Scammers are getting better and better

pstyle · #1 03-24-2011, 08:52 AM

I put up a bass for sale on craigslist and got this as a response:

Is it available again?? Get back to me asap. Thanks

Jeff Brown
jeff44brown@gmail.com

Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

Seems pretty legit right? And it was the 2nd time I had this bass for sale on CL so his response made sense.

So I wrote him that I don't remember hearing from him earlier but that it's still available.

His response to that:

Hello,

Thanks for the mail, i am presently in Houston on a Oil spillage
clean-up training course as a facility engineer of BP Oil Company. Am
ordering for this musical instrument because is urgently needed to be
delivered to my church for choir.

I am on a world Oil spillage clean-up training programme, I am also a
UN worker, due to the nature of the training that is going on here,
visiting of website are restricted but I squeezed out time to check
this advert because I received mail from my church pastor that is
urgently needed that is why I send you an email regarding it.

I can only send you a PayPal payment which protects me and you from
scam and fraud, I insisted on paypal because I don't have access to my
bank account online as I don't have internet banking, but I can pay
from my paypal account, as I have my bank account attached to it,

I will need you to give me your paypal email address so I can make the
payments asap for the instrument and please, if you don't have paypal
account yet, it is very easy to set up, go to www.paypal.com and get
it set up , after you have set it up I will only need the e-mail
address you use for registration with paypal so as to put the money
through.

I have a pick up agent that will come and pick the item up after you
cash the money

Regards.

Damn.. I thought I had a sale!

gjbassist · #2 03-24-2011, 08:56 AM

I get at least one of these every time I list something of any value on CL. It is usually easy to tell because they word things in such an odd way.

tdub0199 · #3 03-24-2011, 08:57 AM

Yep that's a scammer alright.....

jpTron · #4 03-24-2011, 08:58 AM

It's legit, bro.

pstyle · #5 03-24-2011, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gjbassist

I get at least one of these every time I list something of any value on CL. It is usually easy to tell because they word things in such an odd way.

I agree with you on his 2nd response, but the 1st response seems pretty legit. he has a normal looking email address and even the "Sent from Blackberry" signature.

tdub0199 · #6 03-24-2011, 09:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pstyle

I put up a bass for sale on craigslist and got this as a response:

Is it available again?? Get back to me asap. Thanks

Jeff Brown
jeff44brown@gmail.com

Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

Seems pretty legit right? And it was the 2nd time I had this bass for sale on CL so his response made sense.

So I wrote him that I don't remember hearing from him earlier but that it's still available.

His response to that:

Hello,

Thanks for the mail, i am presently in Houston on a Oil spillage
clean-up training course as a facility engineer of BP Oil Company. Am
ordering for this musical instrument because is urgently needed to be
delivered to my church for choir. I am on a world Oil spillage clean-up training programme, I am also a
UN worker, due to the nature of the training that is going on here,
visiting of website are restricted but I squeezed out time to check
this advert because I received mail from my church pastor that is
urgently needed that is why I send you an email regarding it.

I can only send you a PayPal payment which protects me and you from
scam and fraud, I insisted on paypal because I don't have access to my
bank account online as I don't have internet banking, but I can pay
from my paypal account, as I have my bank account attached to it,

I will need you to give me your paypal email address so I can make the
payments asap for the instrument and please, if you don't have paypal
account yet, it is very easy to set up, go to www.paypal.com and get
it set up , after you have set it up I will only need the e-mail
address you use for registration with paypal so as to put the money
through.

I have a pick up agent that will come and pick the item up after you
cash the moneyRegards.

Damn.. I thought I had a sale!

wonder where he/she learned to type?????

Bassamatic · #7 03-24-2011, 09:29 AM

Yeah - even the Nigerians are finally changing their letters to sound more legitimate.

Just ask him to send the PayPal to his friend, who will bring you the CASH!

v4tuna · #8 03-24-2011, 09:39 AM

Send Him an invoice from paypal and wait for payment. If he pays ship it. we all make typos some (me ) more than others especially on a mobile.

pstyle · #9 03-24-2011, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by v4tuna

Send Him an invoice from paypal and wait for payment. If he pays ship it. we all make typos some (me ) more than others especially on a mobile.

His 2nd email is classic scammer style. If i receive payment from him, it will probably be from a hi-jacked paypal account. Paypal will eventually cancel that payment and take the money from my account most likely, and I will be out of a bass if I ship it.

