craigslist

[Yoda]

I am trying to sell my laptop for $600 and someone sent me this email. Does it seem legit?

"Hello, hope this item is stilll available for sale? I need it for my daughter in college. I am planning to send you $700 through the United States Postal Services (USPS) whereby they will bring the money to your resident for delivery, I added an additional amounts bcos I needed a proper and neet packaging of the item. After my payment might have been confirmed to you by USPS, I will send fedex man to come and pick it up at your resident so you will not worry about the shipping costs. For me to complete my payment to USPS, I will need your contact address so that I can forward that to USPS for them to know where money will be delivered to.
I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Thanks. - Cynthia Anderson"

[Yoda]

OK, so another person emailed me:

"I am interested in buying your item and sending to my Grandson that recently traveled to abroad (Nigeria) for a research program.Also, I will pay you $850 for the payment including shipping of this item. This item is to be shipped directly from you to Grandson address at abroad via USPS (EMS) Global Express Mail. My mode of payment is Paypal or Usps Money Order, through usps money order delivery, they will deliver at your doorstep.Kindly close the auction and get back to me with your payment details so i can make the payment asap.
Thanks - james smith"

I'm starting to see the pattern lol... They seem to use very generic names also.

[Pablo975]

Scam city dude. Ignore them all.

That's a shame too, as craigslist is such an awesome site. It's too bad more people won't use it becuase of stuff like this.

[Madison]

Yup, definitely a scam. Glad to see you didn't fall for it.

[Snakes Gould]

anyone that needs any kind of special request like "extra neat packaging" means its a scam. that really stinks man. craigslist is awesome, what a shame.

[Yoda]

Well I did sell my projector for more than what it was worth on Craigslist so it isn't all bad. People seem to be interested so I'm going to have to make sure they come and pick it up...

[Yoda]

Wow so far I've gotten 4 emails which are pretty much the same. Pretty crappy if you ask me.

[JTWood]

I'm obviously an idiot, because I know it's a scam but don't see it.

They send the money in advance.
You don't send the item until you have the money.

What's the catch? Is there a way for them to somehow negate the payment? I know that scam through Paypal, but I didn't know you could do it through the postal service. Can you?

[Tavish]

I'm obviously an idiot, because I know it's a scam but don't see it.

They send the money in advance.
You don't send the item until you have the money.

What's the catch? Is there a way for them to somehow negate the payment? I know that scam through Paypal, but I didn't know you could do it through the postal service. Can you?

These are variants of the Nigerian 419 scam. The money orders are worth nothing and typically counterfeit. The good counterfeits will even clear payment process at your bank. But weeks down the road when the banks eventually do discover the forgery you are screwed. You have lost the item and your account is likely in debt when you spent money that you assumed was there and the bank negates the bad money order deposit.

[JTWood]

The money orders are... typically counterfeit.

Nice to know our money orders can be so easily forged.