I've engaged a Craigslist scammer - need ideas for next steps. Updated!

[rivan]

I sold a processor on CL. In addition to the normal lowballers, I got what was obviously a scammer and decided to string him along.

I got the check via express mail today and need some next step suggestions.

Here's the email chain, in chrono order:

Hello i want to know if this item is still available for sale?

Yep.

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 21:23:44 +0100
Hi,
Sorry for not replying earlier. I can have a check sent to you via
UPS/FedEx (they come to my office everyday), to cover for the payment and
shipping expenses. I'm really busy this week, with a huge work load that I
have to finish ASAP. I need to cut down on expenses, and can't afford
anything steeper in this economic meltdown. I won't be able to meet-up to
check or money order this out (I'm really pushing my staffs right now, but
they also have families to feed, so we have that agreement). I'll schedule
the pick-up with the shipping agents myself, so you have nothng to worry
about. Let me know if this works for you, by getting back to me with your
full Name and address for me to send the check to you. and Do u have more
pics u can email me? i would not mind adding 50$ if you can retain it for
me and Please take the posting off Craigslist today and consider it sold
to me.

Obvious scam, but I've got one (laughable) fake check from a few years ago. I wonder if they've gotten any better and decide to play along.

Wed, Feb 29, 2012 at 12:02 AM
Hello,

Please send payment to me at the following:

(Me)
(My work address)

Please include shipping instructions and $30 should cover any costs unless it's going overseas.If so, please add the full $50.

Cheers.

Wed, Feb 29, 2012 at 10:40 AM
I will let you know once the check is been mailed out to asap

This morning:

Wed, Mar 7, 2012 at 8:23 AM
Hello Mike ,
How are you today ?. I will like you to read this carefully so you can get the direction of what you need to do now that the payment will be deliver to you today via USPS and here is the tracking #EO 909 669 857 US. All you need to do is to deduct the money for the item purchased. Then the remaining cash balance you will then take to any Westernunion location around you and get it send to the mover who will later come for the pickup immedaitely they confirm the cash payment via Westernunion . I'm really sorry for the inconvinences this might be causing you and i want to assure you that you can also take out $50 for the run-around to the Westrenunion and when you get to Westernunion, deduct the transfer charges from the money and then you send the remaining balance to the mover's accountant info. provided below:


Shipper info
NAME: Abigail Jokabec Quiroz Reyes
ADDRESS: 4182 Denman St,
CITY: Elmhurst,
STATE: NY
ZIP CODE: 11373

I contacted the mover and i was informed that they are waiting to confirm payment from you then they can come for the pickup. Therefore, i will need some details on the Westrenunion reciept after you must have sent the money for confirmation and record
keeping for money sent. The details which includes:

Senders Name........
Senders Address....
10 Digit(MTCN)......
Amount sent.........

N:B The Westernunion transfer charges should be deducted from the money, then you send the remaining balance. I will appreciate if you can get this done asap and make the transfer Money In Minute soon as its done,scan and email me the westernunion reciept for record purpose, so i could meet up with the schedule date for delivery.Thanks for your anticipating understanding and cooperation.Regards

4 hours later. I just got the check.

I listed the processor for $310 - the check is for $2550.

Wed, 7 Mar 2012 20:55:41 +0100
you have received the check and i havent heard from you
why the silence?

What do I do? I need suggestions on how to string this out for maximum lulz.


UPDATE:

On Wed, 07 Mar 2012 18:18:50 -0600
Apologies - the mail room didn't bring it up to me, so I
didn't realize the check had arrived until now.

Part of the problem was that it was mangled by the post
office and was delivered in a bag. The check is missing
some pieces and the bank said they cannot take it like it
is. Is there any way you can send another check?

I'm terribly sorry for the inconvenience.

Best,

Mike

Update 2:

On Thu, 8 Mar 2012 09:31:01 +0100
Ok i will ask my staff to mail out another check to you

Update 3 - 3/13/12:

Got a new check today!

Update 4 - 3/16/12:

Been sitting around wondering what to do - I put him off telling him I was out of the office. Two emails from him today:

On Fri, Mar 16, 2012 at 10:08 AM
Have you deposited the check yet?

On Fri, 16 Mar 2012 21:06:33 +0100
why the silence?

So anyway - thanks to this thread (thanks, Tommy2000GT!), I just him him the following:

Ryan -

I'm in a bit of a bind here and you have my apologies, but I'm going to have to borrow the full amount of the check from you. Gas prices are skyrocketing and I just got the other processor I was selling stolen right out of my hands!

I really feel very bad about this, though, and will pay you back in 3 months or so.

I hope you understand.

Best,

Mike

Let's see how he feels about that!

 

[Ns1]

http://community.policeone.com/forum/textthread.aspx?catid=68&threadid=22404

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Send it back and tell him you will send the CPU once you receive a check for the correct amount?

