Scam on Craigslist, while trying to buy rv

[mayble]

I am allergic to dogs, but I love them so. I wish I could go in and get a shelter pup, but I cannot due to allergies. I have to have a dog that is close to hypoallergenic as it can be. I am looking for a yorkie because they have hair and not fur.

Yorkie rescues are overflowing with abandoned pets who need homes, just like all the others.
Start with Petfinder

 

[Gypsysoul]

Yorkie rescues are overflowing with abandoned pets who need homes, just like all the others.
Start with Petfinder

Ok ty I will try that

 

[DesertDweller]

Ok ty I will try that

There are a few ways to determine if it's a scam ad.
1. There's only one picture on the ad
2. The price is ridiculously low for comparable RVs
3. There is no phone number, only an email copy and paste
4. They have minimal descriptions about the RV, and they're vague
5. The title may have weird, nonsensical lettering in the title.
After awhile, you'll be able to spot them immediately. How do I know this? I've been looking for quite some time for an affordable RV, too. They are out there, but searching a few times a day helps me, because I see the ad within a few hours of when they were listed, thus bettering our chances of finding one and nailing it when the price is right. Yep, it's very frustrating, to say the least, but I know that when it's the right one for us, we'll eventually get one. 
Much luck to you, and keep trying! 

 

[hanesworthy]

In addition to the excellent tips ^ from DesertDweller above, here's another sure tip off: when they respond with some excuse about Craigslist not properly forwwarding their email responses to your question, or bouncing back the photos they supposedly tried to send, all aimed at the same thing: send me your direct email so we can communicate directly without Craigslist screwing things up. That is pure bunk.

They know their chances of scamming increase once they get off the Craigslist system, mainly because as soon as their scam ad is flagged for abuse/removal, they can no longer continue talking with you. If they have your direct email address, they can keep working you.

In addition, they can and do sell email addresses to other scammers.

 

[DannyB1954]

Yorkie rescues are overflowing with abandoned pets who need homes, just like all the others.
Start with Petfinder

I have not heard of some dogs having hair and others fur. I think the allergies have more to do with their skin, (dandure). 
Yorkies are little pissers. It is hard to housebreak a male. They want to mark everything.

 

[Gunny]

Selling on Craigslist opens up ones world to meet some new type of people. I have been offered $500.00 and take payments to $3000.00 and I send the balance back. I've been flagged twice, no idea why, just someone playing games I guess. After explaining to the low ballers that this is not a fire sale, I don't need to sell it, just thought someone could use it and I won't, they leave me alone.

I may keep it if it doesn't sell this week, I found a Casita and a way to have a double hitch and mount both my mobility scooter and a lightweight trailer.

 

[KathyJO]

Same thing happened when I was selling a dining set on Craigs List...  guy lived in PA (or so he said), he didn't need to see it.  Explained convoluted way including me receiving his check with additional shipping charges added and a "freight truck" would pick up my dining set and then I'd pay the freight truck driver LOL,  OMG --- I said "NO THANKS"... and suggested he buy a dining set closer to home and blocked him.  He also traveled for work.  Whatever!

 

[Dandelion_Puff]

The scam RVs on Craigslist are indeed rather annoying since they keep cluttering up my search results. They're painfully obvious for the most part (only one or two pictures always of only the exterior, vastly underpriced newer model RV, utter lack of description--some of them even photoshop their email over the photos in order to prevent the email from being captured by Google and showing up in searches, not to mention I'll often see the same supposed RV residing in Philly, Harrisburg, Baltimore, and Pittsburg all at the same time). I don't bother to flag them, though, because it's frankly not worth my time. They'll repost the next day, and the next. You might as well try to empty to ocean with a bucket, honestly. The only way the scams will ever stop is if people stop being dumb enough to fall for them.

There are lots of legitimate RVs on Craigslist, though, at least around here. I've looked at several that weren't scams in any way and talked to a number of other perfectly legitimate sellers.

Now, on the subject of getting a puppy (which I admittedly know way more about than getting an RV, lol), avoiding scams there is super-easy. Just put "yorkie breeder" into Google (possibly include your state to get more nearby results). Any breeder worth your time and money will have a decent website all their own where they proudly show off their dogs and tell you all about how and why they became breeders. They will also provide contact information and happily answer all your questions. I'm not actually sure how this could be confused with any scam, since no scammer would build a website like that, and I never encountered any scams when I was looking for a puppy breeder (unless puppy mills count as "scams").

Also, will people PLEASE stop acting like you can just walk into a shelter and rescue a healthy example of a desirable breed? I put a tremendous amount of effort into that route and found it completely impossible, at least where I live. All the shelters have are pit bulls. Like, literally that's all they have. The private rescues who do have desirable breeds get dozens of applications for each dog and then make ridiculous demands on potential adopters before deciding who they will gift with the privilege of paying an "adoption fee" nearly equal to what my breeder charged for a well-bred, health-guaranteed puppy. Yes, I do live in the northeast. How did you guess?

Huh, judging by the rant I just spewed I am still incredibly furious over the attitudes of most northeastern rescue groups. I would say a good half the people I meet in my area with purebred bought puppies went that route for the exact same reasons I did too. Meanwhile healthy, desirable dogs are euthanized in the deep south every day. Maybe I should give more thought to pursuing my own dog rescue ideas once we're full-time in the RV...

