craiglist scams going crazy

[Sprouty]

I did a search of craigslist for "airstream" on one of the engines that look at multiple areas and I swear 60% of the ads were scams. Its hardly even worth looking anymore. Is it that airstreams are hot right now or is everything getting hammered with scams?

[Short563]

I am using search engines that look at Craig's List to find an Argosy. Can you please provide some hints as to how to identify a potential scam?

[Sprouty]

Here is a reply I just got from a scam seller.

Hi ,

I'm Betty thank you for contact me about trailer, my husband and I divorced last year, I was awarded the trailer after the divorce, I don't need it. I have dropped my price to $2,650 (purchase price) that includes delivery and handling to your address since this is an Urgent Sale! It is located in Saint Clair, Missouri and will be delivered from there. I recently moved here after I divorced.


Here are the pictures:

https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/1...31255950730785

Let me know if you like it, hope to hear from you soon,
Betty Krenek"

[Sprouty]

Originally Posted by Short563

I am using search engines that look at Craig's List to find an Argosy. Can you please provide some hints as to how to identify a potential scam?

There are bunch of signs. The best way I have found way to weed them out is to say you have cash and want to see it in person or have a friend or realitve in the area that wants to inspect it for you. Many of them want you to belive they are unavailable to deal with you in person because they are off shore on a oil rig or in the service stationed overseas or they moved and the trailer is in storage somewere and no one can enter the facilty to look at it. They go away real fast when you insist on a face to face cash deal.

[DKB_SATX]

The biggest giveaway is usually that they're advertising at a price around 1/5th or 1/10th a reasonable price what what they pretend they're selling.

Another that's popular recently is that they'll include some normal-looking email address in one of the images in the ad and not in the text.

What Sprouty mentions about the unwillingness to deal in person is a red flag, and they'll usually offer some lie about the trailer being "in the warehouse of <insert some real-sounding business> and they will deliver it to you promptly, and you'll have <x> days to inspect the trailer and return it for your money back if you don't like it." Total, utter crap.

A new thing I've noticed with the dirtbags running such scams within 300 miles or so of DFW (where I regularly search) is that they're using some sort of template and they're posting titles and photos related to an airstream, but ad copy about various other things they're pretending to sell in order to steal from people. e.g. "1985 Airstream Sovereign $1895" with the photos above of a pretty Sovereign in a warehouse, but ad copy describing a GMC pickup or a Camry. They'd probably make more ill-gotten gains if they weren't so stupid/lazy.

That said, I haven't seen a lot of Argosy scams, they're usually going a) for higher-priced trailers so when they offer it for $1895 or $2350 it excites their marks and b) trailers they can readily steal photos of for the listing.

[Sprouty]

Originally Posted by DKB_SATX

The biggest giveaway is usually that they're advertising at a price around 1/5th or 1/10th a reasonable price what what they pretend they're selling.

Another that's popular recently is that they'll include some normal-looking email address in one of the images in the ad and not in the text.

What Sprouty mentions about the unwillingness to deal in person is a red flag, and they'll usually offer some lie about the trailer being "in the warehouse of <insert some real-sounding business> and they will deliver it to you promptly, and you'll have <x> days to inspect the trailer and return it for your money back if you don't like it." Total, utter crap.

A new thing I've noticed with the dirtbags running such scams within 300 miles or so of DFW (where I regularly search) is that they're using some sort of template and they're posting titles and photos related to an airstream, but ad copy about various other things they're pretending to sell in order to steal from people. e.g. "1985 Airstream Sovereign $1895" with the photos above of a pretty Sovereign in a warehouse, but ad copy describing a GMC pickup or a Camry. They'd probably make more ill-gotten gains if they weren't so stupid/lazy.

That said, I haven't seen a lot of Argosy scams, they're usually going a) for higher-priced trailers so when they offer it for $1895 or $2350 it excites their marks and b) trailers they can readily steal photos of for the listing.

I agree the biggest red flag is a price thats too good to be true. You know the saying " If it sounds to good to be true it probably is"

[overlander63]

If you think Airstream scams are all the rage, try putting "john deere" or "sea ray" in the search.
Pretty much anything that most people associate with high price and high desirability are heavily scammed.

[ventport]

Also look for weird sounding sentence structure, or uncommon phrases. It has probably been run through a translator and the poster is really in Nigeria.

[macofpei]

What ever you do, don't give them your name, phone number of mailing address. If they get that, than the next scam may have your name and address on it.

[Sprouty]

if I had a bunch of extra time on my hands I would mess with them ans try to string them along for a while to see if I could get them to slip up. Scam a scamer!

[DKB_SATX]

Originally Posted by Sprouty

if I had a bunch of extra time on my hands I would mess with them ans try to string them along for a while to see if I could get them to slip up. Scam a scamer!

Just flag them (to help protect the innocent) and move on.

[kokopat]

Here's a typical one:
ELECTRIC BRAKES 2002 BAMBI airstream more details

I flag them too...

[DKB_SATX]

Originally Posted by kokopat

Here's a typical one:
ELECTRIC BRAKES 2002 BAMBI airstream more details

I flag them too...

Yup... Bambi, laughably low price, description doesn't quite make sense. Wood bumper guard?

[Aage]

It's already gone.

[kokopat]

BUMPER 2002 Bambi airstream GUARD

It's already back.

