Beware Craigs list scam

[maple flats]

Someone has a 2004 Kubota L5030G ST listed for $4200 in the Syracuse (NY) listing. When I contacted the seller everything sounded "too good to be true"
He told me he is in the military and being shipped out to Afganistan and needs to sell it in the next 2 weeks because he doesn't want it to "rot while he is gone". I said I needed some safety in buying it, even though he has it listed in Syracuse, NY he says it is in Montana so I can't go see it. He said he would ship it at his expense via US Air military transport and to the nearest airport and by truck from there to my door, to be delivered in 3-4 days from deposit receipt. I then received an email with the Ebay logo saying it was under their buyer protection plan. Saying the seller had $50,000 in his ebay account that was frozen for 30 days to protect me. In case I do not like it or the info on the listing was wrong I can get my full purchase back with tracking info proving I shipped it back. The problem is that Ebay buyer protection plan only covers items bid on and bought thru ebay, they do not cover outside sales, Craigs list sales or any other sales.
My instructions were to sent $2100 via Western Union to a supposed third party, when the deposit is received the unit is shipped I am to send the second $2100.
I checked for scams, and came up with one where a lady in California bought a car and lost her money. The story was the same, soldier sent to Afganistan, needs to sell within 2 weeks and "does not want it to rot" while he is in the service. That lady is still trying to get her money back to no avail. Money sent by Western Union apparently can't be tracked.
Don't fall for this scam.

[maple flats]

I just checked Craigslist again, the tractor has been removed from the listing as far as I can tell.

[red maples]

their is another one too. florida house rentals. send the money to Malasia. lots of vacation homes in florida with owners in Malasia...I guess maybe its a little less tropical in florida.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Anytime they use Western Union or some other way to wire money, IT IS A SCAM 100% OF THE TIME. Another foreign piece of trash would be laughing at another dumb American. This same scam has happened thousands of times. Most of the time Craigslist or Ebay gets them removed.

PS They always want you to contact them thru email also.

[Homestead Maple]

I was checking out a 1966 Chevelle SS on Ebay last year that a guy told me belonged to his father in Georgia. His father was in poor health and needed to sell the car very soon to pay for doctor bills. If I wanted the car for a good price ($12,500) I should send him a money gram within the next few days to an address in Germany where he was stationed in the Army. If I sent him $3,000 within a day, it would hold the car for me. It sounded to good to be true, so I contacted Ebay and they checked the auction out and told me that the person had stolen the pictures of the car and ad from someone else. If it sounds to good to be true, it usually is.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Good point made by Homestead. I did forget to mention that they always copy the pictures from another listing and the info too.

[Bucket Head]

What a coincidence! I have a Kubota, a Chevelle and a florida vacation home for sale too! You guys just send me your money prior to the V.V.S. Maple Conf. & Trade Show and I'll see to it the items get delivered to you.

Seriously, the internet is a great thing but the scams are so prevalent that its mind boggling. You can't walk into a bank around here that you don't have an account with and exchange a hundred dollar bill for five twenties, but someone from a foreign country can steal thousands from you and get away with it. By now, seeing the internet has been around for a while, you'd think there would be a better "handle" on this sort of crime.

Steve

[Haynes Forest Products]

I sold an item on Ebay and within 10 min of the auction ending the person that won the item recieved a email instructing them to send the money to them western union to Spain address because their paypal account was down for 24 hrs. Turns out they were faking my email address that they got from Emay...what crap they will give out that information to anyone that askes:mad:

[southdevonbeef]

I love the part where he says he will send the tractor via military airlift, sure he will. I served with my Reserve unit in Afghanistan in 2006-07 and people like this that lie about being in the military and say they have or are being deployed just frost my a_ _. This guy should run for the US senate.

[red maples]

you know what they say....


If its on the internet it HAS TO BE TRUE!!!!!

[brookledge]

I responded to a simular situation on craigs list and what got me was the gaurantee that upon recieving it I had a 3 days to inspect it and if I was not satisfied it could be returned no cost to me. What a joke how could anyone sell a tractor worth over 12,000 for 5,000 and then ship it for free from vegas to Mass. and if I didn't like they would pay to ship it back.
Needless to say I got a chuckle out of it. But the sad thing about it is they eventually will get someone to bite and get scammed.
Keith

[Mike Van]

The last few things I put on CL I've added my phone # and put "NO EMAILS ANSWERED" There's a bunch out there that will reply to any add, saying 'still got this?' I think they're just grabbing email address's. The phone # gets rid of them.

[Haynes Forest Products]

I have sold alot of things on Craigs list and have had ZERO problems. Its easy as Van said NO Emails only phone calls Cash only and I get your phone number that I confirm if you say your on your way to buy it. I will not negotiate about the price until you take the time to look at it. I wont hold an item without 1/2 down even for 5 min :D

[maple flats]

I think if you sell on CL and are honest there is no problem as long as you receive payment before the mdse is shipped. My warning is to buy on CL where you pay anything up front before you have the goods in your hands. CL offers no protections so the seller and buyer each need to protect themselves.