 

[GotSmart]

I have never before put someone on the "ignore" list from the first post I have seen.  

It is better than ranting.  

Please, if you see a scam, report it.  Make their life as difficult as possible. IMHO, scammers should be regulated to a world without internet.

 

[ColdBrook]

All the shelters have are pit bulls. Like, literally that's all they have. 

I immediately guessed you were in the northeast when I read your post about all the shelters have are pit bulls...that is exactly what I found when I tried to find a dog through local shelters about 10 years ago.  There was NOT even one dog at the shelter(s) that wasn't at least part pitbull...I was shocked.

 

[Crow]

They're happy to harvest phone numbers as well as email addresses.  They often do have a phone number but it probably won't be a local area code.

And if a Craigslist ad clears all of DesertDweller's checkpoints, and you get to the point where you can meet with a real life human at a public place and pay cash for a vehicle in person, then you have the whole title fraud scam industry to worry about.

From VMR Auto Guides:
RED FLAGS FOR BAD TITLES
There’s probably no way to be 100% certain that you have a proper title, but there are some signs to look out for. The red flags should start flying if you see any of these conditions. More than one of these is particularly troublesome.

• The vehicle has an out of state title
• The vehicle was recently brought in to your state, and has just been issued a new title
• The vin plate attached to the car shows signs of tampering, or is obscured from plain view
• The vehicle’s history does not confirm what the seller has told you
• The lines and text on the title are not razor sharp

 

[DannyB1954]

I went to petfinder and looked at Maine. About half the dogs may be some mix breed pit. So that still leaves you a pretty good choice. https://www.petfinder.com/pet-search?location=maine&animal=dog&breed=&distance=25

 

[wayne49]

This is a scam. This same trailer has appeared on craigslist before with a different gmail address in the photo. I am going to play with them using a throwaway email address.

$1,000 for a 2004 Loadrunner tandem axle with E brackets!

http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/tro/5924097291.html

 

[hanesworthy]

This is a scam. This same trailer has appeared on craigslist before with a different gmail address in the photo. I am going to play with them using a throwaway email address.

$1,000 for a 2004 Loadrunner tandem axle with E brackets!

http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/tro/5924097291.html

Of course it's a scam, but it's not worth the hassle and the risk.  Most of these scammers are far more experienced at this game than you will ever be, and there are many sad tales of folks understandably but naively deciding to 'play with' them or 'teach them a lesson.'  This can and does routinely backfire.  Don't kid yourself.

There is more than one entire forum dedicated to turning the tables on these scammers, and their first rule is not to even engage them unless you are very experienced and can be certain you are operating behind VPN and other security tools to keep you anonymous from those who are expert computer hacks. Are you experienced enough to make sure your 'throwaway' email address has zero breadcrumbs back to you from other uses, and that your computer IP address is completely masked via a bullet-proof VPN?  Tracing average folks is kids stuff for many of them, if they are motivated.  Think long and hard before you give them any motivation.

Remember, most of these folks are technology experts first and foremost, and this is definitely NOT a game for them.

 

[DannyB1954]

When I play with them, (to use up their time), I stay anonymous through Craigslist. Ask them questions that they will have to think up an answer for, and don't ask all the questions in one e-mail. I used to love the detective show Columbo starring Peter Falk.

 

[TrainChaser]

ColdBrook: "I immediately guessed you were in the northeast when I read your post about all the shelters have are pit bulls...that is exactly what I found when I tried to find a dog through local shelters about 10 years ago.  There was NOT even one dog at the shelter(s) that wasn't at least part pitbull...I was shocked."

It isn't just the Northeast -- it's many places.  The Pit fighting breeders are all over, and they breed their dogs like rabbits, but only keep the most aggressive pups; and then they unload the rest by turning them loose, giving them away, or turning them into the local shelter as 'found' dogs.

Local shelters seem to have a new game they're playing, at least here in the PNW:  They take in all the normal dogs that are turned into them, euthanize the unadoptable ones, and then they turn most of what is left over to the BIGGEST rehoming operation in the region.  Here, this is Seattle Humane.  This transfers the expenses to someone else.

The ones they keep are the pit breeds that don't seem aggressive, a few short-haired cats, and the animals that the big operation doesn't really handle:  rabbits, chinchillas, rats, ducks, chickens, etc.  This keeps their expenses down, even though they still get the same percentage of taxes through the county.

The chances aren't great for getting a decent, well-mannered, healthy purebred rescue for a low price.  If you have a purebred rescue (multiple breed) in your general area, they usually don't have a facility, all their pets are living with volunteer fosters.  They've learned from experience that cheap dogs tend to be throw-away dogs.  If you want a purebred, you'll have to pay.  Your best bet online may be PetFinders at https://www.petfinder.com/  They have a decent enough reputation, but be sure to CYA.

If you find a dog on Craigslist (etc), be sure to have it scanned for a microchip, as many of them are stolen.  And be sure to follow all of the above tips for scams that can possibly be applied to pets.  If they can be, they will be.

BTW, Yorkies have been bred so small that they now often have built-in health problems, like lymphangiectasia, portosystemic shunts, and keratoconjunctivitis sicca.  Buying a dog from a REPUTABLE breeder can be cheaper than buying one at a lower price and having to deal with health problems.

 

[akrvbob]

Lets stay on topic. Dogs make great threads, but this thread is about Craigslist scammers. You'll need to start a new one to talk about dogs.