How would I know if a check is fake/scam

[Kev07]

i made a post on craigslist selling my stuff, a guy offered to buy all of it but he won't do paypal, only send a check via mail. now I know that this sounds like a complete scam, but what could go wrong if i just take the check, and wait for it to see if it goes through whatever before i ship out the goods?

 

[howardalex]

do you guys have postal orders in america?

 

[Throttle]

(a) I've bought/sold stuff by online classified & personal checks this way and it's worked out fine. but that was before Paypal got big.

(b) I've had friends scammed, even using paypal. The bigger the purchase / sale, the more suspicious I get.

(c) there's such a thing as escrow services but they're usually quite pricey.

(d) nothing wrong with your solution so long as the buyer agrees to that. but would he?

howard>> yeh, we usually call em money orders. USPS definitely has 'em. good discussion on the wikipedia, oddly enough: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Money_order

 

[howardalex]

(a) I've bought/sold stuff by online classified & personal checks this way and it's worked out fine. but that was before Paypal got big.

(b) I've had friends scammed, even using paypal. The bigger the purchase / sale, the more suspicious I get.

(c) there's such a thing as escrow services but they're usually quite pricey.

(d) nothing wrong with your solution so long as the buyer agrees to that. but would he?

howard>> yeh, we usually call em money orders. USPS definitely has 'em. good discussion on the wikipedia, oddly enough: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Money_order

ah that's cool, may be a good idea because it'll clear more quickly than a cheque

 

[DJDamage]

Ever heard of a certified check??

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Certified_check

 

[howardalex]

Ever heard of a certified check??

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Certified_check

thinking along the same lines....how about a casheir's cheque? or are they just for much larger sums of money?

 

[penkitten]

believe it or not, but money orders and certified checks can bounce too.

 

[Throttle]

yeh...though if you cash a money order at the post office it will apparently either clear or bounce right away (according to the wikipedia article. i've never dealt with them.)

 

[Kev07]

so... what should i tell the guy?

i'm thinking i'll just tell him to mail me the check, once it clears i'll send him the goods.

 

[Kev07]

his emails are really suspicious let me post them up
-Dear seller,
I'm potential buyer of all types books and accessories and i saw
in the business directory that you are also prospective seller of
the same.In your favorable reply,i should like you to include your
cataloger and price quotation list,make a categories statement as
regard the system of placing order.I want you to do the estimate of
4 MBA Applications Related Material,am paying with check
do the estimate of the i terms and send me the cost.
Hoping to read from you as soon as possible.
Regard from:*******

-Hi ,you want to buy all of the books?

-thanks for your responds,reply me back for the total amount of the book,and
the full information to send the check,i will be looking forward to hear
from you.

-you don't do paypal? you want all of the books? i'll get back with a price in a few hours, i have work right now

-thanks for your responds,i don't pay through pay pal,pls relpy back to me
about the total amount and the address to send the check right,will be
looking forward to hear from you.
best regard
*******

-i dont have harry potter 6 anymore, but ill give you all of the books for 175+shipping

-thanks for your responds,you can now reply me the address to send you the
check.



note: 175 would be fair, but really leaning towards good gains on my end, i put a higher price to see how he would respond. everything is telling me this is a scam, but can't hurt to see if the check goes through right?

 

[Skilla_Staz]

I'm guessing he's foreign and his responses are translated. Thanks for the responds. Tee hee.