The oldest scam in the book

[colins]

Originally Posted by Arthur Slowhand

What's a check? Over here we use cheque's.

I think if you check you will find that it is cheques you are referring to not cheque's.

Cheques seem to be losing popularity, while misuse of the apostrophe to denote the plural rather than the possessive tense seems to be happening more and more. I blame Microsoft!

[Mbroady]

Originally Posted by colins

I think if you check you will find that it is cheques you are referring to not cheque's.

Cheques seem to be losing popularity, while misuse of the apostrophe to denote the plural rather than the possessive tense seems to be happening more and more. I blame Microsoft!

Hmmmmm, I feel the need to say I would not take a check or a Cheque as payment for a guitar I was selling, especially from a stranger

[Silly Moustache]

Originally Posted by varmonter

There's a lot if paranoid people.
Guess I've been lucky.
I've never been burnt like this.
Dealing with folks in a bank or police
Station is insulting to their
integrity and says alot about you
As a person..around here we deal
In parking lots at some
Halfway point. Everyone's
packing....everyone's polite.

I tend to agree. Whilst I remember considering traveling from London to Glasgow by train with a boot full of cash and decided not to, generally speaking I don't expect to be scammed or fooled.
Once, only once I met a seller in a pub as he was travelling across country to a bluegrass festival. I took a friend and we met up and made the deal over a pint or two.

I've never met anyone in a bank, or police station - can't imagine that they would allow that, and I've certainly never done a deal in a car park -- you wrote "everyone's packing - did you mean parking ?? .. confused.

[Mbroady]

Originally Posted by Silly Moustache

-- you wrote "everyone's packing - did you mean parking ?? .. confused.

In the states I’ve come to know that term to mean carrying a (concealed) gun. Curious to know if that is what
varmonter Meant.

[dwasifar]

Originally Posted by Mbroady

In the states I’ve come to know that term to mean carrying a (concealed) gun. Curious to know if that is what
varmonter Meant.

"Everyone's packing, everyone's polite" makes me think that was exactly what he meant. To say more would take the thread off into political territory, which is against the rules.

Varmonter's post is formatted like it might have been intended as free verse. It does take on a certain reflective, poetic quality if you read it that way.

[catndahats]

Late to this thread, in my earlier years have bought and sold guitars on CL in my home, in the sellers home, even Walmart parking lot and never been burned----

But I had a similar "uncomfortable" Craigslist experience a couple weeks ago while selling a $10k camper. Was contacted by a "friend" of the buyer (buyer was supposedly out of town at the time). Spoke and emailed back and forth several times with the friend and the buyer. The buyer wanted the camper, and her "friend" wanted to come look and pay cash. I was uncomfortable with selling sight unseen, and since it was to me a lot of cash, asked to meet at our local bank for payment and title transfer. I was able to research their names via Google, but still something did not feel right.

This went on over a couple days. The final contact, the friend wanted me to bring the camper on a Sunday and meet in the middle, about 50 miles from my home at some random location with cash.

I declined, since I wanted to meet at the bank (which was closed Sunday and Monday)to verify the cash was not counterfit and the whole deal had a feel to it that I could not put my finger on. I'm not sure how the transaction would have worked or if they would have offered a fake cashiers check, robbed me, or what. Some new version of the fake check scam, and a courier will pick up the item?

Better safe than sorry.

Originally Posted by Mbroady

Quick rant here

This ever happen to you?

I have a really nice guitar listed for sale on my local craigslist at really great price. I received an email from someone who’s interested and they included a phone number. Always a good sign so gave them a call and we set up a time to meet.

The prospective buyer was a good player and was supposedly blown away by your guitar. After about 20 minutes of sampling the guitar he says he wants it and said He has no problem with the price. Then He explains that he didn’t bring cash and shows me his work ID which states he’s the president of a well-known bank a couple towns away but didn’t mention what branch it was. After all that he asks if If he could pay with a check.....

I of course said that I do not feel comfortable with that and we made arrangements To get together tomorrow ...you can figure the rest of the story

I still have faith in humanity

[Mbroady]

Originally Posted by dwasifar

"Everyone's packing, everyone's polite" makes me think that was exactly what he meant. To say more would take the thread off into political territory, which is against the rules.

