# scams on craigslists **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 15, 2010, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scams-on-craigslists/553804 "2010-09-15T03:18:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![megatronJERK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@megatronJERK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/megatronJERK)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2010, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scams-on-craigslists/553804/1 "2010-09-15T03:18:50Z")
i posted an ad to sell my old ps3 and some dude sent me a check for $2801 (which obviously i wouldn’t ask for a early gen ps3). he then asked me to deposit this check and take the money for the console and the shipping and send the rest to his “mover” whose address is in FL but will pickup the package in WA. this is ridiculous to me and plainly seems to be some sort of scam. my question is what do i do with the check? seems like it couldn’t do any harm to deposit it and wait for the funds to arrive. especially if i don’t touch the funds. and if it does turn out to be a scam i’d have some evidence against them if the bank could verify where the check came from. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2010, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scams-on-craigslists/553804/2 "2010-09-15T03:21:30Z")
The check will bounce. Guaranteed. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2010, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scams-on-craigslists/553804/3 "2010-09-15T03:26:38Z")
If you deposit the check, it’ll bounce and you’ll be out some bank fees. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2010, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scams-on-craigslists/553804/4 "2010-09-15T03:33:00Z")
And there is a fee for depositing a bad check as well as writing one. No way to come out ahead on this one. ---
**Author:** ![megatronJERK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@megatronJERK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/megatronJERK)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2010, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scams-on-craigslists/553804/5 "2010-09-15T04:44:08Z")
thanks for the advice ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2010, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scams-on-craigslists/553804/6 "2010-09-15T12:37:25Z")
I suppose you could call the FBI and/or the Florida attorney general see if they want it. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2010, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scams-on-craigslists/553804/7 "2010-09-15T13:01:17Z")
Wow, they sent you a check without even contacting you yet? I mean, why not I guess, but it seems like that would tend to top people off faster that it’s some kind of scam. ---
**Author:** ![Al\_Bundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@Al\_Bundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al_Bundy)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2010, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scams-on-craigslists/553804/8 "2010-09-15T13:27:33Z")
This scam has been around for years now. Where have you been not to see it? The check is not valid. Yes, you can take it to the bank and the bank may well honor it. Then they will come back and debit you account when the check finally bounces. Banks routinely advance funds based on the expectation that a check will fully clear. This is a courtesy to clients. Read your bank rules. They maintain the right to come back to you. Scammers operate in this “float” area and steal your money. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2010, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scams-on-craigslists/553804/9 "2010-09-15T13:42:20Z")
That’s the dumbest scam I’ve ever heard of. Who the fuck falls for this? ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2010, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scams-on-craigslists/553804/10 "2010-09-15T13:47:26Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > That’s the dumbest scam I’ve ever heard of. Who the fuck falls for this? Greedy people? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![SmithCommaJohn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@SmithCommaJohn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmithCommaJohn)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2010, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scams-on-craigslists/553804/11 "2010-09-15T14:14:46Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > That’s the dumbest scam I’ve ever heard of. Who the fuck falls for this? The easiest marks are the ones who think they’re too smart to fall for a scam. At least, that’s what every con artist I’ve read about says. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2010, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scams-on-craigslists/553804/12 "2010-09-15T14:25:30Z")
My stepson received a “cashiers’ check” in the mail for a room he was trying to rent out. The check was from a foreigner and was for several thousand dollars, much larger than the first months’ rent and deposit. My stepson was going to try to deposit it, but contacted me first. I sent him this link: > **[Cashier's Check Overpayment Scam](https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/cashiers-check-overpayment-scam/)** > > Sellers advertising online are defrauded by "buyers" who pay with cashier's checks made out for amounts in excess of the agreed-upon purchase price and ask the balances be sent to third parties. He took the check to the local police department instead. He never heard from the scammer again. ---
**Author:** ![Lips\_Obsession](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bbce88/32.png) [@Lips\_Obsession](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lips_Obsession)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2010, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scams-on-craigslists/553804/13 "2010-09-15T15:59:05Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > That’s the dumbest scam I’ve ever heard of. Who the fuck falls for this? The brainiacs who star on Teen Mom, for one… [http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/alpha-consumer/2010/09/08/mtvs-teen-mom-victim-of-financial-fraud](http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/alpha-consumer/2010/09/08/mtvs-teen-mom-victim-of-financial-fraud) She fell for the same scam, although hers involved a car. Anyone who has ever owned a Neon knows that a used 2000 Neon is _NOT_ worth $5000, plus shipping… ---
**Author:** ![JKilez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e5b9ba/32.png) [@JKilez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKilez)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scams-on-craigslists/553804/14 "2010-09-16T01:06:30Z")
> [@megatronJERK](#): > > my question is what do i do with the check? You could always try to sell it on Craigslist. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![bizerta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@bizerta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bizerta)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scams-on-craigslists/553804/15 "2010-09-16T22:31:54Z")
> [@megatronJERK](#): > > i posted an ad to sell my old ps3 and some dude sent me a check for $2801 (which obviously i wouldn’t ask for a early gen ps3). he then asked me to deposit this check and take the money for the console and the shipping and send the rest to his “mover” whose address is in FL but will pickup the package in WA. this is ridiculous to me and plainly seems to be some sort of scam. my question is what do i do with the check? seems like it couldn’t do any harm to deposit it and wait for the funds to arrive. especially if i don’t touch the funds. and if it does turn out to be a scam i’d have some evidence against them if the bank could verify where the check came from. The check is a forgery. The check will initially clear (so you think you’re good). Three weeks later, when the check is discovered to be a forgery, you will have to repay the bucks. Meanwhile, everybody else has long since vaporized. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2010, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scams-on-craigslists/553804/16 "2010-09-16T23:23:25Z")
yeah, scammers are a downside to craigslist. i put my old car up there, and almost immediately got a response via e-mail. the e-mail had a link to a craigslist page, so I (dumbly) clicked it, and got taken to a craigslist account login page. thinking “that’s not supposed to happen,” I went back to the email and moused over the link, and the actual link target was to some “clever-cashing” site. nice try, fucker. good thing for me that I wasn’t totally on autopilot there.