I'm selling a couple of things on Craigslist. I've done this a few times before and always, the first interested parties I hear from are scammers.
This time in my listing I specified that I will not take money orders and asked that scammers not contact me.
Here's the first interested party that I heard from:
mr robins journeycristina@gmail.com
Is it still available for sale...
I replied:
Yes it is.
Here's the second contact from the first interested party. Note that the name of the sender and the email of the sender are different than the ones from the first contact:
Clyde Wright fisherr.mattyy@gmail.com
Hello,
Thanks for the swift response, just to let you know that am
okay with the condition and price of the item, am ready for its
purchase and my form of payment will be by sending you Check via UPS
next day delivery.
I'll be responsible for the pick-up and the pick up money will
be included in your payment to avoid delay and to enable pick up
company to schedule an appropriate time for he pick-up at your
location after check has been cashed,as i have other properties to be
moved alongside with yours.
I would have really love to come for the viewing but due to my
work frame that might not be possible,but if you have the pics,might
want to have a good look. Please do get back to me with your full name
and address including your cell and land number so i can make out
payment.
Regards.
--
*I pledge allegiance to the flag of the the United States of America and to
the Republic for which it stands: one Nation under G O D, indivisible, with
Liberty and Justice for all."*
Thanks for the swift response, just to let you know that am
okay with the condition and price of the item, am ready for its
purchase and my form of payment will be by sending you Check via UPS
next day delivery.
I'll be responsible for the pick-up and the pick up money will
be included in your payment to avoid delay and to enable pick up
company to schedule an appropriate time for he pick-up at your
location after check has been cashed,as i have other properties to be
moved alongside with yours.
I would have really love to come for the viewing but due to my
work frame that might not be possible,but if you have the pics,might
want to have a good look. Please do get back to me with your full name
and address including your cell and land number so i can make out
payment.
Regards.
--
*I pledge allegiance to the flag of the the United States of America and to
the Republic for which it stands: one Nation under G O D, indivisible, with
Liberty and Justice for all."*
I replied with this:
Nope. Listing said no scammers. Go away.
And I haven't heard back. Probably won't, although I wouldn't be surprised if I suddenly started getting lots of spam.
Okay, let's take a closer look at this interaction and how I knew that it was someone trying to scam me.
- They never mention what it is that I'm selling
- They email in the middle of the night. This first one came at 5:00 A.M.
- The two emails were sent from different names and email addresses
- They said they'd send a check vis UPS (this is a pick-up only, cash only item)
- They are going to pay me MORE than the asking price for the item
- They'll pick up the item after the check has been cashed
You really don't have to be Nancy Drew in order to figure this out. Just be alert to anything that's a little weird. The world is full of people who are trying to make an easy buck, don't be the person to give it to them.
Here's a story about a Baltimore woman who lost $8,000 from a scam just like this.
This is a very common practice and it's not only happening to people who are trying to get rid of some unwanted items online but it's happening to people who are trying to earn some extra money. The latest is a mystery shopping check scam. You get an email (sometimes unsolicited) from a "company" that tells you they want to send you $200 in advance to do a mystery shopping job at a company. You should be so lucky for it to only be $200 read this from the USPS to see what they warn about. I know three people who've received such emails this year. Thankfully they all checked them out before they got burned.
Keep alert! Unscrupulous people want to rip you off. Don't be a victim.
This is funny. I had this same reply to one item and another that was similar. In the other, the name was just initials, and not even the same in the two messages, let alone the email addresses (as you mentioned), the lack of phone or contact info, the Item description (as you mentioned) and they want your FULL name... ha ha ha. I wrote them off and moved on. Nice try, dummies.
ReplyDeletemary.walton855@gmail is a scammer. she (if that's who it really is) sent me a check for $1,950.00 and asked me to take out 'my' $400 for my first assignment and go to western union and wire the rest to someone in Fresno, Ca. yeah, yeah....i'll get right on that mary walton
DeleteI had the same reply from the same person, Clyde Wright. Here it is:
DeleteThanks for the response,to let you know that I am okay with the condition and price of the item, am ready for its purchase and my form of payment will be by sending you Check via Fedex 2 days delivery. I'll be responsible for the pick-up and the pick up money will be included in your payment to avoid delay and to enable pick up company to schedule an appropriate time for he pick-up at your location after check has been cashed,as i have other properties to be moved alongside with yours.I would have really love to come for the viewing but due to my work frame that might not be possible,but if you have the pics,might want to have a good look. Please do get back to me with your full name and address including your cell and land number so i can make out payment.
Regards,
thank you for posting your story- i got the exact same email from brad robins then clyde wright but it looked fishy so i googled the email address and found your blog. thank you!
ReplyDeleteWow they are still using the exact same verbage, what idiots, just received one 1-22-12 for a dinning room set.
ReplyDeleteI just received the same e-mail from fisherr.mattyy@gmail.com for my hutch. Thank you for posting this valuable information.
