Sale question about possible scam.

I had a camera for sale a bit ago for 330 dollars. on the last day of

the item being posted, A potential buyer emailed me that they were

interested. So I told them how much it would be and they said ok and

made arrangements to make payment. At some point in this initial

correspondence the buyer informed me that they were a reseller out of

the Uk.

 

After a day or so, the buying party emailed me and informed me that

they had mistakenly sent me the wrong money order ('they had put my

name on a money order meant for someone else') and that when I

received it I should cash it and send the extra money back. So

thinking hey people make mistakes, I agreed to do this.

 

I had waited a while (two weeks) for the payment to arrive in the mail

and we corresponded several times as to when the payment would arrive.

 

Tonight I recieve the payment and saw the amount of the error, 2500

dollars is what the payment was for. If it had been a smaller amount,

then I would have passed it off for nill. but with the large amount I

would rather not risk attempting to carry the transaction further. I

checked the Buyers PN profile and found that they had been a member

starting on the day after my camera sale had ended, or two days after

that (there were two listings for the same name) and there is nothing

listed under the profile, no bio, or postings or anything. Also the

check print informs me that it is delivered to me on order of a third

party using their service and that the check service cannot validate

the payor's 'authorization' and that in order to check this I must

contact the payor directly. also it states that I will be subject to

charge backs, bank fees, and possibly liable for damages,,, so avoid

depositing or cashing checks which appear unreasonable or lack

justification. Also the check is dated for 8/1/05 when I was informed

that the error was made in 7/18/05. the check service site is also

under maintenance and has no response.

 

I have emailed the buyer with my concerns but I also wish to ask the

members of this web site for their opinions.. should I just burn the

check and ask for a correctly made check? I have read of similar scams

on this site. I also just noticed that they had a note at the end of

their first email saying "that this transaction is genniue and risk free"

 

Please leave advice. Thanks.

I thought everyone on the internet knew about this scam by now.<BR><BR> Glad your radar is working...

Total scam - as they say walk away.

Stinks like a polecat - cut and run.

This and that Nigerian Prince Mbutoo Sasesu who needs help getting $40,000,000.00 out of a bank in the Ivory Coast and into your account to share with him are one and the same scam. Frame the money order and hang it in the bathroom.

A favorite scambaiter site.. www.419eater.com

Put simply, the money order is fraudulent, but it takes a while for banks to find that out.

You cash it, send the money to the guy (as a valid order). He cashes that, gets the money.

Meantime, your bank finds out that the order was fraudulent, and you're liable for the

money, but your dealer has mysteriously disappeared...

Here's some good info about this all to typical scam...It's from craigslist.org:

<p>

<a href="http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/about/scams.html">http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/about/scams.html</a>.

<p>Be very glad that your radar was up on this as it is almost certainly a scam as everyone else has posted!

perfect for starting BBQ's.....