Scam Tip Report #4216 - Craigslist Auto Scam, Marine Biologist wanting seller to set up PayPal Accnt
| Scam Reporter | Scam Tips Received
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| Bill Simmons
Somewhere in United States
2012-07-29 00:24:31
Classified Ads Scam
Craigslist (craiglist.com) |  +8 Craigslist Auto Scam, Marine Biologist wanting seller to set up PayPal Accnt I\'ve been getting phone texts all day from this phone number. Finally asked me to send email asking condition of car. Here is his reply:
Hi thanks for your message, I will not be coming to view it because of my working condition, i am a Marine Biologist and i am buying this for my Dad, i am at sea right now and i am glad you accepted my offer. I can only pay through paypal at the moment as i don\'t have access to my bank account online but i have it attached to my paypal account and this is why i insisted on using paypal to pay, all i will need is your paypal email address to make the payment and if you don\'t have a paypal account yet, it\'s pretty easy to set one up at www.paypal.com, i will be expecting your email. I have a pick up agent that will come for the pick up after payment has been made for it. When last was it serviced? Are you the first owner ? |
Follow Ups/Extra Information. Most recent is listed first.
| Anonymous () Added the following extra information on :2018-10-18 16:53:51 |
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I was selling a furniture set on Craigslist. Got contacted by a "marine biologist working on the sea at the moment" called Catherine. She wanted to communicate through email outside of Craigslist. She wanted to send money over paypal. Then she claimed she cannot pay their pick-up agent because she didn't bring her credit card along, and asked me to send $650 to an address in Indiana over Moneygram.
Scam EmailHello,
have just made the payments now and i expect paypal to have emailed you by now,check your paypal email address or spam if you have been messaged yet, i sent $1,950.00 in all, paypal said they would be holding the funds because of the excess payments of $650 added meant for the movers of the Bedroom Set and due to the fact that i emailed them about the excess payment i made, until they get the moneygram information from you,
The Bedroom Set will be delivered, i will need you to send the $650 to the movers agent Headquarters via moneygram money transfer (this can be done from any moneygram place around you),i added extra $100 to cover the moneygram charges which shouldn't be up to that but just to be sure i added $100, Here is the movers agent Headquarter info needed to get the money sent through moneygram money transfer:
Name ; Santos Peters
Address ; 2727 2nd Ave,
Indianapolis, IN,46268
Please kindly email the necessary details : the reference # which you will be given at the moneygram after the $650 has been sent as well as the sender's name and address used to send the money through moneygram,so i can forward it to paypal or better still you can email it to paypal directly yourself.
NB.. I will need your address where the Bedroom Set will be picked up,and the movers agent will contact you after they have received the payment in order to book a time for the pick up to be done and hope i can trust you with this,
Thanks,
Catherine.
| kambiz (Kyparissia, Messenia, Greece) Added the following extra information on :2017-06-03 17:30:46 |
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I really appreciate it. Am Monica Thomas from USA. I am a marine biologist and am currently at sea at the moment, i am buying the item as a gift for my Dad, i want to make it a surprise for him,he wont know anything about the item until they get delivered to him, i can only pay through Paypal as i don't have access to my bank account online as i don't have internet banking,but i have my bank account attached to my Paypal account and this is why i insisted on paying you through Paypal,So please kindly get back to me with your Paypal details and your best price for the item so i can proceed with the payment and after the payment has been done, i have a pick up agent that will come around to pick the item up so don't add shipping fees and will be done after i have made the payments for the item
Scam EmailPASS with IP 209.85.220.65
| Anonymous () Added the following extra information on :2017-05-29 13:49:27 |
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It´s the same marine biologist story wanting to buy a gift for her dad.
I don´t know how the scam works but here´s the last email I got:
I was just about to make the payments when i had this little problem with the picking up of the item , I am currently on sea and i am buying the item for my Dad as i explained earlier on and i tried to book pick up with my pick up agent, but they asked me to pay first before they can make the booking, and they only accept Money Gram Transfer for payments and they don't accept Paypal or bank transfer and I tried to send the money online but i couldn't and I am on sea and there is no way i can find a Money Gram agent to make the transfer to my pick up agent, so i wanted to ask if it was ok for me to include my pick up agent's fees in the payments I am about to send through Paypal, my pick up agent charged $900 plus insurance and all of that, please can i include their money in the payments I want to send then after i have made the payments you will help me forward the $900 to my pick up agent through Money Gram Transfer,this I would have done myself and not bother you but the for the fact that I am currently on sea, so after I have made the payments you will help me send $900 to my pick up agent through Money Gram Transfer,I just want to seek your consent before going ahead with the payments,I will more than appreciate if you mail me back, and I will be making the payments shortly.
