My search on Craigslist for a used car for sale from a private seller soon yielded some exciting results. When I compared the listed cars to the appraisal value, they were selling for way under market value, by thousands of dollars. According to the listings, these couple cars had low mileage, were about 6 or 7 years old, good brands, and had some nice features. I wondered what was wrong with them. Still, not wanting to pass up a possible good deal, I sent out emails asking for more information. My number one question is the VIN #, by which you can purchase a vehicle history report through CarFax.com or AutoCheck.com. AutoCheck’s unlimited subscription was cheaper than Carfax’s, so I went with them. It was about $45.
One woman emailed back, explaining that she was about to ship out to Afghanistan, and so needed to ship the car quickly. She included a link to more information about the car, including a list of features, and the VIN. But her though her listing had said the car was in Denver, her email said it was in Nevada. And when I looked up the VIN, the Vehicle History Report gave some different information about the car, even some disturbing things like accidents or salvage titles. She said she wanted to use Ebay’s Buyer Protection program to complete the transaction, so we would both be protected. But Ebay doesn’t offer buyer protection unless the sale is done on Ebay. How would that work?
Then I got another email about another car that was a great deal on Craigslist. This email sounded way too similar. He was about to ship out to Afghanistan also, but from North Dakota, and wanted the money to buy military stocks. He would us a Military Shipping and Sales Service to protect our transaction, and ship the car to me free of charge. I ran a Google search on his Military Shipping and Sales service. I’ve played around with making a letter look like official letterhead. If you can get a picture of the official symbols and match the fonts, you’re doing great. Add in a link to the real organization, and the website is a pretty convincing fake. There are a couple different websites that come up for US Military Shipping. Both look real enough, but are pretty vague on how they work. They link to a real US military site, at the bottom, claiming to be associated with them. But they aren’t. If you look at other Google entries, they are known frauds.
So I went on Craigslist and flagged the second emailer’s listing as a fraud. And then I emailed him, telling him that I wasn’t dumb and wouldn’t be sending money for a car that wasn’t real. And then I emailed the first one, giving the benefit of the doubt and just telling her I wanted to complete a transaction locally because there are so many scams on Craigslist. She wrote back! As though desperate for me to purchase her car, she told me more, that it was all ready to be shipped and shipping had been paid because another buyer backed out last minute. She told me “more” about how Ebay Buyer Protection would work, that it left no risk to me and she would have to deal with getting the car back if I changed my mind in the risk-free period. Or if I wanted to do a transaction face to face I could go out to Nevada to pick up the (crated?) car myself.
What pressure! But the pushing made me more suspicious. I did a Google search on her name. She is supposedly a doctor and a Colonel, and yet there was no record of her online. So I searched her division in the reserves and found an email from way back in June, with a different name, virtually identical to the second email she sent me. She is listed as a fraud. So I flagged her listing as well, and emailed her that I was not falling for her scam. (She even used the same gmail address she had used in the past. These crooks are lazy!)
Some of the fraud websites suggested we report these scams to the FTC. So I went to their website and filed a complaint with all the information I had on each person – probably not enough to actually find the real people and convict them – and gave a summary of what had happened and what other action I had taken (flagging as “prohibited” on Craigslist).
At the top of Craigslist I noticed alerts in red, that all offers to ship cars are fraudulent. There are companies that ship cars, but it is not a good idea to do that via Craigslist, with strangers. Nor should you wire any money for transactions. As I continued my searches, I began to note likely scams in the listings (some used similar fonts on their vehicle images, had similar vehicle makes and years for way under value). One big red flag is that they don’t put a phone number in the listing. So I gave these people a chance. I emailed asking for more information. If they offered to ship the car, I flagged them on Craigslist and reported them to the FTC. Afterwards apparently it scared the scammers off for a while.
To God be all glory,
Lisa of Longbourn
Below, for the purposes of anyone who happens to Google similar emails, is the text of every fraudulent email I received.
Hello,
First of all I would like to thank you for your interest in my car. This 2004 Nissan Maxima 3.5 SE Sedan with 72,765 miles runs and drives excellent. This car has been extremely well maintained with a full service history. It has no leaks or drips and does not smoke at all. I am the first owner of this car with a clear title free of encumbrances and liens. All regular maintenance was performed at an authorized garage.
