Florida now? Wow! Last we spoke, he was still back in Nigeria. He's evidently really well-connected over there.

Seemed I was the only one to actually answer his emails. Maybe he changed his name to Jeremi to appeal to the US boyband culture, and Moses to add some credibility.

.
Click to expand...

Sounds like you banked a few million helping the poor guy transfer his fortune and now you're living a life of luxury. That'll teach the rest of us not to be so cynical. I'll get online right away and post my bank account and social security numbers and offer to help those guys out, hope I'm not too late to cash in...:(
 
athiker

athiker

Hall of Fame
A few things I do.

I have an email address I only use for Craigslist and any other site that I'm a bit cautious with. The name in the email address has nothing to do with my real name. When I send an email from that account the only name seen by the other person is my email address and my first name. I actually had to put my first name and then a dot in the space where my last name would go in my email account profile options to get this to work.

Typically the first email I receive is a general inquiry about whether the item is still available, and often asks if I can "hold it" for them. If its obvious spam, then I flag it with my spam blocker...end of story. If not, then my first response is a general one.

Typically I state something like:

Yes, it is still available. There has been some interest but no one has actually come out and paid me. The first cash in my hand takes it as its really the only way I can do it.

I live on the West side of (town name) out (main road,not my street) road. I work from home and check my email frequently so just let me know when you will be able to come out and I will email you my cell phone number and you can call me to confirm that I still have it and get directions.

If we set up an appointment for a few days ahead, just remember to give me a quick call on my cell phone to remind me before you leave to come out that day. I obviously won't sell it out from under you when we have confirmed you are on your way but it may have been sold earlier and I don't want you to waste a trip.

Thank you for your interest,

(first name)
Click to expand...

For anyone that seriously wants the item these small steps are not going to dissuade them. For the others, well, it seems to be just enough for them not to bother, there are plenty of other fish in the sea. Most never even get to the point of asking for my cell phone number.

I've sold everything from my car and used appliances to used strollers with no problems so far. I think a key is I work from home and state that upfront so one I'm very flexible re: meeting times and two there isn't much point in following up to get a time when I might actually be away from home to attempt to steal something desirable, since I'm here all the time.

Finally, I also have a separate account at an online photo hosting site that I only use for forums, craigslist and other public uses. I typically put links in my ads to better higher quality photos that I host there. A little marketing goes a long way.
 
Cindysphinx

Cindysphinx

G.O.A.T.
Friend of the family was bilked in a Nigerian scam. The guy was about 70 and had dementia. He kept responding to the e-mails, believing he was making legit business deals. By the time the family found out about it, the house had been mortgaged to the hilt and the savings were tapped out. Even after the wife and kids went to court to make sure dad couldn't keep sending money to these people, he was angry that his family had ruined his business.

Poor people. I know they had to sell the family home to get whatever was left after the mortgages. The guy died a few years later. Nicest guy you'd ever want to know before he became ill. He'd be sick at heart to know he had impoverished his own family in this way.
 
Hoons54

Hoons54

Rookie
Cindysphinx said:
Friend of the family was bilked in a Nigerian scam. The guy was about 70 and had dementia. He kept responding to the e-mails, believing he was making legit business deals. By the time the family found out about it, the house had been mortgaged to the hilt and the savings were tapped out. Even after the wife and kids went to court to make sure dad couldn't keep sending money to these people, he was angry that his family had ruined his business.

Poor people. I know they had to sell the family home to get whatever was left after the mortgages. The guy died a few years later. Nicest guy you'd ever want to know before he became ill. He'd be sick at heart to know he had impoverished his own family in this way.
Click to expand...

those scammers need to be stoned!!!
 
O

OrangeOne

Legend
In some ways we should be somewhat thankful that this style of internet scamming hasn't yet truly evolved - it's still pretty easy to spot for most.

When it does evolve (eg. the scammers start paying people with english skills), there will be bigger problems, and many more of them.

