Is this Craigslist car scam?

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Here is the weird thing. If this is a scam (I thing it is), why the seller never got back to me? I left a message, texted and emailed, too. Am I on some kind of do not scam list?

Same on some other good Craiglist car deals. No sellers responded on those.
 
Originally Posted By: friendly_jacek
Here is the weird thing. If this is a scam (I thing it is), why the seller never got back to me? I left a message, texted and emailed, too. Am I on some kind of do not scam list?

Same on some other good Craiglist car deals. No sellers responded on those.
Probably listed a phone number for a burner phone (prepaid) and doesn't have the phone number anymore. They know what they're doing is illegal, maybe he got caught
 
Originally Posted By: friendly_jacek
Here is the weird thing. If this is a scam (I thing it is), why the seller never got back to me? I left a message, texted and emailed, too. Am I on some kind of do not scam list?

Same on some other good Craiglist car deals. No sellers responded on those.


There must not have been any computers available at the internet cafe in Nigeria.
 
LOL, I finally got a response from "[email protected]" (notice the misspelling in email address).

Quote:
Hello,

The 2005 Toyota Corolla S is still available. It has a clear title, doesn't have any scratches, dents, never been involved in any accident. 83k Miles, 1.8L, 4 cyl Engine. It is in great shape, no engine problems, damages or hidden defects. Was always garaged and never smoked in. The car is located in Greenwich, UT, and in case it gets sold I will take care of shipping. I'm selling it because I'm in the army working in the medical team and my unit will be sent in Eastern Europe in a NATO base. I don't want it get old in my garage so there's no use on keeping it. The price is so low ($2000) because I need to sell it before 15 of December.
If you are a serious buyer please contact me as soon as possible.

Thank you!


What should I respond back? I don't mind playing with the scammer.
 
Originally Posted By: friendly_jacek
LOL, I finally got a response from "[email protected]" (notice the misspelling in email address).

Quote:
Hello,

The 2005 Toyota Corolla S is still available. It has a clear title, doesn't have any scratches, dents, never been involved in any accident. 83k Miles, 1.8L, 4 cyl Engine. It is in great shape, no engine problems, damages or hidden defects. Was always garaged and never smoked in. The car is located in Greenwich, UT, and in case it gets sold I will take care of shipping. I'm selling it because I'm in the army working in the medical team and my unit will be sent in Eastern Europe in a NATO base. I don't want it get old in my garage so there's no use on keeping it. The price is so low ($2000) because I need to sell it before 15 of December.
If you are a serious buyer please contact me as soon as possible.

Thank you!


What should I respond back? I don't mind playing with the scammer.


That's the spirit.

Notice the odd gramatical errors , such as "before 15 of December. " .. 15 of December? Not 15th of December, or December 15th?

And someone in the US Army has such financial woe to need cash like that?

You see what's going on, right? Someonw trying hard to make themselves look like American English.. there are different Englishes...
 
Yep--notice how the English starts falling apart about halfway through. Also, you're in the southeast and the car is in Greenwich Utah. That's about as far from anywhere as you can get. When you see those images of the US at night, showing all the lights of the population centers, Greenwich would be in one of the black areas.

It sounds really tempting, though, since the car has no hidden defects! And so easy. Just wire the money and he'll ship you a car.
 
Originally Posted By: friendly_jacek
Too bad, nice car.

00o0o_gD76n0Xxxz_600x450.jpg



The rims tell me its a scam.
33.gif
 
Originally Posted By: MalfunctionProne
friendly_jacek said:
You see what's going on, right? Someonw trying hard to make themselves look like American English.. there are different Englishes...


"Someonw" - how do we know you're not a scammer?
Click to expand...
 
Another rather famous one is the "selling car due to divorce." One partner is selling the other partners "prize perfect 'X' brand car for a way low dollar amount" as a sort of revenge.

Usually the story goes, "he/she told me to get what I could for the car."
 
Originally Posted By: GreeCguy
Originally Posted By: MalfunctionProne
friendly_jacek said:
You see what's going on, right? Someonw trying hard to make themselves look like American English.. there are different Englishes...


"Someonw" - how do we know you're not a scammer?


Just wire me the money and I will ship you.
Click to expand...
 
Oh, wait, what? You want to SEE the car before you buy it? Yeah, see, I died last week, and I am making funeral arrangements. My mom lives in Russia, I need to sell fine cars to get the money to go there.. ill ship it from Utah tp you, and why drive, its too nice. Lowest miles on a Corolla in the State. Do it tonight ill even give you a title next week.

Scam writing is... who does this. Who pays the money.
 
Someone played with the scammers once. He told the scammer to meet him in a bad part of a neighboring country. Once the scammer arrived the respondant kept saying he was almost there, just a minor delay. Kept it up for several days.