I have dropped my price to $2,676 (purchase price), since this is an Urgent Sale! At the moment I’m stationed at Nevada Air National Guard from Reno/Tahoe IAP(ANGB), making final preparations before deploying to Afghanistan. If you’re interested to conclude this purchase in a timely manner email me your name and shipping address to open a case with eBay’s Buyer Protection Program and they will contact you to explain the entire procedure. The financial part will be managed by them, which means that you will have a 5 days inspection period before committing to buy the car. In this way both, buyer and seller are 100% covered during the steps of this transaction.
For more details and pictures click on this link: https://sites.google.com/site/2004nissanmaxima35sesedan/
Hope to hear from you soon.
—
Col.(Dr.) Michelle Branning
Reno/Tahoe IAP(ANGB)
Nevada Air National Guard
152nd Airlift Wing
——————————————————————————————————–
Good afternoon,
The car is already at the shipping company, crated and ready to go from Reno, NV. So you can either come pick it up yourself today or I can take care of the shipping for you. I had another customer who said it will buy and after I made all the necessary arrangements in advance and paid for all shipping & handling fees, changed his mind because didn’t have all the money. This is why I need to ship it since all transportation charges have already been paid by me. Shipping may take anywhere between 4 to 6 business days depending on the destination. All documents you need for ownership, title, manuals and bill of sale will be provided along with the car.
As I know that my current situation is pretty special I want the deal closed only through eBay’s Buyer Protection Program. They will keep your money into a protection account until you get the car and will release it to me ONLY AFTER inspection period is over and you agree to keep the car. So, this is not a blind transaction, you can physically see the car before committing to buy and to eliminate any concerns you will have 5 days to inspect the car. If you decide not to keep it eBay will refund you the money, no questions asked, and shipping back will be my concern. I think this is more than fair for both of us.
I’ll start the official procedure, and eBay will contact us about this in less than 24 hrs.
If you are interested in buying it just mail me back with:
– Your Full Name – Required by eBay (You’ll receive important guidelines + instructions from them);
– Your Shipping Address and Phone Number – Required by the Shipping company (They will call you with delivery/pickup instructions 1 day ahead so you can communicate what time schedule work best for you to receive the car).
Again I want to point out that because I am going to Afghanistan this sale is my top priority and I am after a fast transaction, with no delays. That is why I decided to lower the price, to avoid wasting time with negotiations and find a buyer as soon as possible.
Thanks, hope to do business with you soon!
—
Col.(Dr.) Michelle Branning
Reno/Tahoe IAP(ANGB)
Nevada Air National Guard
152nd Airlift Wing
————————————————————————————————-
Hello,
This 2004 Toyota Camry XLE V6 AUTOMATIC with 54710 Miles has a clear title. The general condition is excellent with no cosmetic complaints really worth comment. Both remote keys are present and are in working order,no electrical issues.
Everything work perfect!
Price was reduced to $2700 (URGENT SALE) as I need to sell it in 2 weeks because I will leave with other troops in Afganistan and now US Army give us the chance to
buy some shares at BNSF RAILWAY.Co at half price and for this reason I need a fast transaction .
In order to sell my car, I will use US Army Shopping Service. This service was made only for US ARMY members to helps US Army memebrs to sell goods online !
So we can close the deal by US Army Shopping Service you must send the money to our Financial Department and after that the logistics department will shipp you the car and all the sale documents!
If you’re really interested in buying my car, make sure that you really have the cash available!
At the moment I’m stationed in our US Military AFB in NORTH DAKOTA making final preparations before deploying to Afganistan with the U.S. Convoy !
The car is already at our Military Logistic Department in our military base in NORTH DAKOTA , crated and ready to go.
The shipping is free because all the US Army members have 1 free delivery per year anywhere in US !
If you have any questions or if you want to buy my car just let me now and I will get back to you with more details about this transaction that will be done by US ARMY SHOPPING SERVICE !
I wish prefert to talck all the transaction details by the phone but right now I`m in a military base, getting ready for Afganistan and for this reason I will not have access to the phone for the next 2 weeks !
PICTURS ARE AVAILABLE IF YOU WANT ! JUST TELL ME AND I WILL SEND YOU THE PICS !
I’m waiting your answer !
