Cross-Cultural Exchange June 22, 2006
Posted by Owen in : Internet , trackback
I’ve been trying to sell my old PowerBook on Craigslist. It turns out they really keep their value. I received this email from a prospective buyer yesterday:
Hello,
How are you doing?i was came across your advert today concerning the item you posted for sale. am really intresting and this item is perfectly specification requested by me. i like to know if the item is still available and the details of the present condition and the last price you are willing to sell it to me.looking forward to hear from you …….. thanks stay bless.
Regards
Ok, no problem. It’s a little suspicious, but maybe he (or she) doesn’t speak good English well. I wrote back with the requested details and get this response:
Thanks for you quick responce i will be buying,i will like to tell you that i will be paying with a cashier check in us dollars and as for the shippinpment my shipper will come for the pick up at your location upon your confirmation of receiving the payment and i dont want you to look for anyother buyer.i would have love to come down for the pick up.but am not chance to do that now but am satisfy with yourh your discription of the item i will like you to give me the following so that your payment can be send……………..
1….your full name to be on the check
2..your full contact address to send the payment to
3..your zip code
4.your mobile nad land nunmber to reach you.i will expect your
mail.asap
Ok, now I’m fully suspicious. Cashiers check, shippinpment, US dollars. This is starting to sound like a real scam. I look at the email headers and find the IP address of the sender. What do you know? The email was sent from Lagos, Nigeria. (For those who don’t know about Nigerian scams, take a look at Wikipedia.)
Comments»
Damn Nigerians!! That Prince Blahblah or whomever who needs my help by providing my bank account number for $500K can suck it!
(PS - I have nothing against Nigerians - just the scamming ones ;-))
Well, I dunno. I gave some Nigerian princess who emailed me my bank account number and she deposited $182,000 in it. I was happy to help her surmount her difficulties with her evil step-sister, and the $22,000 she let me keep helped too. These are good people if you treat them right.
nice catch. i knew you wouldn’t fall for such a silly scam.
although…
“Ok, no problem. It’s a little suspicious, but maybe he (or she) doesn’t speak good English.”
doesn’t speak English well?
Haha, whoops.
Me no speak English good.
Heh, I just got the exact same email for a computer desk I’m trying to sell on CragisList. A Google search for a few sentences from that email turned up your blog. Thanks for posting about this so I too could avoid the scam! …not that I would have been able to ship a 200 lb oak desk to Nigeria anyway…
Yet another follow up. I have a car posted on CraigsList and got a word-for-word response like yours. I, too, did the Google search and found this blog post. Thanks for confirming my suspicions.
i put a add on craigslist for a computer that i am selling for $150. and this guy from africa tills me he whants it for his sun. i was like bro you will pay me 150 for the pc and $300 for the shiping. so that is 450. for $299 you can get a good cheap dell computer that you can only go on line. but he still told me he needs it. then i asked him then you till the mom of your sun to sleep with me for 1 night then i will give it to you for free. this guy never emaild me.lol