An old fool scammed, warning

[g.corey74]

Not an easy thread to post. I and my son bought a Bobcat
on Craigslist last Friday. It was our first experience using Craigslist. There were some warning flags but we figured we were covered with the buyer/seller protection. After emails from the seller we went to my bank to use their connections with Western Union and sent half payment, $2800, as instructed. Later we received an email from Anthony Goldstein(first flag)@msn.com that he couldn't start shipment until paid in full. So we are screwed. I am not one to trust anyone on such dealings but how can Craigslist, Western Union and the bank be unaware of violations? How can people do business with Craigslist and not be scammed? If anyone out there has any experiences or info that would help me or other potential fools I would appreciate hearing from you. Thanks

 

[Pug}{maN]

 

[Buckgnarly]

NEVER, EVER do anything but face to face from CL.

From CL direct...

http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams

 

[Stuey]

Sorry to hear about that.

For future reference, http://craigslist.org/about/scams

Did you ask for a refund yet?

 

[54FordPanel]

I feel your pain. Nothing worse than being taken.

My nephew got scammed on CL many years ago, and it's one of those things you just don't bring up, you know what I mean?

Thanks for posting as a warning to others. Sorry it happened to you.

 

[mad57]

Gil was this an out of state deal? cl is basiclly a free site anyone could sell almost anything up there, all they need is a pic and a promise, call the police right now!! an report this. as far as iam aware there are no buy /seller protections on cl its always been a buyer beware, theres a (avoid scams right up on the page below the craigslist name) read that. always go look in person and always ask the seller what bank is close to them ....if they say wells fargo..thats ur bank even if its not ..inform them that if you like the item that youll go to the bank and get the money...never let anyone know youll have x amount of cash on you... i know this because my buddys a cop and we went to go look at a snapon box off cl for cheap too cheap but almost possible when we got there these guys pulled a knife well he pulled his gun and they ran could have been bad.... this def ***** for your first exp, but cl is a awesome site to buy and sell. good luck .mad57.

 

[seagravedriver]

Craig'slist, as far as I know, offers no buyer protection. You may want to check with your bank and Western Union. Take some comfort in the fact you are not the first and certainly not the last. Most times I post items for sale on Craig'slist, I get an email like this one in the next paragraph. This is a direct cut and paste I received this last Saturday. Note, they did not mention WHAT I have for sale, just "the item". If it is from Africa, they will usually end with "God Bless" or some derivative of it.

Hello There,
*@#$
Thanks for your response...I will like you to know am interested in buying this item.The method of payment i will be using will be a Bank Certified Check which will be sent via Ups next day air delivery and this is because i am currently away on a business contract. Also i will be adding $50 to the asking price for the reservation of the item, If you do agree *@#$to sell this item to me and have it reserved pending delivery of payment to you

I will be responsible for the pick-up and the movers payment would be included in the check mailed to you in order to avoid delay and to enable the pick up company to schedule an appropriate time for the pick-up at your location as I have other properties to be moved alongside this item to my new home.

Please *@#$delete the posting as am definitely buying it from you.I will also wait for the check to clear before the pickup is done.If you do have more pictures, please send them to me so I can get a better look.If this is fine with you Please get back to me with the following so that the check can be mailed out to you.

1. Your Full name which the check would be issued out to.
2. Residential or Office Address where the check will be mailed to.

Also i am deaf so i cant communicate to you than via email as my tty and adsl have been sent out for updates.*@#$

Await To Hear From You
Thanks and stay blessed

 

[ket-tek]

There were some warning flags but we figured we were covered with the buyer/seller protection.


Western Union and sent half payment

Unfortunately craiglist is unmanaged for the most part. There is no protection at all. You are probally thinking about ebay/paypal protection which has it's flaws as well but does provide some avenues of help.

And never conduct any business whatsoever using western union. Save that for a way to wire a love one money that is stranded out of town in an emergency. Otherwise if a buyer/seller can't provide/accept money orders/cashier's checks/credit card/or bank-to-bank transfers then they have something to hide.

Sorry this happened to you. Probally all you can now do is try to go through the local authorities, but they are not equipped for the massive amount of scams like these, and usually the money goes out of state or country which makes it unlikely they get anywhere. The outcome is looking grim.