———————————————————————————————-
Hi again,
I have received your email regarding the 2003 Nissan Maxima SE with only 44,000 miles.
The car is in perfect condition,with no scratches on it,no damage, clear title.
The price for the car is $2,850 with shipping included.The car was my husband`s as he loved it very much, but he did not enjoy it as he died in a IRAQ 3 month ago. It brings very bad memories to me, I want to get rid of it.
The buyer will receive the car with all papers and receipts that he needs to register it to his name.
Shipping will be done whit DAS and it will take no more then 2-3 days. I have a friend there who will manage me a low price shipping and I assumed that it is my duty to pay for shipping it.It will be delivered directly to your address.Anyway, I have to let you know that I want a fast deal so if you are really interested in buying it,please reply with the following information’s:
-Your full name;
-Your shipping address.(street,city,state,zip code)
The transaction will close only through eBay so we both will be protected.
I want eBay because as they are the biggest company on the Internet I think that we can close this deal fast and safe for both of us. Also I am not very familiar with the Internet transactions and eBay is the only one I know.I will look for your email,so that we can move forward with this deal!
Let me know.
Regards,
Amanda
I am so glad I found this website with your very helpful information. I had just found the truck I was looking for, a 2001 Ford Ranger Edge, on the San Francisco Bay Area Craigslist. The price of $2656 was fantastic. I emailed the seller, and I received an email that was identical to the one you listed above. I thought the whole Ebay Protection Program scenario sounded suspicious, so I searched online and found your website. Now I will be able to avoid getting involved with this scam. Thank you!
Thank you so much for your information. I found the truck I was looking for as well! He priced it so low because of his close date of deployment. It was practically the same e-mail as yours. I immediately asked if this was real and asked him to send me some facts or statements to assure me that this is real. He had replied with an attached file of his passport, social security card, and a blank check and mentioned that the proof of identification will prove that he’s real. But it still seemed pretty odd and fishy. So I looked things up on google and found some help thanks to you. He too said he was about to be deployed to afghanistan and gave me VIN along with other “facts” on the truck. He said he was located in Massachusetts. Buuuut when I received copies of his identification, they all showed residence of California. I will immediately flag the post right after I send this to you. Again, thank you for sharing your fraudulent experiences to help others including me with our own concerns.
Sincerely,
Carlos
I went trough the same situation and as my mother said “if it is too good to be true, might not be what you’r think” and my gut feelings were sooo right. So here I found this site and in addition, even more information I needed. Well… I decided to her and posted her e-mail that is not different from the others. Although, this is spreading to Puerto Rico but the pictures are taken in the US, that made me more suspicious, the add on Craiglist said 55,000 miles , the pictures said another mileage and the e-mai stated different ones. I reported it on craiglist as froud, and also alerted the local News.
E-Mail Sent on 12/3/10.
Hello,
First of all I would like to thank you for your interest in my car. This 2004 VW Beetle GLS-Turbo Convertible with 60,000 miles runs and drives excellent. This car has been extremely well maintained with a full service history. It has no leaks or drips and does not smoke at all. I am the first owner of this car with a clear title free of encumbrances and liens. All regular maintenance was performed at an authorized garage.
I have dropped my price to $2,589 (purchase price), since this is an Urgent Sale! At the moment I’m stationed at Nevada Air National Guard from Reno/Tahoe IAP(ANGB), making final preparations before deploying to Afghanistan. If you’re interested to conclude this purchase in a timely manner email me your name and shipping address to open a case with eBay’s Buyer Protection Program and they will contact you to explain the entire procedure. The financial part will be managed by them, which means that you will have a 5 days inspection period before committing to buy the car. In this way both, buyer and seller are 100% covered during the steps of this transaction.
For more details and pictures click on this link: https://sites.google.com/site/vwbeetlegls/
Thanks and hope to hear from you soon.
—
Col.(Dr.) Helen Gilbert
Reno/Tahoe IAP(ANGB)
Nevada Air National Guard
152nd Airlift Wing
PS. On the pictures of the 2004 Nissan Maxima there was some pictures and two of the show the face of a men taking the pictures to the car, I also noticed that he was in a small dealer near or at an Industrial Park area, therefore its a man using females names. It make me think if he’s using clients information for this scam.
