[SirCastor]

So someone posted up a deal on craiglist that was really sweet. I should've realized that it was too good to be true, but I jumped at the chance anyway, this came back:

Originally Posted by Evil Scammer

Sorry for the delay. I still have the laptop.
I have attached some pics with the laptop to this e-mail so you can see the condition of the laptop. The laptop is an US version and it still has 30 months of apple care protection program.
My name is Brenda Chapman and I am now in Wolverhampton, United Kingdom.
I hope you are still interested and we can make the deal happen right away.
Obviously we need a safe way to complete this deal that will allow us to make sure we receive what we are after.
I have found a way for us to complete the deal fast (3 days) and easy. The solution is a worldwide delivery company called TNT. TNT is similar to Fedex, DHL or UPS and they will provide assistance in hadling the payment and delivery of the laptop.
With this procedure you will be able to check the laptop before I receive the payment.
Click bellow to go to their website:

TNT Overseas Transactions - Details

Like I said, I will pay for a 2 days delivery so you will receive the laptop right away.
Let me know what you think.

Obviously the site is bogus, so I write back asking a couple of questions, I get this:

Originally Posted by Evil Scammer

I will attach the pictures again. I don't know what went wrong the first time.
There is nothing wrong with the laptop. It is in perfect condition. I don't think that my asking price is that low. I think that the price is just reasonable.
If you wish to buy the laptop all I need are your name and address and I will make the delivery arrangements.
Let me know if you want to buy it.

But now I'm confused. They want my address and name, and that's it? They don't want me to put up any money? No sensitive data? How does this scam work? Any Ideas?

[nonhuman]

Well, if you don't mind giving up your name and address, why not just go for it? If, at any point, they want your money when you aren't completely confident that you'll get the laptop, pull out.

[zerostar]

Google TNT Overseas scam and you can see many ways this can go bad.

Graigslist for local deals = amazing!
Craigslist for overseas deals with strange payment methods = good bye $$


Plus the company looks shady, the way it works is he "drops off" the laptop to them with your delivery information.
They contact you for payment saying the laptop is in tip top shape
You send payment (they usually want western union)
You never see laptop or money again.

[Sherman Homan]

The same way scams have always worked. A person gets the idea that "this deal is too good to be true" and goes ahead and does it anyway.

[Person Man]

Originally Posted by nonhuman

Well, if you don't mind giving up your name and address, why not just go for it? If, at any point, they want your money when you aren't completely confident that you'll get the laptop, pull out.

Um. No. DON'T DO IT!

Look at this link.

Notice the second message. The wording is almost exactly the same, only it's a Sony laptop and not an Apple.

Report this to Craigslist staff immediately so the listing can be removed.

[nonhuman]

Originally Posted by Person Man

Um. No. DON'T DO IT!

Look at this link.

Notice the second message. The wording is almost exactly the same, only it's a Sony laptop and not an Apple.

Report this to Craigslist staff immediately so the listing can be removed.

Just because it's a scam, doesn't mean you can't be in control of the situation. As long as you're aware of the risks and think things through, there's no danger. Whenever someone is actively trying to scam me, I always try playing along for a little while. It's entertaining. Usually, as soon as they suspect you might be on to them, they just stop talking to you.

[SirCastor]

Let me clarify, I'm not actually going to be buying anything here. I wish that it were real, I wish that I could make it happen, but I can't. It's not real, and I'm fond of my money.
The listing has already been removed, but I figured I'd have a bit of fun. I've already reported the situation best to the people being taken advantage of.

The reason I put up this thread is that I still don't really know what the intention was. I'd understand if it were "Sign up for this, and then we'll get the money thing done" or something where I give my creditcard or bank account to the website, or whatever, but my name and address? I just don't follow, especially if I have the opportunity to inspect the computer before I authorize payment... (if I read it correctly)

I can tell you one thing. If I were gonna scam someone, I'd do a heck of a better job making a fraudulent website...

[Rumor]

They were going to send angry midgets to gnaw at your ankles.

[TETENAL]

Originally Posted by SirCastor

I just don't follow, especially if I have the opportunity to inspect the computer before I authorize payment... (if I read it correctly)

You should read the web-site you linked to more carefully:

. The Buyer will complete his/her payment following the specific instructions sent to the Buyer by our TNT Customer Service. TNT will verify the payment information provided by the Buyer, and after the payment is received by our TNT Payment Service, TNT will deliver the package to the Buyer's shipping address.

So you will have to pay first and thereafter you will be sent the laptop (or not).

[icruise]

Just be aware that often scams work in ways that aren't immediately obvious. Your decision to "have a little fun" could come back to bite you. Who knows? They might just want a name and address that they can use when scamming someone else. I sure as heck wouldn't give them any information.

[Troll]

Originally Posted by SirCastor

The reason I put up this thread is that I still don't really know what the intention was. I'd understand if it were "Sign up for this, and then we'll get the money thing done" or something where I give my creditcard or bank account to the website, or whatever, but my name and address? I just don't follow, especially if I have the opportunity to inspect the computer before I authorize payment... (if I read it correctly)

It's an escrow scam. Basically they're telling you that TNT will act as escrow agent. The terms say that the seller sends the laptop to TNT. They confirm it's there. You then pay TNT. Then TNT sends the computer to you. You verify it and only after you've confirmed that you're happy, they send the money to the seller.

Problem is, once "TNT" has your money, you never hear from them again.

[Rumor]

You can offer to use a reputable escrow company.

[Sherman Homan]

Ya gotta wonder by the time international shipping and the use of a "reputable escrow company" are included in the cost, just how good a deal is this going to be?

Along with the very real possibility that even a reputable escrow company is not going to open up the box, unpack the computer, plug in the computer, boot the computer, run a directory diagnostic, run a disk verification, etc. etc.

Ain't gunna happen. What possible amount of money is this going to amount to?

[zerostar]

That will shut them up :-)

[Trygve]

You should probably report this to the real TNT company.

TNT provides worldwide an extensive range of services for your mail and express delivery needs | TNT.com

While many people in the US may not have heard of TNT, they are huge overseas... they shipped a bunch of stuff for me from Dubai to Prague and it all went brilliantly.

[SirCastor]

I reported it the day I got the email.
I suggested we use a different company. Haven't heard back... surprise surprise.

[PB2K]

i got a similar response from another scammer, who wanted to use a thrid party for money handling & shipment. he referred to a site from a shipping agency that looked quite legal at the first glance, but if you looked closely you could see that all the pictures of cargoships, trucks and offices were photoshopped.
i was amazed at how much work they put into the scam.