Community Forums

begete · 09-07-2010, 11:40 AM

Yep - that's the "template" they use. Just divorced, got the vehicle as part of the settlement. The template is usually in decent English, but if you start asking questions, then the English deteriorates.

Editing to say "Hellen" note spelling of woman's name, has another RV posted on Seattle's Craig's list today. I reported it so not sure how long it will be up.

rj6725 · 09-07-2010, 03:44 PM

I have run across this type of scam too many times to list. There is a relatively easy way to determine if it is a scam. Just ask them what part of the country hey live in (if it is not stated already). After they give you the details of the payment, simply say something like "What a small world! I have a brother-in-law that lives in xxx [usually small town hear them. google it]. He will come by and take a look and pay you in cash! What dumb luck..."

Usually, that will be the last you hear from them. I usually, for a parting shot, tell them that I'm actually an investigator looking at internet fraud and that we can do this the hard way (which will mean they get jail time) or the easy way, which they send me their contact info so we can finish the paperwork and slap their wrists. Every once in a while, someone will send me their info :-)

allegro5 · 09-07-2010, 04:52 PM

I have bought a motorhome, a truck and many lesser items on Ebay! Love Ebay! But I have also bought a Motorhome described as wonderful in every way! being careful, I didnt put the required deposite of a grand down! We drove the 500 miles there the next mornning! The rig was a heart breaker! Large water stained ceilings, very rusty under carrage! Worth half! The two big men were real POed at me and said the would keep my deposite! I said to be my guest! I told them my wife and I were in our seventys and they should give us $500 for the trip to see a missrepresented junk! Went threw that again a year later, and drove from mid Vermont to Philly to see a truck listed on ebay as like new. Many beautiful pictures! Got there and it stunk of dog, and was badly scratched up! The big Ruski imagrant threatened me! I advised him not to bring muscles to a gun fight! Again he said he would keep the large deposite I never did send! Never pay untill you see! allegro5

TwelveVolt · 07-08-2013, 10:36 PM

Although this thread is from three years ago, nothing has changed. Exactly the same scams are running on EBay and Craig'sList today.

Price too good to be true. So good that it throws good judgement to the curb.
Owner out of town, so can't show the unit until a payment has been made to justify his flight home to close the deal.
Fake claim that EBay will hold money in escrow for 5 days so that everybody is protected.
No desire to have a telephone conversation. Prefer Email outside of Craig'sList or EBay.

wa8yxm · 07-09-2013, 05:05 AM

You really need to see it live before you lay your money down.,

Like me, in 9 days I hope to buy a new towed.. I have seen it, it is sitting in a dealer's lot a few miles from me. And the dealer (Well known and legit" will have his name on the paperwork... Ok, I may pay a bit more.. but it's no scam.

djbmsu · 07-09-2013, 06:41 AM

Not sure what you are so worried about , usually within a weeks time someone is always sending me MILLIONS of dollars and all I have to do is send them my banking info so it can be deposited.
Then you will have enough money to buy any new MH you desire !
NOT !!!!!

TwelveVolt · 07-09-2013, 07:09 AM

An interesting point. If you don't want to wait, is it reasonable to use a promissory note from your Nigerian banker friend to borrow money to buy an imaginary RV on Ebay today? Better yet, can you convince the Nigerian banker to buy it for you as a show of good faith?

Fred1609 · 07-09-2013, 08:00 AM

Scary stuff...but you know what? These frauds must be working to a degree because they are still out there....

Route 66 · 07-09-2013, 08:03 AM

Unfortunately, you are correct.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fred1609

Scary stuff...but you know what? These frauds must be working to a degree because they are still out there....

Brockx · 07-09-2013, 08:12 AM

When you have dealings on Craig's List never / ever deal in anything other than cash and in person.

I have bought and sold tools, furniture, cars, boats and yard equipment for 5 years in 2 states. Cash in person, if you cannot do that forget it.

edit:
Heck, forgot bought my MH off CL also, out of town, made the drive and deal in Cash and in person, golden rule.

