Craigs List sale and cashiers check - is this a scam

[CelticDude]

I have a mandolin on Craig's List at the moment, hoping to deal locally and avoid shipping. I got a response from someone who wants to send me a cashier's check, and once it clears he'll arrange pickup of the "item". This feels like a scam, but I can't figure out how. As I understand it, a bank cashier's check is one of the safest forms of payment. And if I wait until it clears before parting with the mandolin, it also seems safe.

What is odd to me is that the person doesn't seem concerned about the mandolin at all. I asked if he wouldn't want to see it first, and he didn't respond, just pushed for the deal with a cashier's check.

Note that all of my CL sales include the conditions "Cash only; local pickup only".

Thanks for any advice.

[Jude Reinhardt]

Insist that the buyer sends the cashiers check to whoever's going to pick up the iten. Let them cash it and pay you cash. The way he wants to do it looks like a scam to me. I've heard about this one before but can't remember the details.

Jude

[yankees1]

I have a mandolin on Craig's List at the moment, hoping to deal locally and avoid shipping. I got a response from someone who wants to send me a cashier's check, and once it clears he'll arrange pickup of the "item". This feels like a scam, but I can't figure out how. As I understand it, a bank cashier's check is one of the safest forms of payment. And if I wait until it clears before parting with the mandolin, it also seems safe.

What is odd to me is that the person doesn't seem concerned about the mandolin at all. I asked if he wouldn't want to see it first, and he didn't respond, just pushed for the deal with a cashier's check.

Note that all of my CL sales include the conditions "Cash only; local pickup only".

Thanks for any advice.

Make sure it CLEARS before shipping the mandolin !! Anything can be forged !

[Don Grieser]

Sounds like a deal to run away from to me.

[Eric F.]

Of course it's a scam. The buyer calls it an "item" because he sends out hundreds of these each day and can't take the time to change "item" to "mandolin," "toaster oven" or whatever every time. I bet he also works in the mining industry and is below ground for days at a time, hence the need for someone else to pick it up.

[MikeEdgerton]

One of the most common schemes used is to send a cashier's check for more money than you asked for. When they "realize" their mistake they ask you to wire them the difference back.

This isn't an automatic problem but it sounds like the past scams to me. That whole "arrange the pickup" thing sends red flags up for me. I'd simply walk away from that one. Offer to meet them at inside your local police station and tell them to bring cash.

[pops1]

What most people don't realize that cashiers checks can be forged and it takes 3 weeks to really clear not the couple of days most people think. I tell people who want to send someone to pickup and instrument or whatever "if you trust the person picking up the merchandise with the merchandise just send cash with them" I never hear back.

[nickster60]

I sell lots of things on CL and get these all the time from all over the country. Walk away from this one my friend and be assured you will receive more of these in the future.

[Tobin]

Every time I have ever listed anything on Craigslist, I get that same offer. It's a scam.

[Northwest Steve]

YES, YES, YES...... I just can not believe that people fall for scams on craigslist or their emails. They also go fishing for your email and phone number.

[nickster60]

They fish for what ever they can get phone number, email address, your address and bank account numbers. It is sad but there is an entire segment of the population that sit on their rear ends and do this all day. Just think of what they could accomplish if the turned their efforts to something worthwhile.

[Northwest Steve]

If people did not fall for this stuff they would be out of business. But as PT Barnum said.............

[Jeff Mando]

Offer to meet them at inside your local police station and tell them to bring cash.

Good one, Mike!

[Stephen Perry]

I have a big stack of fake cashier's checks - I try to get these guys to FedEx them to me. I am also trying to get one for over $250,000. We got one at work for about $115,000, although for a different scam I still can't figure out. Biggest instrument scam check is $11,000. If I find the file, I'll make a mega scan and put it up on imgur.

[colorado_al]

I have a big stack of fake cashier's checks - I try to get these guys to FedEx them to me. I am also trying to get one for over $250,000. We got one at work for about $115,000, although for a different scam I still can't figure out. Biggest instrument scam check is $11,000. If I find the file, I'll make a mega scan and put it up on imgur.

Nice! Sort of like the "Nigerian Spam Scam Scam"
http://www.spamscamscam.com/the_show.php

[Denny Gies]

Man, I really learn a lot on this site. Thanks to everyone who posted.

[CelticDude]

Thanks all for confirming my suspicions. I took Jude's advice (#2 above), and told this person I'd only take cash, and he can send the cash to whomever picks up the mandolin. I expect to never hear from this person again. At some point soon, I'll break down and put the mando on EBay, but that's an adventure for another day (I've only bought on EBay, never sold anything.)

