Craigslist, Ebay and other online buying/selling scams.
#51912 by JCAESAR Sat Apr 23, 2011 11:21 pm
In Brief:

Most all of the persons writing here have received the eMails stating such as as:

I am satisfied with the product...I am satisfied with the price...my agent will come to pick it up...oops I sent my agent a Money Order to give you but it is $6,000 over what your price is...just cash the Check take your part and give my agent the $6,000 over-payment...go ahead and remove the AD today...and blah, blah, blah, blah...

A Nigerian 4-1-9 scam ?...YES in part it absolutely is.

But dig deeper here because an UNDERLYING & UNNOTICED & UNPUBLISHED scam is also in the works here.

The underlying scam here involves what is termed as ECONOMIC SABOTAGE and is played out in the request from the SCAMMER to 'go ahead & remove the ad today'.

What does that mean ?

It means these SCAMMERS are not just satisfied by:
-sending you COUNTERFEIT MONEY ORDERS
-your getting arrested for trying to cash these COUNTERFEIT MONEY ORDERS
-you losing your money because they were COUNTERFEIT

The new ploy is to UNDERMINE the sale of goods & services by businesses & individuals
MEANING
the uninformed SELLER assuming a CONTRACT has been made with the SCAMMER removes the AD therefore the GOODS are no longer advertised for sale and others that may have made a LEGITIMATE purchase thereby gaining monetary funds for the SELLER is hereby in a SHUTOUT position.

These SCAMMERS stifle the ecomomy.

Now, imagine this same SCAM going on 100 or 1,000 or 10,000 times per day and being perpetrated on businesses & individuals worldwide. I probably do not have to tell you what effect this has on the world economic situation.

The bottom line is NOTHING SOLD means NOTHING GAINED.

Readers hereto may want to go to any FBI FEDERAL BUREAU of INVESTIGATION web site and read up on ECONOMIC SABOTAGE. This is no longer a term tagged to Foreign Terrorists. This term is now applicable to anyone who engages in the above meaning: your neighbors, your foes, your competitors, and the relative.

While I love to BAIT these SCAMMERS & play them out almost to the the point of no return; I do not suggest this for ANYONE as it can result in personal injury or death.

However, if after 2 or 3 correspondences with the SCAMMER, you the would-be VICTIM suddenly realizes THIS IS A SCAM, don't cash any Money Orders, BUT you tell the SCAMMER...YES I have cashed the money orders, THEN SUDDENLY eMail the SCAMMER back with such as...

I am so sorry, I suddenly got a call that from my part-time job at the SHERIFF's DEPT. and they have an important meeting they want me to attend as the FBI is coming in to show us the map out of a nation wide takedown of Nigerian scammers they have planned. But, just tell your AGENT to come by the SHERIFF's DEPT. and I will have the MERCHANDISE there...and I've also got the CASH for the OVERPAYMENT you sent to give to your AGENT.

Just look up any SHERIFFs 'DEPT. near you and send them that address.

Believe it or not there have actually been arrests made this way, because of the undyng greed of these SCAMMERS.
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#51917 by Chris Fuller Sun Apr 24, 2011 4:13 am
Hello JCAESAR and welcome to ScamWarners.

Although scamming may have 'side effects', the only thing that the scammer is interested in is stealing money. His request for an online advert to be removed is simply so that the seller does not get any 'easier' offers (eg from someone in the next street who can come immediately and pay cash and take the item), but just concentrates on his scam.

It is possible to bait scammers anonymously and totally safely, and our sister site:

http://www.419eater.com/

gives guidance about how to do this.

Baiters do not give scammers the addresses of Sheriffs' Depts or any other 'real' address, however. The people there will not have any knowledge or proof about the scam. If you register as a member at 419eater, you will be able to access Eater University and read a tutorial about 'Baiting Check Scammers' which will provide you with some better ideas!
#51936 by JCAESAR Sun Apr 24, 2011 10:13 am
Chris Fuller,

I certainly appreciate your input & crtique.

Perhaps I should not have used the term BAIT in conjunction with that entry.

Perhaps you can educate me here as I am always open to learning new tactics.

However, I have to be curious, how any of you are making an income from chasing these scammers.
It certainly is a worthwhile cause...but where is the monetary profit ?

I have heavy experience in pursuing information for Plaintiff Attorneys involved in cases of Punitive Damages; and there I make money. But, when it comes to chasing such as these Nigerian scams it usually ends up as a giveaway to Law Enforcement whereas neither I nor the Victims end up with anything.

Perhaps you can give me a clue.

Many thanks !

JCAESAR
#51937 by Dotti Sun Apr 24, 2011 11:10 am
JCAESAR,

You appear to be a little confused about our mission.

We are a strictly volunteer organization. We are here because we want to help others and do what we believe is right. Unlike the scammers, who are unwilling to do anything for anyone unless there is a monetary profit in it, we believe the victims we help are payment enough.

We are not making a profit fighting scammers, and we do not intend to make money doing this. If we were chasing money, we would actually be less effective at what we do. By remaining independent and not making a profit, we ensure our actions and responses are not affected by a personal motive.

Don't get me wrong--we are all in favor of helping victims to find a way to recover their money when it is possible (unfortunately, with the type of scammer we most often deal with, it is rarely possible), and if a lawsuit is a viable means to do that, we will gladly even suggest it (I have actually suggested it once or twice in the case of organized scams with US connections).

If we can help victims to get away from scammers, and provide information that will help victims, potential victims, and even law enforcement to fight these scams, we have done what we set out to do.

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