I can’t believe the amount of reader e-mail I keep getting. For a small site like this, it’s a lot. I don’t mind at all. I’m just glad that people are becoming educated about craigslist scams.
The following comes to us from Martin who was trying to buy a car off of craigslist…
Hi there. I am glad I stumbled upon your site. I just wanted to post the worst craigslist experience I’ve had. Overall, I do get good experiences but this time was a run with a major con artist who advertised a vehicle for a price that was a bargain but not too cheap where it seemed too good to be true. In fact, he answered his phone and was ready to show the
vehicle and his ad said he had the pink slip.
I brought 6k in cash with me and met this seller who really played the part well as a rich early twenties kid who needed the money fast to fix his primary vehicle. I test drive the car and ask him if I could have a mechanic down the street take a quick look. This was not part of his plan
but he agrees. I then ask him about the pink slip. He states to have left it at home (he now claims that his brother posted the ad for him)..and we could drive the car together and get the pinkslip at his house. While the car was in the shop, I told him instead of waiting, lets go get the slip…he agrees.. but once in my car, he demands the cash upfront and I resist. I believe his accomplices were worried on what’s taking him so long. He freaks out and tells me to turn around and cancel the deal.
I am puzzled as to why he cancelled. I went home and lo and behold, I googled the name of the registered owner and turns out to be an older couple! The wife of the owner had a blog on myspace venting that their car (the car I was buying) was stolen that same morning.
Turns out the crook responded to the owner’s sale ad and stole the car pretending he was going to test drive it but took off before the owner could get into the passenger side.
Seems like I foiled his final attempt to swap the vehicle for cold hard cash that I had. I am shocked as to what my fate could’ve been if I did not delay him and took him to where he wanted me to take him. I could’ve been robbed, ambushed or shot just for my cash. I am working with law officials now to apprehend. We have surveillance and prints ready and ill keep you
updated on our results.
Thank you, Martin. Hopefully, now more people will be wary when buying a used car from craigslist and hopefully ask the right questions like you did.