PS:the shipping company's Head quarters and any pick up fees to be paid is sent to their head quarters by the payee, so the money for pick up will be sent to their head quarters through Money Gram Transfer(this can be done from any post office) at Money Gram's office
| Shane (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada) Added the following extra information on :2016-04-13 00:32:25 |
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Hi,
Thanks for answering the questions. I really wish to speak to you on phone but I'm a marine biologist, due to nature of my job phone calls is restricted due to the poor reception on the sea area. But I’m able to access email anytime as we make use of laptops. To be honest with you, I really like it, with all the questions I have asked you and you answered I think am satisfied with it but can you assure me that I will not be disappointed if I buy it. I'm ready to pay your asking price but not cash in person because I'm out of town, my only quickest payment option is PayPal, its safe fast and secure and I will be responsible 3.6% PayPal surcharge to the total amount I'm paying you for the PayPal transaction charges so you can get your expected amount. If you don't have an account with PayPal, its pretty easy to open one, Just log onto www.paypal.com and sign up. I hope we can make the purchase as fast as possible? As I am buying it for someone and I'm very sure he will love it, his a mechanic and a handy man, so if there is anything that need to be fixed in it just let me know he will handle it. I have a mover that will come for the pick up once payment clears in your account and he will handle everything perfectly & take care of all documents, change of ownership whenever they come for the pick up, I look forward to hear from you with the information below.
Your PayPal e-Mail Address :
Full name:
Firm Price:
Full Address and mobile contact number for pickup:
Thanks.
James
-Sent from IPhone
| Ben Munford (Somewhere in United States) Added the following extra information on :2012-10-03 15:45:38 |
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Received following email from Larry Kennedy. Same marine biologist story. He must buy a lot of cars for his dad. It looks canned. Wonder if its one of those schemes where they wire too much, ask you to wire a portion back, and then the funds transfer is no good, but you are out the wired back $.
Hi Seller,
Thank you for getting back to me.Can you assure me that it's in good
state and that i will not be disappointed with it?I'm ready to pay
your asking price and to be honest, i want to buy this for my Dad as
his birthday gift. I a marine biologist that works on the sea at the
moment. phone calls making and visiting of website are restricted but
i squeezed out time to check this advert and send you an email
regarding it 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, i will be responsible for all the pay pal
fee/charges on this transaction and if you don't have an account with
paypal,its pretty easy, safe and secured to open one. Just log on to
www.paypal.com. I hope we can make the purchase as fast as possible? I
have a mover that will come for it once payment clears . i will like
to see more pics i look forward to hear back from you soon. details
that i needed are below Your
PayPal e-Mail Address
Full name:
Firm Price:
Your cell phone number,
God bless you.
| Alberto (Somewhere in United States) Added the following extra information on :2012-08-05 01:19:12 |
Scammer
Information | Name:
Kinkon | Email Address:
| Scam Website:
| Fax:
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I got the same proccedure from this guy, same email, same phone number, same stuff with my car. Be very careful.
| Dave Terk (Ellicott City, MD, United States) Added the following extra information on :2012-08-02 07:58:26 |
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I got the same text message from this guy. I don't respond to texts or emails on my items for sale through eBay or Craigslist. I figure if the person is serious and have questions or would like to see or make an offer on the item then they can make a phone call. I would avoid any buyer that is unwilling to communicate over the phone. Great info guys. This just lets me know for sure anything other then phone call is most of the time a waste of time and some scammer loser.
| Rich Daly (Garnerville, NY, United States) Added the following extra information on :2012-08-01 16:51:47 |
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I posted a 1998 Jeep on EBAY. This person text-ed me 5 times with questions regarding my vehicle but wanted to continue to converse via email. I emailed him. He offered me a price and wanted to pay via PAYPAL. Here's the catch - he needed me to give him my email address and paypal info. That is not needed because if a person has a PAYPAL account you can email them a request for payment through PAYPAL for goods or services without giving any info.
Here is one of his emails:
Hi thanks for your message, I will not be coming to view it because of my working condition, i am a Marine Biologist and i am buying this for my Dad, i am at sea right now and i am glad you accepted my offer. I can only pay through paypal at the moment as i don't have access to my bank account online but i have it attached to my paypal account and this is why i insisted on using paypal to pay, all i will need is your paypal email address to make the payment and if you don't have a paypal account yet, it's pretty easy to set one up at www.paypal.com, i will be expecting your email. I have a pick up agent that will come for the pick up after payment has been made for it. When last was it serviced? Are you the first owner ?
