Got this response from my ad on Craigslist - help me out!

Initial Contact

hey there. i saw your post on but i want to be sure if you are the
real owner. cuz i love to buy it....let me know if it still available
for sale?

Second Response

Thanks for your response..am from oregon.Am interested in buying.How long have you owned it??what's your actual price for it

and when last was it serviced?.

Third Response

Ok,good..I'm quite satisfied with the condition and price.However, I will not be able to come for inspection, all i

need is your word of sincerity coupled with detailed photographs of the item to actually show that it is in good

condition as described online ..I will be paying the PayPal charges from my account and i will be paying directly

into your PayPal account without any delay, and i hope you have a paypal account. If you have one already, just

send me the address to send it to, which is the email address you use for it or you can send me a paypal

money request, so once i receive the details i will go ahead with the payment through PayPal and then i will

contact my shipping company after you get the payment. Don't worry about the pick up,my shipping agent will

be coming to pick it up as soon the money had been credited into your account . I'll like you to send me your

address so that my shipping agent can figure it out and come for the pick up and other necessary things.

Await Your reply.

My response back to him was:

I would prefer to be paid by certified cheque in Canadian Funds - I am located in XXXXXX,XX, Canada and you could have your shipping agent call me for directions.


TELL ME THAT THIS IS A SCAM???? MY GUT TELLS ME IT IS

Welcome to ScamWarners iceman31.

Yes your gut instinct is right!
Depending on the scam and the item you're selling, you will receive a spoof PayPal email claiming that the funds or in your account or that PayPal are holding the funds as an escrow service until the buyer is happy.

Do not send any goods in advance or believe that the funds have been paid.

I am selling my truck - kind of suspicious that he was going to send me $28000 via Paypal.

Now he is asking me for my full name and address so he can send me a cheque.

Hi Iceman, they are persistent buggers.

The cheque will be fake/stolen, the amount will include extra for you to send to the "shipper" who is going to pick up the truck.

When the cheque bounces, which it will eventually, and this could take 6 months to filter through the banking system, you will be held responsible for any money drawn against it, and depending on how benevolent your bank and law enforcement are, you could face criminal charges from depositing fraudulent cheques, to money laundering.

Any cheque you receive, write FAKE across it, do not try to deposit it, if it comes via UPS/Fedex, return it to them with the packaging, it will have been sent using someone elses account details.

Further explanation about the delay in cheque clearance. If the scammer has a "work from home" person sending the cheques out, which is usually the case, they will use a legitimate companies details. You deposit the cheque in your account, your bank allows you access after 5-7 days, they forward the cheque to a clearance house, from there it goes to the issuing bank on the face of the cheque, if it is supposedly from a company, it will most likely be processed if the company has sufficient funds deposited to clear it, after which it will be recorded on the companies bank statement.

When the Company receives their statement, which could be on a quarterly basis, and the statement is audited, the fake cheque will be picked up, and queried. Their bank will then request a refund from the bank into which the cheque was deposited, which means your account will then be debited for the amount. You have no option other than the pay, and you could face criminal charges for depositing a fraudulent cheque.

^^ Quite right.
It now appears that your scammer is a cheque scammer and as John DeLaney says, there will be an overpayment and you will lose if you follow the scammer's instructions.