Comments on: The Craigslist /eBay Car Scam

By: Teresa

Teresa — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 03:24:53 +0000

This is the letter I just received that made me look into the possibility of a scam, I found a car on craigslist and I emailed this lady and this is the email i get in return…………………………………………………………………………………..Hi, first of all I want to thank you for your interest in my 2004 Nissan Sentra 1.8 S. I sell it at this price $ 1.850, because I just finished the divorce, and I am very glad that I took the car, because it was my ex husbands most precious thing.I don’t ask to much for the car because I just want to get rid of it ASAP, since the bastard cheated on me in this car. It is bad memory and I should get rid of it. I have it in Marysville, OH because i live here right now. It has only 65100 miles. The car is paid off,clean title,i have the title in hand. The divorce finished 6 months ago and the Nissan is mine now. After the divorce I was forced to buy a new house.My ex-husband bought it and has only been garage kept. As you can see from the pictures it is in excellent condition. It has many extras including automatic transmission,a/c,cruise control, am/fm, trunk liner, spare is brand new, all manuals are included,2 keys. I had the oil changed about 2 weeks ago. This Nissan runs as good as a new one and has no dings, dents, or scratches. From the beginning you have to know that for the payment I request only secure pay. I prefer the payment to be done using e Bay services (I will receive the payment only after you receive and inspect the car and only if you agree to buy it). We will use a safe payment method because I am affiliated at e Bay and I have a purchase protection account ( i hope you saw this then you contacted me ). The last price for this is $1,850, no trades, only cash and only with e bay, because I cannot sell otherwise. I will pay for shipping and handling(the loan of my previous buyer didn’t get approved and he already paid the shipping costs) so there won’t be any additional shipping costs).
If you are interested in buying it please email me your FULL NAME and SHIPPING ADDRESS so i can get the ball rolling
I will wait your answer (if you are interested to buy) very soon.

Thank you, Jennifer Rogers
Marysville,Ohio

By: Rob

Rob — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 13:03:52 +0000

Wow, This guy has many adds to scamm people and his emails are all the same….
This Time it is a Ford Explorer! Here it is…. This is a new email address.. Spam the crap out of this guy..

Sgt. Joseph Harrell josp34@gmail.com

Hi there,

The Ford it is in perfect condition, there’s not a scratch or any dents on it. Everything from engine to tires is mint condition. I have a clear title with no liens or loans. I’m selling it low as my medical team will deploy back to Afghanistan on January 25th for a 2 year contract and I won’t let it go to waste in my backyard, therefore I need a fast and reliable buyer. If you decide to buy it I will be paying for the shipping charges. The total price is $2,840.00 with no other hidden taxes. Please email me back if you are interested in buying it.

A few words about the car:
- 2003 Ford Explorer Limited
Mileage: 82,525
Price: $2840
Body Style: Suv
Exterior Color: White
Interior Color: Tan
VIN: 1fmzu75k63za40089
Fuel: Gasoline
Engine: 4.0L V6
Transmission: AUTO
Drivetrain: 4X4

- Pics available at: http://s1099.photobucket.com/albums/g397/sdsdesexploresd/

Best Regards,
Senior Medic Sgt. 1st Class Joseph Harrell

By: Rob

Rob — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 13:51:52 +0000

I am not upset about this guy trying to scam people but more upset about him pretending to be a national hero as a Sgt. 1st Class. Someone needs to hunt this guy down give him a quick lesson on breaking legs. Anyway, here is an email that I received from this coward in response to a craigslist add. I looked this guy up on the web and found him on this website.

Hi there,

The toyota it is in perfect condition, there’s not a scratch or any dents on it. Everything from engine to tires is mint condition. I have a clear title with no liens or loans. I’m selling it low as my medical team will deploy back to Afghanistan on January 25th for a 2 year contract and I won’t let it go to waste in my backyard, therefore I need a fast and reliable buyer. If you decide to buy it I will be paying for the shipping charges. The total price is $2,640.00 with no other hidden taxes. Please email me back if you are interested in buying it.

A few words about the car:
- Toyota Camry 2004 XLE
Mileage: 55,600
Price: $2640
Body Style: Sedan
Exterior Color: Black
Interior Color: Tan
VIN: 4T1BF30KX4U077785
Fuel: Gasoline
Engine: 3.0L V6
Transmission: Automatic
Drivetrain: FWD

- Pics available at: http://s1062.photobucket.com/albums/t483/njbds/

Best Regards,
Senior Medic Sgt. 1st Class Joseph Harrell

By: Cherry

Cherry — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 14:35:05 +0000

Thanks found this site, I know something fishy so I search about craiglist scam. Here’s the email msgs from the low life scammer. Happened yesterday.

