Certified Check on craigslist?

Selling on craigslist and this person emails me saying they want to pay via certified check. Who knows a lot about it? They say they'll wait until it enters my bank account until they're shipping will come pick it up from my house. Scam? Or what?

what country?

always a scam. always.

in addition, they may make it for too much and tell you to send them the difference back. you may lose the item and the difference.

OLD SCAM.

cash only.

only deal with US customers

if you are mailing it to someone in the US, get a USPS postal money order.

available at ANY post office.

you CASH it at the POST OFFICE, then mail it.

ANYTHING, I MEAN ANYTHING you deposit into your bank or cash at your bank can bounce a week or a month later and you are screwed.

their email says Danville,VA 24541

Money Order through the USPS is the best means of payment. They have to be purchased using cash, debit, or travelers check. So there is no risk that the funds will be reversed. A money order is as good as cash.

It's within the realm of possibility that your buyer is legit. However, it's highly unlikely.

Option 1 - Tell him to pack sand.

Option 2 - Ask him what bank the "certified" check will be drawn on. If that bank has branches local to you, have him mail you the check. Take it to that local branch, ask them to check it's validity and cash it for you if it's valid. Once you have cash in hand, he can pick up the item or you can ship it to him.

Option 3 - Tell him you'll accept payment by "certified" check, but he'll need to wait 60 days after you deposit the check before he can pick up or you'll ship the item. This doesn't protect you from a fake check 100%, but it does get you to about 99% certainty that the check isn't going to come back from the drawee bank as counterfeit.

If he says anything about the dollar amount of the check being more than the sale, or the words "wire transfer", "Western Union" or "MoneyGram" are used, it's a scam.

Good luck.

Originally Posted by Penguin Koolaid

Money Order through the USPS is the best means of payment. They have to be purchased using cash, debit, or travelers check. So there is no risk that the funds will be reversed. A money order is as good as cash.

Unless the money order itself is counterfeit, which is very common.

Originally Posted by Xcelratr

Unless the money order itself is counterfeit, which is very common.

You're absolutely right, I forgot about that. It sucks we live in a world where we have to constantly question the legitimacy of those we do business with. As an honest seller, you have to bend over backwards these days to convince people you won't rip them off either.

Originally Posted by Penguin Koolaid

Money Order through the USPS is the best means of payment. They have to be purchased using cash, debit, or travelers check. So there is no risk that the funds will be reversed. AUS POSTAL money order is as good as cash.

Money Orders are faked and stolen all the time.

USPS - They cash it while you wait, transaction is done and irreversible.

Didn't realize this was out there for the public:

To verify a postal money order, call the Money Order Verification System at 1-866-459-7822. If you suspect fraud, call the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455 (select option 4).

The verification number was launched some time ago and was originally for banks to use to verify money orders. Looks like it's fair game for anyone now. Good stuff.

From here.

once again. don't deposit or cash a money order at your bank.

cash it at the post office.

they verify it there, cash it there, hand you cash, transaction is complete and not reversible.

craiglist should only be used to deal with people local to you, and you should only use cash.

i always asume its a scam when I try and sell things on craigslist and people want me to ship to them. Your from North Cal, why would someone from VA be looking at your area's listings to purcahses things?

if you really want to ship it, list it on ebay and go thru paypal or something

Originally Posted by glockman9c

once again. don't deposit or cash a money order at your bank.

cash it at the post office.

they verify it there, cash it there, hand you cash, transaction is complete and not reversible.

This. The PO will ask for your ID only to make sure the MO is made out to you. Then they'll make sure it's legit and give you the money. If the MO is for a good bit of money make sure you goto a bigger PO that will have the money, otherwise you can just verify the MO is legit and cash it elsewhere.

Originally Posted by Evidence

craiglist should only be used to deal with people local to you, and you should only use cash.

i always asume its a scam when I try and sell things on craigslist and people want me to ship to them. Your from North Cal, why would someone from VA be looking at your area's listings to purcahses things?

if you really want to ship it, list it on ebay and go thru paypal or something

and this.

Oh and a USPS MO has a limit of $1000, so if you're selling something for more than that the buyer would need to send multiple money orders.