Oldest Scam...

buttaflai

I successfully sold one of my wedding dresses on oncewed.com and am in the process of selling the other one.Just wanted to throw a word of caution to anyone else doing the same. I can't believe people still try to run this scam, but apparently they are.This "chick" emailed me for the dress and asked for it right away. She said she'd send the check and once I received it, I should send the dress. While the check was en route, she emailed me and told me that the check was made out for too much because her fiance was careless. She asks me to mail her back the difference. Duh, do I look like an idiot?Anyway, just wanted to remind everyone to be careful. I am reporting the situation this weekend and have contacted oncewed about the email address in question so they can take action on warning other girls.Use paypal.

buttaflai

Forgot to mention the amount she wrote the check for was conveniently $1200 more than the sale price.

louisvillebride21

My roomate and I get this every single semester when we order our books online. She fell for it the first time...

MissSarah786

Wow, that's really bad. I had never heard of that one. Personally, I can't believe people fall for it.

lyndausvi

It's sad that people fall for that.  In this day and age who is so 'careless' as to overpay by $1200? 

ggmae

Someone nearly scammed SIL in a similar way. He was suposedly from out of the country and "hired" her to nanny for his children after he moved to the US in a few months. He sent her a check to buy video games for his kids and then told her to send him back the difference in cash. She ALMOST fell for it - she bought $300 worth of video games, but returned them and got it taken care of when DH and I talked to her.  We could not believe that it she never thought to herself "Hmm. If he will be here in a few months with his children, why cant I just hold on to the video games until then? Why does he want me to send them to him?"Several people tried to scam us on Craigslist when we sold our washer and dryer. I cannot believe some people!

ggmae

Sorry, that should have said that he wanted her to send him the video games AND the left over cash. Yup.

buttaflai

crap, gg. She was fully invested in that one considering she was going to be a "nanny". Glad you stopped her.The girl ignored me when I told her that I'm not moving forward with the transaction and wrote, "my wedding is the 14th this month!"I don't know any brides who buy their dresses within weeks of their wedding from an internet stranger. I am mailing back a middle finger graphic.

ggmae

Buttaflai - After we got a few scam emails, I just deleted them and blocked their email address. I refused to deal with them again. As for SIL, even MIL had no idea it was a scam. When DH contacted her, she didnt understand what he was talking about. But after some convincing, she called the bank and figured it all out for SIL.

polichik

Off-topic, but buttaflai, I LOVE how your bridesmaid dresses looked. You've totally inspired me! Gorgeous wedding overall.

taralynn88

This happened to two seperate people I know while they were trying to sell stuff on Craigslist. Definitely a popular internet scam. Thanks for the info.

notquiteblushing

This happened to my friend.  She listed a property to rent out on craig's list.  Guy emailed her.  Was moving from London.  Seemed legit.  "Accidentally" sent her the wrong deposit but gave her some story and she fell for it.

missy68

sheesh. I'm thinking the most we've overpaid like the power company or cable was like $10.... My grandmother would fall for something like this. It's why my mom has online access to her account and POA, etc. When we sold our duplicate washer dryer on Craigslist last year, then-BF (now DH) required cash only. Guy picked it up here at the house and since he wasn't here, he had a male friend come over to help and "assist."Crazy fools.

ggmae

Missy - In our CL ad for our W/D we said "To be paid for in cash; pickup ONLY" so when people started emailing me and mentioning cashier's checks, I knew they hadn't actually read the whole listing.

niffycat

This happened to me also using preownedweddingdresses.com. A girl contacted me asking about the dress. At first she sounded legit, then started talking about how she would send me extra money to cover any extra costs, and could I send the difference back. I said no, reported her to the site. Apparently she was well known to the webmasters of that site for scamming their clients. she uses the same name, but creates new emails every time she gets reported and her email gets blocked.I got the impression that she had successfully pulled this on more then one person, as the email said something like "We are so glad you figured out her scam prior to any money or dress was exchanged. We are very sorry that this happened, and we will block her current email to prevent her from using it to attempt to scam someone else." Which made me think some of her comlaints came after they realized they had been ripped off.

Bubbalub

I must live under a rock or something because I've never heard of this scam. I'm glad you posted this buttaflai. I totally hate people sometimes.

smokeybailey

This is such an old scam.  Long ago (like 20 years ago almost), I worked at Pizza Hut and we had a location that was forever ordering pizzas and giving the drivers a $50 or so check for a $20 and asking for the change.  Supposedly the parents had left it or whatever.  My drivers would always do it because they would get a nice tip.It was so irritating because the checks would bounce and I would tell the drivers not to accept the checks.  We finally just put them in as a "no deliver" location.  I see that people have taken it to a whole new level now...

missy68

GG, yeah, I think ours said something like that, too. He got a hit within minutes of putting it up.Of course, I think he sold the set for like $150.

jfgrad06

My story is a little different, but still just as shiiitty. I was trying to sell some books from my college courses on FB Market Place when it first came out. I had the books listed but no price. It was a "give me your best offer" type of thing. I just wanted to get rid of them.Well some guy e-mailed me and said he wanted the books. Strangely, he wanted ALL of them. Some of them were 'old' editions as the college had gone to a new edition, but I thought I'd try to sell them anyway. And even stranger, he didn't offer a price or ask what I wanted for them. He just wanted me to MEET HIM to give him the books. He told me if I couldn't meet him then he wanted my address so he could 'just come by and get them.' Uhhh? WTF FB killer?

ricksang

Grad, that is scary! Rapist!

rhodesign

I've never heard of this either! Crazy!So did her check bounce, or are you sending her the dress? I take it that's how it works, right?--they send you a bad check and ask for the difference back so that way you get nothing and they get your money?

jfgrad06

You got that right rick! DH (then BF) was like "LET ME TAKE HIM THE BOOKS!"...but I wasn't trying to let him become the crazy murderer. FB got a lovely message from me about that whackjob though.

angie74

I sadly know people who have fallen for that. it's so stupid.

buttaflai

Sorry I all of the sudden had a bad coughing attack last night and left.poli - thank you!jfg - holy crap, that is creepy. I'm so glad you didn't.rho - no, I didn't deposit or send anything... yet. I am going to print a middle finger graphic and mail it back