Craigslist and Scams - I am getting irritated.

I have a huge complaint about Craigslist. Well, maybe not the actual site – but the idiot scammers that frequent the website, trying to purchase the item(s) that you have posted by sending you a fraudulent cashiers checks. Oh - I am so annoyed.

So, Parish and I are trying to sell our living room furnutire. Nothing is wrong with it, we are just looking to change our décor. So - we thought we would post it to Craigslist.

Right on the Craigslist website it shows examples of emails that scammers send – so you can be aware to NOT sell them your items. Here's the advisory:

** CRAIGSLIST ADVISORY ** Avoid: wiring money, cross-border deals, work-at-home** Beware: cashier checks, money orders, escrow, shipping** More Info: http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams.html

So here’s the email that I get from Mr. Rick Coly the other day –

Date: Sat, 6 Sep 2008 17:26:45
From: rickcoly13@gmail.com
To: sarah_parish@msn.com
Subject: Re: Beautiful Furniture FOR SALE - $999 (Princeton, MN)

Thanks for the prompt response i have instructed my account officer to mailing (overnight) a certified check, while you hold on my behalf. once you receive this, my mover will come pick up at your place. I will be needing the following information to issue out the payment . .
1.Your full name
2.Your mailing address(Physical)
3.Your phone number.

** Please note that the payment will be overnight to your address and it will be delivered within 2 days. I have taken a close look at the ADand am satisfied. I appreciates you saving this for me. Kindly delete the posting as am definitely buying it from you and it would be sad for me to have the payment in the mail only to be informed of the it ssale. I will also wait for the check to clear before i have my movercome for pick up Thanks.

NOW – MIND YOU - HE HAS NEVER SEEN THE FURNITURE, NOR DOES HE EVEN KNOW WHERE I LIVE, NOTHING!!!!
___________________________________________________________________

So, this was my response back to him…

Nope. Sorry. I know you are running a scam. The only way that I will accept this is if you come and look at the furniture yourself. Are you serious? Come on. Why don't you do a little research on the scam emails that Craigslist already posts so you can see that the words you are using in your email are the SAME words that are in the scam emails. What is sad is that your pathetic self will probably never be caught - ever. I am forwarding this email to Craigslist so that your name - Rick Coly is flagged. If that even is your real name.

I really hope that someday these idiots will learn. It really makes me mad – we have had previous luck on Craigslist, but lately all that seems to happen is you get responses from these d-bags. Ugh.

So to all posters on Craiglist - beware.