# Am I being wooshed or is this a stupid scammer? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 15, 2009, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-being-wooshed-or-is-this-a-stupid-scammer/517642 "2009-11-15T07:44:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MannyL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@MannyL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MannyL)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-being-wooshed-or-is-this-a-stupid-scammer/517642/1 "2009-11-15T07:44:28Z")
I put a posting on Craig’s list for a dead laptop. I figured the working parts would be worth some money and I didn’t want the hassle of parting it out. I figured $50.00 is a good deal for the buyer because the battery, hard drive and optical drive would go for at least 125 on ebay. so I put the following ad up Toshiba A65-S126 (dead) - $50 Date: Reply to: My mother dropped this laptop and now it won’t work. It will power on for about 4 seconds with no display then it powers off. I’ve ruled out loose cable connections internally and I don’t want to take the trouble to trey and fix it. If you buy this you get the non working system with the following working parts 1. Original Hard Drive 2. Original Dvd Burner 3. Memory Upgrade (512mb) 4. Working Battery 5. Toshiba Wireless Card. 6. Windows XP Home OEM Key Basically if you can fix this you have a great low end computer for $50.00 If you can’t I know the components sell for more than $50 on E-bay I had one person who I was in discussions with so I ignored another that E-mail I got . The main reason I ignored it was because of the content. It said "Hello, I just wanna know if this items is still up for sale and how much its gonna cost me to get it. Thanks " Now in the title of the Craigs List ad I put $50 and I repeated it in the body so it is obvious how much it is. I ignored it because I felt it was from a scammer. Yesterday I received the following So now I thought I might have a real person here and replied "I’m sorry for not replying sooner. I had the price in the title and when I received your email I assumed it was from an automated system that was run be a scammer. The old I’ll send you a check for more than the asking price and you send me money back. It’s $50.00 total for everything." So I figured I’d get a reply back either accepting my apology or telling me he is no longer interested. Instead I got “Thanks for your reply,i am located in remrenburg city in ny,i really need to buy this and send to my son schooling outside the state as a gift.i have been trying to buy this on ebay but its so very stressful buying you$550 so as to close the auction as soon as possible.i wil be paying through paypal because i have a verified account with paypal.so kindly get back with your paypal email address and name.so i can make payment into your paypal account .thanks” So what do you think person with a sense of humor or scammer? ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-being-wooshed-or-is-this-a-stupid-scammer/517642/2 "2009-11-15T08:09:04Z")
MIGHT be someone with a sense of humor, but I’d put my money on it being a scammer. Insist on cash only, no refunds, and make the swap in person. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-being-wooshed-or-is-this-a-stupid-scammer/517642/3 "2009-11-15T08:14:33Z")
> [@MannyL](#): > > I > > So what do you think person with a sense of humor or scammer? When I read the letter he posted I kept hearing the voice of Jimmy from South Park in my head. I have no idea why. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-being-wooshed-or-is-this-a-stupid-scammer/517642/4 "2009-11-15T08:54:32Z")
You either have a scammer or a mentally retarded person sending you emails. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-being-wooshed-or-is-this-a-stupid-scammer/517642/5 "2009-11-15T08:54:34Z")
There is a well-known scam where the buyer pays vastly more than the right price, then asks for a separate payment back for the balance - his original payment bounces because it is fake or funded from a stolen credit card, etc, your payment of the balance does not bounce and you are out of pocket. But if this is an example of that, it’s a terribly obvious and amateur one - so it might be a joke. Certainly isn’t a genuine one ---
**Author:** ![MannyL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@MannyL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MannyL)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-being-wooshed-or-is-this-a-stupid-scammer/517642/6 "2009-11-15T08:54:56Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > MIGHT be someone with a sense of humor, but I’d put my money on it being a scammer. Insist on cash only, no refunds, and make the swap in person. Oh absolutley. if I was was going to take the time to ship I’d be putting it on E-bay. ---
**Author:** ![deathawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ed8c4c/32.png) [@deathawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deathawk)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-being-wooshed-or-is-this-a-stupid-scammer/517642/7 "2009-11-15T12:53:08Z")
I think this is a not bright person with poor language/typing skills as opposed to a being scammer. I still would not sell him the laptop, as $50 is not worth the grief you are going to get over the fact that he clearly does not understand it is dead. ---
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-being-wooshed-or-is-this-a-stupid-scammer/517642/8 "2009-11-15T14:00:42Z")
It’s a scammer pure and simple. It’s all completely generic so it’ll work with any ad. Saying he’ll pay $550 for a $50 laptop? Scammer. Either have fun with it or ignore it. Personally, I say sell them a p-p-p-p-powerbook ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-being-wooshed-or-is-this-a-stupid-scammer/517642/9 "2009-11-15T14:10:49Z")
What was the second reply you got? It seems to have been left out of the OP. ---
