POP

Craigslist Scam 2016

The thieves are out there everywhere.

If the caller is in a different state that the check is from and the
destination is in yet another state then 100% it is a scam. Look up the 
bank that the check was written from and ask if the funds are available.
If not then it is a scam.

Look the cell phone number on the internet. read comments. 

How can you stop them? The best way is to remember this if it is too good 
to be true then it is not true. List something for sale on line say on Craigslist 
the the thieves are looking for you.

If you allow the potential buyers to contact you using a method such as email 
or text then you have given them an open door.  I think allowing this is OK but
 understand the thieves are out there.

So they agree to buy whatever but they are "out of town" "very busy" " and they
are not local to you and they do not have a friend or anyone that can come and
see it and pay you cash.

So you and the thief exchange emails and you agree to sell it at a price. You then 
are asked to box it which you do because you know it is sold. Now due to them 
being busy they tell you they are in a hurry and will mail you a check. A money
order. You agree.

You give them an address and in a week or so the check arrives. US Mail
Priority mail.

The check is made out to you and is for more than you asked for. You text 
the person or email them and tell them that the amount is far more than you
requested.  The thief merely say well I  have a mover or a shipper and the over
payment is for you to send to them so that they can come after the item.

A Recap: Agreed price $400.00 Check amount received is $2300.00. Deposit
the check and your bank account has $2700.00 more in it. You owe the mover 
or shipper $1900.00. 
You go to the bank and get a $1900.00 cashiers check then you mail it to the 
agreed address. In two weeks more or less the check sadly bounces. You
have sent the money out and you have lost between $1,000.00 and in this 
case $1900.00. 

Maybe the agreed amount is $350.00 and the check is for $1200.00 and you 
mail them a check for $950.00 doesn't matter the scam is the same. Your 
money is gone and they are sitting fat and happy.

You don't tell anyone because you feel like an idiot. A fool. Don't feel bad
it happens  to the best of us. 

Please please please be careful this just happened to me. I listed something for 
sale and went thru all this and the check was for $1500.00 more than the agreed 
price. They told me if I didn't mail the check to the mover then they would call the
police or maybe even the FBI. I took that thought and called the local FBI. Told 
them the story and they told me to shred the check. Please please tell your 
mom and dad or brother or sister or friend's. They may be in the middle of doing
this.

I looked up the FBI office in a different state. Found a name of an agent and
the office address this agent works out of. I asked the scammer to mail the 
check to my step father. I lied oops. my bad. I guess the scammer mailed the
fraudulent check to the agent. The email address on google no longer works
as well as the phone number.
A nice high rise apartment in NJ. 

Thank you