The example you wrote about is most assuredly a scam.

We get those on our local (DC) Craigslist ALL THE TIME. Very annoying. And very easy to spot after you've seen a few. First, the car is incredibly under priced. There was a mint '69 Camaro with 18k miles that looked to be in show condition and the asking price was under $4k. Insane. Then, the location listed is "washington" whereas, no private seller lists their location like that around here...it'd be "Georgetown" or "NW" or something like that...."washington" is too broad.

I've emailed around 10 of the scams just out of curiosity like you did and all of the replies sound exactly like what you received. On one of them I asked where the car was located and the guy gave me an exact address (in Minnesota if I recall) so I Google-mapped it and told him that I lived on a street that was 3 blocks away. I said I had cash in hand and wanted to see that car that afternoon.

Not surprisingly I never heard back from him. Most of the time though, I just cuss them out and tell them that I hope their scammer-ass dies in a fiery accident. So much for being polite over the internet I guess.

-Tom

 

Thanks Tom,
Awesome. Thanks for the verification.
Ideally I'd like to give readers some tools to use to spot these guys from a distance. You know, tools other than a very low price and overly-wordy reply email. Spotting the "Washington" problem is awesome. Very cool. The two I've seen also have an "@live.com" email address, which I've never seen among real people before.

Pretty clever to drag Ebay into it, in my opinion. It lent some credibility to the story until I searched the listings.

Thanks for writing.
Rob

(Craigslist has a number of warnings on their site about watching out for scams, but they didn't mention Ebay as being something to watch out for. Craigslist probably doesn't mention Ebay by name because they didn't want to get into legal problems)

Rob,

Yeah, @live was used on a few here too. I went back and looked in my sent files and found this exchange...you can see the mention of ebay again. Also, there always seems to be a reason the car is being sold...divorce, weird job, etc. I'm not sure I'd feel the need to divulge this reason to a stranger if I was selling them a car but who knows.

Tom

Here is another one from Sacramento:

A reply to a query about a 2005 Honda Accord for $2,980.

Hello and sorry for my delay,
I'm sgt Alfredo McMullen. The 2005 Honda Accord EX 4 Cyl Automatic is in perfect working condition.This vehicle engine runs very, very smooth.This detailed vehicle makes the exterior look like it just came off the assembly line.The car has only 39,860  miles.VIN # 1HGCM56725A098356
 Options
Luxury Features Air Conditioning Cruise Control Tilt Steering Wheel Clock Tachometer Power Equipment Power Steering Power Windows Power Locks
Power Mirrors Power Driver's Seat
 
Here are the pics of the car :
http://s413.photobucket.com/albums/pp211/2005hawte/
(if the above link does not work copy and paste it into a new web browser window)
As I know that my current situation is pretty special I want the deal closed only through eBay's Buyer Protection Program in order for you to be 100% protected. You will make the payment to eBay and they will hold the money until you receive the car. ONLY AFTER you receive the car and inspect it (for 10 days) eBay will release the payment to me; in this way we are both protected. Anyway i am sure that if you won`t be satisfied with the car i will surely find another buyer in your area and there will be no need for you to ship the car back.
I am located in Madrid,Spain and I was sent here to improve the military relationships between our country and Spain. One month ago, my wife moved here with me and brought the car with her, but now we have to sell it back in the United States because In order to be able to register this car here, I would have to pay very high import/custom taxes. My final price on it is $ 2980. If you will take it for this price, I am willing to handle the shipping. It will be shipped from here by plane with US Air Military Cargo so it will not cost me anything. You will get it to the nearest airport in your area and then it will be trucked forward to your place. You will receive the car in about 2 days. Please get back to me asap if you decide to buy, and include in your e-mail your full name and address where you want it shipped so I can start the deal with eBay. You will receive all the transaction payment and shipping details from them.
Thank you, and have a nice day,
Alfredo and Maria McMullen

Here is another one Tom contacted in Washington:

Hi,

Thank you for your interest in buying my car. Let me tell you a few words about the car. It's a 1971 Pontiac Firebird, in perfect condition, with no need for additional repairs, no scratches, dings, special marks whatsoever, never been involved in any accidents. The interior looks great (NO SMOKING). It has 11,868 miles. It has a clear title ready to be signed and notarized on your name. The price is not negotiable, $4,800.00 is my last price. I sell the car at this price because I cannot enjoy it due to my job(I work as a dealer on a cruise ship) and I'm a single men and I have nobody close who can use it.
All documents, including owner's manual, clear title and a bill of sale on your name will be provided along with the car. Also about payment and shipping I will use only eBay vehicle protection program so we can both be protected. I just need your full name and address so i can open a case.(with no further obligation or fees).

Thank you

 
-Rob hi,
I am in Boise,ID
so if you are interested send me your details so we can start
thanks
So, that was it. He was far away, the car was far away. I didn't have an easy way to prove he was trying to scam me, but the evidence was piling up and I wasn't interested in baiting him any further on a deal I wasn't going to follow through on.

Sometimes you just have to chalk it up to "too good to be true" and leave the mystery at that. Or maybe.. I missed out on a hell of a deal!