Lesson Seekers: Craigslist Scam

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Lesson Seekers: Craigslist Scam

by wpdus Sun Feb 15, 2009 2:34 pm
I posted a cooking class lesson on craigslist. These are a series of emails I received over a two day period. I was not scammed, but I did give out my name and telephone number. What are the possible consequences of giving out my name and telephone number to these scammers? What should I be on look out for now? This is the first time this has append to me, I don't have any experience with these matters.
Thanks in advance for any information.
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Delivered-To: [MY EMAIL]@gmail.com
Received: by 10.142.131.12 with SMTP id e12cs82263wfd;
Sat, 14 Feb 2009 02:48:32 -0800 (PST)
Received: by 10.140.171.18 with SMTP id t18mr1623007rve.95.1234608512048;
Sat, 14 Feb 2009 02:48:32 -0800 (PST)
Return-Path: <bounce-anon-[MY EMAIL][email protected]>
Received: from mxo1p.craigslist.org (mxo1p.craigslist.org [208.82.236.166])
by mx.google.com with ESMTP id b8si5162716rvf.8.2009.02.14.02.48.31;
Sat, 14 Feb 2009 02:48:32 -0800 (PST)
Received-SPF: pass (google.com: domain of bounce-anon-[MY EMAIL][email protected] designates 208.82.236.166 as permitted sender) client-ip=208.82.236.166;
Authentication-Results: mx.google.com; spf=pass (google.com: domain of bounce-anon-[MY EMAIL][email protected] designates 208.82.236.166 as permitted sender) smtp.mail=bounce-anon-[MY EMAIL][email protected]; dkim=neutral (body hash did not verify) [email protected]
Received: from ag-out-0708.google.com (ag-out-0708.google.com [72.14.246.242])
by mxi1p.craigslist.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 153C7FD48
for <[email protected]>; Sat, 14 Feb 2009 02:48:31 -0800 (PST)
Received: by ag-out-0708.google.com with SMTP id 31so2590093agc.11
for <[email protected]>; Sat, 14 Feb 2009 02:48:31 -0800 (PST)
DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed;
d=gmail.com; s=gamma;
h=domainkey-signature:mime-version:received:date:message-id:subject
:from:to:content-type;
bh=En6A1NewyLaRIM7wO7IEi2g3skxDR8eb2xMCFBXF420=;
b=O7Ghn/Tz0Q6eihi766ceN9+H0pTFvhAgGjNxSUMuHPWmzlMYDSSY6Y6tc1Qf+qY8Tn
F0K6SAR5raGi4YkGWFLRDfYNNdXPri4yQe0wMxOTh3EfhzUpXtOelXk0Gs29YIVGLFWq
HiTC/LAZ3TGLUtAH4fr1SK7D5ZnzDuC8x45ck=
DomainKey-Signature: a=rsa-sha1; c=nofws;
d=gmail.com; s=gamma;
h=mime-version:date:message-id:subject:from:to:content-type;
b=R9drSIOarKMuE4IIMFBPw7ujRKlILkA2MV6BGYCy4lu+T3tAt6GMpiJm1iFPDGmNAk
AYp2Wq5kzIkBS7i5vuMt5GK8AWpwH/IDqyGcntVZ7iOhTdupez/wQh1rc92UBeZ2YjAP
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MIME-Version: 1.0
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Feb 2009 02:48:30 -0800 (PST)
Date: Sat, 14 Feb 2009 11:48:30 +0100
Message-ID: <[email protected]>
Subject: Cuisine Class: So Long, Bagged White Bread (Memphis)
From: Dan Tergiee <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary=000e0cd6adaab9fe180462deb1df


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** CRAIGSLIST ADVISORY --- AVOID SCAMS BY DEALING LOCALLY
** Avoid: wiring money, cross-border deals, work-at-home
** Beware: cashier checks, money orders, escrow, shipping
** More Info: http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams.html

--
Hello,
l will like to know if you are available to teach my son and i will like
you to get back to me with your charges?


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this message was remailed to you via: [email protected]
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Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1
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<html> <span style="background-color: #ffff99; font-family: courier; font-weight: bold">** CRAIGSLIST ADVISORY --- AVOID SCAMS BY DEALING LOCALLY<br>** Avoid: <font color="red">wiring money, cross-border deals, work-at-home</font><br>** Beware: <font color="red">cashier checks, money orders, escrow, shipping</font><br>** More Info: <a href="http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams.html">http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams.html</a><br></span><br><br>
<br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Hello,<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;l will like to know if you are available to teach my son and i will like you to get back to me with your charges?
<br>
<hr>this message was remailed to you via: [email protected]<hr>
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____________________________________________________________________
The short and direct mention of his son duped me into believing he was interested in the lesson. I replied using my main email address, my full name, and area code and telephone number. Here is what he sent in reply.
____________________________________________________________________

Delivered-To: [MY EMAIL]@gmail.com
Received: by 10.151.137.11 with SMTP id p11cs167568ybn;
Sun, 15 Feb 2009 04:56:33 -0800 (PST)
MIME-Version: 1.0
Received: by 10.224.54.12 with SMTP id o12mr76796qag.215.1234702593185; Sun,
15 Feb 2009 04:56:33 -0800 (PST)
In-Reply-To: <[email protected]>
References: <[email protected]>
<[email protected]>
<[email protected]>
Date: Sun, 15 Feb 2009 13:56:33 +0100
Message-ID: <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Cuisine Class: So Long, Bagged White Bread (Memphis)
From: Dan Tergiee <[email protected]>
To: Sergio Mosqueda <[MY EMAIL]@gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

Hello........Thank you for the email, My son is 16 years old I could
have love to meet you in person before starting the lesson but i have
just been transfer from work to Australia that is the more reason why i will
not bee able to meet you and my son will come down to your location
for the lesson because i have already make arrangement with a nanny
that will be taking care of him for his period of tutoring I have make
contacts with my son concerning the arrangement of the tutoring
which he told me he's ok with him and i want you to know that i am
going to pay for one and half month and i will be paying through a
cashier check
.i want you to know that the rest of the money will be used to get
accommodation and other arrangement for the lesson All you have to do
is to get back tome with your full name and physical home
address,zip code and your cell phone number so that i can mail ou the
check to you asap..