Hutzbordello · #10 03-24-2011, 09:45 AM

cash that money suhn

BassMan4Him · #11 03-24-2011, 09:49 AM

I would never put "Musical Instrument" in a response. That's the first giveaway. Man, these people must not be too bright..

SurferJoe46 · #12 03-24-2011, 09:50 AM

I am still playing one of these guys --- for a while yet anyway.

They always ask if 'it' is for sale again, and I ask them which color 'it' are they needing or if they want the large 'it' or the small 'it', and this goes on and on for days.

Kinda fun if you find a sense of the arcane/absurd in it like I do - but I live in a parallel universe anyway. (That may or may not be obvious to TBers - my parallel-universe thing.)

stflbn · #13 03-24-2011, 09:52 AM

I've had follow up illiterate messages after an initial brief inquiry for a couple years now.

**baba** · #14 03-24-2011, 09:54 AM

I actually replied to a "Is this still available?" email for the first time a couple days ago. The originating address was obviously a business domain so I checked it out and it was a local company. Turns out dude was legit. The first one ever that sent that message!

fourstringdrums · #15 03-24-2011, 09:59 AM

I will never understand why a scammer would not take more effort to make themselves NOT sound like a scammer. Even if they sort out the english, they're always going on about how it's urgent, giving their life story and why they are destined for you to sell you your item/give you money etc.. You think they'd know that is a red flag now.

SurferJoe46 · #16 03-24-2011, 10:08 AM

It's the nuances of the English language that usually screws them up and they stand out like an idiot.

Just for fun - and you really don't need to even own the name product - try calling Xxxx-Tech in the far east and talk to anyone who answers the phone.

"Hello - my name is 'Bob', and I am personally seeking to be of your assistance to you with your technical problem on this day."

This is a lot more fun than making prank calls. Try for a personal best by timing the conversation to see how long you can hold them on line until THEY quit.

I'll save this for when I wind up in the Old Bass-Players Home For The Terminally Incontinent --- when I get really old.

Rocker949 · #17 03-24-2011, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fourstringdrums

I will never understand why a scammer would not take more effort to make themselves NOT sound like a scammer. Even if they sort out the english, they're always going on about how it's urgent, giving their life story and why they are destined for you to sell you your item/give you money etc.. You think they'd know that is a red flag now.

Your analysis is so accurate. When they're way more interested in proving their "legitimacy" than they are in the item itself, that's a big clue.

Clark Dark · #18 03-24-2011, 11:29 AM

Hello,

Thanks for the mail, i am presently in Houston on a Oil spillage clean-up training course as a facility engineer of BP Oil Company. Am ordering for this musical instrument because is urgently needed to be delivered to my church for choir.

I am on a world Oil spillage clean-up training programme, I am also a UN worker, due to the nature of the training that is going on here, visiting of website are restricted but I squeezed out time to check
this advert because I received mail from my church pastor that is urgently needed that is why I send you an email regarding it.

I can only send you a PayPal payment which protects me and you from scam and fraud, I insisted on paypal because I don't have access to my bank account online as I don't have internet banking, but I can pay from my paypal account, as I have my bank account attached to it,

I will need you to give me your paypal email address so I can make the
payments asap for the instrument and please, if you don't have paypal
account yet, it is very easy to set up, go to www.paypal.com and get
it set up , after you have set it up I will only need the e-mail
address you use for registration with paypal so as to put the money
through.

I have a pick up agent that will come and pick the item up after you
cash the money

Regards.

...these highlighted grammatical errors are a dead giveaway. typical 419 scam but they think they can confuse someone by saying they want to use paypal

KsPiNeSh · #19 03-24-2011, 11:33 AM

I think the bigger question is this: how are enough people still falling for these to make it even worthwhile for the scammers? I know they do it en masse, but still...

gjbassist · #20 03-24-2011, 11:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SurferJoe46

I am still playing one of these guys --- for a while yet anyway.

They always ask if 'it' is for sale again, and I ask them which color 'it' are they needing or if they want the large 'it' or the small 'it', and this goes on and on for days.

Kinda fun if you find a sense of the arcane/absurd in it like I do - but I live in a parallel universe anyway. (That may or may not be obvious to TBers - my parallel-universe thing.)

I've always thought it would be fun to string them along for a bit of fun as well. Think of some long reply that had as many grammatical errors and run on sentences as the one they sent. Arrange for my delivery agent to meet with their pickup agent to discuss terms for the transfer of the item, etc.