Maybe work something like that. Play along until you find out where to send money.

Btw I love these things. The most improbable military stories are my favorite.
 
Originally Posted By: friendly_jacek
Too bad, nice car.

00o0o_gD76n0Xxxz_600x450.jpg



No plates, no inspection/emissions sticker, no local foliage, anonymous building (look for adobe where stick-built and vice versa), bland weather, could be anyone's car.

Also look for an over eagerness to sell and explain it's perfect. If I had an above average corolla I'd invite you to bring a mechanic, that I have receipts, and that's pretty much it-- let it sell itself. Give maybe one sentence as to why I'm not trading it in.

Around here they throw some junk verbiage in so the listing title would read like

2005 Toyota Corolla clentitle 87k 4 doors floormats!
 
Originally Posted By: MalfunctionProne
Originally Posted By: GreeCguy
Originally Posted By: MalfunctionProne
friendly_jacek said:
You see what's going on, right? Someonw trying hard to make themselves look like American English.. there are different Englishes...


"Someonw" - how do we know you're not a scammer?


Just wire me the money and I will ship you.


I need to geet the muny from my Nigerian Prince boddy first, (he sent me the nicest letter about wynning the lotery), then well be in touche.
Click to expand...
 
Probably the funniest one we ever got was a scam in my bother's email. According to the email we received, he was stranded in London England and had left his "little pink purse on the seat of the taxi cab which contained his passport and all his cash."

My brother is six feet, two inches tall and wears a "duck dynasty" style beard - hardly the type to have a pretty pink purse.
 
Copy and paste a section of the ad in quotations and Google it. If you find the same ad in different cities, its a scam. You have to use quotations to limit the search.

Example: "I had a hard time deciding to sell it or not. This truck is my baby and I have taken great care of it. Only selling because I have outgrown this little truck."

By putting it in quotations, you will only pull up sites with the same exact verbiage. If there is more than one, its a scam.
 
Originally Posted By: friendly_jacek
I'm looking for an used car for my teenager son and this 2005 corolla just showed up priced for only $2000 (they sell for about $5000-$6000) in a nearby city 60 miles away. Nice car on the picture, low miles. The same car with slightly different description showed up in a city 120 miles away in the other direction. Same phone and same picture listed. I texted and no one texted me back. Is this some kind of scam?


Without doubt a scam. You should report the multiple posts about the same vehicle to Craigslist so they can remove them before some sucker gets taken.
 
Originally Posted By: NHHEMI
Originally Posted By: friendly_jacek
I'm looking for an used car for my teenager son and this 2005 corolla just showed up priced for only $2000 (they sell for about $5000-$6000) in a nearby city 60 miles away. Nice car on the picture, low miles. The same car with slightly different description showed up in a city 120 miles away in the other direction. Same phone and same picture listed. I texted and no one texted me back. Is this some kind of scam?


Without doubt a scam. You should report the multiple posts about the same vehicle to Craigslist so they can remove them before some sucker gets taken.


I did flag them as prohibited. Craigslist removed the duplicate listings, but left one. I see no other way to provide additional feedback to Craigslist.

In retrospect, Craigslist clearly warns about this type of scam here: http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams

I didn't read that before.
 
LOL, interesting update. I got email from another scammer, different listing (2004 corolla $3510). Way more aggressive.

From "Lt Robert Rossenberger":
Quote:
I have my 2004 Toyota Corolla CE available for sale for $2900 .I was promoted and transferred to Hickam AFB, HI for a 3 years period, so i do not want to let it ruin in unused therefore i need a fast and reliable buyer. Clear title,no accidents.
The car is already at the Logistic Department in Maxwell-Gunter AFB, AL ready to go. The shipping will be free for you because I will transport it using the Internal Logistic Department. The financial part will be managed by eBay Motors, which means you will have a 5 days inspection period before committing to buy the car. In this way both, buyer and seller are 100% covered during the steps of this transaction.


Here is what I got when I questioned the story:
Quote:
Do you want me to send you an email from my military email so you know who you talking to idiot? Offending an US Officer is a Federal Offense you [censored]. Dont make me to forward your emails to our Attorney..i might see you in Court for Federal Offense.


and later:
Quote:
Are you brain damaged or something? I just told you i was transferred to Hickam and you want me to meet you in person to close the deal face to face? Why do you think i am talking about eBay Motors for closing the deal? I am looking for a safe transaction because i cant meet my next buyer face to face. Use your brain dude.
Say again that i am a scammer and you will see HOW REAL I AM.

LT Robert Rossenberger
15th Wing
Hickam AFB, HI


The email supposedly came from but really came from gmail. One had to inspect the header a bit closely. When I emailed directly, the email bounced back.

I reported the dude to Craigslist and gmail.
Is there an offense to impersonate a military officer?
 
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