Craigslist / PayPal / Motorcycle Buying Scam

All, I recently posted my motorcycle on sale via Craigslist. I posted the add WITH my phone number as an option for contact. The same night I posted my ad, I received a text message from someone who expressed interest and asked me to contact him by email.

Here is the email he asked me to contact him at:
[email protected] (<<<< Scammer Email Address)

I emailed him at this email address; here was his response:

Thank you for getting back to me. Can you assure me that it is in good state and that i will not be disappointed with it? I'm ready to pay your asking price, but the issue is I'm a Marine Officer and I'm not in my own state now, I'm on a secret mission in Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany GA and use of mobile phone is currently restricted at the military base, But I'm able to access email anytime as we will make use of laptop so my only quickest payment option is PayPal as i can send money via PayPal anytime.Since I'm requesting this transaction to be done via PayPal. SEMPER FI

I replied in detail, answering his question about the condition of my bike and stating I understand he is interested in making payment via PayPal. He responded with the following:

i will be having a private pick up company that will come for the pick up at your location and sign all necessary document on my behalf after the payment has been cleared/ cashed out from PayPal, so i will like to know if you have an account with paypal? and whats the last asking price?

This was interesting, as he already should have known the asking price based on my earlier email. Nonetheless, I told him the price I wanted (including an increase for the current fee charged by PayPal), and I confirmed I do have a PayPal account. I also ASKED FOR HIS full name and address so I could draft up a Bill of Sale. Here was his next response:

The ick up agent will sign all the bill of sale

I just read another thread on here about a similar scam, so that is all the correspondence I have at the moment. I haven't 100% guaranteed it is a scam, but I'm 99% sure it is at this point.

Hello jr7841,
This is a African based scammer. All the emails from Pay Pal will be spoofed and claiming that you need to send some type of payment via Money Gram or Western Union to get your money released from PayPal.

Just ignore him and do not respond. Let him wonder what went wrong.

Thanks for the response!

All, I recently posted my motorcycle on sale via Craigslist. I posted the add WITH my phone number as an option for contact. The same night I posted my ad, I received a text message from someone who expressed interest and asked me to contact him by email.

Here is the email he asked me to contact him at:
[email protected] (<<<< Scammer Email Address)

I emailed him at this email address; here was his response:

Thank you for getting back to me. Can you assure me that it is in good state and that i will not be disappointed with it? I'm ready to pay your asking price, but the issue is I'm a Marine Officer and I'm not in my own state now, I'm on a secret mission in Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany GA and use of mobile phone is currently restricted at the military base, But I'm able to access email anytime as we will make use of laptop so my only quickest payment option is PayPal as i can send money via PayPal anytime.Since I'm requesting this transaction to be done via PayPal. SEMPER FI

I replied in detail, answering his question about the condition of my bike and stating I understand he is interested in making payment via PayPal. He responded with the following:

i will be having a private pick up company that will come for the pick up at your location and sign all necessary document on my behalf after the payment has been cleared/ cashed out from PayPal, so i will like to know if you have an account with paypal? and whats the last asking price?

This was interesting, as he already should have known the asking price based on my earlier email. Nonetheless, I told him the price I wanted (including an increase for the current fee charged by PayPal), and I confirmed I do have a PayPal account. I also ASKED FOR HIS full name and address so I could draft up a Bill of Sale. Here was his next response:

The ick up agent will sign all the bill of sale

I just read another thread on here about a similar scam, so that is all the correspondence I have at the moment. I haven't 100% guaranteed it is a scam, but I'm 99% sure it is at this point.

I am having communications from the same email address "Brandon Waters
<[email protected]>" in response to a heavy equipment ad I placed on Craigslist. Like you I believe it to be an attempt to scam me as the latest communications indicate that I will need to send money to a shipping agent as he is incapacitated at the moment.
Here's a quote from the latest email.
"My Apologies: I had this Problem with the Shipper Agent, My Shipper agent Says that I will Need to Pay an Upfront Payment for the Picking Up Before They can Arrange a Pick Up Time and Register the the Item for Picking, They Charged Me $1,800 for Picking Up and Home Delivery. I will Add $2,000 to Your $12,500 so the Total Cost will be $14,500, which I'm Going to Transfer into Your PayPal Account Shortly and as soon as I have made the Payments and I need to Remind You that I am also Responsible for the PayPal Charges, I will Text You and let You know. Please I will Need You to Help Me Send the Money to My Pick Up Agent through Western Union Money Transfer, This can be Done from Any Post Office, there is always Western Union Money Transfer Section in Most Post Offices would have done it myself but i didn't bring My Credit Card Aboard,i am a little incapacitated.....I will appreciate Your Help Here."
Beware of this 'buyer'
I called Paypal and they said to be very careful because it sounded like a scam.

All, I recently posted my motorcycle on sale via Craigslist. I posted the add WITH my phone number as an option for contact. The same night I posted my ad, I received a text message from someone who expressed interest and asked me to contact him by email.