This is a great website, in that it would surely help in detection of these fraudulent people. But my question then is, could you please advice on how or where to get a fairly used car online? I want to buy a used car and ship home for my mum when I get to the US in January. Thanks.
Wow. I’m so glad I found this information. Apparently, this scammer has not stopped his/her attempts to scam unsuspecting buyers. The deal sounded too good to be true which prompted me to do some research. Good thing I followed my instincts. I found the post on Craigslist Orange County and will attach the email response I received which is word-for-word identical to the one posted by Manuel. I will be reporting this individual to the proper authorities in hopes that no one falls prey to this unscrupulous person.
From: gilberthelen1@gmail.com
At: 4:19 AM (4 hours ago)
Hello,
First of all I would like to thank you for your interest in my car. This 2004 VW Beetle GLS-Turbo Convertible with 60,000 miles runs and drives excellent. This car has been extremely well maintained with a full service history. It has no leaks or drips and does not smoke at all. I am the first owner and I have a clear and clean title for it, no liens or loans ready to be signed and notarized on your name. All regular maintenance was performed at an authorized garage.
I have dropped my price to $2,589 (purchase price), since this is an Urgent Sale! At the moment I’m stationed at Reno/Tahoe IAP(ANGB), Nevada Air National Guard / 152nd Airlift Wing making final preparations before deploying to Afghanistan in the next two weeks. If you’re interested to conclude this purchase in a timely manner email me your name and shipping address to open a case with eBay’s Buyer Protection Program and they will contact you to explain the entire procedure. The financial part will be managed by them, which means that you will have a 5 days inspection period before committing to buy the car. In this way both, buyer and seller are 100% covered during the steps of this transaction.
For more details and pictures click on this link: https://sites.google.com/site/vwbeetlegls/
Thanks and hope to hear from you soon.
—
Col.(Dr.) Helen Gilbert
Reno/Tahoe IAP(ANGB)
Nevada Air National Guard
152nd Airlift Wing
I just found another scam on the San Francisco Bay Area Craigslist. It was for a 2004 Ford F150 pickup, fully loaded, at a ridiculously low price. It’s the same scam, with the seller saying he is about to be deployed in the militay and he is offering to ship the vehicle. I emailed the seller, and here is his reply”
Thank you for your interest in my 2004 FORD F150 LARIAT 4X4 TRUCK FULLY LOADED!
The general condition of my truck is excellent,very well maintained, no damages and no mechanical problems, no electrical issues.I do have the title clear, under my name.
Features Include:
*Mileage: 108,100 miles
*Warranty: Vehicle does NOT have an existing warranty
*Title: Clear
*Condition: Used
*For sale by: Private seller
Features:
*Body type: Pickup truck
*Engine: 5.4L V8 FI SOHC
*Exterior color: White
*Transmission: Automatic
*Fuel type: Gasoline
*Interior color: Tan
*Drivetrain: 4 Wheel Drive
*Disability equipped: — Cab type (for trucks only):Extended cab
The truck is in MERRICK, NY and in case it gets sold I will take care of delivery.
Price was reduced to $2,600 (URGENT SALE) as I need to sell this truck in two weeks becasue I will leave with my platoon in another mission outside US.I’m US amry member
and now US Army give us the chance to buy some shares at BNSF RAILWAY.Co at half price and for this reason I need a fast transaction.
In order to sell my truck , I will complete the deal only using an authorized third party like US Army Shopping & Safety Service. This service was made only for US ARMY members to helps US Army memebrs to sell goods online !
I’m waiting your reply if you are interested to close the deal with me and I will let you know how we will do this transaction!
Thank You!
SSG Brian Shane King
United States Army Corps
One team, one fight
I will attempt to report this scam to our state fraud office, and to Craigslist as well.
Yet another Craigslist scam! Here’s the email:
Hey,
I have a low price ( $ 2,700 including delivery to your home address ), because I want to sell the suv very quickly. My husband died 2 months ago (he had a heart attack) and I have bad memory here, I along with my daughter decided to sell the house and we moved to my sister in Nebraska. I want to sell the truck, because was to my husband’s and I have another car. Unfortunately I can’t conclude this transaction personally because my work involves a lot of travelling but I left everything prepared for the sale. If you are really interested in purchasing, please email me with your details (name and address) for the shipping.