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Was it UPS? Should have let it sit at the depot for a week.

 

[96Firebird]

Let's see how many checks this guy will send... Say you never received the first.

 

[Attic]

Tell him you have a family member in need and have decided to take an extra $400, beyond the $50 agreed upon, from the check he sent you. Tell him you are sure he understands. You are just busy taking care of the family member and can have the western union deal done tommorow and thank him for his understanding, generosity, and patience.

See how this piece of pigshit responds.

 

[rivan]

http://community.policeone.com/forum/textthread.aspx?catid=68&threadid=22404

Haha, exactly the same address.

 

[Krazy4Real]

Tell him that you forgot a zero on the listing price of the processor. It is actually $3,100. The check is not sufficient and to immediately resend a new check in the proper amount.

 

[momeNt]

What should you do? Pretty obvious isn't it.

He sent you 2550 check so let's start with that.

$2550 Initial Check amount
-$310 for Processor
-$50 for inconveniences
-$176 for Westernunion
_____
$2014 - This is the amount you need to Westernunion him.

I'd hurry up and do this otherwise the sale might fall through and you already took the listing down right?

 

[rcpratt]

lmao $2550

 

[Attic]

Tell him that you forgot a zero on the listing price of the processor. It is actually $3,100. The check is not sufficient and to immediately resend a new check in the proper amount.

I like this idea.

Report back with results!!!!!!!!

 

[Schfifty Five]

Tell him you have another processor and you will let him have it for another $200. See if he'll send you another check for like $1,000. haha

 

[Schfifty Five]

BTW can you upload a pic of the check? Would love to see it. haha

 

[Analog]

Date Posted: 11/8/2011 3:01 PM Posted By: Richard10 Hello,

Ok here's what happen.I do laptop repairs and put a add on craigslist.I have got more than a few jobs there and got this one so I thought.These are the email back and forth up until today..I have him on the hook can we do something.Please read and see if we can catch this guy.Wells Fargo said this is the third one this week.

His first email
Thanks for the reply. I am very sorry for the late in response and i am okay with the price, i have all the necessary software needed for the service installations.... I will instruct my secretary to prepare a check for you on your name and address . Do send me your full name and address and your phone number so as to prepare the check and shipping of the laptops to your address. i have a reliable shipper that will pickup the laptops when you are done with it.I am looking forward to hear from you,so we can have payment and shipping asap.

Thanks
Philip Kirschner

My email back
Sorry I was in Destin yesterday with some work and did not get your email.I would like to talk some with you about what you need repaired.
Please give me a call 1-850-xxx-xxxx
Richard

His next email
Good morning, I just wanna let you know that the payment has been mailed out via USPS courier service, Here is the tracking # (9405 5036 9930 0268 xxxx xx). As soon as you get it what you will do is that you will have to get it deposited/cash at your bank, As soon as it clear to your acct, deduct your money for the service you want to do on my Units, and you will be sending the rest through Western Union to my shipping agent so that they can ship out the laptops to you as soon as they get the funds, and i will get back to you with the shipping tracking # as well for the units coming your way so you can know when they arrives..Western Union charges should also be deducted from my money. The excess funds is meant for the insurance and shipping funds when shipping the units to you forth and back as you finish working on them...And pls do reconfirm the address where you want the laptops to be shipped to...I'll compensate you with $50 for running Western Union.


Here is the shipper information where you will be sending the rest funds to Asap.

NAME: Abigail Jokabec Quiroz Reyes.
ADDRESS: 4182 Denman St .
CITY: Elmhurst
STATE: NY
ZIP CODE: 11373

(That's the required information needed to send the money via Western Union)


Once the money's sent, you should send me the following information via email

A. Your full names and address exactly how you wrote it on the Western Union slip.
B. The receiver's name exactly how you penned it down on the Western Union slip.
C . The total amount sent.
D . Mtcn number (This is the 10 digit number on the receipt)
E. Western Union service Money in mints.


I will be waiting on your email,complete with the details,please get to it as soon as you get the payment.
Thanks for your usual co-operation

Philip Kirschner
PhilipK02@blumail.org

At this point I thought it was for parts and labor.

My email back
Ok it said its here.I will get it in my bank today.I have your list of the things you wanted and I will start asap.

thank you
Richard

His next email
Good morning, I hope your night was cool? I just wanna know if you have deposited the payment at your bank and when will the funds be available so we can proceed with the shipping process and dont forget to deduct the $50 as compensation for running around western union send the balance to my shipping agent with the info i gave you in my previous e-mail....
I look forward to do more business in the future.

Thanks!!!

My next email back after knowing the check was a fraud after going to wells fargo and trying to cash it.Now trying to bait him.

