Reminder for you craigslisters

[ZSmithersCharges]

Scammers are everywhere NEVER accept anything but cash.  They will come right to your face and scam you.  I am selling my bike and some guy wants to pay me a check not in his name but in his companies name and he wants me to meet up with him to do so.  Only to have the check bounce a week later and have him with a new bike he can either swap the vins out on or part out.  Just watch your backs guys cash is king, nothing else. 

[Charger440RDN]

Then you have to hope the cash is not counterfeit  I'm sure there are ways to tell though.

[BrianShaughnessy]

I had to set up a bank wire transfer to buy back Sinnamon.    Names / addresses / phone numbers / account numbers / blah blah blah.   But it worked. 

If it's a local deal and I'm picking it up... cash.   

Otherwise I just did a deal for a console bracket over the phone via paypal.   I had to add a $1.   That was worth it compared to the money order / snail mail hasssle.

[ZSmithersCharges]

Yea the situation this guy wants to put me in is so weird, he wants me to meet him at some random intersection in Cleveland to do the deal not his address(note Cleveland is 5 hours away from me).  He called me today like "hey man we still meeting up?"  I said "Sure I'm on the way up now" I'm going to keep him waiting until he realises I'm not coming .  I mean I don't even take checks when its small money and the guy read my listing it states CASH ONLY.  I'm just going to put it on EBay ill take 3% off through Paypal to be able to have my money first any day before just giving it up like that for a potential quick buck.
I don't know how easy it would be to counterfeit cash but I'd rather take that in a large amount than a bad check. 
At least the government would get involved with a large amount of counterfeit whereas with a bad  check you'd be lucky to get the local police involved.

[Charger440RDN]

I'm sure the average scammer is too dumb to know how to counterfeit money anyway  I have only taken cash whenever I sell a car I don't trust money orders or cashiers checks.

[ZSmithersCharges]

I'm sure the average scammer is too dumb to know how to counterfeit money anyway  I have only taken cash whenever I sell a car I don't trust money orders or cashiers checks.

Yep, I just can't get over it hes called me 23 times already today trying to get me to come up, this guy is desperate.  The sad thing is I can't do anything about it, I would set him up if I thought it possible but the police wouldn't really be able to do anything until his check bounced and by that point he'd have already done god knows what with my bike.  So sadly hes going to live on to scam another day 

[AKcharger]

Oh, Cashiers Checks are worthless as well. Best scam I heard is a guy that would buy cars on Friday with a certifed Cashiers check. The person selling the vehicle would take it to the bank with the person and bank would say "looks good." With confidence they have payment deal is made and guy takes off cross country with the car and disappears. Come Tuesday check bounces (fake) and person is screwed. If some one says "Its a good a cash" tell 'em to go get cash!

[ZSmithersCharges]

Oh, Cashiers Checks are worthless as well. Best scam I heard is a guy that would buy cars on Friday with a certified Cashiers check. The person selling the vehicle would take it to the bank with the person and bank would say "looks good." With confidence they have payment deal is made and guy takes off cross country with the car and disappears. Come Tuesday check bounces (fake) and person is screwed. If some one says "Its a good a cash" tell 'em to go get cash!

Checks to me are obsolete now, its almost like having a floppy drive on a new computer.  There is little to no security and the only security there is is the fact that the cash is there when you call the bank.  That doesn't mean the guy cant go in in ten minutes and withdrawl all the funds from his account before the check clears.  I really wish this guy was legit but I got that feeling in the pit of my stomach and decided not to take it for granted and started looking up check scams.  Which can be done, like you say, in virtually all forms of paper check so there really is NO safe check.  I don't understand why businesses still accept them.  Especially since if the check bounces you are out the merchandise AND you also have to pay a fee for the check bouncing which is ridiculous! You're the victim!

[last426]

I have never gotten any grief from craigslist.  In fact, tomorrow afternoon I am getting a check for more than 10k for a car that I have already signed and gave the title to the buyer a week ago.  All on cl and all without a hassle. Here is a pic of the car. Kim

[Silver R/T]

I'm sure the average scammer is too dumb to know how to counterfeit money anyway  I have only taken cash whenever I sell a car I don't trust money orders or cashiers checks.