As others have said - cash is king. If you're worried about the transaction or even if you're not and you live alone, meet at a local McDonalds!

Even if I am completing a sale at home, I never, ever invite the person inside, and rarely to the doorstep. Setup the item outside, have your receipt and a small amount of change with you.
 
Cindysphinx

Cindysphinx

G.O.A.T.
Yeah, my sister was going to sell her car a few years back. She was wondering what to do about the test drive for people who responded to her ad.

I said she should write down driver's license info and hand over the keys. She was thinking she should go with the person to make sure they don't steal or abuse the car. I was thinking she should be more concerned that they might steal or abuse *her.*
 
Tina

Tina

Banned
Cindysphinx said:
Yeah, my sister was going to sell her car a few years back. She was wondering what to do about the test drive for people who responded to her ad.

I said she should write down driver's license info and hand over the keys. She was thinking she should go with the person to make sure they don't steal or abuse the car. I was thinking she should be more concerned that they might steal or abuse *her.*
Click to expand...

You bet, Cindy. I am a very careful lady and always watch out for troubles:)
 
Tina

Tina

Banned
goober said:
I am not sure it can get more obvious than that. Complete form letter-

1. "I will like to show interest in buying your item" What kind of english is that? Nigerian english-lol?
2. Never mentions what you are selling or asks relelvant details.
3. Cashiers check.- big no no
4. Has a private shipping company- seriously? Maybe its because uh they don't want to give out their foreign address?
5. Mr. Jeremi? Who calls themselves Mr. and inserts their first name not their surname?
Click to expand...

That's funny. Thanks, anyway!!
 
Tina

Tina

Banned
chollyred said:
I sold a guitar on Craigslist this past Christmas. I couldn't believe all the scam and spam emails I got. One thing I learned was NEVER accept a Cashiers Check or Money Order for anything sold as they are almost always faked.

Deal with local buyers only, and make sure any checks clear before sending anything anywhere. If possible, deal in cash. Cash is king.

The experience was so painful, I don't know that I'll ever use Craigslist as a seller again. I have had two good (cash) transactions as a buyer.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your advice-Cash only!!!
 
Tina

Tina

Banned
athiker said:
A few things I do.

I have an email address I only use for Craigslist and any other site that I'm a bit cautious with. The name in the email address has nothing to do with my real name. When I send an email from that account the only name seen by the other person is my email address and my first name. I actually had to put my first name and then a dot in the space where my last name would go in my email account profile options to get this to work.

Typically the first email I receive is a general inquiry about whether the item is still available, and often asks if I can "hold it" for them. If its obvious spam, then I flag it with my spam blocker...end of story. If not, then my first response is a general one.

Typically I state something like:



For anyone that seriously wants the item these small steps are not going to dissuade them. For the others, well, it seems to be just enough for them not to bother, there are plenty of other fish in the sea. Most never even get to the point of asking for my cell phone number.

I've sold everything from my car and used appliances to used strollers with no problems so far. I think a key is I work from home and state that upfront so one I'm very flexible re: meeting times and two there isn't much point in following up to get a time when I might actually be away from home to attempt to steal something desirable, since I'm here all the time.

Finally, I also have a separate account at an online photo hosting site that I only use for forums, craigslist and other public uses. I typically put links in my ads to better higher quality photos that I host there. A little marketing goes a long way.
Click to expand...

Pictures does help a bit? Thanks for your advice!
 
O

OrangeOne

Legend
Cindysphinx said:
Yeah, my sister was going to sell her car a few years back. She was wondering what to do about the test drive for people who responded to her ad.

I said she should write down driver's license info and hand over the keys. She was thinking she should go with the person to make sure they don't steal or abuse the car. I was thinking she should be more concerned that they might steal or abuse *her.*
Click to expand...

A key-swap is never a bad idea - you hold their keys while they're gone. It's not fool-proof - the person can attend in a stolen car, but if you've got their phone number, sighted a driver's licence - you're in much better shape than you could be.

