Saturday, September 26, 2009

Craigslist Scam in Fairbanks

I'm trying to sell an overstuffed chair on Craigslist. Seems simple right? Here is one of my responses:

how much is still for sale?

This is obviously a scam but sometimes I like to poke the tiger at the zoo so I write back "$315."

And I get this:

Hello,
I am glad to read from you. Am okay with the price and condition .I really need to get this right away. i am ready to pay on time. No need of shipping it. i will like my shipper to schedule a pick up immediately you get the payment confirmed. I would have love to come for it or see it but i must let you know i am okay with it. i just want this as replacement.
I will offer you extra $50 to remove the ad from the posted site www.craigslist.com to be sure you are selling this to me ok. I will be able to make payment in form of US Certified Cashiers Check that is payable in any American banks in us dollars . I will like you to let me have information of whom i should issue the payment to.
Such As :
*Full Name,
Address
city ,
state,
zipcode

So now the scam is confirmed, but I'm curious why they would pay extra to remove it from Craigslist. Do they hate Craigslist or is it one of the ways they can check to see if you are falling for the scam. I don't know so I write back:

Thank you Sherry, this money will help pay for my operation. You see I was in a bad car accident earlier this year on my way to the bank, it was a real shame since I was about to pick up a check from an Algerian inheritance that I didn't even know about. In the accident I lost my left arm so sorry if this letter took awhile to get to you, I don't type very fast anymore. Anyways, I thought I had enough money for a new arm last week when I was selling a kidney on Craigslist. The buyer never showed up though and unfortunately I had already taken the kidney out, it sat in my sink for 2 days until I ran out of enough ice to keep it cold. I was wondering if you could just pay me an extra $500 for the couch and then I will send you the change back. It's easier that way because I am trying to get a date with the girl at the bank and the more times I go there the better cha
nce I have of her saying yes to a date with a one armed man. Do you think less of a man with only one arm? I hope not. By the way, how old are you? Could you send a picture. Maybe we could hang out sometime.

Anyways, write back as soon as you can and let me know that you're not mad at me for only having one arm.

So I figure who would possibly respond to that, really. And I get this:

okay ....john how are you now hope evrything is alright with you and i like to se you to but how can i se you maybe you can send me your picture to me and i will like to see your picture so i hope we can make it if you want to see me and how is your bissness over there and i hope
evrything is going on with you so i will love to se someone like you becuase you realy tell me your mind so how can we meet now? and will be waithing for your reaply here get back to me

can you see my picture now let me see yours to get back to meSo now I'm like "Damn, she's hot, she has a phone, she likes restaurants, isn't one of those people who uses a ton of product in their hair and may possibly be eastern european because her punctuation sucks and there are little awnings over the windows in the background and only europeans think that look is still cool.

So what do I do now???


Friday, September 25, 2009

Winter is just around the corner

It's sleeting again tonight and I'm sure the snow is sticking in the hills. It feels good though, like the next season is coming and we're all ready for it. I haven't heard anyone bitching about the oncoming winter, just the darkness. And for the most part everyone is stoked to see snow. I went out on the Tanana yesterday for the last time this season and it was gorgeous. Saw an osprey, a young bald eagle and a magpie. I have never seen a magpie in Fairbanks before, I think Healy is the farthest north I've seen one, but not anymore. And it was DEFINITELY a magpie.
Mazzy is done with fall.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Starting to Snow in Fairbanks


Ok, I'm back after a long hiatus that was part laziness, part living in the Brooks Range and nowhere near an internet connection for the past 3 months. But life is good and there continues to be plenty of things that I need to discuss with you, the anonymous public, so kick back and relax and read more about the greatest state in the greatest nation on the greatest planet in the most perfect solar system in the swellest Nebula I know of.
Don't try this at home.