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How does this craigslist "scam" work?

12,060 2,046 March 16, 2012 at 08:39 AM
I post things on craigslist every once in a while. While browsing for something recently, I noticed in the person's description that he won't respond to the "is this still available" *scam*. I get those e-mails/texts often about my products but never considered them to be a scam. Hoping someone could explain why this would be a scam.
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PiratePenguin
03-16-2012 at 09:03 AM.
03-16-2012 at 09:03 AM.
Often times they are very generic "Is this item still available" rather than "is your honda civic still for sale".
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RUsum1
03-16-2012 at 09:12 AM.
03-16-2012 at 09:12 AM.
Quote from nizzy1115 :
Often times they are very generic "Is this item still available" rather than "is your honda civic still for sale".
Yes, those are the emails I often get. I'm just curious why this is a scam or what the purpose of the response is.
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PiratePenguin
03-16-2012 at 09:13 AM.
03-16-2012 at 09:13 AM.
Quote from RUsum1 :
Yes, those are the emails I often get. I'm just curious why this is a scam or what the purpose of the response is.
I dunno why he would state it. It's like stating I will not wire money to Nigeria using western union...well duh!
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RUsum1
03-16-2012 at 09:15 AM.
03-16-2012 at 09:15 AM.
Quote from nizzy1115 :
I dunno why he would state it. It's like stating I will not wire money to Nigeria using western union...well duh!
Sorry. I meant I don't know the purpose of random people responding to my ad asking if an item is still available. Where is the scam in this?
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Scampsters
03-16-2012 at 09:16 AM.
03-16-2012 at 09:16 AM.
Quote from RUsum1 :
Yes, those are the emails I often get. I'm just curious why this is a scam or what the purpose of the response is.
Nothing really to be paranoid about its an automated script to try and get email addresses. Some people on CL are paranoid that they will lose their house if they get one of these autoresponder bots replying to their AD.

Some people answer your ad and look like bot /scripts because they are too lazy to type a full sentence. So respond if you get a real reply related to what your selling great if you dont flag the original email using the little link cl adds to the bottom and add it to your spam folder.


Oh and sometimes legitimate interest in your listing ends up in spam folder aswell.
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PiratePenguin
03-16-2012 at 09:17 AM.
03-16-2012 at 09:17 AM.
Quote from RUsum1 :
Sorry. I meant I don't know the purpose of random people responding to my ad asking if an item is still available. Where is the scam in this?
Many times they are just a hook to get you talking and are scamers. Then they will ask you to ship the item to them and via many ways scam you out of the item (stolen paypal acct/bad check etc).

http://www.scamwarners.com/forum/...35&p=66947
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RUsum1
03-16-2012 at 09:24 AM.
03-16-2012 at 09:24 AM.
Oh okay. The only thing I could think of was if responding to a text with "yes" I might be unknowingly opting into some sort of paid subscription to something similar to when a company has you text them with a certain response to enter a contest.
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PiratePenguin
03-16-2012 at 09:26 AM.
03-16-2012 at 09:26 AM.
Quote from RUsum1 :
Oh okay. The only thing I could think of was if responding to a text with "yes" I might be unknowingly opting into some sort of paid subscription to something similar to when a company has you text them with a certain response to enter a contest.
They aught to make those things illegal.
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fyu
03-16-2012 at 09:28 AM.
03-16-2012 at 09:28 AM.
which is why i use a spam address on CL.
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Scampsters
03-16-2012 at 09:33 AM.
03-16-2012 at 09:33 AM.
Just buy a tinfoil hat - people are so paranoid these days that often they lose out on actually selling the item they were trying to list on CL Wink

Lots of really scary stuff on the interwebz
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RUsum1
03-16-2012 at 10:09 AM.
03-16-2012 at 10:09 AM.
Quote from fyu :
which is why i use a spam address on CL.
This is what I do for my craigslist postings
Quote from Scampsters :
Just buy a tinfoil hat - people are so paranoid these days that often they lose out on actually selling the item they were trying to list on CL Wink

Lots of really scary stuff on the interwebz
I'm not paranoid about it. It's just I have never known it to be a "scam" before so I was wondering if there was any legitimacy to it.
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handyguy
03-16-2012 at 10:09 AM.
03-16-2012 at 10:09 AM.
A script. So they can collect email addresses & resell sometime.
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dealgate
03-16-2012 at 10:30 AM.
03-16-2012 at 10:30 AM.
Quote from Scampsters :
Just buy a tinfoil hat - people are so paranoid these days that often they lose out on actually selling the item they were trying to list on CL Wink

Lots of really scary stuff on the interwebz
Have you ever sold anything on Craigslist?

With every ad placed, your first 2 or 3 responses will begin like this. The scam is they will off to buy the item at the advertised or higher price. They will use various methods of payment to scam you out of your money. Typically they send too much and ask for a refund. of course the funds they send are not valid and eventually will bounce but meanwhile the seller thinks he got paid and sends a refund check.

EVERY single ad I have ever placed on Craigslist has gotten this response from the first 2 or 3 people.

No need to put that in your ad though, just ignore them. Responding does give them your real address, so as someone else suggested, use a spam (throwaway) address for all of your Craigslist ads.
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Scampsters
03-16-2012 at 10:53 AM.
03-16-2012 at 10:53 AM.
Quote from dealgate :
Have you ever sold anything on Craigslist?

With every ad placed, your first 2 or 3 responses will begin like this. The scam is they will off to buy the item at the advertised or higher price. They will use various methods of payment to scam you out of your money. Typically they send too much and ask for a refund. of course the funds they send are not valid and eventually will bounce but meanwhile the seller thinks he got paid and sends a refund check.

EVERY single ad I have ever placed on Craigslist has gotten this response from the first 2 or 3 people.

No need to put that in your ad though, just ignore them. Responding does give them your real address, so as someone else suggested, use a spam (throwaway) address for all of your Craigslist ads.
no never you are the only one in all of SD that has any experience with CL
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