[NJtoNC]

Originally Posted by ventport

Also look for weird sounding sentence structure, or uncommon phrases. It has probably been run through a translator and the poster is really in Nigeria.

they're posting titles and photos related to an airstream, but ad copy about various other things they're pretending to sell in order to steal from people. e.g. "1985 Airstream Sovereign $1895" with the photos above of a pretty Sovereign in a warehouse, but ad copy describing a GMC pickup or a Camry. They'd probably make more ill-gotten gains if they weren't so stupid/lazy.

I believe the extraneous copy and garbled text is to trick CL into allowing the same post across multiple sites. Typically you could not post the same ad in NY and in LA. or even Asheville / Charlotte. So they have to change up the copy and they use an automated program to change the copy and they add in the extra copy in order to make it different from the last automated post. There are programs that run auto-posts on CL , but thankfully, they usually are flagged in a matter of 30 min.

[1rancher1]

I want to discuss a General Problem for all Airstream buyers and a helpful partial solution. I restore later vintage Airstreams as a hobby and I am always running across sellers that have encumbered titles. Here is a most recent example...the trailer is still on the Vintage Classified Section in the sold unit category right now. I wanted to buy this somewhat rare 87' 31' Excella with a rear Panoramic window...the trailer was located 1200 miles from me. I asked for photos...they sent photos...that revealed serious rivet line dent (two panels) NOT mentioned in the ad. I asked on day one... "Do you have clear, unencumbered title, IN YOUR NAME? No e-mail response from seller. When we finally agreed on a sales price via phone, the seller (not the owners name on the title) told me they were selling for an Aunt (deceased) and The Uncle (in assisted living center)...they had both signed the title document and both were named as owners. I asked if they could furnish valid Bill of Sale...NO was the answer. I asked for e-mail copies of the title front and back to verify it was legitimate/signed, and matched a photo of the VIN on the Airstream Data Plate...waited three days...no copies showed up. The reason, they admitted, was to avoid $500.00 in taxes to legitimately title the trailer in they'er name.
This is called "Title Jumping"...I furnished my states DMV link and checked the rules of they're own state & when I slept on it, even though I am sure they had possession of the Airstream...They were attempting to make me a party to defrauding a Taxing Authority (a State Felony), and once the trailer crosses a state line..Wire fraud (a Federal Offense). I see this quite often. If I had a problem with the trailer title transfer once I got it home...my recourse would be prison. I, of course, after they were less than up-front with me, sent an e-mail declining to complete the transaction, as I would be buying the trailer with a deceased person on the title, another person unavailable in a nursing home, and tax/legal issues surrounding the transaction. I pay my taxes, I title with MY NAME, I register in my name...NEVER TRUST A SELLER THAT CAN NOT ANSWER RIGHT UP FRONT THESE BASIC QUESTIONS IN WRITING...(1)Do you have valid, original, non salvage title IN YOUR NAME? (2) Is The title free of all liens and (or) encumbrances? (3) Is the trailer currently registered with current license plates? (4) Can you furnish a front and back copy of the title and a photo of The Trailer Data Plate? (5) Can you furnish a Simple Bill of Sale? If a potential seller can not do these simple, legal, normal business functions.....RUN FROM THE DEAL, or agree to only go forward with the transaction if the seller remedies the deficiencies. Airstream Forums should require a VIN number, and Title condition...ie Clear Original, Salvage, or "none" check boxes as part of every ad on The Classifieds... I would not have to waist my time with Tax cheats/fraudsters, and you wouldn't either. Conspiring with an unscrupulous or criptic seller puts you at tremendous risk...DO NOT DO IT unless you are willing to face the consequences.

[Aage]

Good advice.

[macofpei]

I bought an Air Stream through the Buy-Sell or Trade available here. I looked at the trailer and we agreed to a reasonable price. After I passed over the money, I was given an envelope full of paperwork, owners manual, sales receipt and a tax receipt from the border crossing, showing that they had paid the GST (goods and service tax) on the trailer and another big ticket item. It was bought from a dealer in New York State.
The trailer WASN'T registered in their name! I found out after I paid. (stupid, of me not to have asked before but I never expected this).
Because of the lack of local registration, I couldn't insure over the winter.
I tried to get them to put the registration into their name so I could than transfer into mine but the couple wouldn't because they didn't want to pay the tax.
At one meeting, the woman wanted me to pay their tax to put the trailer into her name, than she would sign it over to me and say I was her brother. This wouldn't work because 1- I am known at the local registrar office and 2- she has a dark complexion ( middle eastern descendent where as I am Irish,).
Finally, after several months of back and forth, I got PO'd and went to the motor vehicle office and told them I wanted to pay my taxes to make the trailer legally mine.
After being at the office for over two hours, and a lot of talking with supervisors, they told me they would take my bill of sale and register the Air Stream in my name but the original paperwork would be turned over to the federal tax office. I didn't care, I just wanted to be able to plate and haul my new to me Air Stream.
Several months later, I got a call, at my work, asking about the bill of sale and failure to pay the proper taxes and duties. I explained what happened and I even had their advertisement showing what was posted for sale. It turned out that the sellers told the Tax investigators that I hired them to pick up the unit in New York and transport it to my home province. My having a copy of their posting helped me in that area.
I found out later that the sellers had taken the unit across the border 18 months earlier and failed to follow through with the required , necessary taxes and paperwork. I heard that they were investigate for other tax evasions and they received a large fine.
So, even when you meet face-to-face, it isn't a guarantee that the sale isn't a scam of some sort.

[Aage]

Wow, what a story! Thanks, Mac.