ReplyDeleteI received the exact same email from Clyde Wright as well. The first email was Mark. Who he is! The email from Clyde and Mark, had the same email address which I found incredibly odd. After I received the second email from Clyde, I went back to look at the orginal email from Mark. And it now shows the email was from amaradenises@gmail.com. This was bizzard! Fortunately I'm always suspicious. I sent him back a nice email lol
ReplyDeleteJust received a scam email from the same person:
ReplyDeletefisherr.mattyy@gmail.com
(That was listed as the "reply to" address. The "From" address was:
daniellesarais@gmail.com
I just got one today from daniellesarias@gmail.com as well. This is on the Denver Craigslist. Thanks for posting this.
DeleteWhen you start to reply, the email turns into
nic20004@gmail.com. They are clever enough to at least mask the email after they start it.
I had the daniellesarias@gmail.com one, and the "reply-to" address was nic30008@gmail.com. The scam continues.
DeleteI have a mattress pad listed on Craigslist and fisherr.mattyy@gmail.com, who is also using the email address ezragarth@gmail.com, inquired. He or she (not sure with the first name of "Ket") wished to send me a US certified check, when my ad specified cash only. I see that fisherr.mattyy@gmail.com is well represented here.
ReplyDeleteOther email names and email addresses being used as of July 2012 for this same scam are:
Mary Walton: mary.walton855@gmail.com and bdbsdsk1@gmail.com
Grief Capley: dreweres6@hotmail.com
Skolfield Gelvin: kylepj333@hotmail.com
Gravitt Salizar: worlandqm786@hotmail.com
Google an email address from Craigslist *before* responding to an inquiry, especially a poorly worded or vague inquiry, and you're likely to discover the person inquiring is a scammer. That's the first thing I do when I get a response from Craigslist. I've also started to use a secondary email account when responding to suspicious inquiries, to cut down on the spam I receive at my primary email address.
We have to fight back against these people, and publicizing their email addresses with scam specifics is a good first step.
I just got one from ezragarth@gmail.com too
DeleteThey make it so obvious but I googled just to be sure before even bothering to respond...
Thanks for posting this guys
I just got one from ezragarth@gmail.com today. Thanks for the heads up!
DeleteI am wondering what the scam is... Why do they want the full name and address and phone number? I fell victim to this scam and am now trying to figure out what they intend to do with the info! Please Help!! the email was clara hudson ...
ReplyDeleteThey will try to send you money in the form of a money order or check. Money that is MORE than the price of the item that you're trying to sell. What they do is say something like, "I'll send you a check for $2,000 which will cover shipping. Send me the item and then send me the leftover money." You will cash the check and send the item and money and then the check will bounce and you'll be left with nothing.
ReplyDeleteThank you! I was so hopefull to sell a couch & some things that initially I got excited...then that feeling sunk in. Clyde is pretty busy from the sounds of it. Thank you for all the warnings. The only good out of this would have been if my mother-in-law was sleeping on it as it went out the door.
ReplyDeleteI JUST received an email from:
ReplyDeletedowilliams600@gmail.com
BUT the email was sent to:
mary.walton855@gmail.com
BE CAREFUL OF BOTH OF THESE EMAIL ADDRESSES!!!
I also received this same email from Clyde! Thanks for posting, I knew something was up. People really need to get a LIFE!!!
ReplyDeleteWhen you receive a scam from a gmail account, PLEASE forward that email to abuse@gmail.com they will shut down the scammers email address and IP block them.
ReplyDeleteSame for all the large providers abuse@hotmail.com abuse@yahoo.com abuse@aol.com
Thanks for the heads up. I googled 2 email addys and found them in scam posts like this I'll update later.
ReplyDeleteThis douchbag fisherr.mattyy@gmail.com is still at his old tricks. Nigerian Scammer. Why doesn't Craigslist just block all IPs from Lago's Nigeria? What a pain in the butt sometimes.
ReplyDeleteI just received an email for a dryer I am selling from daniellesarais@gmail.com the reply to name was Scotts
ReplyDeleteCraigslist Scammer BEWARE!!!
ReplyDeleteI too had the same thing. I was originaly emailed by a Scotts daniellesarais@gmail.com asking me if item was still available. After my response that yes I do have it. I received another email from a Clyde Wright from fisherr.mattyy@gmail.com
Hi, Thanks for the swift response, just to let you know that am okaywith the condition and price of the item, am ready for its purchaseand my form of payment will be by sending you Check via Fedex nextday delivery. I'll be responsible for the pick-up and the pick up money will beincluded in your payment to avoid delay and to enable pick up companyto schedule an appropriate time for he pick-up at your location aftercheck has been cashed,as i have other properties to be moved alongsidewith yours. I would have really love to come for the viewing but due to my workframe that might not be possible,but if you have the pics,might wantto have a good look. Please do get back to me with your full name andaddress including your cell and land number so i can make outpayment. Thank you..
