classified ad scammer beware

[braunstein82]

Had a scammer contact me about my ad on here. Offering to send a check then me ship, etc, etc. I googled the email and comes up flagged and had post in other forums with contradicting info. I called them out, no reply, big surprise. Lol

James B Shelhart
<alejandrostephen64@gmail.com

[BrianACR]

Thanks for the warning

[Turk]

It seems to be a common scam these days. I've always wondered what there tactic is? How does the scam work? Do they assume I'm going to give them the car before the check clears?

[Vprbite]

It seems to be a common scam these days. I've always wondered what there tactic is? How does the scam work? Do they assume I'm going to give them the car before the check clears?

Unfortunately, even cashiers checks can be faked these days. So someone will give you a C.C. which you think is guaranteed and then you let your car go only to find out it was forged. We used to think a catchiers check was good as gold but not the case anymore, unfortunately,

[AZTVR]

It seems to be a common scam these days. I've always wondered what there tactic is? How does the scam work? Do they assume I'm going to give them the car before the check clears?

I don't think that the scam works like that. One never knows for sure ahead of time about any individual scam: but, the common thing is for them to try to send the seller a fake cashier's check for more than the sale amount, and then have the seller send some of the overage as payment to their "agent" before he will come and pick up the item for sale. The agent never actually shows up. There is no "agent." They don't tell you all of the scam process in the beginning. What they tell you changes as you proceed with the sale. At least this is what people have posted on the web from their personal experience.

[Camfab]

I guess I'm stupid bit I really don't get the scam. If someone is offering to pick up the item after the check clears, what's the problem? This transaction is for $300 right? We aren't talking about a car, are we?

[Black Adder]

I work for a cyber security company and AZTVR is correct. The scammer is not trying to steal your car as it is too easy to track. They are trying to steal your cash. They send you a fake check for more than the cost of car, the extra is for you to send to their agent so they can arrange the collection. It's a spin on the old "Nigerian Prince" scam.

[AZTVR]

I guess I'm stupid bit I really don't get the scam. If someone is offering to pick up the item after the check clears, what's the problem? This transaction is for $300 right? We aren't talking about a car, are we?

Your bank will cash the check the day that you take it in. The scammer is betting on most people taking that as a sign that a cashier's check is good, and not wait for the days that it takes for the check to go through the banking system. The seller then sends the scammer the overage money (before the "person" will pick up the item) and a few days later gets a call from his bank that says he needs to return the money because the check did not clear.

You are right, if you wait until the check clears the banking system, you would be safe. I'm not sure how you would know exactly when you are "safe."