You could go to your bank and have them deposit right there so they know money is there??

[ZSmithersCharges]

I'm sure the average scammer is too dumb to know how to counterfeit money anyway   I have only taken cash whenever I sell a car I don't trust money orders or cashiers checks.

You could go to your bank and have them deposit right there so they know money is there??

If hes depositing the money in front of you why not just give you the cash ? Plus like I said checks take 7 days to clear he can take it out within that time.

Oh and Kim, this is a little different, the guy refuses to give me any personal information only his "business name" to put on the title. Good luck with the sale of your car and I hope you don't get scammed.  I use craigslist quite often but always with cash never anything else and never have problems this way. Why put you or the seller at risk if you don't have to? If you have the money in the bank take it out and pay him/her. This is just my opinion and it is shared by many. http://scamvictimsunited.com/phpBB2/index.php Every scam you can think of is on this forum, typed up not by people who are afraid to be scammed and just being worry warts but VICTIMS.  More of them than not are through information given on craigslist.
I'm not knocking craigslist as they have no way other than warning people(which they actively do) about scams, its more towards the community that participates in craigslist activities. Literally for every good offer I got on this bike there were 10 scammers.

[AKcharger]

I'm sure the average scammer is too dumb to know how to counterfeit money anyway   I have only taken cash whenever I sell a car I don't trust money orders or cashiers checks.

You could go to your bank and have them deposit right there so they know money is there??

Yup, you can do that (and most victims do) that's why it's so believeable. The check is cashed in YOUR account and when it it bounces YOU are on the hook for it, even if they don't put a hold on the check once the bank finds out its a fraud they hold the account holder responsible!

Personally I like CL a lot, bought/sold and gave away a lot of stuff and only thing I run into is e-mail replys of people whating to "share stories of success" with me...not scammers but spammers

[last426]

Oh and Kim, this is a little different, the guy refuses to give me any personal information only his "business name" to put on the title. Good luck with the sale of your car and I hope you don't get scammed.  

Actually I was being a little coy.  You are correct in that you have to judge the situation as a whole.  In my case, the woman buyer works at Intel, the guy is in the coast guard, the check is from their credit union where they financed the car, and that is why I had to give them the title before hand.  Do be careful.  Kim

[PocketThunder]

i like to use bank to bank wire transfers for large purchases. 

[flmopars]

I agree that CASH is the best way to go when dealing with CL. You are a lot safer with CASH then any thing else.

[69bronzeT5]

I listed a car on Craigslist for a friend of mine and here's an email I got....

"Thank you for the quick reply .Please i will love to make an instant purchase of the car.Is the price Negotiable,so please do not display the car on craigslist i have nothing against it,Please i will want you to know that i will be paying with a certified cheque with an additonal 20 dollar for you to remove the display,i want to be sure no one gets hold this car apart from myself,as it will be easier for me mailing a cheque to your address,as soon as bank releases the funds to you,i will send my shipper to come over to your house for the pickup.I'm currently in united kingdom on a bussiness trip.I just want to buy the car,Hope to hear from you soon.


Your full name
Your full home address
Your post code
Your phone number
Final Net price"


So I decided to have some fun.....

"Hello James,

Your full name- Cory Lahey
Your full home address- Trailer #6 Sunnyvale Lane
Your post code- 4VN-59F
Your phone number- 1-888-666-0000
Final Net price- $666 plus $100 to clean the chicken crap that is in the car so $777 total. I would like to be paid in 1 cent coins.

I do not prefer to have a shipper come and pick up the car, I would like to wait for you to return from the trip and we can go over the car. I would like to meet in the dark alley behind a Best Buy, whichever Best Buy location works for you! Just to let you know, this car comes with an extra super rare 426 Magnum small block motor if it interests you? Also the Air conditioning system....she did get divorced from the car too many moon units ago. You have like nice air conditionings, James? I do. But my peepee go shrinky doodle when too cold it gets. If you like what you hear, let moi know and we shall get this deal done!


Many regards,
Cory Zachariah Xavier Thaddeus Lahey"

[ZSmithersCharges]

Ha ha ha I'm in the airport right now but that just had me rolling on the floor laughing!