Hey Joe.
This very generic email that doesn't mention which item the person wants (I had two posted the first week of your classifieds, nonetheless) appears to be straight out of a Craig's List scam. It doesn't mention the item and they want to pay with a certified check or money order. The part missing is paying extra for their "shipping agent," but why would they want to mail me a check if they are local to the area and they could just pick it up?
Thinking that there's good in the world, I sent a reply asking for specific info regarding the item they are interested in without giving options to see if this person just missed that part of the email. The scammers usually don't respond since they spam lots of people and can't really give much attention to specifics.
I'll keep you informed if I get any more info about this person. but I thought you may want to ask around and see if anybody else is getting emails like this. If a pattern emerges, your readers may be targeted by scammers. Perhaps you could mention a possible problem and ask your readers to send you suspicious emails to compare?
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
They'll pay you by a certified check or money order that is counterfeit. They're going to send you too much money by accident, claiming the extra money they sent you was supposed to actually get cut in a separate check for shipping. They'll ask you for the difference back. By the time you mail the extra back to them and they've cashed your check or money order, your bank will call you and tell you that the original certified check or money order was a fake. This is the basic MO for all of these "I'd like to send you money and you can keep some of it" scams. I know a guy who listed a couch on craigslist. Someone offered to buy it, sent him the fake money order for too much money and anyway... He got scammed.
ReplyDeleteit's a buyer beware world, beware of strangers bearing gifts
ReplyDeleteI got this same email just a few minutes ago. Everyone just needs to use their heads, I guess, and don't take anything but cash from locals. I usually try to put that in my ads, but I don't think it would matter...they will still try. So everyone, just be careful!
ReplyDeleteI have a nice Benjy Franklin that says this "ad" was placed by a former/current Somali gunman(who f'ed with our Rangers)via a sweaty overseas (African)internet cafe..
ReplyDeletewe got an email saying we won a lotto in Liverpool. From there you get directed to a shipping agent to 'collect' your winnings. We used snopes and google to check it out and it is just yet another scam.
ReplyDeleteI got the same email. They want to buy what was in my add but cant tell me what it was.
ReplyDeleteJoe Andrews
Just emailed you I guess I should have checked the blog first.
ReplyDeleteI got the same email. They were saying they wanted to buy my item, but did not say what it was. I sent a return email saying I had several items listed and which one were they interested in. Good to know it's a scam. It was signed Bryan. Here is the email address it came from and where I responded to. bryan.meadows1@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteMaryAnn
Here is a good deal,,,cut off hair that Chaz spends hours on and sell it in the classifieds!
ReplyDeleteIf it's a scam and a Yahoo address is being used it should probably be reported to Yahoo.
ReplyDeleteIt is funny watching everyone at SPD flip out when something is posted about the PD or any officer there. LOL.
ReplyDeleteSame Here. If you post on ANY Classified .. I mean ANY. Trust me I know personally Paid VERY Dearly!!! Junk Email folder is where yo place them! TRUST ME!
ReplyDeleteMaryAnn, the email I got was from the same email address. Definately a scam artist.
ReplyDeleteCan't believe how many suckers there are. Would someone really think they won the liverpool lottery?
ReplyDeleteif you don't enter a lottery you can't win one.
ReplyDeletethis address to report spam, scam: spam@uce.gov