Craigs list scams

[Cars&Classic]

I am sure a lot of people use CL here a lot, so I thought this thread might be created to help some.

Seams like there is always a scam on there some are new some old and some just brought back to life. figured us listing them here might warn others.

the latest new/old is related to paypal.
list a car or other expensinve item on CL and you will start recieving test messages. at first they seam to just ask 1 or 2 questions about the car. then they say they are ok with price and they are ok with shipping cost (as if I care if they are ok with shipping cost) then they want to pay pal the money once cleared they will pick up the car.

I am sure a lot of you know but maybe some dont, you recieve the money, you may even spend it, but a few weeks after they pick up the car or item they have thier credit card company reverse the transaction. pay pal charges it back to you and your stuck.

again I am sure most people on here know but I was amaszed at how many people I know that were not aware of this and thought it was safe just because it was paypal.

 

[bgoodwin]

Or they just pull a gun and rob you. This just happened here recently.
http://www.kcci.com/news/central-io...ing/-/9357080/17082050/-/10g9qtc/-/index.html

 

[Journaler]

Or they just pull a gun and rob you. This just happened here recently.
http://www.kcci.com/news/central-io...ing/-/9357080/17082050/-/10g9qtc/-/index.html

That *****! I've bought cars before on CL, woulda been pretty upset if I'd been robbed of all that cash.

The only foul play I've been a part of with CL has been people/bots replying to my ad, with the first sentence quoted. Followed by the "is it still available" line.
I only realized they were after my email address after I'd already replied.

 

[MoparTrucks]

I have bought things off of CL when I go see an item then pay cash and take it home so I know nothing about PayPal but I always thought Pay Pal was supposed to be a secure way to do a transaction. Is there anyway to avoid something like this?

 

[dandan111]

I heard of a girl at work(dumb one). She had a atv for sale and a person sent her a fake check that was over the price. The dumb girl at work mailed the excess cash back to the Craig's list scammer. Now the check comes up as a fake at the bank....

Also, I had a nova SS for sale. The Craig's list scammer calls and leaves me a crazy message saying its not a SS yada yada. He blocks my ads time after time flagging them. Still don't know what the ******* was up to but the car sold during his riffraff.

Craig's list is the Wild West for thieves.

 

[mmack66]

I have bought things off of CL when I go see an item then pay cash and take it home so I know nothing about PayPal but I always thought Pay Pal was supposed to be a secure way to do a transaction. Is there anyway to avoid something like this?

Deal face to face, with cash in hand, like you have been doing.

Craigslist is completely unregulated, so folks are on their own.

 

[StevePgh]

I know nothing about PayPal but I always thought Pay Pal was supposed to be a secure way to do a transaction. Is there anyway to avoid something like this?

It is security for the buyer, not the seller. Witness the poor guy who sold a violin for $2500, the buyer disputed the authenticity, and PayPal made the buyer destroy the violin to get a refund. The seller then had the $2500 chargeback and no violin. Here is the link to the story.

Way before the internet we had the Classifieds from 3-4 local papers, the Green Sheet, and the Pennysaver in my area - plus whatever motor mart and other specialty publications. A buyer was fairly safe, as there was some level of paper trail in that the seller needed to place an ad by sending a check or credit card. Now anyone can place an ad from just about anywhere using someone else's internet access with no traceability. This means you have to be even MORE careful.

Even then, the seller's rule of thumb was to accept cash only, exact denominations (no change), and every bill needed to be checked for counterfit. If the item is transportable, you met somewhere public. Record the license plate number of the other party - buyer or seller - in case something was wrong with the transaction. Bring whatever you can to verify the working condition of your purchase and insist that it be done prior to the cash exchange. This advice has never changed and probably has the correct level of paranoia.

Email, shipping, and credit cards/paypal just adds extra layers by which you can get screwed as the seller or the buyer. The seller always has the higher risk both on ebay and craigslist.

