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???


7 comments:

Papa Dude said...

Dude,

Obviously you should send her all of the requested contact information...and perhaps your credit card number as a show of good faith. She is taking the time to learn your native tongue, the least you could do is supply the information as a sign that you honor her hard work and dedication.

Ps. Don't get down about the arm; instead think "Pour Some Sugar On Me," "Love Bites," and "Pyromania"... that's what one arm can do!

Unknown said...

Oh my, I can not stop laughing!
On all the craigslist scams directed at me they ask for such esoteric information that I can't figure out how they are trying to scam me, maybe they just never get to the point of the real ask, since I generally blow them off 2 emails in (like the guy who wanted to rent the apartment in my 4-plex who went on about the company he worked for in great detail, and asked such things as was I the real owner of the place. But without seeing it he knew it was the perfect place for him, and how could he make sure of securing it) I need to learn to play with people more :)

AKbushbaby said...

Ahhh, John. Can you believe I actually forgot how funny you are? The same thing happened to me, but I actually got a weird check in the mail...for a dogbox I was selling...crazy...

Unthawed Alaskan said...

Every item I have attempted to sell through online classified seems to have garnered such a response. I didn't know they originated from a transvestite.

Anna Montana said...

This is funny, but it's an old scam. Well actually two old scams. It started off as the Nigerian check scam and because you poked the tiger and asked to for a picture and possible meeting, it has turned into the Nigerian love scam. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/597049/is_your_online_love_interest_a_nigerian.html I loved your response though. Funny stuff ;)

Unknown said...

I can't believe you guys don't have MORE TO DO. I've been thinking about selling a few things on Craig's List for quite some time and just couldn't get to it for being too busy.

Doodly doo in Fairbanks

Anonymous said...

Every mailing address or sligtest congradulations you have been bequeathed thousands of dollars just send money and an account will be opened in your behalf. Keep stringingem along ad play them to a T,Its got to cost them something to contact you. Their sales pitch is not unlike Africa's bunch who send pc contact.Hand them a sack of crap for their kindness.