My friend's younger brother had exactly what you describe happen to him. Two guys came to test drive his hotted-up Nissan, valued at about $15 or $20k, and he went with them. They drove for a bit, I think got out to look at the car a bit, and then from memory beat him up a bit and left him by the side of the road, and then drove off stealing his car.

It's often not worth the risk, and I'd be a lot more cautious than I already am were I not a tall, broad-shouldered male. A looot more cautious.
 
tennytive

tennytive

Hall of Fame
Too bad you couldn't take his money and then tell him to pick up his item in the Craigslist Warehouse. :)

I've bought and sold many items on CL and it's been a good experience every time. I've sold expensive camera equipment, and bought laptops and even my car with no problems, so it does work if it's done the right way.

Cash transaction face to face in a public place.
 
Fearsome Forehand

Fearsome Forehand

Professional
Frankly, anyone over 14 years of age who has to wonder if that email is from a serious buyer is too naive to being doing business on the internet with strangers.

I have done quite a few (10?) cross country deals on CL (involving tennis rackets of course) both as a buyer and seller (about half by personal check and half by PP.) Made out well in every instance.

As long as you are reasonably cautious about who you are dealing with, you will be fine. (Same as when doing business here.) Check out the other person as best you can on the internet, google their email, etc. Confirm you re dealing with an adult inside the USA, allow checks (and money orders) to clear, ship to PP confirmed USA addresses, etc

CL is infamous for money order scams; most will be for big ticket items like cars or computers. The classic one is the scammer will send a money order in excess of the purchase price and tell the seller to reimburse the overage less some amount for their trouble. In example, a scammer sends the victim a $2000 money order for a computer, they had agreed to $1000. The scammer says, gee, my secretary made a mistake, sorry, wire me $900 and keep the extra $100 for your trouble. Victims ships the computer and reimburses the $900 difference. A week later the phony money order bounces and the victim is out the computer and the money. The victim is an idiot but you would be amazed how many people have fallen for this type of scam.

Cars for sale well below book value are another classic CL scam. Usually they are in a different country and the seller requests a money order or wire transfer for the non-existent car.

There are local scammers on CL too so you just have to be smart about dealing with strangers. Just use common sense and don't paint yourself into corners.
 
Last edited:
Cindysphinx

Cindysphinx

G.O.A.T.
OrangeOne said:
A key-swap is never a bad idea - you hold their keys while they're gone. It's not fool-proof - the person can attend in a stolen car, but if you've got their phone number, sighted a driver's licence - you're in much better shape than you could be.

My friend's younger brother had exactly what you describe happen to him. Two guys came to test drive his hotted-up Nissan, valued at about $15 or $20k, and he went with them. They drove for a bit, I think got out to look at the car a bit, and then from memory beat him up a bit and left him by the side of the road, and then drove off stealing his car.

It's often not worth the risk, and I'd be a lot more cautious than I already am were I not a tall, broad-shouldered male. A looot more cautious.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I think the risk isn't worth it. Before I put my car up for sale, I called my insurance agent and reinstituted the comprehensive coverage, which I had dropped. That way if it was stolen, I flat-out would not care. I guess there would always be the risk that the person taking it for a test drive could run up some parking tickets, but that would be hard to do in 30 minutes. If they weren't back in 30 minutes and weren't answering the cell phone, my plan was to call the cops and report it stolen.

That check scam thing is amazing. People are *still* falling for it. I guess the problem is that your bank can no longer put a long hold on dodgy checks, so the depositor believes the check has "cleared" when it really has not.
 
Z

Ziva

New User
I bought a DVD player off of Craigslist and would echo what others have said - cash only and exchange in a public place (Starbucks worked for us).
 
Tina

Tina

Banned
Dominik said:
Definitely a scam! :) Only local, don't take the risk.
Click to expand...

