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Posted by Todd H. on August 30, 2008, 10:46 pm
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> On Aug 30, 10:22 am, comph...@toddh.net (Todd H.) wrote:
>
>> The wire fraud attempts that are so common on Craigslist have a far
>> more direct business model than relying on anyone like ebay to pay
>> them. And it can be done from any remote country where you can get
>> access to a computer and an internet connection, and where law
>> enforcement doesn't take bilking US individuals out of money all that
>> seriously.
>
> I'll give you 3 examples that heighten my suspicions.
>
> 1.
> I saw a housing ad where some guy in Florida placed an ad
> in a different state entirely in which he was offering
> free housing to a woman to have sex with him.
> I thought that law enforcement might be interested,
> so I sent an email asking who he was and I got back
> an email sent using a website that is used for sending
> greeting cards saying "shut the fuck up". The sender
> didn't realize that the website specifically tells the
> recipient the IP address of the sender, which I checked.
> It was in Thailand. So I have to wonder, why would
> anyone in Thailand be posting that kind of spam on
> Craigslist?
Maybe he was in Florida using a Thai proxy. What his motivation would
be who knows, but the anonymity and freeness craigslist generally
affords brings with it the uglier side of society in all
forms. Prostitution, fraud, etc.
> 2.
> On many occasions when I've sold things on CL,
> I've gotten bizarre responses, literally asking
> and re-asking me what the price is (it's in the ad)
> up to about 10 times. Not just from one person
> but from 5 or 10 people. Clearly no intent to buy,
> just to harass. Yet who would do that?
That's a bit odd. Could be overseas scammers trying to feel out easy
marks, though.
> 3.
> A person was trying to rent a room. He kept
> getting offers from overseas, with requests
> for his address so that they could send him
> a check as security deposit, because they
> would be arriving any time. Unfortunately
> this guy was naive and he believed them.
> Yet no bank account number was requested.
> But again, what's the motive there?
This one's easy. Money. Fraud, pure and simple. The scam is foreign
person claims to send a check or money order. Then later (either
before or after the check or money order arrives) says "oh, I sent it
for the wrong amount--please send me a refund ASAP by wire transfer."
They often get very beligerent and try to bully, threaten law
enforcement against, and such. A gullible mark trying to keep the
peace wires them their "refund" on the difference. Check or money
order either arrives or doesn't (before or after the wiring happens),
check/moneyorder is bad, but the mark's bank may not detect that for
days or weeks. By the time they figure it out, the mark's wired
"refund" is long long gone and irrecoverable.
--
Todd H.
http://www.toddh.net/
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