Varmonter's post is formatted like it might have been intended as free verse. It does take on a certain reflective, poetic quality if you read it that way.

I do like the poetic quality to “Everyone’s Packing, Everyone’s polite”
Vermonter, I’ve been singing the line over a groove. Assuming it’s not already song, If something ever comes of it and there is financial gain.......would you take a personal check or cheque as part of co-write royalties.

[DukeX]

Originally Posted by varmonter

"Everyone's packing....everyone's polite."

Sounds like the money line in a Country song.

I like it!

[Silly Moustache]

Originally Posted by Mbroady

In the states I’ve come to know that term to mean carrying a (concealed) gun. Curious to know if that is what
varmonter Meant.

Oh. Different world.

[Bearstudio]

Originally Posted by ruger9

I like that! LOL A "representation" of money in exchange for a "representation" of the guitar! Perfect!

Is that like the speed traffic offence I saw reported

First, the accused receives a letter containing a photo of his car, with the requisite fine imposed

he gets clever and sends

A photograph of the cheque to the value of the fine.

The authorities send

Photograph of a pair of handcuffs

Its an old one, I know, but kind of sums up this modern reliance on "proof of" rather than a handshake and solid cash, still the best way of doing business as far as I am concerned :

[Red_Label]

Originally Posted by fazool

I posted a car on ebay and CL yesterday.

First reply on ebay was from someone with 0 feedback count, ambiguously saying "hello seller, I am highly interested in your ad. it still available. please kindly get back to me with your final price" followed by a phone number


first reply to CL was from someone who said "hello seller, I am highly interested in your car. it still available. please kindly get back to me" followed by a phone number



not suspicious at all.

ANY time someone uses the word "kindly", I'm out. In fact, I've sent emails to my 800 users (I'm a network admin) warning them about clicking on emails with the word "kindly" and other such words them. Those are not common words here in the States. I also tell them to beware of emails with bad grammar and spelling/punctuation. It boggles my mind that the scammers can't figure-out how to type an email that's not chock full of dead giveaways.

[ManyMartinMan]

Not even close. The oldest scam is : On the road to Damascus a traveler stopped a man with a camel. He says to the man, "Excuse me sadiq, is your camel for sale?". The man said, "Hello my name is Habib. For the right price, everything's for sale." The first man said, "Well then Habib, If I could take him for a test ride, I'll let you know if I really want him." Habib responded, "Sure. ride him down to the oasis on the corner and back". The first man mounted the camel and took off. Three days later they found the crumpled, dehydrated form of Habib on the side of the Road to Damascus mumbling, "but he said he would be right back. He said.........."

The moral of the story........never trust a man test riding your camel in the desert. Or, state in your ad "cash only" and "No response to texts" and you'll cut down scams by 90+ % if you stick to your guns. Never respond to anyone who doesn't follow the instructions in your Craigslist ad. Remember, you can only cheat a greedy man.

[AusTexMurf]

Originally Posted by Guildman

I've actually paid with a check for a few high dollar items, a truck for one. Wife was with me and we where driving our late model SUV. People are usually a good judge of character. I wouldn't have done it though, lol even though I know I'm honest.

You wouldn't want to shaft a lot of the good O'l boys around these parts anyway. They'd be waiting in your driveway.

"And you don't go writing hot checks down in Mississippi,
And there ain't no good chain gang..." LOL

[jazzguy]

I always state in the Clist to bring cold hard cash and we will meet at a public site.

[UncleJesse]

Originally Posted by Red_Label

ANY time someone uses the word "kindly", I'm out. In fact, I've sent emails to my 800 users (I'm a network admin) warning them about clicking on emails with the word "kindly" and other such words them. Those are not common words here in the States. I also tell them to beware of emails with bad grammar and spelling/punctuation. It boggles my mind that the scammers can't figure-out how to type an email that's not chock full of dead giveaways.

I think that's done to weed out those people are smart enough to not fall for a scam. If you weed out the smart ones and only the gullible ones respond you have a better chance of getting a fish on the hook.