[Barry Wilson]

I had one when I was selling my van. Same deal, they send a fake one for more than the item is worth then use a delivery service to come pick it up and you pay the delivery driver... the person was hassling me about pick up before I even got the fake money order. it was a good forgery I will say. I kept it as a memory... it was certainly fun to play along.

[darrylicshon]

Just last week i had a similar email i played along , they said they would send money thru PayPal i said ok , alittle later i got an email from paypal saying i have money. So i opened up a new window ( never click on a link from an email) and went to PayPal as i thought no money or anything about a transfer coming, i emailed them back and told them PayPal doesn't show any money. They answered back I'm going to report you to PayPal for scamming me. I emailed back i am going to report you to PayPal. They responded back saying i have reported you to the FBI for the scam your doing , i didn't answer anymore but did get a fake email that said it came from the FBI. So i sent the emails to spoof@paypal.com which PayPal ask you to do. So be aware if they send emails similar just ignore them. I got a response back from PayPal saying thanks for reporting the fake e-mail. Every email that they sent looked real except if you compare it to a real one from PayPal the fake one had a R with a circle and it after paypal which the real one doesn't.

[atbuckner21]

This is definitely a scam as had 5 numbers try it on me in one day. Quick way to tell, call the number he/she/android/alien is texting from, and it will probably say that this is not a working number. If the words "arrange for pickup" are uttered, they are probably trying to steal from you. Thanks

I have a mandolin on Craig's List at the moment, hoping to deal locally and avoid shipping. I got a response from someone who wants to send me a cashier's check, and once it clears he'll arrange pickup of the "item". This feels like a scam, but I can't figure out how. As I understand it, a bank cashier's check is one of the safest forms of payment. And if I wait until it clears before parting with the mandolin, it also seems safe.

What is odd to me is that the person doesn't seem concerned about the mandolin at all. I asked if he wouldn't want to see it first, and he didn't respond, just pushed for the deal with a cashier's check.

Note that all of my CL sales include the conditions "Cash only; local pickup only".

Thanks for any advice.

[nickster60]

If you sell on CL list you have to be a little more patient, sales don't happen as quickly as online sources. But it is cash on the barrel head, no shipping and all sales final. Which compared to Ebay with fees and return headaches can be worth the wait.

[Tobin]

Just last week i had a similar email i played along , they said they would send money thru PayPal i said ok , alittle later i got an email from paypal saying i have money. So i opened up a new window ( never click on a link from an email) and went to PayPal as i thought no money or anything about a transfer coming, i emailed them back and told them PayPal doesn't show any money. They answered back I'm going to report you to PayPal for scamming me. I emailed back i am going to report you to PayPal. They responded back saying i have reported you to the FBI for the scam your doing , i didn't answer anymore but did get a fake email that said it came from the FBI.

LOL, I guess they have decided to up the ante for folks who start to realize it's a scam. They turn it back around on people and accuse them of a scam. That's pretty funny, especially the email from the FBI part. I wonder how many geniuses out there really fall for that, as if the FBI does its job by email.

[nickster60]

I have received some texts from some of these guys it become pretty obvious who you are dealing with. I know a guy who sends them back emails loaded with viruses.

[CelticDude]

If you sell on CL list you have to be a little more patient, sales don't happen as quickly as online sources. But it is cash on the barrel head, no shipping and all sales final. Which compared to Ebay with fees and return headaches can be worth the wait.

I agree, which is why I started with CL. I don't NEED the cash just yet, though it's already slated to help finance an OM. So I'll be patient for now.

[colorado_al]

I once had the reverse of this.
About 10 years ago I bought a pricey Marshall amp online and was contacted by the seller that they only take "e-gold" as payment. I had no idea what that was and asked all sorts of questions. The seller said that they already shipped the amp and that I'd better get an e-gold account and pay our they were going to report me to eBay. I figured it was a scam and I kept emailing the "seller" getting to get them to send me some e-gold to show they were legitimate. After emailing for a few days I decided I had better things to do with my time and stopped emailing. A few days later, a new Marshall amp shows up at my door from a major online retailer, addressed to someone I had never heard of. I contacted the retailer and told then that I thought the amp was bought with some stolen credit card and they looked into it and agreed that was what happened. I told them I would bring the amp to ups for return if they could send me a label. They said no, just keep it. Our insurance will cover it, thanks for your call.
I was dumbfounded! I tried to find the contact info of the person on the shipping label, but was unable to. So I just kept the amp.
Strangest online transaction I've ever had!