**Author:** ![MannyL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@MannyL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MannyL)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-being-wooshed-or-is-this-a-stupid-scammer/517642/10 "2009-11-15T22:05:24Z")
I thought I posted the first reply it was him asking if the battery worked. The first posting I have under him was actually the second. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-being-wooshed-or-is-this-a-stupid-scammer/517642/11 "2009-11-16T14:02:11Z")
The fact that he offered more than the ad so that you’ll close it early is a clear sign of a scammer. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-being-wooshed-or-is-this-a-stupid-scammer/517642/12 "2009-11-16T14:24:25Z")
The language and the offer of way more than asking price is suspicious, but: 1. he isn’t asking for cash back, and 2. he’s offering to pay via a PayPal account, so the funds should be yours once it’s deposited in your account and (if it’s an E-check) the funds clear. If it’s an E-check payment (through PayPal), it’s important to wait for PayPal to tell you that the check has cleared before sending the goods. Make it clear to the buyer that you won’t be shipping until that happens. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-being-wooshed-or-is-this-a-stupid-scammer/517642/13 "2009-11-16T19:11:33Z")
> [@Joe Frickin Friday](#): > > The language and the offer of way more than asking price is suspicious, but: > > 1. he isn’t asking for cash back, and > > 2. he’s offering to pay via a PayPal account, so the funds should be yours once it’s deposited in your account and (if it’s an E-check) the funds clear. > > If it’s an E-check payment (through PayPal), it’s important to wait for PayPal to tell you that the check has cleared before sending the goods. Make it clear to the buyer that you won’t be shipping until that happens. Looked into this the last time there was a similar ‘Is this a scam?’ posting on the Dope and it seems this person/bot is asking for the OP’s email address so he/she/it can send a fake confirmation email from Paypal. Classic phishing scam. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-being-wooshed-or-is-this-a-stupid-scammer/517642/14 "2009-11-16T19:14:54Z")
> [@Joe Frickin Friday](#): > > The language and the offer of way more than asking price is suspicious, but… Nobody in their right mind would offer more than 10x the listing price for a dead computer. That is all we need to know to know that it’s a scam. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-being-wooshed-or-is-this-a-stupid-scammer/517642/15 "2009-11-16T20:50:23Z")
> [@Cat\_Fight](#): > > Looked into this the last time there was a similar ‘Is this a scam?’ posting on the Dope and it seems this person/bot is asking for the OP’s email address so he/she/it can send a fake confirmation email from Paypal. Classic phishing scam. OK. So after receiving an email alleging a transaction, smart protection would be to visit [www.paypal.com](http://www.paypal.com) directly on one’s own (not clicking through any link provided via email), logging into one’s account, and confirming the status of the transaction in question. ---
**Author:** ![EmAnJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@EmAnJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmAnJ)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-being-wooshed-or-is-this-a-stupid-scammer/517642/16 "2009-11-16T20:59:56Z")
The other hitch with the Paypal option is that the buyer files a dispute saying you didn’t send anything/sent a rock in a box. It’s very hard for you to prove that you actually sent anything in the box. The buyer gets refunded his money if you can’t prove otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![EmAnJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@EmAnJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmAnJ)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-being-wooshed-or-is-this-a-stupid-scammer/517642/17 "2009-11-16T21:02:07Z")
> [@PunditLisa](#): > > Nobody in their right mind would offer more than 10x the listing price for a dead computer. That is all we need to know to know that it’s a scam. I don’t see where it says the buyer is offering that much for the computer. I read it as ‘I am trying to buy similar products on ebay that are costing up to $550 and I am nervous about a transaction that big so found your $50 computer…’ ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-being-wooshed-or-is-this-a-stupid-scammer/517642/18 "2009-11-16T21:07:27Z")
I have gotten this scam reply on literally every item I have ever listed on Craigslist. You learn to roll your eyes and ignore them, but do not be fooled. This is a 100% well-known, shit-plated scam of the first order. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-being-wooshed-or-is-this-a-stupid-scammer/517642/19 "2009-11-16T22:07:56Z")
> [@EmAnJ](#): > > I don’t see where it says the buyer is offering that much for the computer. I read it as ‘I am trying to buy similar products on ebay that are costing up to $550 and I am nervous about a transaction that big so found your $50 computer…’ “i have been trying to buy this on ebay but its so very stressful buying you$550 so as to close the auction as soon as possible.” Actually, this more closely translates to: “I have been trying to buy this on ebay. I’ve have found the process to be very stressful, so I’d like to offer you $550 in order to induce you to close this auction to other bidders immediately.” It’s very common for scammers to offer more than the listing price and to ask that the lister close the auction immediately…so that the lister doesn’t entertain legitimate offers while they are setting up the terms of their scam. The scammer’s obvious difficulty in speaking English is another red flag. And then we have common sense. In reality, no one in their right mind would offer $550 for a dead laptop when they could get a brand, spanking new laptop for maybe $100 more. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-being-wooshed-or-is-this-a-stupid-scammer/517642/20 "2009-11-16T23:01:47Z")
> [@EmAnJ](#): > > I don’t see where it says the buyer is offering that much for the computer. I read it as ‘I am trying to buy similar products on ebay that are costing up to $550 and I am nervous about a transaction that big so found your $50 computer…’ Your the only one reading it like that. they offered $550 for a dead laptop.