VERY Persistant Craigslist scammer

Re: Gateway Laptop - $550 (Chesapeake)
From: Steven Metton <stevenmetton004>
To: [email protected] <xxxxx>
Date: Sun, 18 May 2008 12:14 pm

Hello,
Thanks for your reply concerning my inquiry. I am interested in the Gateway Laptop and willing to offer you an amount of $600 for the item including packing materials without you paying for any shipping charges because i already have an account with FedEx and UPS. My method of payment is by sending you a postal money order through my United State Postal Service (USPS) account. If you agree with the payment method, kindly get back to me with your full name, mailing address, private email addresses. I need the above requirements ASAP so that i can explain the process on how to receive a postal money order via USPS and as well finalize payment immediately. Thanks it was a pleasure doing business with you.
N.B
I can't be able to meet you in person and pay by cash because i am located in Glendale, Arizona 85301.
HAVE SENT YOUR INFO TO THE USPS........SO KINDLY GET BACK TO ME AFTER PAYMENT CONFIRMATION EMAIL HAS BEEN RECEIVED
From: Steven Metton <stevenmetton004>
To: [email protected] <xxxxx>
Date: Sun, 18 May 2008 1:43 pm

Thanks for your reply, I would be glad to make payment for the item by sending you a postal money order for $600 through my United States Postal Service(USPS)account.
This is how United States Postal service (USPS)services works :
Before payment can be received through USPS,both the buyer and seller are notified via email that the transaction has been processed and approved.After this approval confirmation,USPS will then mail out your money order directly to where you are located in the United States within 2-3 business days and payment will as well be received in U.S funds.
As for the shipping of the item,it will be done through my FedEx account,so you don't have to pay for any shipping charges after shipment has been made.
I got your full name and contact address where to mail the postal money order and i have forwarded it to USPS inorder to complete the transaction using my account.
Kindly email me immediately after receiving the approval notification confirming my payment.I look forward in doing business with you.
NOTE.
I am presenting this laptop over to my Son as a Birthday gift so after payment has been made,you have to package the item in a more presentable manner.Myadvise for you as a seller is to remove the unit off Craigslist so as not to allow other buyers to bid on it.
From: United State Postal Service <unitedspost_contactus>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Sun, 18 May 2008 2:06 pm
Subject: ***United States Postal Service Approval Notification Of Payment***(Confirmation #456400845)
USPS MONEY ORDER


APPROVED

CONGRATULATIONS! A postal money order of $600.00 sent by Steven Metton to ***** **** has been Approved. United States Postal Service has received your email address from Steven Metton to inform you of the order to have a $600.00 Western Union® branded Postal OrderSM sent to you for the following item has been processed and approved:

Auction Item : Gateway Laptop
Auction Site : Craigslist

Please verify that the following address (as entered by the buyer) is correct.
If there is a mistake in your address, feel free to contact us via this E-mail ([email protected]). Payment Delivery Method: Upon approval, a money order delivered via First Class ® Mail will be received in approximately 2-3 business days, YOU CAN NOW SEND THE ITEM TO THE BUYER. Due to the fact that most sellers don't send item after payment has been made on their auction, we have made a policy that sellers must ship out items within 48 hours of payment notification and send us the tracking number for verification.

This is the sample of the postal money order that will be deliver to you through our United States Postal Services after we might have received the shipment tracking number from you regarding the merchandise.



Thank you for using Uniteds States Postal Service. We look forward serving your online auction payment needs in the future.

Sincerely,
Postal Money Orderâ„¢.
From: Steven Metton <stevenmetton004>
To: [email protected] <xxxxx>
Sent: Sun, 18 May 2008 3:18 pm
Subject: ATTACHED FEDEX SHIPPING LABEL FOR THE BOX


Hello Sarah,
Below is the attached FedEx mailing Label. Print out 1 copy of it, paste it neatly on the BOX before dropping it off at the nearest FedEx station TODAY.
Kindly get back to me immediately after mailing out the package through FedEx. It was a pleasure doing business with you.......Thanks.
FedEx Drop-Off Station / Shipping Instructions
Kindly locate the below drop-off station and ship the package at your convenient time TODAY.

FedEx Kinko's
FedEx Kinko's Office & Print Center
801 Volvo Pky, Suite 20
Chesapeake, VA 23320
Don't forget to notify the USPS via their customer service email along with the shipping label # after mailing out the package thru FedEx. It must be verified online with FedEx to know if the item has been picked up and immediately this is done, they will then send out your payment.

SHIP TO: HARVEY EBERSOLE
4397 W. BETHANY HOME RD. #1083
GLENDALE,AZ 85301
***REGARDING YOUR PAYMENT***
From: United State Postal Service <unitedspost_contactus>
To: [email protected]
Date: Wed, 21 May 2008 10:02 am

Dear ***** ****t,

You have received another payment of $1,300.00 sent by Steven Metton. We have transferred all your money orders of $1,900.00 to our delivery department for dispatch and you will receive your money orders on Friday, 23 May, 2008 around 12pm but latest 4pm.