 

[Train]

Where I live you don't see a lot of CL but we have Kijiji. My wife works at a bank and it's quite surprising how many of these scams they catch. The worst part is, they catch it for people, and some of them argue and insist they are going through with it .

 

[Falcon67]

I've got a couple of things to move - I will NOT use cragislist. Too many other decent avenues.

 

[rburke65]

Here in Ohio there was an ad for 'help wanted'....fair wage. When you went for the interview....they killed you. Killed a couple of them...caught them. At trial now

 

[JimVonBaden]

IMHO, like in anything these days, you just have to use common sense. I do thousands of Paypal transactions a year, most as a seller, some as a buyer. I also do dozens of E-bay and Craigslist transactions every year. I have never lost a buck on a scam. If the deal seems fishy, walk away. If the high dollar item is not picked up in person, and cash paid, walk away.

Jim

 

[Weekend_warrior]

I heard of a girl at work(dumb one). She had a atv for sale and a person sent her a fake check that was over the price. The dumb girl at work mailed the excess cash back to the Craig's list scammer. Now the check comes up as a fake at the bank....

Also, I had a nova SS for sale. The Craig's list scammer calls and leaves me a crazy message saying its not a SS yada yada. He blocks my ads time after time flagging them. Still don't know what the ******* was up to but the car sold during his riffraff.

Craig's list is the Wild West for thieves.

On the car they had a competing ad. So they flag yours repeatedly so theirs can sell. You likely had a better deal or nicer car.

 

[bartz32tt]

Or they just pull a gun and rob you. This just happened here recently.
http://www.kcci.com/news/central-io...ing/-/9357080/17082050/-/10g9qtc/-/index.html

Holy ****, that's crazy! I can't believe someone would be so stupid to agree to meet by Fong's on a Friday night and pull a gun on someone! I wonder if they met in one of the alleyways nearby?

There are several things you can do to protect yourself during a Craigslist meeting:
1. get information about the person you're going to meet. also, don't give out too much information about yourself like your address.
2. meet in an area of high visibility and plenty of pedestrians during daylight hours! or in front of a police station.
3. consider bringing someone with you. preferably not a female like in the above case.
4. tell them on the phone that you will check it out first with no cash, then if you like it you will go get cash afterwards. If it'll be a large sum of money, ask that they meet you at the bank so that you don't have to travel far with a lot of money.
5. practice your 2nd amendment right!

 

[paullie]

Or they just pull a gun and rob you. This just happened here recently.
http://www.kcci.com/news/central-io...ing/-/9357080/17082050/-/10g9qtc/-/index.html

That's what an armed wingman is for

I buy and sell a few firearms and my wife is my wingman with her 357 and she's a good shot. I armed too but thats all the time.

Yes there alot of scumbags on craigslist, but they are everywhere. Some people are just asking to get "rolled", we got a like new leather couch on craigslist for $300. We called the lady up she gave us her address, we went there with a pickup and a trailer (yes itwas a huge pit group), my dad, wife and I. Really nice place and she was there all alone, didn't know us from Adam, I thought that was kinda dumb on her part.

 

[StevePgh]

On the car they had a competing ad. So they flag yours repeatedly so theirs can sell. You likely had a better deal or nicer car.

I'm not smart enough (or perhaps not ******* enough) to do something like that. I learned something today.

 

[dandan111]

That's the only thing I could think of warrior. It was a real SS and I did have a good(I thought) price on it. The car went to a nice home despite the jerk scammer.

 

[Kamaula]

I had the same thing happen on CL when trying to sell an old Tahoe for around $5000. He said that the price was good and would send the money via Paypal. I replied that because he wanted to use Paypal the price is now $15,000. He cussed me and I never heard from him again!

 

[SGKent]

there are people who are gunned down or robbed walking down the street, in their own homes or in a store. Airplanes fall from the sky and land in businesses sometimes. The burden to avoid harm is your own however when the call comes it comes. I hardly blame E-bay, Craigslist or Paypal. In the case of the violin if the guy selling it had a legit appraisal to establish value he could sue both the guy who trashed it and whomever told the fellow to destroy it and win that one easily. If he can't establish value then what is the value that was lost? If it is he says she says it was worth $2500 then that is his stupidity.

