Saturday, August 8, 2009

Craigslist Email Scammer

I was selling something on Craigslist and I got an email asking if my item was still available. Like a dork, I answered back that it was and got this email back:

---- begin email ------

Reply to: mailto:sale-xxxxx-1312070878@craigslist.org>
From: kelcibbs05@gmail.com> To: xxxxxxxxx@hotmail.com>
> Hello,
> Thanks for the prompt response ,I really appreciate it.yes i want to
> buy it and i assume its in good conditions as you stated ,I would
> have loved to come check it but my son will going for a Kidney
> transplant in the next few days so I wouldn't be able to come see it .
> I intend paying you with certified check which i will include the
> freight and handling fee with it and I'll be sending a mover to come
> pick it up. so you don't have any further problem ,all you have to do
> deduct your funds and send the freight and handling fee to the
> shipping vendor i already set up coming for the pick up.I would need
> your Name, physical address and telephone to send the check. Thanks for
> your anticipated understanding>
> Regards> > --


> Is this item still avaialable????>
> Regards
> 206-339-6681

------ end email ------

Well I did some research since the area code is from Seattle. Well it seems this guy Kelvin Cibbs goes by several different names with the same story. So I figured I would play with him a bit by replying with this:

----------- reply ------

Hi, that would be great except I will be out of the country until Labor Day. I am leaving Monday to go to South Africa to collect my late uncle's 9.6 million dollar inheritance. It seems there are no other living relatives and luckily they found my email address. I cannot give you my home address because I had to sell my house to get the $18,000 fee to release the money.

It will take me until Labor Day because after I collect my 9.6 million from Barrister Williams, I will be traveling to England as I have won the UK lottery for $400,000.00. It has been a great month, isn't the internet great? And I was told when I got my computer for my retirement gift that the internet was full of scammers, won't my friends be surprised?

I have just verified my personal information in an email from Citi-Bank so you have nothing to worry about me cashing your certified check. Maybe you could make the check out for extra money, so I could send you the extra cash for your son's kidney transplant. I like helping people, as I have donated to the tsunami relief fund 4 times from this email.

Well I better go, I need to check my Ebay account as someone in Nigeria wants to give me $5600 for my 1972 Schwinn Stingray!

Rufus

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