Kindly be with your driver's license ID or you can print out all the approval notification letter that we sent to you for proof or any form by which you can identify the authenticity of your personality given to us.

Make sure you ship out the second merchandise within 24hrs and email us the shipping tracking # for verification so that all your money order will not be delay.

Thank you for using United States Postal Service. We look forward serving your online auction payment needs in the future.

Sincerely,
The United States Postal Serviceâ„¢.

Mod edit - edited to remove your email address - SP

Thanks so much for posting these Jersey, it does a massively useful service to those who may get caught out otherwise. Your posting now shows up on Google searches, so if a victim does think to Google their scammer's name, it will ring alarm bells.
We can only hope they are all that astute!

Welcome to scamwarners.

Yes, he did it to me too. Here's his email address feel free to sing him up for whatever you feel like. [email protected]

Thank you and Welcome, I am always surprised it works so well.
Do you have a few emails you can post here, that's a big help when other (almost)victims start a search when they don't trust it.
I hope you didn't loose any money over this though, sometimes they're just to late in realizing that it might be a scam.
CU around
Bill

Steven Metton
to sale-995248039

show details Jan 17 (13 days ago)


Reply


** CRAIGSLIST ADVISORY --- AVOID SCAMS BY DEALING LOCALLY
** Avoid: wiring money, cross-border deals, work-at-home
** Beware: cashier checks, money orders, escrow, shipping
** More Info: http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams.html




--
Is this item still available forsale?

this message was remailed to you via: [email protected]
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Steven Metton
** CRAIGSLIST ADVISORY --- AVOID SCAMS BY DEALING LOCALLY ** Avoid: wiring mo...

Jan 17 (13 days ago
Your Name
to Steven

show details Jan 17 (13 days ago)


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yes it is.
- Show quoted text -



On Sat, Jan 17, 2009 at 9:53 AM, Steven Metton <[email protected]> wrote:

** CRAIGSLIST ADVISORY --- AVOID SCAMS BY DEALING LOCALLY
** Avoid: wiring money, cross-border deals, work-at-home
** Beware: cashier checks, money orders, escrow, shipping
** More Info: http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams.html




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Is this item still available forsale?

this message was remailed to you via: [email protected]


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Steven Metton
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show details Jan 17 (13 days ago)


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Hello,
Thanks for writing back, I'm cool with your final price because I do need this item urgently. Let me know if you will accept payment with Cashier Check as this is the only way I can make the payment because I am located in Florida. I don't mind offering you an extra $100 for holding the item for me.
I would have loved to come take a look at it though but I will not be able to do so due to the distance. If you are comfortable with my payment method, you may reply with your name and contact address not PO Box address, am mailing the check via UPS and UPS does not deliver to PO Box address also your phone number where you will like to receive the payment. Concerning the shipment, I have a shipping account with Global Express Shipping Company; I will handle all the shipping expenses once the check has been cleared at your bank. I will be glad if you can end this sale with me and take the item off craigslist today. I will look forward to your response as soon as possible. Thanks
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show details Jan 19 (11 days ago)


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Hi Steven,

I'm interested. Before I give you my address, how can you prove to me that this isn't spam?
I sent you a chat request via gmail, send me an IM.

Thanks,
Your Name
- Show quoted text -


On Sat, Jan 17, 2009 at 1:36 PM, Steven Metton <[email protected]> wrote:

Hello,
Thanks for writing back, I'm cool with your final price because I do need this item urgently. Let me know if you will accept payment with Cashier Check as this is the only way I can make the payment because I am located in Florida. I don't mind offering you an extra $100 for holding the item for me.
I would have loved to come take a look at it though but I will not be able to do so due to the distance. If you are comfortable with my payment method, you may reply with your name and contact address not PO Box address, am mailing the check via UPS and UPS does not deliver to PO Box address also your phone number where you will like to receive the payment. Concerning the shipment, I have a shipping account with Global Express Shipping Company; I will handle all the shipping expenses once the check has been cleared at your bank. I will be glad if you can end this sale with me and take the item off craigslist today. I will look forward to your response as soon as possible. Thanks


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Steven Metton
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show details Jan 19 (11 days ago)


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Thanks for your reply, this is not a spam inorder for you to be well assured that it is the reason why i said the unit will be pick up once you've cashed the check. If you are comfortable with my payment method, kindly get back to me with your full name and address for immediately payment. Hope to hear from you as soon as possible. Do have a fantastic day!

Below is IM screen name:
stevenmetton005


Thankfully he did not get my money. I did IM him, and it took the better part of a week before I saw him online again. He never initiated an IM, but when I IM'd him, he responded:

6:51 PM me: hi steve
6:52 PM stevenmetton005: Hello
me: you emailed me about a car
6:53 PM stevenmetton005: Yeah
Is it still available?
me: yes, I have anothe buyer though, and wanted to chat with you before I sold it
6:56 PM is this a good time?
6:59 PM viewtopic.php?p=3458
ASSHOLE!

That's my story. Why isn't there a site called 'spam-a-scammer' yet? I want revenge.