 

[Zeke]

I picked up a CL item at the seller's house earlier this week. Nice older guy, but I'm probably older than he. It was a $100 transaction. I paid in 20's. His son stood nearby the whole time.

Good thing, I asked the son to load the thing on my truck!

Front tine rototiller.

 

[Chandos]

Picked up a Gressel vise on CL and fetched it yesterday. PO is a retired local cop (his words), who's gone into hobby machining in retirement. Tremendous guy, wonderful shop. Offered as I was leaving to take on any small projects I might need him for--for the cost of materials. Sometimes CL works just fine, or at least that's been my experience, which includes, among other things, the purchase of a '77 F150 Ranger XL.

 

[carhunter]

I have bought things off of CL when I go see an item then pay cash and take it home so I know nothing about PayPal but I always thought Pay Pal was supposed to be a secure way to do a transaction. Is there anyway to avoid something like this?

With ebay you're pretty safe as a seller as long as you follow the rules. On Craigslist, its not so reliable. In the past different paypal representatives would treat things differently. Sometimes they'll offer protection similar to goods sold on ebay, sometimes not.
Vehcile deposits are almost always non refundable, although funding the deposit from a credit card gives you more security.

I'm in a dispute now over an inspection deposit I sent on a vintage car. Drove 6 hours to inspect it and it was a pig. Seller wouldn't refund. Paypal offered a courtesy credit. Amex reversed the whole deal.

 

[Journaler]

...
Some people are just asking to get "rolled", we got a like new leather couch on craigslist for $300. We called the lady up she gave us her address, we went there with a pickup and a trailer (yes itwas a huge pit group), my dad, wife and I. Really nice place and she was there all alone, didn't know us from Adam, I thought that was kinda dumb on her part.

She didn't want to scare you off by telling you about her former Army sniper husband hiding in the bushes.

 

[MoparTrucks]

It is security for the buyer, not the seller. Witness the poor guy who sold a violin for $2500, the buyer disputed the authenticity, and PayPal made the buyer destroy the violin to get a refund. The seller then had the $2500 chargeback and no violin. Here is the link to the story.

Way before the internet we had the Classifieds from 3-4 local papers, the Green Sheet, and the Pennysaver in my area - plus whatever motor mart and other specialty publications. A buyer was fairly safe, as there was some level of paper trail in that the seller needed to place an ad by sending a check or credit card. Now anyone can place an ad from just about anywhere using someone else's internet access with no traceability. This means you have to be even MORE careful.

Even then, the seller's rule of thumb was to accept cash only, exact denominations (no change), and every bill needed to be checked for counterfit. If the item is transportable, you met somewhere public. Record the license plate number of the other party - buyer or seller - in case something was wrong with the transaction. Bring whatever you can to verify the working condition of your purchase and insist that it be done prior to the cash exchange. This advice has never changed and probably has the correct level of paranoia.

Email, shipping, and credit cards/paypal just adds extra layers by which you can get screwed as the seller or the buyer. The seller always has the higher risk both on ebay and craigslist.

Thanks for this information, I think I will stick to dealing in cash in person as Mark suggested.

 

[SGKent]

The seller always has the higher risk both on ebay and craigslist.

We differ. I see it as equal. Caveat Emptor, and meet publicly when in doubt.

 

[5lima30]

I buy and sell frequently on CL. Most I have dealt with are decent people. I've gotten pretty good at weeding out the Craigflakes. I only do FTF transactions and BTW I am always armed.

 

[JimVonBaden]

Picked these off CraigsList. A sweet 40ish Asian lady was all alone when my friend and I showed up.

Jim

 

[Kurn]

Local buyers only.Cash only.No checks,PayPal,wire transfers,or payments.