Scam? Look in please

[Arcadiac]

Ok, I've seen similar posts asking about buyer scams, but I'm putting mine out here for you guys to check out too.  After posting my Nintendo VS machines on craigslist, I get these emails:


5/12
HELLO THERE,
 I WAS SURFLING THROUGH THE WEB TODAY AND I CAME ACROSS YOUR
ADVERT.I WILL BE OKEY IF YOUR BEST PRICE FOR THE ITEMS ARE OFFER. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOWN THE COST FOR SHIPPMENT OF THE ITEM.
THANKS FOR ANTICIPATION.
KATE.

My Reply:

Kate, I cannot ship these machines, please carefully reread the posting for all terms. If you are still interested, write back and let me know and we'll work out something from there. Thanks, Ron

Next email:

5/22
Hello There,
       The price is reasonably okay for me and as regards shippment ,i will have to order my shipper to have it picked up immediately after you must have received payment.At present i am out of the state on a WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION SUMMIT going on in WEST AFRICA
so i may have to order my client there in the state to send payment to you in form of money order as soon as i have your name,address and phone number e-mailed to me.
Kate

So, what do y'all think?  My gut instinct is SCAM, usually when I follow my instinct it saves my butt and when I ignore it I get ripped off. 
BUT I also don't want to turn down a legit offer.  What's your experience?
I'm gonna let the email sit for a couple of days before responding. 
LMK what you think about this one.

Thanks in advance for your help,
ARCADIAC!

[paigeoliver]

Scam

More specifically this is the classic Nigerian wire scam. I usually recieve about 50 of them anytime I list anything for sale on Craigslist.

Notice how the initial query doesn't even mention what you are selling, it simply calls it "the item". Also note the usage of what I call "Nigerian English" which is a mixture of British and American english, with syntax and sentence structure often jumbled.

Check the email address, very high chance the name of the address won't even match the name they are claiming.

Also, email them back again (WITHOUT the previous emails quoted), address them as a different name and watch them magically change names. They do this stuff 16 hours a day and use so many names they can't keep them straight.

[JackTucky]

Seriously, scam. 

I want to buy your stuff, but can't since I am curing cancer and aids at the W.H.O.

 

Art

[Thenasty]

I read somthing like that before form someone here and the buyer name keep changing from e-mails to e-mails. First it was Kate, then the second reply it was Grace, 3rd Jahn 4th who knows what...

SCAM  I say....

[JoyMonkey]

You should try and do some kind of powerbook style trick. Agree to everything, but when the shipping company comes by to pick up the machines, give them some old furniture that you've got ready for the dump!

Although, I'd be very weary of giving them your real name, address and phone number.

Are these scammers usually out for the items or for identity theft?

[Lilwolf]

Scam...

Dont mess with them... Some people you just don't want to piss off.  It would be nice to get scammers to stop by sending furnature or bricks or something... but I have a feeling it wont help others out... And could possibly have someone go after you (identy theft way or others)

To make sure, I would reply that everything sounds fine... But you will not ship until the funds have cleared, even with a money order. 

[Ken Layton]

Yup, it sure is a scam alright. I've had these come in my email lots of times. They are virtually word-for-word the same email with a different name.

[dema]

Total scam. Anybody who's attending a WHO summit isn't on Craig's list looking for a Nintendo Vs. cabinet while they're in West Africa. Just ignore their email and move on.

[MonitorGuru]

Scam...

Dont mess with them... Some people you just don't want to piss off.

[Avery]

What everyone said and then some.  It's too early to tell what their game is, but often the next step iswhen they explain that their agent will come by for the merchandise, but becasue of some law or banking oddity, will have to pay you with a check worth X, which is more than the item, so If you could have Y cash on hand to make change with....

Guess how much their check is worth.

[mahuti]

What are you guys talking about, this is totally legitimate. I also happen to work for WHO, and I have an agent who will also be happy to pay you a money order for the item. However, he only has a money order for $900, so once you deposit the money order, you can give him the remainder of the overage in cash. I'll be happy to give you an extra $50 for your item for helping us out in this way.

[Arcadiac]

What are you guys talking about, this is totally legitimate. I also happen to work for WHO, and I have an agent who will also be happy to pay you a money order for the item. However, he only has a money order for $900, so once you deposit the money order, you can give him the remainder of the overage in cash. I'll be happy to give you an extra $50 for your item for helping us out in this way.

And that's why I had you pay up front in Paypal for the Spy Hunter yoke!   
Hope you enjoy your box of doggy poo!

I'm gonna ignore and block "Kate", I assumed it was a scam because of what I read before here, thanks all for helping look out for each other.  A desperate seller may have fallen for this..........
Much gratitude, ARCADIAC!

[rchadd]

scam

[AceTKK]

did anybody read through that http://www.zug.com/pranks/powerbook/ story.  It was great until the very end, where the guy disappeared from the face of the earth 

[paigeoliver]

You don't even have to bother blocking them, they usually lose their email addresses really quick. I like to mess with them, and half the time they have already lost their email address by the time I reply to their original inquiry.

[danny_galaga]

anything with the world AFRICA spells scam to me! and anyone who likes SURFLING is always a bit suspect...

[mahuti]

Yeah, SURFLING for ADVERTS is a very dodgy business.

[NiN^_^NiN]

did anybody read through that http://www.zug.com/pranks/powerbook/ story.  It was great until the very end, where the guy disappeared from the face of the earth 

From the actualy message board or one of the places it has the end bit on what the guy did which is missed in most copies of the story.

One of the guys in the shop (the net guys wanting to see what happens) heard him go WTF or something like that asked him if it was broken lol that guy was so @#$%^&& pissed off it was damn funny

[vibez]

That powerbook trick was really cool. Although it sounds like jeff has been 'rubbed out' for playing such a trick