I received a warning but am confused

I received a warning about a person I am dealing with regading the sale of a table. I am selling it and this person showed interest in buying it. I then received and email stating that this person is a scammer but the email wasn't addressed to me and the email starts with Dear Brian. I am in fact a woman lol. I will post a copy of it below. I just want to find out if the person is a guenuine scammer so that I can stop talking with them and try to sell my table to a queniunly interested person.
Thank you.


Dear Brian

This is the third time I have written to you about the scammer "Durela Niko" pretending to pay you with a fake cheque without replying to me..

Despite my previous notes to you my information is that you continue to write to him.

If you believe his transaction to be honest (and I can tell you that it's not) please continue with it and write back to me in a few weeks telling me how much you have lost !

If you are just messing with the scammer please let me know so I can tell the people supplying me with this information about your transaction to stop wasting their time and spend their time on genuine victims.

I wouldn't want you to stop messing with scammers (in fact I recommend it, if it is done safely) ...I'd just like to know so I don't waste my time writing to you as if you are a genuine victim.

Hey there Suchevane,

A couple of things could be the cause of this mixup. Our warners work on the info they are given, so it could be that your name was wrong when he/she got it. Also, we warn a lot of people about the same scammer at the same time. Your warner might just have put the wrong email address in the field.

Now, if a warner contacted you, then there is a high probability that whoever has emailed you regarding the table is a scammer, but with this mixup, it would be best if we culd confirm it.

Is this the first email you recieved from this warner? Could you post the warners name and also the email address, and email body of the buyer?

Please put the same on hold for the moment, please don't tell the buyer, send any presonal details or cash any cheques for him.

Cheers Newdonym

I have since talked to the warner and cleared up what happened. I haven't gotten any checks yet but am supposed to be recieving it by wednesday morning. What should I do with it? And what should I do when the person contacts me again? I will post the original email I received from the person "wanting" my table. This is the name and email of the scammer Durela Niko" <[email protected]>. Or the person that it would appear is trying to scam me.

OK so this isn't the first email I received but it is the one where the person is outlining how they want this to go down.


Hello,
I will like to confirm to you that the check will be send ... and you will get it latest by Thursday Morning ... and will like to tell you that the check sent is cashier Check .... This was sent to avoid delay in this transaction and was sent in the interest of protection between us..also the check was purchased by my company financier ..sent as misc expenses to you... i really dont think its necessary depositing the cashier Check but if you want to.. i can only wait 1-2 days for check clearance .... and will like to inform you that the check sent comes in excess (extra) fund ... this extra fund in it will be for the shipper.... who will be picking the item up... which implies that as soon you get the check and cash it.. the extra fund will be sent via Western Union to my shipper.
my shipper will get to you with the shipping information in which you will be sending the excess found to as soon as i track the status of the check (delivered)...
I do hope to hear from you as soon as you got check....

Thanks and God Bless.

Hi Suchevane

Looking at the emails you posted from the scammer I have no doubt that it is a scam, please keep an eye out for similiar circumstances with other buyers, dont accept checks or money orders and be very careful when being payed by pay pal, the scammers have a few versions of scams for ripping you off with paypal as well, if you have any doubts, come back and ask, we would much rather send an email than see you lose money

We appear to know about "her" already.click here using these email addresses as a check scammer.
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Three Google hits on "Durela Niko", the third also referring to her as a check scammer, although the posting has expired. The other two hits are dating sites.

EDIT: Ive just seen your second posting, and see that she's emailing you from one of these addresses. Wait until the check arrives an tell her that your bank says it's fake. Write "fake" on it and keep it as a souvenir.

Edit: I got "her" name wrong. Corrected.

I too received a warnigna bout a chair that i am trying to sell on craigslist.com. The warnin came yesterday...is it real?
Dear Friend.

Warning: You are being scammed by "Scott Pitts" ( Known Internet Scammer)

For your own safety, please read all of this mail
I am part of a large group of people who try to keep internet crooks
from stealing money through scam emails.


An informant has told us that a scammer is sending emails to you, and
you may have given him some personal details

This thief is trying to steal your money by Advance Fee Fraud, also known as a 419 Scam.

The money they have promised you is not real.

This person is trying to scam your money from you!! Here is how
it works: the thief will tell you that he wants to buy something
from you , hire your services or rent some rooms
and will offer to send a check , money order or ask you to debit a credit card (with stolen details)
for much more money than you ask. He will tell you to cash the check and
send him the "extra money" by Western Union . This check or money
order will be fake, even if your bank cashes the check or tells
you that it "cleared"!!!! The bank will find out in a few days
or weeks that the check is fake, and will make you pay all of
the money back, even the money you sent to the scammer. The bank
might even have you arrested for cashing a bad check. This is a
common scam that has caused many people to lose their money. This
crook is trying this scam on many people at the same time, and
is hoping you won't know that the check is a fake until he has
your money.