Brockx · 07-09-2013, 08:19 AM

Directly from Craiglist home page under safety

about > scams

personal safety help forum

You can sidestep would-be scammers by following these common-sense rules whenever using craigslist:

DEAL LOCALLY WITH FOLKS YOU CAN MEET IN PERSON - follow this one rule and avoid 99% of scam attempts.
NEVER WIRE FUNDS VIA WESTERN UNION, MONEYGRAM or any other wire service - anyone who asks you to do so is likely a scammer.
FAKE CASHIER CHECKS & MONEY ORDERS ARE COMMON, and BANKS WILL CASH THEM AND THEN HOLD YOU RESPONSIBLE when the fake is discovered weeks later.
CRAIGSLIST IS NOT INVOLVED IN ANY TRANSACTION, and does not handle payments, guarantee transactions, provide escrow services, or offer "buyer protection" or "seller certification"
NEVER GIVE OUT FINANCIAL INFORMATION (bank account number, social security number, eBay/PayPal info, etc.)
AVOID DEALS INVOLVING SHIPPING OR ESCROW SERVICES and know that ONLY A SCAMMER WILL "GUARANTEE" YOUR TRANSACTION.
DO NOT RENT HOUSING WITHOUT SEEING THE INTERIOR, OR PURCHASE EXPENSIVE ITEMS SIGHT-UNSEEN - in all likelihood that housing unit is not actually for rent and that cheap item does not exist.
DO NOT SUBMIT TO CREDIT CHECKS OR BACKGROUND CHECKS FOR A JOB OR FOR HOUSING UNTIL YOU HAVE MET THE INTERVIEWER OR LANDLORD/AGENT IN PERSON.

TwelveVolt · 07-09-2013, 09:00 AM

When dealing with a sofa or a power tool, cash makes sense. The seller has cash in hand, you have the inspected product in hand and everybody is happy. It is understood that you will never meet or discuss it again.

If you hand over cash in a motor vehicle transaction, you are left sitting in your new vehicle with keys in hand and a smile on your face as your cash disappears around the next corner. What happens when you discover that the title you are holding is bad, or an undisclosed lien holder knocks on your door, or the real owner gets back from his cruise to discover his RV and title missing?

Would it not make more sense to use PayPal or other form of payment that offers some possibility of recourse?

In reading the details of the eBay Motors protection plan, it does not seem to cover very much. If I read it correctly, it first lists things for which you are covered. It then lists things for which you are not covered, many of which seem to negate items in the first list. It sounds like you are covered if you do not get a title, but you are not covered if you get a bad title. The real kicker is the line toward the bottom that reads: despite all the terms above, the decision to offer any reimbursement is at the sole discretion of eBay.

REWahoo · 07-09-2013, 09:19 AM

Any time you see a Craigslist ad for an RV with a price that seems to be an amazing bargain, assume it is a scam - because it almost always is...

myredracer · 07-09-2013, 09:45 AM

The first clue in these things is the poor English. Lot's of spelling and grammar mistakes and otherwise poor English. For example, in the OP's original post he said "Criag's list". Dead giveaway right there, lol!

You have to wonder how these can still be happening, but as said already, they must be working. Happens even with personal ads. Some woman in the US got hooked up with a guy on the internet and she never got to meet him. He professed his love for her over and over. He always had some excuse why they couldn't meet in person. He was in the military and posted to Afghanistan. On a top secret mission. About to be re-assigned elsewhere in Middle East, etc. He needed money because he couldn't access his bank account while on assignment, etc., etc. And she repeatedly wired him money. You have to ask yourself why anyone would do this, but she claimed she was truly in love with the guy. Her family was in shock that she would fall for it and she wouldn't listen. She eventually ended up on Dr. Phil and he said something to the effect "you've got to be kidding me". As I recall, this scam came out of Africa.

Nothing wrong with Craigslist as long as you know that there can be scammers and exercise care and caution. Make sure you see the item in person and get it checked out. Craigslist has info. on scams: craigslist | about > scams

Kijjiji is an alternative to Craigslist but not as popular. When it comes to selling something like an RV, there isn't much out there as good as Craiglist for exposure. You could put your RV on a consignment lot, but if on a dealer's lot, I've heard they keep flogging their new units first since they make more profit and yours can languish there forever. We sold our last TT to BIL. Took a while, but we got him hooked in the end - no third party involved!

Paypal is not the only acceptable payment method on ebay. Accepted payments policy

DW is an accountant and manager of fraud in a large organization. There's so many types of fraud out there it makes your head spin. What an awful place this world can be...... Next time I'm picking another planet to go to!