Spammers/Scammers Suck.

[RJolly87]

While browsing local CL, I stumbled on this ad:
http://lascruces.craigslist.org/cto/5960770556.html

This Buick has been very well maintained with no mechanical issues its clean inside and out

Eh, it's a platform I don't know much about, but seems nice enough.

Then I found this:

2001 BUICK REGAL GS ONLY 40,114 ORIGINAL MILES! Featuring the bullet proof 3800 3.8 V6 engine that performs as "new." Driven only 40,114 miles, this Buick has many years of reliable service ahead.

Both listed for about $1500, which is a steal.

I called/texted the number listed on the second ad. It went to a voicemail, and I left a callback message, and shot a text over, looking for more info and better photos. Later, I get a response:

"Hi, if you are still interested the 2001 Buick Regal GS for sale at $1500 send me your email address so i can send you more info & pictures about it!

...something smelled funny, nobody talks like that, especially with the direct nature of my inquiry. I backed off a bit, and gave them a disposable address (Mailinator is great for this). I haven't yet received a response, but I got to looking around, and then found these:

http://memphis.craigslist.org/cto/5960759699.html
http://charlotte.craigslist.org/cto/5975183311.html
http://rmn.craigslist.org/cto/5975523333.html
http://houston.craigslist.org/cto/5976061636.html
https://reno.craigslist.org/cto/5975979728.html

... scams, both of them...

Ugh, now I just gave my phone number to one of them too...

[jradke61]

I got a response to my wheels for sale similar to that. He was doing missionary work and would send a shipping service to pick them up. Yeah right. Do I look stupid? Get lost a$$hat.

[archaicguy]

Ahhhh the good ole scammer. I have gotten the "I'm out of town and will be sending a courier to pick up" or similar stuff a lot of times..... I just play along and let them waste their time thinking they are getting somewhere for a little bit.
It is pathetic that these people even try to work a scam like they do but what's even more pathetic is that there are actually individuals for fall for the lame crap enabling the scammers.

[J Wikoff]

You can't see it, only staff can, but this thread got spammed. Lol!

[CMNTMXR57]

They is nothing new. Things I look for when searching Craigslist (in this case CL Chicago);

1) License plate on cars (I know that would'nt have worked in the above example). But if I am looking on Chicago CL, and a car with Kansas plates is posted... Major red flag.
2) Phone numbers. I get that Chicago is a major metropolitan area, and someone may be here on work purposes, and may have a non-Chicago area code in their number, but looking for 312, 773, 630, 708, 815, 224, 920, 219 and a few other nearby, often helps weed out potential scammers.
3) Text of their message (one I responded to, just because I figured "this is too good to be true..." was a 2003 Silverado 2500HD with a Dmax and Allison for $20k about 4 years ago...), anyway, in the text of the message, "I am going through a divorce and I am selling my ex's pickup truck..." Wait, if I am going through a divorce, and that truck is my lifeline to make a living, I am fighting tooth and nail to keep it and I think most judges would probably see that. Point I'm making, it's a B.S. story...


Things I've learned ways to avoid getting them to respond to my ads on CL;

1) Put $1 in the price field even if you're asking $1,000. You can put the actual amount you want to get in the text of your ad. They use software that searches those price fields and if it is over a certain amount, the scammers come calling, offering more than your price for your troubles and of course will send someone to come pick it up...

2) Respond by text only, this way I get the area code. If you get someone from NY state texting you about a set of used tires that you have in Chicago... major red flag! Someone from upstate NY isn't driving 800, 900 miles for a set of $50 tires...

2) I alternate numbers and text on my contact number, meaning (1-two-3) four-5-six - 7-eight-9-zero This also screws up their software search.

This cures 99.9% of them.