Potential Boat Scam

Saw a 2003 Wakesetter on Austin Craigslist for $17K (this boat normally goes for $35k).

http://austin.craigslist.org/boa/331578721.html

So I sent an email to ask if I could go look at the boat and here is the reply I got.

the boat is in perfect condition.i am moving to UK
thats and i have to sell everything i have asap.thats
why the price is so low.

i decided to close the deal through www.escrow.com
which is the safest way to buy and sell online.it is
the only escrow company recommended by ebay.

If you don,t know how escrow works i will explain it
for you:
1.buyer and seller agree to the terms of the
transaction
2.buyer makes payment to escrow
3.seller ships item to buyer
4.buyer aproves item (15 days inspection period)
5.seller is paid

As soon as i will have the confirmation from escrow
that the funds have been deposited to their account, i
will immediately start the shipping process.
The boat will be delivered to your address in no more
than 10 working days.You will be given a 15 days
inspection period from the day you receive the boat at
home.
If you decide to hold the boat ,then you will have to
authorize escrow to release the funds to me, and the
transaction will be completed. If you will not be
satisfied with the car, you will be able to send the
boat back through the same shipping company, and ask
escrow to return the funds to you.
Though i am sure you will love the boat and will not
want to return it, it is good to know that you do have
this second option available.
So if you are really interested please register with
www.escrow.com and start a new transaction as a
buyer.the escrow fees and the shipping cost are
supported by me.


Thanks
--- CCW-PBLC@satx.rr.com wrote:

> I saw your add in craigslist. Any chance I could
> see the boat?
>
> CW
>

definitely a scam.

on edit, just read it again, he accidentally calls it a car instead of a boat at one point. Must have forgot to make that change in his "scam form letter" template.

(Message edited by chaser on May 16, 2007)

Don't tell me, the boat is in a cargo container in New York also???? Apparently, this guy doesn't give up.... I wonder how many people he has fooled????

are there any computer nerds on here that can track this guy down so we can beat the crap out of him.

same ad in San Diego

I flagged it, it is a scam

Found on Phoenix CL - is it the same?

http://phoenix.craigslist.org/boa/331603080.html

San Diego Craigslist - still on there - keep flagging!

http://sandiego.craigslist.org/boa/331610076.html

both phoenix and San Diego are marked for removal now.

Yep, they were the same post

How does the scam work if you're putting your money in escrow?

I replied and told him i have cash and want the boat today, no response or course. Craigslist is for cash to hand face to face transactions only, everyone please remember that.

Because he will ask you to make a small deposit of a couple thousand and then he will send you the boat. All of this outside the escrow company.

Usually in a scam with escrow payment you're not actually putting money in a real escrow account. It's generally a fake service that looks like a real escrow outfit. I imagine if you pushed the "seller" to use the escrow service of your choice, the "seller" would refuse.

He just wrote back and said the boat was in miami

Tell him to have someone take additional pictures and send them to you, gets 'em everytime.

These guys are really fun to mess with.

I almost got scammed by a guy on Ebay selling a brand new supercharged Sea Doo a couple years ago. I actually Western Unioned him $3000 for it, but thankfully, I found out it was a scam that same night, ran down to the Western Union and cancelled it before he picked it up. I was out almost $300 for the fee WU charged, but at least I didn't lose my ass. I'd like to find these guys on the street some time...