Beware Of Craig's List Scam
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
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I want to make you and your readers aware of a scam that is going on via Craig's List.
A couple of years ago, I bought a special order vanity for my bathroom that I have since decided not to use. So I put it on Craig's list in Fort Wayne to sell. I quickly received a message text on my phone that a person wanted to look at it. So I set up a time and waited two hours but they never showed up, so I thought that it was a lost deal.
The next day I got a message that sounded like a foreigner had written because the English was different than we speak here. It said that he was traveling and was not able to come that day due to his work schedule but from the several pictures describing it and the label on the box he said it was perfect.
So far I thought, OK, this sounds legitimate, and I gave him the price I was willing to take and he said he would mail a check to me through his financial secretary.
The deal still sounded OK until he said that he would send additional funds to cover a mover and that the mover would come pick it up for him after I forwarded the money to his mover.
Now I'm hoping to sell the vanity because I could use the money, besides it takes up a lot of room in the garage that I need this winter, however, I'm starting to smell fish.
The thing that a person on the outside of a transaction such as yourself lacks is emotion relating to the transaction. Those emotions are based on several things like the money and the desire to get rid of the object they are selling such as my vanity. Someone outside would be more suspect than me, the seller, whom wants those things to come to fruition.
The next thing I receive was an email telling me the money was on its way by UPS and to cash the check straight away or deposit it in my account and send the balance via Western Union to a name in the e-mail, supposedly his mover. OK, I never took the vanity off Craig's List but I did tell people the sale was pending when they called.
Then I got the check for $1,950 that was way over what I wanted for the vanity and then I was really suspicious. Then I called the California bank that it was drawn on and asked about the check. Yes, you are right, it is as bogus as a $7-1/2 bill with Hillary on it.
So what's my point? I want people to know that anyone can get into a con on the Internet because it is so easy to hide behind your computer, and no matter how hard we try thieves are looking for better ways to get our money and they are good, really good.
So we all need to be reminded that we can't trust people on the Internet, especially when we have no way to get our money back if it turns out to be a “Vanity of a deal that’s too good to pass up.”
Michael Alspaugh
Warsaw, via email[[In-content Ad]]
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I want to make you and your readers aware of a scam that is going on via Craig's List.
A couple of years ago, I bought a special order vanity for my bathroom that I have since decided not to use. So I put it on Craig's list in Fort Wayne to sell. I quickly received a message text on my phone that a person wanted to look at it. So I set up a time and waited two hours but they never showed up, so I thought that it was a lost deal.
The next day I got a message that sounded like a foreigner had written because the English was different than we speak here. It said that he was traveling and was not able to come that day due to his work schedule but from the several pictures describing it and the label on the box he said it was perfect.
So far I thought, OK, this sounds legitimate, and I gave him the price I was willing to take and he said he would mail a check to me through his financial secretary.
The deal still sounded OK until he said that he would send additional funds to cover a mover and that the mover would come pick it up for him after I forwarded the money to his mover.
Now I'm hoping to sell the vanity because I could use the money, besides it takes up a lot of room in the garage that I need this winter, however, I'm starting to smell fish.
The thing that a person on the outside of a transaction such as yourself lacks is emotion relating to the transaction. Those emotions are based on several things like the money and the desire to get rid of the object they are selling such as my vanity. Someone outside would be more suspect than me, the seller, whom wants those things to come to fruition.
The next thing I receive was an email telling me the money was on its way by UPS and to cash the check straight away or deposit it in my account and send the balance via Western Union to a name in the e-mail, supposedly his mover. OK, I never took the vanity off Craig's List but I did tell people the sale was pending when they called.
Then I got the check for $1,950 that was way over what I wanted for the vanity and then I was really suspicious. Then I called the California bank that it was drawn on and asked about the check. Yes, you are right, it is as bogus as a $7-1/2 bill with Hillary on it.
So what's my point? I want people to know that anyone can get into a con on the Internet because it is so easy to hide behind your computer, and no matter how hard we try thieves are looking for better ways to get our money and they are good, really good.
So we all need to be reminded that we can't trust people on the Internet, especially when we have no way to get our money back if it turns out to be a “Vanity of a deal that’s too good to pass up.”
Michael Alspaugh
Warsaw, via email[[In-content Ad]]
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