 

[jmh21586]

First thing I do is ask to come see it in person if I think it's a scam. If it is a scam they come back with " well you can't look at it because it's at a shipping company or something".

I love playing with the scammers. I was back and forth with one for a couple weeks on a JD tractor.
I wasted a lot of his time and the **** he would come up with was hilarious.


First thing is if something looks too good to be true.... it is.
Second... if they don't want you to come look at the thing they're selling it is definately a scam.
If they ask you for a down payment online it's probably a scam. Especially if you're willing to go look at it the next day or something.

 

[danski0224]

Not an easy thread to post. I and my son bought a Bobcat
on Craigslist last Friday. It was our first experience using Craigslist. There were some warning flags but we figured we were covered with the buyer/seller protection. After emails from the seller we went to my bank to use their connections with Western Union and sent half payment, $2800, as instructed. Later we received an email from Anthony Goldstein(first flag)@msn.com that he couldn't start shipment until paid in full. So we are screwed. I am not one to trust anyone on such dealings but how can Craigslist, Western Union and the bank be unaware of violations? How can people do business with Craigslist and not be scammed? If anyone out there has any experiences or info that would help me or other potential fools I would appreciate hearing from you. Thanks

Sorry to hear this, but craigslist has prominent warnings on the site to avoid all Western Union payments.

PayPal isn't 100% foolproof, but there are measures in place to file claims.

Once you send $$$ Western Union, it is gone.

Not to rub salt in the wound, but if $2800.00 was 1/2 down on a piece of equipment (Bobcat in this case), you are a fool. You should have known better.

If the price is too good to be true, it almost always is.

Doesn't matter what it is.

Unless you are there, in person, with cash in hand. Then it is your call- could be the once in a lifetime deal, or stolen stuff.

 

[december45]

CL is full of those same john deere tractors/bobcats/kubotas/whatevers... those guys are all scammers, you can almost tell by the pictures, wording,and the price in their ads. In all of them, When you press them to see it they cant show you the tractor/whatever cause its packed up for shipping, there is one excuse after another.
Just thankfully you didnt send the other half, i think going to the police is good advice, ask them if they have some law enforcement people checking out CL... they could take alot of bad guys off the streets if they did. File what ever complaint you can with the law, it would be a good thing to get these guys.

 

[allinon72]

Western Union is the biggest of the huge red flags in the history of online transactions. I mean, the red flag gets no bigger. You have to use Craigslist with a bit of street smarts or else you will get burned big time.

 

[Tazzman]

wow..

 

[Buxfan]

Ouch. Gotta do your homework!!!

Never ever send money to another person that you don't know.

Live and learn- it could have been worse for you. (like the guy who got shot/robbed when he showed up with $5,000 cash to buy something off CL)

 

[davidj]

poor you. hopefully something can be done.

 

[flatheadguy]

Sorry to hear you got stung. It happens to smarter people than you. What I recommend is, as others have mentioned, make a police report as soon as possible. Plus, was it an out of state transaction? If so, it MAY be interstate fraud which would, could, involve the FBI.
Meanwhile, think of it this way.....$2800 tuition paid in the school of hard knocks.
I bet you'll never do anything like this again....nor will your son.
Best of luck resolving this.

 

[GarageEnvy]

I watch CL pretty closely and you'll learn to spot the fraud ads pretty fast. They seem to like to print their email address in the ad in large (sometimes red) bold print. They seem to frequently pick a price like $2,950 for some reason. The email address is usually a gmail or hotmail. There's always some sob story about moving, or an illness or (my personal least favorite), being deployed in the military. They come up with things like the Western Union or Square Deal or some non-existent escrow company. I've bought 1 thing on CL that wasn't face to face and it was $50.

Thanks for having the humility to post your story so that others don't have the same fate.

 

[He who turns wrenches]

Not good.

My wifes friend just got took for $3000.00 plus another $500.00 all for a diamond ring.

My wife told me what happened and i made some suggestions to see where she could get the best help.

1st off it involved the U S postale service, now it is now a federal crime. mail fraud..

2nd I had her contact the police in the area of the scammer and low and behold they already knew about this guy.