I had the same thing happen as well. I was originaly emailed by amaradenises@gmail.com asking me if item was still available. After my response that yes I do have it. I received another email from a McKinney Wood
ReplyDeleteThanks for timely reply to my E-mail,just to let you know that am okay with
the condition of the item and highly Interested in it,My form of payment will
be by sending you Check via FedEx it will delivered to your doorstep Within
in 2/3 working day please get back to me with the basic price of so that i can
instruct my secretary to make check for it plus Tax and mover fee to avoid
delay and to enable pick up company to schedule an appropriate time for
the pick-up at your location after the check has been cleared I would have
really love to come for the viewing but due to my work frame that might not
be possible ...
Please Write me back to me with agreed price of it plus Name to be on check
and address with zip code plus Mobile # to contact you..
Thank you....
OH GOODY! Here is my chance to expose another SCAM too. Do they really think we are that STUPID?
ReplyDeleteMy situation was that I posted an add on Craigslist and received an offer for a "secret shopper" type job. Over the past few days I was told to shop at WalMart and Western Union and yes, today I was informed that a large check would be arriving and I was to cash it for $400 and send the extra back to MARY WALTON.
Problem for this character is that I was almost Nanny-scammed years ago so I caught on QUICK. I had some words with the person who texted my phone with further demands about how I needed to send extra money to them.
Here is the convo for your reading pleasure:
wise ol me: YOU ARE A SCAMMER AND I AM NOT DOING IT! NOT HAPPENING!
Scammer: WHAT DO YOU MEAN THAT AM SCAMMER, I WILL WANT YOU TO PROCEED WITH IT AND GET BACK TO ME WITH THE REPORT AND THE WESTERN UNION DETAILS
Me: As soon as the check arrives, i will be taking it to the proper authorities
Scammer: YOU DON'T MEAN IT.
Me: Indeed I do!!
Scammer: OK I WILL REPORT YOU TO FBI THAT YOU WANT TO SCAM ME
Me: You can try
I also got an email from mary.walton855@gmail.com asking after an item I posted on craigslist.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting your experience w/her--I guess this scammer is still active...
Here is "Mary Walton" at it again:
ReplyDelete-------- Original Message --------
Date: Sat, 17 Aug 2013 06:35:21 -0800
From: mary walton
Thanks you for the response according to the description,am okay with
the price and the condition pasted on cl. I am ready to make instant
purchase.My mode of payment would be in Certified Check and i will
arrange for a local pick up as soon as you get the check, because that
is the only inconvenient means for me and due to my work frame i can
not be able to get there and i promise everything will go smoothly.I
really wish to be there to check out the item but i don't have chance
cause am very busy person (US MARINE). Concerning the pick up, i will
arrange for it after you receive the payment and it clears... Pls get
back to me with below info so that i can proceed with the payment
immediately if you are selling to me.
Full Name:
Address: Not P.O.BOX
City:
State:Postal Code:
Total amount for the item
Phone Number: That i can send text
And as soon as this is provided, the payment will be overnight to you
and i will let you know when its mailed out. Thanks and i hope we
handle this in good faith while waiting to hear from you. i will add
an additional $30 so that you can hold it for me till the check reach
you.
Best Regards
This almost happened to me, but on the opposite side. I was looking online for puppies. Found one we all fell in love with. The seller did not live too far away so I emailed him. He responded, but then I found out he lived in another state. I thought that perhaps he moved and emailed him about shipping the dog and getting a guarantee for the dog's health. He agreed.
ReplyDeleteSomeone from the shipping company called me then with the info on where to send the money for the shipping. What got me, was that they wanted me to lie to the person when I sent the money via Western Union. They said, it was to save me some money because they charge more if it's going to a business rather than an individual. I said, "No. I won't lie." They didn't understand why I wouldn't lie to save myself some money and seemed really forceful about it. They then told me where to send the money. The address that they wanted me to send the money to was in another country!!! "Hold up!" I said,"if the man lives in the U.S., why am I sending the money to another country?" Their answer was because when it's below a certain amount, the shipping company has it sent..." So I looked up the shipping company of the name they used. It's a legit company. However, when I read about the company they stated that they do NOT send money orders via western union, money gram, etc. When I asked the "company representative" about that little piece of information they couldn't give me answer.
In the meantime, Adam was mad that I kept dragging it out when I knew it was a scam, but I was having fun at this point (kind of like a cat playing with it's victim before it kills it) I contacted the seller and told him that I thought that the "shipping company" (I knew he was in on it too) was scamming me. I then informed him that I would be either using my own company or that I was coming to get the dog myself and that he needed to give me his address. Which he of course stated he understood my concern, but that he used this shipping company before and that it was ok. I said "No. I want your address or you can forget the whole thing" His reply was along the lines of "why are you doing this to me? I am really disappointed.." I was so mad, but thankful I caught on before I sent him anything.