Thanks again, you might stop someone from making a mistake.

Hi Hotrice,

Welcome to Scamwarners,

Just in answering this question
"Why isn't there a site called 'spam-a-scammer' yet? I want revenge"

Firstly, we have found that spamming scammers is not productive and actually has an adverse effect on what we do, during our dealing with scammers we compile loads of information on them so that people, not unlike yourself, can find it though doing some google searches and hopefuly will find it before losing any money, which BTW does happen quite a bit.

think about this, if your own email address became infested with spam, what would you do? create filters to remove the spam? delete each and every email after careful consideration to make sure it is not important? or would you just create a new email address copying over any important details before abandoning the email box?

Why would a scammer do anything different? it only takes a few minutes to create a new email address and a few minutes more to copy over any important information, once a scammer has done that he now has a new email address, one that we would not have had time to compile any information on so for the scammer it has inadvertantly helped him, except for the 5 to 10 minutes of inconvenience.

Consider again if the police are investigating the email address you have just spammed, now they will have to sift though all of those extra emails making their job of stopping the scammer more difficult.

While we dont have any knowledge of a spam a scammer site, we do have knowledge on a waste the time and resources of a scammer site, it's called http://www.419eater.com the members there "Bait" the scammers, that is they pretend to be good paying victims to get them salivating and thinking their next payday is just around the , once they are thoroughly hooked the baiter will may then begin to start making a few demands of the baiter before the "business" can be concluded, these demands range from filling in a form, having a picturetaken, travelling to another part of the country or world or getting a tatoo to show their devotion.

While this is happening, the scammer will have a lot less time to try to scam somebody else and so wastes their time and resources.

There are many scambaiting sites out there but the one most of us here are also members of is http://www.419eater.com why not take a look around there, many members will be more than happy to show you around and teach you how to bait scammers both safely and efficiently, good clean fun that actually does help the greater so why not give it a try

I recently posted two sports tickets for sale on Craigslist and Steve Metton replied. I've read the previous posts and while he seems very pushy, I can't tell exactly what the scam is that you're talking about. Please help me before I make a mistake by selling to this person! Thanks!

He has no interest in the item.
He would send you a fake cheque or money order for more than the asking price. Usually stating the rest is for a shipping company.
The cheque would pass preliminary screening processes and would be shown as "cleared" in your bank account.
You would withdraw the excess and send it by instant money transfer to his shipper (usually in West Africa).
The cheque is discovered to be a phoney and you are responsible for the entire amount plus whatever fees the bank charges. The police may also be involved as you will have tried to pass a fake cheque.

In summary; don’t do business with Steve Metton, or with anyone who wants to send a cheque for more than the asking price.

Newdonym is of course absolutely correct

Please also be aware that not all auction scammers work in that way, some will be interested in your item, particularly for small electronic items such as laptops and mobile phones this thread details how another auction site scam works viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1937

The best course of action in either case is to tell the scammer that you will only sell the item locally or better still tell him the item has already been sold, you could then report the abuse to the auction site and delete and ignore any future attempts to contact you.

I just tried to sell something on Craig's List and Steven Metton contacted me. I was not sure about him after his first email (since he was out of state and wanted to pay by money order) but went ahead and gave him my contact information. I won't post the emails since it is pretty much word for word with the others already posted, however I would like to thank everyone here for going to the trouble of warning potential sellers like me. I smelled scam after the first email, and all I had to do was simply google his name. This website was the first one to come up!
He just sent an email about how he "accidentally overpaid me" and all I need to do is cash his money order and send him the remaining cash back...yeah right.
My only question is, I was stupid enough to have given him my address and phone number. I plan on simply writing him an email saying that I have been advised not to do any further business with him, and that I will simply delete any emails he sends my way without so much as looking at them. I don't want to deliberately make this guy mad, just because he has my true address! Is this an appropriate way to handle the situation? I dont know where he lives, but I do not want to risk my families safety. Any advice will be welcomed! The fake money order will be arriving any day now.
What a jerk...

Hi NBT Piano,

Welcome to Scamwarners,

Firstly, I am glad to see that the information posted here was able to help you, it makes the time we spend doing it seem much more worthwhile when we know it is working so thank you for posting.

WHile we advise people to not give personnal details to people they meet online we also understand that it happens, it's certainly not the end of the world and you are in no physical danger at the moment.

We generally adivise that it is best to reply telling him that the item has been sold locally and ignore any emails from there.

It is likely the scammer will continue to contact you for a while and may even assume the identity of a police officer to help encourage you to send money, he may even demand that the cheque be returned, again, ignore all contacts to contact you and he will go away to find a new person to try and steal from.

For Scamwarners, we upset many scammers during the course of our day, they dont take too kindly with us interfering with their "business" so for our details to be known it could be dangerous for us but for you, no, dont be too concerned.

Your biggest worry is that the scammer may contact you with a completely different scam and use some of your information to make it seem more realistic, take care with anybody who contacts you and come back and ask if you have the slightest doubt.

Feel free to ask if you have any more questions