Here is the email he asked me to contact him at:
[email protected] (<<<< Scammer Email Address)

I emailed him at this email address; here was his response:

Thank you for getting back to me. Can you assure me that it is in good state and that i will not be disappointed with it? I'm ready to pay your asking price, but the issue is I'm a Marine Officer and I'm not in my own state now, I'm on a secret mission in Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany GA and use of mobile phone is currently restricted at the military base, But I'm able to access email anytime as we will make use of laptop so my only quickest payment option is PayPal as i can send money via PayPal anytime.Since I'm requesting this transaction to be done via PayPal. SEMPER FI

I replied in detail, answering his question about the condition of my bike and stating I understand he is interested in making payment via PayPal. He responded with the following:

i will be having a private pick up company that will come for the pick up at your location and sign all necessary document on my behalf after the payment has been cleared/ cashed out from PayPal, so i will like to know if you have an account with paypal? and whats the last asking price?

This was interesting, as he already should have known the asking price based on my earlier email. Nonetheless, I told him the price I wanted (including an increase for the current fee charged by PayPal), and I confirmed I do have a PayPal account. I also ASKED FOR HIS full name and address so I could draft up a Bill of Sale. Here was his next response:

The ick up agent will sign all the bill of sale

I just read another thread on here about a similar scam, so that is all the correspondence I have at the moment. I haven't 100% guaranteed it is a scam, but I'm 99% sure it is at this point.

I am having communications from the same email address "Brandon Waters
<[email protected]>" in response to a heavy equipment ad I placed on Craigslist. Like you I believe it to be an attempt to scam me as the latest communications indicate that I will need to send money to a shipping agent as he is incapacitated at the moment.
Here's a quote from the latest email.
"My Apologies: I had this Problem with the Shipper Agent, My Shipper agent Says that I will Need to Pay an Upfront Payment for the Picking Up Before They can Arrange a Pick Up Time and Register the the Item for Picking, They Charged Me $1,800 for Picking Up and Home Delivery. I will Add $2,000 to Your $12,500 so the Total Cost will be $14,500, which I'm Going to Transfer into Your PayPal Account Shortly and as soon as I have made the Payments and I need to Remind You that I am also Responsible for the PayPal Charges, I will Text You and let You know. Please I will Need You to Help Me Send the Money to My Pick Up Agent through Western Union Money Transfer, This can be Done from Any Post Office, there is always Western Union Money Transfer Section in Most Post Offices would have done it myself but i didn't bring My Credit Card Aboard,i am a little incapacitated.....I will appreciate Your Help Here."
Beware of this 'buyer'
I called Paypal and they said to be very careful because it sounded like a scam.

This is 100% scam and this line from the email that you received is proof of a scam.

You to Help Me Send the Money to My Pick Up Agent through Western Union Money Transfer

A scammer is the only person who will sent "extra" money and ask for the funds to be sent to his pickup agent via Western Union.

Just stop communicating with this criminal and let him wonder what went wrong.

I just got the same exact email for my car in Craigslist

I have my vehicle posted on Craigslist.
I've received text messages from a Scammer.
Trying to have me ship my vehicle to another state.
He said his name was
Rechard Benard
email: [email protected]
He said he wanted to ship vehicle to Georgia but his tell numbers came up from CA.
Here are the numbers he used
1-760-957-8485
1-760-852-6349
Apparently I'm not the only one he tried to SCAM...SCUMBAG
Sincerely,
Tom

Brandon sure gets around. We posted our son's outgrown crib and car seat, and he was stupid enough to TEXT a response asking for the e-mail and pretending he could not use a cell phone on base. Unfortunately for him, my best friend is a US Air Force veteran and so I quickly texted my pal and got confirmation that was bull... before i came across this topic. His spelling was a dead giveaway. He uses [email protected] and the phone number was (408) 692-7720.

This same scam just happened to me via San Fran craigslist. Posting to try to help others avoid this. I didn't fall for it, but want to warn others. Wow, sounds like they have been at for a while, which makes me think that they are successful sometimes.

This is a scam on cl where the person asks you about your bike for sale, wants to PayPal you (fake money), and send a "hauler" or "courier" to pick up the bike for them. You'll never see the money. To be sure, just always insist on selling in person!

The basic conversation was:

Name: "Lora"
Their phone # (Tennessee) (423) 401-1861
Asked questions that I had clearly already written in the ad:

"Are you the original owner? Any damage? Why are you selling it? Do you have any offers yet? What is the final price of it?"

Then the scammer wrote:
"I've been very busy these days, I'm an Events Planner and I really want to purchase the bike from you, I want to buy it for my brother and I want to make it a surprise to him for the new year"

Then they wrote:
"Can you assure me I won't be disappointed if I purchase it form you?"

Then they wrote:
I really love the way you answered my questions and I'm highly interested in purchasing it from you, I have a hauler that will come for it as soon as the payment cleared. Do you have an account with PayPal?"