Some Sort of a Buyer Scam???

[MarkSBG]

Not to echo the responses, but this is a total scam. Ignore them...

 

[RainbowBob]

They will send a check for thousands over you asking amount and then ask you to deposit it and wire the rest back to them via Western Union.

I don't understand how this could work even once. If they actually sent a bogus check (that did not clear) nobody would ever send them the "difference" - would they?

For that matter...if the check DID clear, many would STILL not send the difference.

What am I missing?

 

[mstrmom42]

The way I understand it is that the bogus check takes a while to bounce, then the bank comes after the person who cashed it thru their bank. Hard to believe that people even fall for this sort of thing, and actually send money back to these people..........

 

[Grizzly_A]

I had something similar happen with a CL ad. I got a reply that wasn't as formal as the letter you had, but asked to call about the item for sale. Well I replied to their ad using my Yahoo account and then several hours later everyone in my address book had been spammed with business opportunities, etc. My account had been hacked/compromised.


That's different from your offer, but if it makes you feel odd to begin with....sometimes your first gut feeling is the one you should go with.

 

[tionico]

I would not even respond to these, even by email, they ARE scams. Youu get the "cheque", deposit it, funds credited to your account, then you send off the WU wire.... on the uncleared funds. "Cheque" bounces, your bank comes after you, you're out. Your goods on offer never enter the picture, they want the WU wire.

I had one of these sent to me a few years back, it was mailed from France the day BEFORE the date of issue of the draft. Drawn on a bank in Florida... we called that bank (mine did, at my request and while I was there), it exists, but the colour of the background for the cheque was wrong. I use a PO box for all mail, so they never got my residence address.

I now use a "shill" or security email address for all CL postings..... and ONLY deal with people through that. If anyone tries anything funny with that, I have the shield of the shill address. I can close one of those, and instantly open another and switch all ongoing correspondence to that new one. This way they never even get my IP address (which they willl if I email directly to them). They get Earthlink's, not mine. Never can get through to me directly once the abused shill address is closed. Legitimate buyers never know, either. They email me, I email back, we connect, do business (or not...)

 

[fromotoc]

Basically, if it they aren't offering cash or a valid trade, it is a scam. Its been around for a while now, and surprisingly people still fall for it. What you should do is sign up for alot of online offers with their email address, so they get added to email lists.