# Watch out for scams.



## RussellAP (Feb 21, 2012)

Tuesday, 07 August 2012
Scam on Craigslist
I advertise my chairs on Craigslist. I was contacted by Bardy Cole who seemed very interested in the chair set.

He wanted to send me a certified check for the purchase amount and some extra for shipping. He said after the check cleared that he'd send around a truck to pick them up and I was to pay the delivery 'liason' with the extra funds.

A quick Google Search on Bardy Cole was very enlightening.

http://www.trx250r.net/forum/lounge/14396-250r-craigslist-scam.html

http://www.allischalmers.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=48815&title=does-this-sound-fishy

http://www.1976design.com/bardy-cole-mark-dowell-craigslist-scam/

I just got off the phone with the FTC and filed a complaint.

This guy has my name, address, email address, and phone number now.

I guess when I do my webpage I'll start another email address that doesn't use my real name.

I think I'll adopt some new procedures for payment and insist on meeting the buyer at a public location. This should ease the mind of not only myself, but any legitimate buyer.

Lesson:
Don't get too excited about a sale on craigslist until you check out the buyer 7 ways to hell on Google searches and through Craigslist. I could have lost my identity and bank account to this thief.


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## americanwoodworker (Nov 26, 2011)

I rarely ever use craigslist because of scammers. When I do I never post where I live or my personal info. They have to email me with their phone number via craigslist. I also put down that I will accept cash only upon pickup. That usually deters scammers.

What they like to do is send you a check. You cash that check at your bank and the scammer picks up your item. A couple days later your bank calls you and says the check did not clear. Hopefully at that time you did not spend the money or you have to reimburse the bank. Or else you will be out the money AND your item. You will however have to pay the bounced check fee.

A few years ago a guy tried to do this to us but something about the transaction did not seem right to me. I called my bank to get the info off that check that was mailed to me and I called the numbers. The people who answered told me those checks were stolen by a guy used to work for them and that the account was closed. I called my bank to tell them what was going on and they cancelled the check, issued a warning to the other branches and thanked me. I called the guy's number and left him a message that I needed to talk to him and he never called me back. He did not pick up my item and to this day I wonder if he got spooked or thrown in jail because he never showed up to pick up the item he thought he had just purchased.

It is now cash only for me or I do business through a company like ebay and do transactions through paypal. It is a lot safer this way. Not full proof but damn close to it.


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## Puzzleman (May 4, 2010)

If something doesn't feel right, it isn't right. Using a credit card for payment, helps resolves the check problem. I tell my customers that it is cash or credit card only. Using Square on a smart phone makes it real easy to take cards.

As far as him having your address and info, don't let that scare you. You also have his info too. People who are scammers do not want to meet you face to face. I have had several of these situations come my way every week. After a while you get immune to the fishing going on.


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## longgone (May 5, 2009)

I have sold numerous thinks on craigslist and I only accept cash…not even credit cartds because they can later dispute the credit card transaction.
As far as name and phone # that is nothing…it is public records and is in most phone books or business cards.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

I get request like that all the time their fairly obvious in that they usually want to order 10 of something with out any details of type of wood size etc. and ask how I want to be paid. I don't even open most of them.


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## AngieO (Jul 9, 2012)

Thanks for the warning. I never really use Craigslist because I don't live "locally" to most of the items being sold. My husband and I did buy a freezer from someone. I was nervous about the whole thing, especially meeting at a storage place, but it ended up going very well. We paid cash and we have had that freezer for 2-3 years now and it works great. But I can see how things can go wrong really quick.

I checked out those links you posted. The one that has the check… I can print checks like that all day long. As long as you have a routing number and account number you can print your own checks and put whatever information you want on them. Scary!


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

This is variant on the old Nigerian 419 scam, updated to 
use email. Now they are offering to pay with PayPal
sometimes.


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## nate22 (Jul 12, 2010)

I use craigslist for my business advertising my bunk beds. I do accept checks but they are cashiers checks. And other that I only accept cash or I go though paypal. Other than one customer I haven't had a bad check. But if something doesn't look right or feels right don't do it.


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## javaboy (Jul 22, 2012)

Same thing almost happened to me when I listed my old contractor saw for sale on CL-guy offered my asking price plus extra $$, sight unseen, would mail the check, then send someone to pick it up, yadayadayada. I never responded-if it seems too good to be true, it is.


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## Howie (May 25, 2010)

I posted about the same thing about a month ago. Guy wanted to send me a check bla bla just like you said.
I had specifically said CASH no checks. The email I sent back isn't fit for LJ's.
Sad but true,there are a lot of folks that bite on this one.


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## Kookaburra (Apr 23, 2012)

nate22 - you have been lucky. Cashier's checks are as easy to forge as any other. If I were to get a cashier's check, I would call the bank and verify that they issued it. And I would look the bank's phone number up on the internet, not use the one listed on the check. And it would have to be a bank I was familiar with - preferably local. And ideally, I would run right down and cash it at the bank that issued it, not my own bank. If someone can get you a cashier's check, why couldn't they get you cash unless it was a really large amount (say over $20,000)? Sadly, there are just too many crooks and scammers out there.


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## ssnvet (Jan 10, 2012)

I will only do a CL transaction face to face, at a public place, and payment is with cash….

Same for the local "on-line garage sale" or "buy-sell-trade" paper (sold a lot more things there than on CL)

Town hall (with the local PD on the ground floor) is my favorite spot (2 miles down the road)

even then, if it's a significant dollar amount, you might be inviting yourself to a robbery.

My wife never goes to make these transactions alone… either I go or we go together.

CL has pretty much turned into a cesspool of spammers, scammers, crooks and hookers…. and it can be hard to sort out the wheat from the chaff.

None the less, I've scored a couple good deals on CL.


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