Thanks
Alicia Harmon
On Mon, Jan 10, 2011 at 4:41 AM, Kelly Graham wrote:
Hi,
I saw your ad on Craigslist for the 2004 Ford truck. The price looks good, and I’m interested in buying it. Your ad says Call Me, Ask For Alicia. But there is no phone number. Please give me your phone number so I can call you and ask a couple of questions about the truck. Thanks,
Mr. Graham
Napa
This is starting to look like a pretty common fraud. Here is the second scam I have discovered on Craigslist just today.
Hey,
This 2002 Ford F-150 King Ranch is in perfect working condition. Title Clear. My husband was recently promoted so we had to move in Houston,TX. We brought the truck with us, but my husband received a new car from the company. Besides, there are a lot of things which have priority now, so, this car has to go. As you probably noticed, the price is rather low $2,700 for you if you will buy it today or tomorrow. Due to the fact I am very busy with my work and I don’t stay too much at home, I have the vehicle sealed at the shipping company ready to be shipped out will take 2-3 days and it will be free,my previous buyer(his loan did not get approved)already paid for it and the shipping company didn’t want to refund him the shipping fee. So you will not be charged for shipping!. If you are interested, please email me with your details (name and address) for the shipping process.
My best wishes!
Angela Griffin
Here is another version:
From: gilberthelen1@gmail.com
Date: Wed, 2 Feb 2011 15:29:31 -0800
Subject: Re: 2004 VW Beetle GLS‹—•([ – $2585 (maryland )
Hello,
The vehicle is well maintained, no damages or scratches. I recently moved in Glasgow, MT with my new job and I have the vehicle here with me. You will inspect the vehicle before the payment will be made. The shipping and insurance are included in the price because I won a promotion at Alpine Auto Transporters(1 free shipping). You will also receive all necessary documents in order to finalize the purchase. I am selling the vehicle under market value because I need to pay the bank. Email me back if you’re interested and have further questions.
Specs: 2004 VW Beetle GLS-Turbo Convertible //miles: 60,000 //Engine: 4 – Cyl. 1.8L L4 PFI DOHC //Color ext/int: Blue & Gray //Transmission: Automatic //Non-Smoker //Garage Kept. All regular maintenance was performed at an authorized garage.
For more details and pictures click on this link: https://sites.google.com/site/vwbeetlegls/
Thanks,
Helen Gilbert
PS. Sorry for the long email I’ve tried to touch all bases.
I was excited when I found the first few vehicle sale scams on Craigslist, thinking they were unique. But now I find them every single day. They’re pretty much the same: selling a vehicle for thousands if dollars below its actual worth, promising to ship it to you, a sob story about having to sell due to various scenarios, many of them involving a serviceman about to deploy overseas, the insistence on using eBay or Google checkout and Western Union. This is quite an industry, and unbelievably, people actually send money to these fraud operators every day and then wonder why they never received a vehicle. I have heard that many of the scam operators are in the country of Romania, which would explain the errors in English in almost every ad. Well, buyer beware!
Great article. I too got a similar email as Kelly. Note the poor English though. Buyers beware…
———————————————————
From: “Moran Charles J”
Hi,
Thank you for your interest in my 2004 JEEP WRANGLER RUBICON AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION 6CYL!
The general condition of my jeep is excellent,very well maintained, no damages and no mechanical problems, no electrical issues.I do have the title clear,no liens, under my name.
The car is already at the USArmy – Military Auto Transport Dept for POV(Private Owned Vehicle) in MERRICK ,NY.
Price was reduced to $2,700 (URGENT SALE) as I need to sell this jeep in two weeks becasue I will leave with my platoon in another mission outside US.I’m US amry member,and now US Army give us the chance to buy some shares at BNSF RAILWAY.Co at half price and for this reason I need a fast transaction.
Because it is a large transaction we will complete the deal only using an authorized third party like Google Checkout, using their Buyer Protection Program. The payment will be handling by the Google Checkout and you will benefit of 5 days inspection period (test drive) and the option to accept or reject the jeep on my expense.
I’m waiting your reply if you are interested to close the deal with me and I will let you know how we will do this transaction!
Mileage: 68,224 miles
VIN: 1J4FA69S64P788451
Transmission: Automatic
More pics and the copy of the clear title bellow :
We almost fell for the Charles Moran Jeep scam. Thank You so much for posting. I guess if something seems too good to be true, It is.