You bet, Dominik. You know what I found out. My computer is getting slower after I registered at Craigslist.org:neutral:. I am so happy that my landlord is interested in my mattress. I also got another call from a person in my apt complex for my HDTV. I also called a used hand furniture store to estimate my items. It's getting pretty good and hopefully I have them sold out by end of this month:)

PS. I am still patiently waiting for my thread:)
 
Last edited:
S

slewisoh

Semi-Pro
We've had good luck selling through Craigslist. We were contemplating demoing our kids' 10 year old playset but knew we would have trouble getting rid of the pressure treated wood. We listed it on Craigslist for $250 and sold it within 8 hours. And the buyer dismantled it and hauled it away. Shoot, I would have paid them to take it away!

Also sold some furniture, Longaberger baskets, and a huge gym set.
 
O

OrangeOne

Legend
slewisoh said:
Shoot, I would have paid them to take it away!

Also sold some furniture, Longaberger baskets, and a huge gym set.
Click to expand...

I've sold stuff on **** for a cent or $5 that I really just wanted removed, it works well for everyone. I had a mate buy thousands of pavers for $22 on the same deal - he had to remove them from the person's place.

As long as the ads are honest, it really can be win-win.
 
Bud

Bud

Bionic Poster
Tina said:
You bet, Dominik. You know what I found out. My computer is getting slower after I registered at Craigslist.org:neutral:. I am so happy that my landlord is interested in my mattress. I also got another call from a person in my apt complex for my HDTV. I also called a used hand furniture store to estimate my items. It's getting pretty good and hopefully I have them sold out by end of this month:)

PS. I am still patiently waiting for my thread:)
Click to expand...

You're selling everything... You planning on moving?
 
JoelDali

JoelDali

Talk Tennis Guru
Good luck Tina!

bunny_waving_wbasket.jpg
 
Last edited:
Photoshop

Photoshop

Professional
Tina said:
... My computer is getting slower after I registered at Craigslist.org:neutral:...
Click to expand...
Tina, it's not craigslist that's making your computer slow... craigslist is a legitimate classified ad website and it's one of the most-visited websites in the world. Registering on craigslist isn't going to install anything on your computer nor is it going to damage anything.

slewisoh said:
We've had good luck selling through Craigslist. We were contemplating demoing our kids' 10 year old playset but knew we would have trouble getting rid of the pressure treated wood. We listed it on Craigslist for $250 and sold it within 8 hours. And the buyer dismantled it and hauled it away. Shoot, I would have paid them to take it away!

Also sold some furniture, Longaberger baskets, and a huge gym set.
Click to expand...
Agreed. I've sold 100s of things on craigslist - everything from george foreman grill to sofa to computer parts to useless junk that's too heavy to take out of the apartment. If you use it right, craigslist can be a great tool.
 
Bud

Bud

Bionic Poster
Tina said:
Yes, Bud. I will be either in California, India, or New Jersey soon. God takes me where I should be for my new destiny. Wish me luck.:)
Click to expand...

Namaste! :)

Don't forget your friends here at TT and check in once in a while :grin:
 
Tina

Tina

Banned
Bud said:
Namaste! :)

Don't forget your friends here at TT and check in once in a while :grin:
Click to expand...

Of course, I will try my best:). You were one of few mature posters that I met here six month ago. You, Jolly, Samester, Nashville Folks, Cindy, Hero Suresh, and Darling Chopin are constantly on my mind when I am entering TTW forum each time. Let's keep in touch:)!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

vkartikv
How the auction site works
Replies
2
Views
517
vkartikv
vkartikv
C
Money order scam?
Replies
26
Views
2K
pound cat
P
Shahar26
Scams on CraigsList
Replies
3
Views
685
abenguyen
abenguyen
S
No Balls
2 3
Replies
103
Views
2K
Sentinel
Sentinel
D
USPS GIVE MY ITEM BACK part 2
Replies
0
Views
491
dannyjjang
D
Top