How fast would you run away from this? *UPDATE*

[dudesweet157]

So I've listed my AC30 on Craiglist and gotten a few bites, mostly crap trade offers  or people that don't respond back.  I finally got a promising bite with this email:

"Let's make this a deal,get back with your asking price."

I emailed them back with a price and got this in response:

"Thank for your mail. Am satisfied with your advert price, as am
requesting this transaction should be done via PayPal so the Pay Pal
charges is on me. If my offer is accepted, Get back to me with your
PayPal email and your name or send me PayPal invoice so i can pay you
right away as soon as i conclude with my shipper. I am always busy at
work and do not have much time around me to make or answer calls. Make
sure you get back to me so that we can arrange for pick up as i will
like the item to be picked at your residence location. Confirm the
sales to me by removing it from the CL post.
Regards"

First off, I NEVER let strangers come to my house, and I replied back telling the seller as much and that I would meet them in a public place to do our exchange. 

Second, does this sound like a scam to the rest of you?  My internal hooey alarm is going crazy what with broken english, can't/won't call/talk on the phone and the talk of a third party picking it up/shipping it.  I've also only ever done cash transactions through Craigslist.  Would Paypal protect me if this did turn out to be a scam?

-David

 

[MSP]

That is absolutely, 100% a scam.

 

[mayfly]

As the guy never even mentions 'guitar amp' it really looks like a scam form letter 



I'd send it off to the cops.

 

[dudesweet157]

New developments from buyer:

"Try and see reason with me, i don't have access to a post office over
here, i can't send you a check. I wish i have access to western union
money transfer it would have been a very good option but am still on
the base right now the only access i have is by effecting the payment
via my online paypal account. However, paypal is the world leading
payment master that protects both buyer/seller interest. You are on a
secured transaction with paypal. Above all, it's like instant cash.
Please i need you to visit their web site at www.paypal.com and sign
up for your free personal paypal account, they will activate your
email address to your paypal account and link it with your bank
account so you can transfer and receive money online via you paypal
account. Please go and activate yours it will actually cost you no
money to do this. Do try and see reasons with me. I will await you
update.
Thanks."

 

[JCizzle]

"Still on the base"? Military base? His English seems a little off to be in the military. Besides, bases have post offices and Western Union. I'd let this one go.

 

[SlartiBartfast]

This is a total scam. I've head this exact same thing happen to me several times with a person claiming they're in the military, blah, blah, blah. It made by b.s. alarm go crazy just like yours did. You should trust your instincts on this one.

 

[mgaut051]

I call shenanigans.

 

[dudesweet157]

Duly noted friends, I deleted all his mesages and blocked his email address.

 

[bbl4ck]

Wise move  :icon_thumright: :icon_thumright: :icon_thumright:

 

[JCizzle]

I'd like to add extra douche-points for anyone pretending to be in the military.  :icon_scratch:

 

[Jusatele]

it is a scam
the guy wants to make sure you have no trail to him
I bet he will say he did a checking account transfer from Paypal and that tales 8 days to confirm
but he will want the product before that

I would refuse to talk to him again

 

[Nightclub Dwight]

I had a similar but different experience with a scam a few years ago.  They went so far as to send me a cashier's check via overnight Federal Express.  I never cashed the check nor shipped the goods because I smelled scam from a mile away.  About six months later I got a letter from the FBI saying that they found my information in the records from a scam artist they busted.  I told the FBI what I knew about the scammer, but at that point they were mainly trying to see if I had been a victim.  Luckily I didn't take the bait from the scammer so I had no real damages.  It just confirmed to me that if something seems like a scam it most probably is.

 

[AutoBat]

Looks to be about the same message I got when I sold my car thru CL. 
DEAL LOCALLY WITH FOLKS YOU CAN MEET IN PERSON - follow this one rule and avoid 99% of scam attempts on craigslist.
AVOID DEALS INVOLVING SHIPPING OR ESCROW SERVICES and know that ONLY A SCAMMER WILL "GUARANTEE" YOUR TRANSACTION.

More info including how to report them here: http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/about/scams

 

[Alfang]

any time some one is too busy at work to make a deal is a huge heads-up that somethings wrong

These are the people that need their heads bashed in

 

[fdesalvo]

Yep its a scam - I had them send me a fake paypal invoice that showed they paid.  My account reflected nothing.  Then I noticed the email address the emails were coming from.  It's bullshit.

 

[tfarny]

An actual craigslist response goes, "Hey man, that amp sounds sweet. If you'd consider $400 I can come check it out on Monday. 123-456-7890 Joey"
Anything else just gets deleted and forgotten, simple.

 

[dmraco]

scam.  Everytime I place and ad on Craigslist I IMMEDIATLY have 2 or 3 communications like this.  My immediate response is CASH ONLY.
I never hear back.    :icon_thumright:

 

[xDave]

The whole I'm on base and don't have mail access got me. BS! I was working at a place that had a military contract for screws and stuff. Every building on the bases we sent to had their own zip code.