Hi there,

The Ford it is in perfect condition, there’s not a scratch or any dents on it. Everything from engine to tires is mint condition. I have a clear title with no liens or loans. I’m selling it low as my medical team will deploy back to Afghanistan on December 20th for a 2 year contract and I won’t let it go to waste in my backyard, therefore I need a fast and reliable buyer. If you decide to buy it I will be paying for the shipping charges. The total price is $2,750.00 with no other hidden taxes. Please email me back if you are interested in buying it.

A few words about the car:
- 2002 Ford Mustang GT
Mileage: 74,843
Price: $2750
Body Style: Coupe
Exterior Color: Silver
Interior Color: Graphite
VIN: 1FAFP42X82F188344
Fuel: Gasoline
Engine: 4.6L V8 16V MPFI SOHC
Transmission: 5-Speed
Drivetrain: RWD

- Pics available at: http://s1093.photobucket.com/albums/i423/gsadsa/

Best Regards,
Senior Medic Sgt. 1st Class Joseph Harrell

Right now I’m in a military base of Nevada Army National Guard. Due to military security reasons I’m restricted from leaving the unit’s facility under any purpose and have strictly limited phone access. I hope you can understand that we will have to stick to email for now. The vehicle is here with me at the base but I’ve already made all the arrangements with DAS to pick it up from the base. DAS will also handle the title transfer for an extra $75.00. I think the car will be in 3-5 days to your address. As I said in my first email will take care of shipping charges. I will send all necessary paperwork (clear title, bill of sale, user’s manual, pink slip etc). Regarding the payment I want to use eBay protection program. You’ll get 5 days to inspect and test drive after delivery. During that 5 days testing period I will not be getting any money. Once you inspect and decide to keep the car, will confirm your decision with eBay and only then they will re-route me the money. In this way we are both protected.
I need to know if you are interested in buying it so I can ask eBay to send you the details on how this works. I have to fill out a form on eBay and I need the name that will go on the title and an address where you want the car delivered. Once I do it, eBay will email you all the details on this transaction and we can get the ball rolling.

Beware !!!

By: Fern

Fern — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 21:31:32 +0000

another scam…below is my email trail for a 2002 Toyota Sequoia Limited for 2700…wish it were true.

Sorry not interested. I’ll keep looking on Craigslist.

From: Phillip Jenkins [mailto:pj09872@gmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, December 07, 2011 3:22 PM
To: me
Subject: Re: 2002 Toyota Sequoia

Hey,
I am in a currently stationed at Fort Indiantown Gap National Guard Training Center. We are getting ready for Afghanistan. We are in the final stage of our training and we are not allowed to use the phone during this period. This is supposed to keep us focused on our trainings. I am only allowed to check my email twice a day. I hope you can understand that we will have to stick to email for now. The vehicle is here with me at the base but I’ve already made all the arrangements with DAS to pick it up from the base. DAS will also handle the title transfer for an extra $75.00. Being in the army has some advantages and one of them is the fact that I can ship it very cheap. I will pay for the shipping charges, as I’ve said in my first email. I think I can have it there in 5-7 business days.
I am a member of the eBay buyer protection program and using this service you will give a 3 days testing period after delivery. During that 3 days testing period I will not be getting any money. I need to know if you are interested in buying it so I can ask eBay to send you the details on how this works. I have to fill out a form on eBay and I need the name that will go on the title and an address where you want the car delivered. Once I do it, eBay will email you all the details on this transaction and we can get the ball rolling.
Phillip
On Wed, Dec 7, 2011 at 4:14 PM,
I am in dallas so I can just come by and see it in person.

From: Phillip Jenkins [mailto:pj09872@gmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, December 07, 2011 3:08 PM
To: Me
Subject: Re: 2002 Toyota Sequoia

Hey,
Thank you for your interest in my Toyota Sequoia. I am selling it because I will soon go on a second tour in Afghanistan and I don’t want it getting old in my garage. I will be gone for the next 12 months. The price is low because I need to sell it before we deploy, at the end of December. The vehicle is in great condition and runs great. It only has 119,000 miles on it, mostly highway miles. It has never been wrecked and never smoked in. I had serviced it only at the local dealer. Maintenance records are available. Clear title in hand. You can see more pictures of the car here:
https://picasaweb.google.com/100476029979383723358/Sequioa?authkey=Gv1sRgCKXP1parxunXkQE
If you decide to buy it I will be paying for the shipping charges. The total price is $2,700.00 with no other hidden taxes. Please email me back if you are interested in buying it.
Phillip
On Wed, Dec 7, 2011 at 12:46 PM, Me> wrote:

http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/ctd/2739723491.html

Is this vehicle still for sale? If so can you tell me where I can see it and what price you’re selling the vehicle for.

By: Chris Romero

Chris Romero — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 02:17:36 +0000

I just found a deal on Craiglist for a 2004 VW Passat and the supposed LT Nicholas Hamilton was being deployed to Iraq and needs to sell the car ASAP by 12/19 and was asking us to use google fund transfer to send the funds and they would ship the car and we had 10 days to inspect and could send back if we were unhappy at his expense, (too good to be true) luckily we found this website before even taking the next step….so thank you everyone for posting! much appreciated,really saved us!

