Craigslist scam?

[DT86]

Tonight I received a voicemail to the Google Voice phone number I use for Craigslist. The caller wanted to buy an item I had listed some time ago, I actually thought the add would have expired by now. He stated he wanted to pay cash and could pick the item up immediately. Sounds good right?

Well, upon a little investigation the number he called from is a LA California number and is listed as belonging to a law firm, which has a web site and seems legit. The number he asked me to call back on is a Pasadena CA number. It seems odd that some one 2,300 miles away wants to buy something like my old lawnmower. Don't they have those in CA?

I've heard of scams where they send you bogus checks and things like that but paying cash puzzles me.

What do you all think of this? Scam or not? I haven't called back yet, don't know if I will.

 

[Steppenwolfe]

Listen to that little voice in your head...

 

[Pixguy]

How about agreeing to meet him at the local police/sherriff's office with the item at a time of your convenience?

Good luck, keep us informed.

 

[dave1949]

Are the CA phone numbers cells? We have a cell phone number that looks like any other Maine phone number unless you check the three digit exchange. (All of Maine is one area code.) If it is a cell phone number, they could be calling from across street and you wouldn't know.

 

[DT86]

Are the CA phone numbers cells?

The one he called from is the business line for the law firm. I called it back before I listened to the voicemail and a very nice lady answered the phone and said with out a name there was no way of knowing who had called me.

There is a way phone numbers can be cloned so that a different number shows on caller ID than the one he called from.

As for the one he asked to be called back on I have no way of knowing what type of number it is unless I pay $2.99 for the "full report". Didn't reverse look up used to be free? Seems like we used to use anywho .com and it was free.

 

[Midniteoyl]

What was the number?

Pretty sure its a scam though..

 

[dave1949]

We have a list like this:

Maine Telephone Exchanges: Maine Office of the Public Advocate

I don't know what CA may have. Google "California phone exchanges" and there are some results that may be useful.

 

[DT86]

What was the number? Pretty sure its a scam though..

I don't think I'll post that, just incase he is legit.

The number he "called from" was (213) 896-xxxx and the number he requested to be called back on was (626) 817-xxxx.

 

[94BULLITT]

I had a guy call me with a New York phone number about a compost bin I had on Craigslist for $20. He kept emailing and calling about coming buy but we never could get together on a time. We finally did and he was legit, he bought it. I also had someone with a New York number buy a set of tire chains for a mower. You never know this guy could be legit even though he has a California number:confused3:

I had a "spoof" app on my old phone. You could punch in any number you wanted and it would look like you were calling from it.

 

[Xfaxman]

How about agreeing to meet him at the local police/sherriff's office with the item at a time of your convenience?

Good luck, keep us informed.

I think this would be the best way to do it :thumbsup:

 

[tylertown]

see what happens! but common sense will tell you when to stop!!

 

[dave1949]

There are legit reasons why a phone and location may be very different. Some companies provide cellphones to employees. The phone and number could be from CA, but the employee works in NY, for example.

 

[Midniteoyl]

True.. and now with Google Voice, keeping your cell number when you move, internet phones, etc, its even more likely.. But still, why the original call from a landbased phone in CA then?

 

[dave1949]

True.. and now with Google Voice, keeping your cell number when you move, internet phones, etc, its even more likely.. But still, why the original call from a landbased phone in CA then?

Remote employee visiting the home office for a few days?

 

[DT86]

All right I'm going to call him back. If nothing else it will be a little fun.

 

[deepNdirt]

as stated, if it is a cell phone a person is using, it could be completly across country from where the number is listed,
I make it a practice when receiving inquiries and having left a tel# for me to call, to first find out where the number is from before calling, it can be easily done by using the Whitepages.com ( reverse number search ) sometimes I get luckey and it will even provide a name, if Both the number and name match up with the information provided in an inquiry I'll feel it is lagit and will reply, Many times I'll say something like I see your tell number comes up as a New York etc etc,, usually they'll say yeah! they got their cell phone service from while living in New York etc,etc, and never bother to change it to a local service after moving here,

Really though.... I don't know of a law which requires people to change their cell phone provider to a local provider when moving to another state, But with so many scams going on these days I'm sure such a law could be in our future,

 

[DT86]

as stated, if it is a cell phone a person is using, it could be completly across country from where the number is listed...

Understood, but he CALLED from a verifiable landline in LA.

I have tried calling him three times now and the call simply will not connect. I think it's due to my wifi being silly though and I'm surely not calling him on my real phone number.