June 4, 2008 by Clint
Posted in
I’ve been trying to sell my Dell E1505 laptop as part of my mountain bike fund and because I hardly ever use the machine. So I listed it for sale on Craigslist in Provo. I’ve received several emails about it from some pretty unscrupulous people.
I thought it would be helpful and fun to share the email thread, so here goes:
From: Mellisa Nguyen
Greetings!
Hello there... i would like to know if the item still availlable for sale...? get back to me ASAP... This is serious inquiries
"Mistakes are a fact of life, It's the response to the error that counts" "Face your past without regrets. Handle your present with confidence and
prepare for the future without fear.My Reply:
Yes it is. How would you like to proceed? I live in Spanish Fork and work in Orem and can arrange to meet you at your convenience.
Mellisa’s Reply:
Thanks for the quick response but am afraid to tell you that i will not be able to pay cash because am not local at the moment , though am a US resident but am on a business trip oversea. However am buying this on behalf of my colleague whose computer crashed and i would appreciate if you allow me to pay through paypal and i will add extra 100USD as shipping cost..However if you dont have paypal account just go to www.paypal.com and set up an account,It is free easy and secure to pay and receive money through paypal..ITS GUARANTEES TRANSACTION SAFETY.
My Reply:
If you would like to proceed I am a bit suspicious. You can send the money to my paypal account and I'll get the computer ready to go. And have it shipped out as soon as I can.
Mellisa’s Reply:
GIVE ME YOUR PAYPAL EMAIL ADDRESS TO SEND THE PAYMENT
My Reply:
I replied with my spam email address.
PayPal Email (fake):
With the following note:
This PayPal fund has been deducted from the buyer's PayPal account (allphaseconts@comcast.net) and has been " APPROVED " but will not be credited to your PayPal account (myspamemail@gmail.com) until the shipment reference/tracking number is sent to us for shipment verification so as to secure both the buyer and the seller because Buyer pays for an item but never receives it or Buyer pays for an item but receives item significantly different than expected.Below are the necessary information requested before your account will be credited.
Send shipment details to us through this mail: (fundingrequirements@consultant.com) our customer service care will attend to you. As soon as you send us the shipment's tracking details for security purposes and the safety of the buyer with the seller, the money will be credited to your account.**PLEASE NOTE**
Once shipment has been verified and the tracking number sent to us, You will receive a " CONFIRMATION EMAIL " from PayPal informing you that the Money has been credited.
Mellisa’s Follow-up Email:
I just wish to notify you that i have sent payment from my PayPal account (allphaseconts@comcast.net) into your PayPal account (myspamemail@gmail.com) for the sum of $925 and i added $100 as shipping cost so that you will be able to ship to the address given below ... Hope you have gotten notification from PayPal regarding the payment and i wan to believe that i have done everythinhg right for you to ship out the item ASAP becuase as am talking to you now the payment has been deducted from my account ,so i will be waiting for the USPS EXPRESS MAIL INTL shipments tracking number, Here is the shipping information you need.
Name...Adedipo Seun
Address..N0 8 Olusanya Ring Rd
City/Code..Ibadan 23402
Country..NigeriaPLS SEND IT VIA USPS EXPRESS MAIL ONLY AND INSURE IT FOR 800 DOLLARS
THANKSMy Reply (Messing With the Miscreant):
Hi Mellisa, I just learned that I'm going to be on a business trip giving a presentation at University College Hospital in Ibadan next Thursday. Since it will take longer than that to mail you the laptop I'll just bring it with me and save the extra postage cost. I'll be done with my presentation by about Noon. Lets meet up for lunch and complete the transaction there.
Sound good?Regards,
C.Mellisa’s Reply:
None!
Wasn’t that fun!
I just read your blog on your
I just read your blog on your attempt to sell your computer to someone in Nigeria, I recently have been trying to sell my blackberry curve and this same person responded to me via craigslist he said ship it to Adedipo Seun and I got the same type of email from them saying there buying it for a colleague whos phone crashed. So basically I got the same exact emails as you did only for my blackberry. So I would like to thank you for putting this out on the internet, I found your blog by doing a google search on Adedipo Seun and now I know not to do business with them! Did they ever try to contact you back? Thanks again!
Jim
It's Been 9 Days!
Jim,
It's been 9 days since I sent out my last reply. I think they're on to to me!
Clint
Hi, after being scammed I
Hi, after being scammed I typed in the email address and got this blog. After reading your blog I realized that those emails you got for the exact word for word emails that I received but I was the gull able one to actually fall for the trick. So I am out 137 dollars. I have reported them to the FBI.
For real?
Did you really fall for it? I'm suprised. I'm not trying to make you feel bad rather I wonder if you're teasing us.
I wish the best of luck to you.
This May Help
I wrote up a few suggestions on how to prevent and recover from being scammed.
Nigirian Losers
Yeah just had the same exact conversation.
Word for word it was the same as above these losers can't even change up their game plan probably works on some people though. (Dummies) Anyway I found your blog by googling the email address used by these morons. Thanks for the post very amusing!
Microsoft is so Charitable
This email came crashing into my inbox this morning.
I'm thrilled to win but what am I going to do with British pounds? I live in America. Here we use dollars. I won't be able to spend it on things like internets and emails. I guess I could give it away at Halloween instead of candy.
I just received the same
I just received the same email, imagine that! I think it is time to change my address or whatever. It'll take them a little time to find me and I'll be a few days at least without this kind of spam! Beware everybody! I searched Microsofts'site and they couldn't find a Rosemary Fishman any where!!!
I Forgot To Mention
Notice in the writeup that I the left the miscreants email addresses intact and obfuscated my own! This is so that the spam-bots will harvest their email addresses and light them up with spam!!!
Thanks!
Thanks for you blog. I've been hit with this scam too. Fortunately I didn't fall for it, but your blog helped me confirm my fears. I am waiting for a reply, after "mike" demanded immediate shipment of my item, I told him I was waiting (I'll wait forever since it's fake) for his Paypal payment to post so I can pay for the postage to ship. I'm sure I'll never hear back from him.
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