So within 1hr of posting some Borbet 15's from the rabbit on Craigslist I have two separate scammers offering to pay via certified check or cashiers check. Both offered to buy immediately for asking price and just wanted my address to mail the check to...
Is this a phishing scam for my info or is the check bogus?
In reply to 84FSP:
Do you have a ink jet printer?
You too can issue a "certified" check.
Bogus check. They typically send a fake check for more than the price of the item to allegedly cover shipping costs, and then ask you to send back the amount left over.
Argh - people suck
USPS Money order or cash.
stuart in mn wrote: Bogus check. They typically send a fake check for more than the price of the item to allegedly cover shipping costs, and then ask you to send back the amount left over.
The other variant I've seen is they have some weird bogus shipping service (usually to send the item overseas) and you pay their "shipping service" out of their (forged) check.
Last week I took a personal check for some items off craigslist.
It cleared.
I should buy a lotto ticket.
failboat wrote: Last week I took a personal check for some items off craigslist. It cleared. I should buy a lotto ticket.
Bogus checks can initially 'clear' as well. This is part of why the scam works so well.
You deposit check. In 1-2 days money shows up in your account. You think the check cleared. You send stuff. in about 10-15 days, your bank figures out that it cannot get money from the 'issuing bank' because the check is bogus. So it takes its money back out of your account.
You have no money, and no stuff. And your bank will not help you on this (it was your fault for depositing a bogus check - you can even be prosecuted for this in really bad circumstances).
TRoglodyte wrote: USPS Money order or cash.
also you can take the USPS money order to the post office. if it's under $100 they'll cash it, but no matter what amount it is they'll verify that it is legit for you. i always take them with me when i go to send something and have them verify before handing over the package.
also, just don't ship craigslist stuff. i only did it once, the guy had been looking for quite some time for specific discontinued mountain bike race tires and i had a new old stock set that i tossed up. he mailed me cash and i mailed him the tires. that was the only legit "can you ship this" i've ever had from CL.
Western Union also works well. Safe. Nobody should accept payment by check of any kind, including bank drafts. Learned those lessons a hard way.
Whenever they offer to pay the price without looking at my stuff and say they will send there agent to pick it up, I agree to whatever they offer. For some reason they never respond when I say we can meet at my house...which happens to be on an Air Force base...dunno why 
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