NOTE:The check would clear before the lesson will start ..

Best wishes...


--

Hello,
l will like to know if you are available to teach my son and mail
back with your charges?
____________________________________________________________________
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Re: Lesson Seekers: Craigslist Scam

by The Enchantress Sun Feb 15, 2009 4:14 pm
wdpus welcome.

What will happen.

It will be an overpayment scam with a fake cheque.

You will be send a cheque for too much to the address you provided and then either be asked to send back the difference by Western Union or MoneyGram transfer, or they might send a cheque and then say they have changed their mind, and ask you to send the whole amount back by the same transfer methods.

The cheque will be a fake. Should you bank it you could be charged with fraud and your bank will expect you to make good the ammount.

Another thing to look out for is more scam approaches being made by e-mail, telephone or to your postal address.

My advice.

When the cheque arrives mark it in red felt pen with the words fake. Inform your local law enforcement of what has occured. They may also offer you advice concerning your best steps to take.

As soon as possible change your phone number, if someone calls about the scam simply put down the phone. Refuse to talk. Do not reply to or ignore or delete any mails sent to you by people you do not know. It may also be a good idea to change your e-mail, send friends and relatives your new one.

If you have any questions or have other concerns please post in the forum.

Photos - are scammers using yours? click here
Are you falling for a love scammer? click here
Never send money by Western Union/Moneygram.
Never give personal information.
Online anyone can claim to be anyone, any age and from anywhere.

Re: Lesson Seekers: Craigslist Scam

by Jillian Sun Feb 15, 2009 4:50 pm
Hi and welcome! As the enchantress said, it is a fake check/overpayment scam.

This part of the email is very telling:

i will be paying through a
cashier check
.i want you to know that the rest of the money will be used to get
accommodation and other arrangement for the lesson All you have to do
is to get back tome with your full name and physical home
address,zip code and your cell phone number so that i can mail ou the
check to you asap..


The "rest of the money" supposedly for accommodations is the amount that you will be asked to wire through a money wire service such as Western Union.

The check will be fraudulent or forged on a stolen account. It will eventually come back as fake, even if your bank were to initially clear it.

Stop contact. They may continue to email you or call you, just tell them you know it's a scam and for them to stop contacting you. They may mail you a check, just destroy it.

You can learn more about check fraud by reading this thread here viewtopic.php?f=9&t=22 or at www.fakechecks.org . As the Enchantress said, please do let us know if you have any questions.

Have you sent a payment to a scammer with Western Union and now realize it's a scam? If the payment has not been picked up, you can cancel it immediately! 1-800-448-1492

Follow ScamWarners on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ScamWarners

Re: Lesson Seekers: Craigslist Scam

by Ralph Mon Feb 16, 2009 2:07 am
Just to keep all of this in one place I have copied the reply from Goerge Fox from your other thread on this subject below, for reference the thread it was copied from is here http://www.scamwarners.com/forum/viewto ... 7436#p7436

George Fox wrote:My view? No risk. He hasn't got your bank details so he can't get at your money. And he's not planning on visiting you. He may not even be in the USA.

All he wanted was for you to cash the check he sends (which will be fake), and which will be bigger than your fees to allow for the "accommodation and other arrangements" that he mentions. He would then ask you to send him the additional money over and above your fees by Western Union or MoneyGram. You present the check to your bank, it appears to clear and you send him the balance - which is what he's really after.

Then your bank finds out that the check is fake, they ask for the money back, you may get questioned by LEO's about passing fake checks and you're out of pocket for the full amount.

Needless to say the "son" never turns up (and probably doesn't exist).

If he contacts you again, just ignore him - he'll eventually give up.

If a check arrives then DO NOT CASH IT. Take it to your bank or the police, along with copies of the emails and explain that you think it's a fake check. Let them handle it (but they probably won't catch the lad). Then, if the lad contacts you about the check he sent, tell him you took it to your bank and they told you it was a fake. Then ignore him.

Unfortunately, as he's using Gmail, we can't find out where his IP is.

Above all, don't worry.

Hope this helps.

Re: Lesson Seekers: Craigslist Scam

by Ralph Mon Feb 16, 2009 2:16 am
Hi WDpus and welcome,

I was going to take a closer look at the headers but realise it would be a waste of time here, the first comes from craiglist so the header will point to them, the second is gmail which will hide the IP, the scammer could be anywhere in the world but odds are they are in Africa.

All of the good stuff has already been said so no point in restating the great advice already given.

Please take a look around and familiarise yourself with the various scams and please tell you family and friends as well, public awareness is our greatest tool and something you can easily help with by telling your story.

Thanks for posting, by doing that alone you may prevent somebody from being scammed in the future :wink:
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