By: Maddy

Maddy — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 18:51:45 +0000

This is the scam I almost fell for this morning. “Maj. Helen Adams” contacted me from a gmail address (helenadams11@gmail.com) with literally the same story I’ve seen over and over again on this site: I’m being deployed to Afghanistan and need to sell the car ASAP at a ridiculously low price. Sounded too good to be true and it was.
WATCH OUT!

Hello,

This 2007 Toyota Camry XLE, 3.5L V6 FI DOHC 24V, VIN: 4T1BK46K17U510519, runs and drives excellent. It has been extremely well maintained with a full service history, Only 46,602 miles! Transmission is Automatic shifts smoothly.

It has no leaks or drips and does not smoke at all, slightly used in 100% working and looking conditions with a clear title free of encumbrances and liens. I bought it when i was serving in Mitchel Air Force base in New York and now I am deployed in Spain . The car will be delivered from NY, US.

I have dropped my price to $1,900 (purchase price) since this is an Urgent Sale! and I need to sell it before December 10th, when I will be deployed in Afghanistan with my platoon replacing the troops scheduled to come home.
If you’re interested to conclude this purchase in a timely manner email me your: Full Name and Shipping address, to open a case with eBay. They will contact you to explain the entire procedure. The financial part will be managed by eBay, which means that you will have a 10 days inspection period before committing to buy the car. In this way both, buyer and seller are 100% covered during the steps of this transaction.

Hope to hear from you soon!
Maj. Helen Adams
PS: I have made a photobucket album for the car : https://picasaweb.google.com/picasaweb3/2008ToyotaCamry?authkey=Gv1sRgCKLIp_-Dw-HykAE#

Here is also the carfax report: http://www.carfax.com/VehicleHistory/p/Report.cfx?vin=4T1BK46K17U510519&partner=CDM_U

By: Daniel

Daniel — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 15:31:59 +0000

I tried email someone of craigslist that showed it was in tampa florids. I got this email back. “Hi there, thanks for e-mailing me. My name is Cindy Trevor and I would like to inform you about the location of the vehicle Ambler, PA. The jeep is still available and it’s in excellent shape inside-out, no accidents, always garage kept, never smoked in. It has 71,528 miles and no mechanical problems, dings, dents or scratches. There are no liens or loans on the jeep and it has a clean title. I’m selling the jeep below the market price because it’s the only asset I have that can be turned fast into cash to pay off the mortgage as soon as possible. My brother is a DAS shipping company employee and he can deliver the jeep at no costs for me everywhere in the US.
The transaction will be managed by eBay, so everything will go smooth. You will receive the jeep for inspection before you make any payment to me. If you want me to reserve the jeep for you i need your full name and full shipping address and ebay will contact you shortly with all the information you need.
Final Price $2,500.00 (shipping included)
All the best to you and your family,
Cindy Trevor
P.S. Here you can see more pictures: http://img151.imageshack.us/slideshow/webplayer.php?id=42950038.jpg“

By: yamahamama

yamahamama — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 22:24:30 +0000

Add these names to the list I encountered on cars.com:

Erica Ryan erica2011ryan@msn.com
Gloria & Albert Miller gmiller27@googlemail.com
Donald Burkett donbur73@aol.com

Good ol’ Don offered to set up a “Buy It Now” auction on ebay just for me so that I could buy it that way & take advantage of the Buyer Protection Program. Interesting take on the use of ebay. Even someone like me who uses ebay once in a while could be fooled by this approach. (I don’t really understand “Buy It Now” anyway.)

I need a car pretty badly, being a grandma with foot & ankle problems who walks 1 mile each way to a minimum wage retail job. For me, each dollar is like gold & to lose it to such criminals is tragic.

Oh, btw, my daughter & I were each seperately almost victims of a housing rental scam very much like this one. We each found a rental on craigslist in different towns which the owner needed to rent because he was a minister transferred to Africa. We were instructed to fill out attachments providing a ton of info that would probably have been used to defraud us. When he informed us that he would send the lease and keys to the house/apartment after we wired (or sent somehow, I forget) the money, I knew it was bogus.

Generally, I’m a trusting Christian soul, but I won’t be taken advantage of.

By: Susan

Susan — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 22:16:09 +0000

I currently have a vehicle posted on craigslist and I have received an email from a supposed interested buyer who isn’t in the states and wants to conduct this transaction via paypal. She is wanting my paypal info and personal address, says it would be hard to call because she is not in the states so she is sending email. She says she wants to buy this vehicle and have it delivered to her dad as a surprise, sight unseen. This sounds suspicious to me, yet in my case she is the one sending money and I am the seller. Is this a sort of reverse scam?