3rd. she told me it was delivered by fed ex and the note on the delivery slip written by the fed ex delivery guy says he left item on the porch.

guess what,,the address is a vacant lot no building of any kind. now she has a recourse to sue fed x.

why you ask? well he stated he left it on the porch and there is no porch he is obviously in on the scam or is the scammer. that can be construd a fraud again using usps.

the police are sending details of the person to her. not all but what she needs to proceed on her end.

***** to be scammed i know.

good luck to you on getting your money back..

 

[mikevango]

If you wired someone money for something listed on cl, you deserve this. Sheesh. I hope you are joking.

 

[rwhite692]

I have never seen where Craigslist offers "Buyer Protection"....


Craigslist is no better (or worse) than responding to a printed ad in your local classifieds.

 

[need more tools]

g.corey 74, sorry to hear about the loss Iam also in kettering havent seen anyone this close to me on here yet. columbus is the closet Ive seen so far.where are you in kettering?
Im on Ackerman blvd. Hope you can find some kind of way to catch this guy.

 

[airsanford]

I just bought a set of aircraft seats on ebay. Description stated " seat frames in good condition". No mention at all of $400 PER SEAT in missing parts. Still in resolution at ebay.
Lots of crooks out there. Be careful.

 

[thrifty bill]

Buyer/Seller protection on Craigs List? Huh?

Craigs List is the wild, wild, west. Wide open, no protection whatsoever. Can be some good deals out there. In person and cash only are the only way to do C/L. I buy and sell on Craigs List all the time (bought four items today). But buyer protection isn't there. (Or seller protection either).

Western Union is a typical conduit for fraudsters, and well publicized, both on Craigs List and Google. There were 288,000 hits on Google for Western Union bobcat fraud.

 

[allinon72]

Most of these scammers are originated in Nigeria...a country who prides itself on it's scamming abilities and has basically no other economy. Good luck getting your money back or even the least bit of justice.

 

[Steevo]

". . .we figured we were covered with the buyer/seller protection . . "

on Craigslist? Seriously?

I am really sorry to hear about your being burned on this very common CL scam. It is usually a tractor for a LOT less than it is worth (too good to be true), to hook you, then a "send me half down" scam to reel you in. Some even get reeled all the way in to the "full payment before delivery" final punch in the face.

There is NO PROTECTION of ANY KIND on CRAIGSLIST, for anyone.
It is buyer beware, wild west, no-hold-barred, danger at every turn free commerce.
Be thankful that they didn't lure you to a location for delivery and then whap you on the head to get the money.

 

[srmofo]

Contace ICE, its a law enforcement agency that specializes in internet fraud. They may take 2-3 weeks to respond so be patient

 

[MadMechMaster]

One check that I make is to Google the posting title. The scammers are not creative enough to make up new titles for every region that they post. Sometimes you can find the add in several different cities, all local to whatever city it's in.

There is also a Western Union scam, where someone calls, pretending to be a friend of a loved one that needs cash for travel or bail. Your family member is safe and probably at home. I don't see how Western Union can handle the internet age.

 

[drmarkr]

One other tip....when you ARE going to look at an item from CL, consider *packing* your choice of personal protection. Around here, there are regular reports of potential buyers being robbed at the time of inspecting the item.

When selling on CL, I never show items at my home....always a local shopping center/etc.

When buying from CL, I try to do the same, or else my primary and secondary sidearms are on my person.

 

[shoot summ]

Sorry you were ripped off.

There are some basic rules of business that apply to both online and in person transactions between individuals.

Rule #1 Seller doesn't get the money until I get the product.

Rule #2 If you have a reason to break rule #1 do so in a manner that protects you from fraud, use a CC or pay service, never Western Union, ever,ever, ever....

CL has flags all over the site on how to avoid scams, in the vehicle sections it clearly states "offers to ship vehicles are scams".....

A Bobcat for $5600 should have raised your suspicion as well, bet the picture showed it in primo condition.

 

[danski0224]

Another scam to look out for: fake checks.

Buddy of mine (the seller) got taken with a fake cashiers check. It was forged with a good account number, that was called to verify before completing the transaction.

The paper was good enough to pass initial inspection when the check was deposited.

The fraud was discovered while the check was clearing. Buddy lost out on $5k.

