# Beware of Craigslist "overpayment" scam



## maple hill farm tina (Mar 14, 2010)

Hey, everyone,
I'm sure most of you have seen this before, but I wanted to make sure EVERYONE has seen it and is aware. I was almost caught in a Craigslist scam yesterday. Now that I've googled the scam, I've discovered that this guy doesn't change his M.O. and is pretty easy to spot. Here's what happened. I had a goat listed for sale on Craigslist. I received an email from a guy who said he wanted to buy the goat, but he was just leaving for vacation. He wanted to know if he could have his assistant send me a money order or cashier's check for the cost to hold the goat until he arrives back home. I told him that, if he wanted to send a money order, it had to be a postal money order; but I don't accept cashier's checks. He emailed me back that that was no problem, he'd get the payment out right away. At 2:48 this morning, I received this email: 
"Hello Christina, This is urgent and i need your response. I just found out that my Assistant overpaid you. The payment meant for another item was made out in your name and sent to you. However I want to believe I won't have a problem with you on this. Once you receive the payment, Please proceed to the bank and cash the payment, deduct your money and send back the Balance to me through western union. So I can proceed with arrangement for pick-up. Once more, I hope I can fully trust you with this? I will await your response on this so my mind can be at ease."
A couple of things made flags go up inside my head. First, I had already told him that I wouldn't take a cashier's check (they're fodder for scammers and get stolen often). Second, my intuition was telling me it just sounded "off." So, I googled it. This guy has gotten HUNDREDS of people through this same scam. The cashier's check is a fake, but it'll take your bank a week or so to discover that. So, you take it to the bank, they cash it and give you the cash. You take the "excess" to Western Union and send it to whatever location the guy specifies (at that point, it's untraceable and irretrievable, according to the scam sites I checked). Then, when the cashier's check is found out to be fake, your account is debited the amount of the check. And you're the one left holding the bag. The name he used was James Anders, and the email he used was [email protected]. I know A LOT of us sell on Craigslist. Just be aware of this scam and don't get caught in it.


----------



## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

Thank you for the heads up! I accept cash ONLY to avoid stuff like this. They pay when they pick the animal up.


----------



## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

Yep if anyone sends me an email wanting to pay with a check, I don't even reply. Usually it's an email that's really awful anyway, says something like 'I'd like to your item' or something 'off' like that.

Years ago, I think back in 2004 perhaps, my mom was chatting with some guy on line for a long time, and he sent her a check, she trusted him and cashed it and got into all kinds of financial problems over it 

Did you turn in the guys current email address to craigslist?


----------



## maple hill farm tina (Mar 14, 2010)

Yep. I followed the Craigslist links to flag the responder as a scam. It just burns me up that the internet basically says there's no way to stop such things except by educating the public not to get caught up in the scam. I think about people like my parents - elderly, frail health, not really computer-savvy - they'd get caught in something like that in a heartbeat... It makes me really angry. Some poor woman on one of the links I followed about this, particular scam sent back $2000 to the guy...that's a lot of money to lose. He's preying on a person's sense of decency and honor and using those things against the victim...There is nothing that makes me angrier...


----------



## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Yep ...it is terrible....thanks for sharing.... :thumb:


----------



## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

The only time we accept checks is if we, as another breeder we bought from told us, "Know where you live." :ROFL:


----------



## maple hill farm tina (Mar 14, 2010)

Yeah, we don't EVER accept personal checks, but we have accepted cashier's checks drawn on banks within our state. The only problem with cashier's checks is that they can be replicated fairly easily and are frequently stolen. Anyway, I just wanted people to be aware that this is out there...


----------



## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

Glad that you did not get duped by him! 
I do accept checks all the time but I always make sure to give them a few weeks to fully clear the bank before releasing the goat.


----------



## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

Aw yes...the ol' "overpaid you by accident" scam. :doh:

We accept checks for deposits, but upon pickup we only accept cash. Checks need to clear before the goat is picked up and I much prefer a check deposit to a paypal deposit. You just have to be careful how you handle them. I've had only one snag up with a check deposit in all the sales i've done and that was a gal bought a wether for $100, put $50 down paid by check...well our bank sent us a notice weeks after we cashed the check and the wether was picked up telling us the check didn't clear. So I had to contact the buyer...repeatedly...she wouldn't respond to emails...but finally told her I was going to procede with legal action and what do ya know the next day she emailed me back and said another check was on it's way and she "had every intention of paying me." Uh huh...sure... I thought that was a little funny considering I had emailed her many times for several weeks. But her 2nd check cleared and everything was good. Otherwise, i've had good luck with people putting deposits down by check. :thumb:


----------



## Maggie (Nov 5, 2010)

I've recieved a couple similar to that within the last couple weeks. Some of them want you to take the item off craigslist asap and they will give you extra if you do. duh!
We don't take checks unless for deposits. We have one person show up with only a check. We let them take the goat, but got their license number and we mailed the goats papers to them later.


----------

