Craigslist Scam: [email protected]

After a response to my Craigslist Ad asking if the item was still available and telling them it was, I recieved this e-mail from '[email protected]':

I am glad it's available. I'm on a vacation in London but I will instruct my PA in the state to prepare and mail your payment which I'm sure you will get in about 5- 7 business days. I'll add $20 extra for the delay. I'll pay by M O or cashier check,If that ok by you Plz send me your info (1. Full Name to write on the Payment
2. Address where payment will be sent to
3. City
4. State
5. Zip Code
6. Home or cell Phone Number) so payment can be mailed out immediately. I will also make arrangement for pick-up which will be after you must have received and cashed the payment.
Awaiting your info.
Thanks
I then give the info to him and await the M.O. and receive:

I urgently have to bring something to your notice. I just found out that my PA overpaid you. The payment meant for another transaction was made out in your name and sent to you. However I want to believe I wont have a problem with you on this. Once you receive the payment, Please proceed to the bank and deposit the payment, Once it clears the bank,deduct your money and send back the balance to me via western union. So I can proceed with arrangement for pick-up. Once more, I hope I can fully trust you with this? I will await your response on this so my mind can be at rest.
Thanks.

Thinking 'Ok, shitake happens, whatever. Then i receive two M.O. for $955.00, uh, hello. So i play a little bit longer and tell them I would do what they wanted and asked for their info. I recieved this:

I am happy you have received th payment..I understand your concern for the overpayment..The payment was meant for some pieces of furniture but sent to you in error i fired my PA as a result of this gross error that have put me in this difficult situation. ..Please i will appreciate if this is taking care of as promised, You will be receiving 2 Money Order of $955 each..Go ahead and get it cashed at your bank, deduct your payment and send the balance via western union to the following details,Western Union will charge you a fee you can deduct that from my money.

NAME OF RECEIVER: Jay Reyes
address : 110 Marylebone High Street
City : London
Country : United kingdom
Zip code : W1U4RY

Once the Transfer is done, you will email me the Transfer details immediately. That is the MTCN , SENDER's NAME and AMOUNT SENT AFTER TRANSFER CHARGES

note: The transfer charges will be deducted from mymoney

I'll really appreciate if you can get this done today so that arrangement for pick-up can commence.
Waiting to read from you
Thanks for your understanding

RED FLAG! WHAT!? LONDON? Why would I wire that much money to you in London if you are just on vacation? Then I Google the email and find practically the same darn situation here at Scam Warners and another site!

Please tell me I am not tripping out and this is a scam.

Welcome to ScamWarners dfgoodchild , you are not tripping and this is a scam. The checks are forgeries and if you put them into your account and send anything to the scammer, you will get stuck dealing with the forged checks and the scammer will have the cash you send to him. You will have no recourse in the situation.

Your best course of action is to stop communicating with this criminal. Nothing good will come from seeing where else things will go. Just stop communicating. Don't tell him you know anything, don't tell him about ScamWarners. Scammers use information like that to become more slick in their criminal activities.

It is great you recognized the scam and did not fall for it.

Now I have stopped all communication to this guy and he sent me an email today:

YOU HAVE NOT SAID A SINGLE WORD SINCE THE LAST EMAIL. I DONT FIND THIS FUNNY AND WILL BE REPORTING TO THE AUTHORITIES IF I DO NOT HEAR FROM YOU IN THE NEXT 24HOURS.



My inner smartalec wants to reply to to it:

How nice, you want to do the good thing and turn yourself in for scamming.

I'm just going to advise craigslist and post here though.

I know it's tempting but just ignore it. And any further emails from him pretending to be the FBI or similar. Some scammers do try that.
And as you seem to have used your real name when signing up here, I suggest you PM one of the admins with something more anonymous and ask for it to be changed.

Similar story regarding "[email protected]".
He replied as "J J" and offered me $20 over my $200 price on Craigslist. Here are some e-mails from him:
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Thanks for your reply concerning my inquiry. I am quite comfortable with the condition of the item.I will add $20 to the purchase price for you to hold it for me, I'm on a vacation in London but I will instruct my PA in the state to prepare and mail your payment,Please provide me with your full name, Address and your Phone number so that I can send your payment. I will be paying you by a Money Order /Bank Check. It will take 5- 7 business days for the payment to get to you, As for delivery, I will make arrangements for the pick-up after you have received and cashed the payment. If this meets your approval, kindly get back to me, as soon as possible, with your name, phone # and mailing address where payment will be sent,so that I can have my assistant get the Money Order /Bank Check ready.

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I urgently have to bring something to your notice. I just found out that my PA overpaid you. The payment meant for another transaction was made out in your name and sent to you. However I want to believe I wont have a problem with you on this. Once you receive the payment, Please proceed to the bank and deposit the payment, Once it clears the bank,deduct your money and send back the balance to me via western union. So I can proceed with arrangement for pick-up. Once more, I hope I can fully trust you with this? I will await your response on this so my mind can be at rest.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
You should receive the payment any moment now. Once you receive it please proceed to your bank to deposit and cash out ,You will be receiving 1 check of $1950 . Once the Payment clears your Bank, deduct your money plus the $20 extra, then take the rest money to the nearest Western Union Outlet and send the balance using the western union in mint option to the following info:

NAME : Daniel Jimenez
Address : 2-24 Kensington High St
CITY : LONDON
COUNTRY : UNITED KINGDOM
ZIP CODE : W8 4PT

Once the Transfer has been done, you will email me the following Transfer details immediately.

Money Transfer Cotrol Number (MTCN)
Sender's Name and
Total amount sent after charges.

Btw: The transfer charges will be deducted from my money

I'll really appreciate if you can get this done as soon as you receive the payment so that arrangement for pick-up can commence. Waiting to read from you
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A day later I get a cashier's check from a "Bill E Carroll", drawn on the Compass Bank in Birmingham, AL for $1,950. I take it to my bank and they tell me it's on a "watch list" for scammers and fraud.

Moral: if it's too good to be true, it isn't (true).

Welcome to ScamWarners Run100s and congratulations for not getting scammed. I applaud your bank for being diligent in their protection of you their customer. It is good to hear that a bank didn't just receive the check and let the consequences fall on to you.

The information you posted will help others.