Ok this is sad…. and they still at it here is one i found:
VERRY CLEAN AND NICE 2004 Toyota Camry XLE,V6 AUTOMATIC,leather!!



ONE OF THE BEST CAR IT’S THIS CAR WHITE WITH ONLY 105,645 ORIGINAL MILES !
MORE OPTIONS FOR THIS CAR !PERFECT CONDITIONS ,NEVER INVOLVED IN ANY ACCIDENT ! I’M WAITING YOUR QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE !
JHONDGMK@GMAIL.COM
WATCH’EM HE’S CLEVER
•it’s NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other
I was surprised when I first discovered these car sale scams. But I have since learned that they are constantly present on Craigslist, every single day. It’s always the same scam. Somebody is selling a vehicle at a ridiculously low price. If you contact the seller, you will receive a letter saying that the seller must sell the car so cheaply because: they are getting a divorce, they are being deployed to Afghanistan, they have bad memories of the vehicle because their son was killed by a drunk driver, they just moved to a new state, they took the vehicle overseas with them, they work on a cruise ship, etc. They then want you to send them money via Western Union, after which they say they will send you the vehicle, free shipping, as it is already crated up and ready to go. I can’t believe that people actually send money to these scammers, but they do, every day. You can easily find these scams, any time. Go to Craigslist, cars and trucks for sale.
In the “Minimum Price” box, type in $2600. In the “Maximum Price” box, type in $3000.
In the “Search For” box, type in a recent year, such as 2008 or 2007 or 2006 or 2005.
You will then see a list of late-model vehicles with prices between $2600 and $2999. Every single one of these ads is a scam. If you reply to the seller of any one of these vehicles, you will soon receive a sob story email. Try it!
I just had the same experience but being older and foolish I fell for the scam and sent $2100.00 to who knows where. I’m still trying to get my money back. They were using the same senerio of being shipped to Afganistan. Beware, beware, beware………….
HERE GOES ANOTHER FRAUD…… THNK U 4 THIS WEBSITE… THEY ALMOST GOT ME BUT THNX 2 THIS WEBSITE I WONT BE THE NEXT ONE GOT… SO BEWARE…. BEWARE…. BEWARE… Thank you for your interest for my car. I bought this car for my son but he passed away too soon to enjoy it. He died in Kandahar. The car will be my gift, my gift in the memory of my son … Money is not a problem, all I want is to find the right person who will love and take care of this car. You may wonder why I ask this small amount for this car. Well, the fact is that I decided to ask this amount only as a protest. This is exactly what we received as compensation after my son died serving his country. No more or less!!! This car is in excellent working conditions, no scratches, flaws or any kind of damage in 100% working and looking conditions. The price is not negotiable, $3,200 firm. The car is in already at the US Army – Military Auto Transport Dept for POV(Private Owned Vehicle) in MERRICK ,NY, in case it gets sold I will take care of shipping. Let me know if you are interested, email back.
VIN: 19uua65505a014201
Mileage: 59,945 miles
Body type: Sedan
Engine: 6 Cylinder 3.2 Liter
Exterior color: Black
Interior color: Black
Transmission: Manual
Fuel type: Gasoline
BEWARE…… BEWARE……. BEWARE……. BEWARE……. BEWARE…….. BEWARE……… BEWARE…… BEWARE……. BEWARE……. BEWARE…….. BEWARE…… BEWARE………
HERE GOES ANOTHER FRAUD…… THNK U 4 THIS WEBSITE… THEY ALMOST GOT ME BUT THNX 2 THIS WEBSITE I WONT BE THE NEXT VICTIM… SO BEWARE…. BEWARE…. BEWARE
Mark J. Dugann
http://allentown.craigslist.org/tid/2392892846.html
sale-mnzc8-2392892846@craigslist.org
VIN: 19uua65505a014201
Mileage: 59,945 miles
Body type: Sedan
Engine: 6 Cylinder 3.2 Liter
Exterior color: Black
Interior color: Black
Transmission: Manual
Fuel type: Gasoline
BEWARE…… BEWARE……. BEWARE……. BEWARE……. BEWARE…….. BEWARE……… BEWARE…… BEWARE……. BEWARE……. BEWARE…….. BEWARE…… BEWARE………