Craigslist Scam

[Sphexi]

I'm currently advertising my extra room for rent since my roommate is moving out. Threw it up on Craigslist just for the heck of it, figured not enough people around here probably read it to make a difference, but who knows.

Got an almost instant response from a guy with a UK Yahoo email address saying he's interested. He has piss poor grammar/spelling skills, doesn't answer any questions I ask, doesn't seem to care about the details of the room at all, and wants to pay with a cashier's check or MO for the rent and deposit (of which there is NO deposit, I said that specifically in the ad).

hello ben
hoiw u doing today i hope u are feeling alright ? well i got ur message am ok with the mode of ur monthly rent but i will fristly pay for the first month and the deposit but i dont really know mode of ur payment but mine is either casheir check or money order so let me know what is on ur mind
hope to hear from asap

That was his latest email, like I said, I asked him a few questions about himself, if he needed it long-term or short-term, etc., none of them answered. I don't think it's possible for someone to scam me over something that's basically not going anywhere, but is it possible someone is dumb enough to try a scam with a rented room? Like fake MO and then squat in it for a few months and then disappear?


Edit 9/29/05:

So I bantered back and forth with this guy a few days ago about the room I'm renting out. He keeps wanting to send me payment without even looking at it, and he has a UK email so I'm betting he's full of crap. So I sent him this:

Kent,

Cashier's check from a local bank or a USPS MO would be perfectly fine, but there is no deposit on the room, just monthly rent. Like I said, it'd be best if you came by at some point to look at it first to decide if it's what you need, as well as to get a feel of the room for furniture and the like, since it comes unfurnished and you'll need to bring your own. I'm here during the days and evenings every day this week, just let me know when you'd like to stop by and I'll give you directions to the place.

Ben

I figured that'd be the end of it, as there was no way this guy was going to go to a local bank to get a fake check, or if he sent a USPS MO I'd take it in to the PO and have them trace it to verify it's real. But no, today I got this, just a few minutes ago!

Hello Ben,
Thanks for ur quick respond,i am sorry for not reply for some days now i'm out of town and i need the room urgently and i think the mode of payment will be okay by me.All i need i need from u is ur full name,address and phone #,so that i can forward it to my ex-boss to issue the check for u,and moreso we have to make it faster so that it will easier for both of us and i hope the room is still available.Looking forwward to hear from u as soon as possible today.
Regards

KENT

Oh noes, his ex-boss is going to be paying for his rent now! Perhaps his ex-boss is from Nigeria?

 

[BooGiMaN]

ummm i bet this is the same scam as always ..probably agrees to pay you for the room sends you a fake MO for a lot more than agreed upon and then asks you to send the balance...

 

[Yreka]

yeah, I would just delete the email and move on.

 

[Night201]

My Fiance found her roommate on Craigslist. She had many offers within a day or 2 of posting.

 

[Sphexi]

Could be...thing is I won't let him have my mailing address, I'll only accept payment in person ...I keep telling him to come by to check the place out, he keeps avoiding answering.

 

[BriGy86]

lets put it this way... do you really want an idiot roomate?

problem solved even before comming to the conclusion that its a scam

 

[ironcrotch]

Originally posted by: BriGy86
lets put it this way... do you really want an idiot roomate?

problem solved even before comming to the conclusion that its a scam

finally, some common sense! :thumbsup:

 

[tami]

i found my old roommate on craigslist. she was a huge psycho, but i knew of her before i met her, so i thought all was good.

however, your case sounds very much like a scam.

 

[Sphexi]

Like I said, could be, but you never know. I do wanna rent my room, and I'm not dumb enough to fall for some money switching scheme, so I don't see any harm in stringing him along until he gives up.

Plus, one of the main IBM research/manufacturing plants is just down the street, so we do get an awful lot of international workers from the UK, Middle East, and Asian sites here for them.

 

[CVSiN]

Originally posted by: Sphexi
I'm currently advertising my extra room for rent since my roommate is moving out. Threw it up on Craigslist just for the heck of it, figured not enough people around here probably read it to make a difference, but who knows.

Got an almost instant response from a guy with a UK Yahoo email address saying he's interested. He has piss poor grammar/spelling skills, doesn't answer any questions I ask, doesn't seem to care about the details of the room at all, and wants to pay with a cashier's check or MO for the rent and deposit (of which there is NO deposit, I said that specifically in the ad).

hello ben
hoiw u doing today i hope u are feeling alright ? well i got ur message am ok with the mode of ur monthly rent but i will fristly pay for the first month and the deposit but i dont really know mode of ur payment but mine is either casheir check or money order so let me know what is on ur mind
hope to hear from asap

That was his latest email, like I said, I asked him a few questions about himself, if he needed it long-term or short-term, etc., none of them answered. I don't think it's possible for someone to scam me over something that's basically not going anywhere, but is it possible someone is dumb enough to try a scam with a rented room? Like fake MO and then squat in it for a few months and then disappear?

Roommates.com worked for me a few times.. way better than those losers on craigs

 

[Sphexi]

Originally posted by: CVSiN

Originally posted by: Sphexi
I'm currently advertising my extra room for rent since my roommate is moving out. Threw it up on Craigslist just for the heck of it, figured not enough people around here probably read it to make a difference, but who knows.

Got an almost instant response from a guy with a UK Yahoo email address saying he's interested. He has piss poor grammar/spelling skills, doesn't answer any questions I ask, doesn't seem to care about the details of the room at all, and wants to pay with a cashier's check or MO for the rent and deposit (of which there is NO deposit, I said that specifically in the ad).

hello ben
hoiw u doing today i hope u are feeling alright ? well i got ur message am ok with the mode of ur monthly rent but i will fristly pay for the first month and the deposit but i dont really know mode of ur payment but mine is either casheir check or money order so let me know what is on ur mind
hope to hear from asap

That was his latest email, like I said, I asked him a few questions about himself, if he needed it long-term or short-term, etc., none of them answered. I don't think it's possible for someone to scam me over something that's basically not going anywhere, but is it possible someone is dumb enough to try a scam with a rented room? Like fake MO and then squat in it for a few months and then disappear?

Roommates.com worked for me a few times.. way better than those losers on craigs

Oh, wicked awesome site. I already found a few people that look promising, and the max rent thing is a huge help ...thanks!

 

[habib89]

i can't believe you actually want to string him along.. he can't spell, and has the grammar of a 3rd grader.. but i guess if you're ok with having that kinda guy around.. more power to ya, good luck

 

[Sphexi]

Originally posted by: habib89
i can't believe you actually want to string him along.. he can't spell, and has the grammar of a 3rd grader.. but i guess if you're ok with having that kinda guy around.. more power to ya, good luck

Have him around where? He ain't moving in, we've already established that he's going to try to scam me, it takes no time out of my day to play email games with some guy trying to make a quick buck or two. And if at the end of the day I've pissed him off then it was worth it, maybe he'll move on to some other scam.