I ask you to do these things, you will allow me to help others:-


1. Do not send this letter to the scammers, and do not tell them that you have been warned.
Our informants could be hurt or killed if you
tell the thieves that they are being watched! These people risk their
safety in order to get us the information needed to keep people from
being scammed.
2. Please stop mailing and talking to with these crooks now. Do not
answer e-mails, and do not talk to them on the phone. Do not ask them
if they are trying to steal your money. What do you think thieves will
say? They will only send you more lies so you will send them your money.

3. Do not send him any money, and never go to meet them! Victims of
419 scams who travel to meet the scammers have been kidnapped, held
for ransom, and sometimes killed!

4. Do not try to confront, abuse, or harass these scammers, as they
may already have your name and address.

5. I would be very grateful if you could please reply and let me know that you
have read and understood the contents of this email.


If you doubt the truth of this warning, please print out a copy of
his email, and any emails that you have gotten from this scammer,
and take them to your local police, contact http://www.scamwarners.com/ ,
or post a question at http://www.scamwarners.com/ forum/
They will tell you the truth about this scam.

If the thief has sent you, , or you receive a check please
call your local Secret Service/Police and make a report

--
Kind Regards

Michelle Banks,
Scamwarner,
Scamwarners dot com

GMT(+0)
ere is what I received:

grma3:

The warning is real. The person calling himself "Scott Pitts" (not his real name) is a scammer who targets people selling items on Craigslist.

Yes this is most definitely a real warning and the person trying to buy your chair is a scammer. Most probably a fake cheque scammer. If you receive one, do not cash it.

Michelle Banks is most probably this member.

Welcome

Definately Michelle's warning.

Please take the warning seriously, the named person who has contacted you is a scammer and will be trying to steal from you.

The email Michelle sent has a lot of great advice for you but if you have any more questions please ask.

Do I need to pull my item frm Craigslist.com?

Pulling your item from craiglist is up to you, I dont know how the sites fee structure works but I suggest contacting them to let them know that you want the item relisted due to the scammers action which is beyond your control.

Adding a note to your listing that only local buyers should place bids may help to prevent some scammers, if you get another buyer that you are unsure of pleas dont hesitate to ask

Hello its me (Michelle)

Sorry I'm late in on this ....yes those warnings are from me, and I'm pleased to see that you have received and acted on them.

Welcome to scamwarners, if you have any other concerns, or you would just like to update us on any developments just make another post at this site.


Just one point to craigslisters ...... I am dealing with information about a very large group of craigslist scammers at the moment whose victims have lost substantial amounts. .... It's easy for me to say, but if they had followed the craigslist basic tips for avoiding scams none of them would have been in the position that they find themselves in today.

You can read those tips by following this link ..

http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams

Thank you for your post. It seems Durela Niko, as well as someone else by the name of Eamon Cox are now "looking for apartments" in the USA.

Welcome truthvigil,

I'm glad we were able to help you spot the scams quickly. I did find an Eamon Cox script from November here,
http://www.callferret.com/447024048350.html/3 and I have put the script used at that time below. If you have any different emails from either of these scammers, could you please post them (remove any of your own personal information)? Scammers' scripts sometimes evolve over time, and having a current script posted helps us to help even more victims. Also, can you post the current email addresses these two are using? Scammers frequently change email addresses, too. Since victims often google the email addresses, posting them will help to ensure they find their way here.

Script going around November 2009:

Hello,
Thanks for your mail and details on this unit,i am indeed serious about renting this unit and will be willing to offer you 1 months rent plus the security deposit in order to secure this unit prior to our arrival.
Could you be kind enough to let me know what the electricity/utility cost would be?as i will really need to have this unit to myself. You can send me the lease application , to enable be review it ahead of time.i would eventually have it signed physically when i arrive.In my opinion, appending signatories should be done properly and at best physically.Please , send me a picture view of the living room and bed rooms.I will be signing a one year lease for it and want to know the requirements for renting it.I will be doing a one year research on pharmacy work while in the states and will be staying with my wife and daughter.

This is an international situation .With this arrangement, my financier in the states,will be effecting your payment deposit to you.I believe we can work together and ensure every arrangements that we shall both execute in line with my taking up the tenancy should be done accordingly to ensure we have a proper understanding.
In view of my work schedule, i would want us to finalise basic arrangements. I will arrive the united states by 30th of November , with my wife and a 9 yr old daughter.I will need you to also get back to me with the total move in costs,that is the rent and deposit to be paid
If you require any specific information, you can call me on my number
+447024048350.

Reffrences:
David M. Cote
Chairman/CEO
Thanks