This was over 10 years ago.

Some similar things here.

The meet and greet was in a questionable neighborhood.

Buyer offered full market value for the item.

Buddy was in a hurry to sell.



I know someone else that was taken with one of those "Secret Shopper" scams. He was taken for $3k before the wife figured it out. Money they really didn't have to blow.



Your bank will never call or email you to confirm sensitive personal information like account numbers or the 3 digit code on your credit card. If you really think it is the bank, call them back.



Scams come in all shapes and sizes. Pay attention out there.

Small money scams are popular because people are embarrassed when they are taken, and frequently don't report the incident.

If you are taken, call the cops and file a report.

 

[Winneratalosinggame]

Always face to face on Craigslist, Cash, no checks or plastic. Ask for proof of ownership. CL has warnings posted not to do Western union or accept checks or money orders. There are great deals on CL but buyer beware.

 

[Coolabah]

If you wired someone money for something listed on cl, you deserve this. Sheesh. I hope you are joking.

Really ? I don't think anyone ever "deserves" to be the victim of any crime, it especially saddens me when it is based on an abuse of trust. It would be a totally sh*tty world if there was no-one left to trust. Granted, to the more internet savvy, this CL thing would be a bit more obviously a scam. My aging parents still insist on inviting pretty much anyone that knocks on their door (stranger or not) inside for a cup of coffee & cake... different generation when people were more honest I guess....

thanks OP for the heads up, hope it works out OK

 

[pfbz]

I feel bad that you were scammed...

But I always wonder when I see an obvious scam attempt... "Doesn't everybody in the world by now know that there aren't any exiled dukes who needed help recovering their millions from the bank and that you should never, ever send Western Union cash to some unknown person?"

Unfortunately until scammers stop hooking fish, they won't stop fishing.

 

[seagravedriver]

If you wired someone money for something listed on cl, you deserve this. Sheesh. I hope you are joking.

I used the above quote to show my kids that there is someone, somewhere, that will show their *** when someone is trying to do the right thing, no matter what your age. My kids are in grade school and have better manners. The gentleman said he was scammed, and told us about it. You slapped him.

I live less than a mile from where a man was trying to sell a ring on craig'slist. He was shot and killed, and left 2 kids in school and a wife.http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011779482_edgewoodarrests05m.html Chase Home Mortgage is now going after the widows house. No one knows everything about online commerce.

 

[SpeedwayRyan]

Later we received an email from Anthony Goldstein(first flag)

Uhhh, does that mean what I think it means?

By the way, Craigslist is very clear in the warnings plastered all over their site:

Never use Western Union or wire transfer to pay for goods - only a scammer will ask for this, and any funds sent will be lost.

CRAIGSLIST IS NOT INVOLVED IN ANY TRANSACTION, and does not handle payments, guarantee transactions, provide escrow services, or offer "buyer protection" or "seller certification".

Seems pretty clear...and the warnings are hard to miss. Craigslist is a great way to find good deals on all kinds of stuff, but you have to use it like a newspaper classified ad: go see everything in person, and don't pay a dime until you are there with the seller and the merchandise and ready to take it home, period.

 

[seagravedriver]

For all intents and purposes, craigslist is the newspaper adds. Treat em accordingly.

 

[The Rider]

Most of these scammers are originated in Nigeria...a country who prides itself on it's scamming abilities and has basically no other economy. [/B] Good luck getting your money back or even the least bit of justice.

What, apart from their colossal oil reserves, petroleum exports and growing stockmarket you mean? Or is $300bn in GDP just what you can expect to earn from duping naive Americans on Craigslist?

 

[Coolabah]

I snip

I live less than a mile from where a man was trying to sell a ring on craig'slist. He was shot and killed, and left 2 kids in school and a wife.http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011779482_edgewoodarrests05m.html Chase Home Mortgage is now going after the widows house. No one knows everything about online commerce.

Oh my... what a truly brave boy (the 14 yo son) and his dad too... poor wife/family, that totally ***** .

 

[6530]

Later we received an email from Anthony Goldstein(first flag)@msn.com

What, exactly, do you mean by this?

 

[Brew62]

I think he means anyone who uses msn.com e-mail is a crook.