One problem they said the account was closed and the persons name on the check wasn't correct.They kept the check and just gave me a copy back.If this is just a error on
your part we can start over.I would really like to have the work right now.

thank you
Richard

His next email
I think i will have to contact my client who issue out the payment to you so i can know what went wrong....pls can you kindly load me some money just to ship the units to you, i will send you the full payment before you finish working on them..let me know.

Ok you know whats going on and have info to catch this turd picking the money up.I'm pissed about this and still don't know if I'm in trouble.I want them in trouble for it!Can I help?Do anything..?I could email him back and tell him I did,and you guys send 1$ western union with a tracking number and wait for him to pick it up.

Help guys
Richard

 

[Blackjack200]

Send him monopoly money back.

 

[dud]

OP, if you want really professional and creative scambaiting tips try here:


http://www.419eater.com/html/baiting.htm



Tell him that are going to deposit the "check" and wait until it "clears". That will get him pissed.

 

[DrPizza]

I do this: keep making excuse after excuse for not sending the money back. "I couldn't find a western union." The scammer will find one located the closest. "They were closed during my lunch break." The next day when they were open, I found out that they were no longer a western union merchant. That was followed by a longer list that he researched for me. "it says that the CVS drugstore is only 6 miles from me. Do you know where Harvard Street is? I don't know how to get there." I follow this approach now - it gives me a way out. After a week or so of making them do small tasks, looking things up, etc., "the check bounced! What are you trying to pull? You need to send me a new check, plus an extra $45 to cover the bank fee for your last check bouncing!" So far, they all have disappeared at that point.

 

[DrPizza]

OP, if you want really professional and creative scambaiting tips try here:


http://www.419eater.com/html/baiting.htm



Tell him that are going to deposit the "check" and wait until it "clears". That will get him pissed.

That doesn't always work, in fact, some scammers have stated up front that they will wait until the check clears. By law, for amounts under $xxxx, banks have to make the money available within so many days. That's what gets a lot of people - they don't know that the bank can discover weeks later that the check was a forgery and still nail your account for it.

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

That doesn't always work, in fact, some scammers have stated up front that they will wait until the check clears. By law, for amounts under $xxxx, banks have to make the money available within so many days. That's what gets a lot of people - they don't know that the bank can discover weeks later that the check was a forgery and still nail your account for it.

OP doesn't actually deposit the check. Just tell the scammer it is deposited and that the bank requires a 3 day hold on it.

In a couple of days, email the scammer and tell him you were visited by the FBI about possible interstate wire and check fraud and that they wanted to know all of the details about him. That might shrivel his big balls a bit.

 

[Q]

Tell him that you forgot a zero on the listing price of the processor. It is actually $3,100. The check is not sufficient and to immediately resend a new check in the proper amount.

I also like this idea, and the sending of Monopoly money.

 

[Cattlegod]

Tell him that you forgot a zero on the listing price of the processor. It is actually $3,100. The check is not sufficient and to immediately resend a new check in the proper amount.

Great idea.

Also insult him for lowballing you because and that you take offence at his offer. Also mention that your family is starving and why would you ever sell it for less than $3100 because you have to feed your family.

 

[rivan]

BTW can you upload a pic of the check? Would love to see it. haha

The check is actually quite a good fake (at least compared to the last one I got which was laughable) - there's high quality microprinting on the back, but it's missing several details on the front. Close examination shows the routing number was printed with a laser printer, and I don't think that's legit. There's also no microprinted security on the front.

The routing number isn't square on the check - you can see it get very slightly farther from the line as it runs to the right. There are other details as well that make it fairly obvious to me, but who knows - maybe a new teller might take it? Maybe any teller? Maybe I'll swing by the bank with it and ask them to teach me.


I think I'm going to see if I can get another check - I'll tell him it arrived in a Postal bag and was mangled, and the bank won't take it. The express mail he sent cost him $17.75 in postage

Oh, I called the NYC precinct in NS1's link, with the following results:

• 18 minutes on hold before I spoke to a person.
• It's the correct precinct for the payment address.
• Guy gives me a direct number to detectives.
• Call detectives - they pick right up.
• Detectives say I have to contact local PD, since this is 'where the crime originated'. Didn't make sense to me, but:
• Call local PD, they send an officer.
• Officer takes down details, I give him copies of everything, says he'll forward to his detectives
• I ask what the odds are of anything really happening with it... skeptical that anything will....
• Officer is as skeptical as I am - I incurred no loss, so thinks it's probably not a priority.

Now that said, I think if every PD tried to chase down every internet scammer, we'd be out of PD budget really fast and have very little to show for it. He was nice as could be and was giving me the honest answer I was asking for.

 

[highland145]

I think I'm going to see if I can get another check - I'll tell him it arrived in a Postal bag and was mangled, and the bank won't take it. The express mail he sent cost him $17.75 in postage

:thumbsup:

 

[highland145]

You been wrapped.

 

[WaTaGuMp]

After this is all over you should email the scammer the link to this thread.