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Old 12-09-2018, 01:38 PM   #1
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Name: corvetteguy
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Why so many scams discussion

I am a newbie and just started shopping for a Scamp or Casita. It is so shocking to me to find so many craigslist scams. Really.... who would spend thousands of dollars without walking in the trailer. Also, the reason for selling seems to be the death of a spouse.
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Old 12-09-2018, 02:05 PM   #2
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Originally Posted by garyhall View Post
I am a newbie and just started shopping for a Scamp or Casita. It is so shocking to me to find so many craigslist scams. Really.... who would spend thousands of dollars without walking in the trailer. Also, the reason for selling seems to be the death of a spouse.
Reposting overseas, divorce, etc.
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Old 12-09-2018, 03:00 PM   #3
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Could simply be that demand exceeds supply. I guess some vulnerable victims get a little too desperate in their search for a rare find and try to lock it in before someone else sees it and grabs it. Perhaps too trusting of the general goodness of mankind, too. Makes them an easy target for scammers, and the Internet is a perfect platform for running such scams. A perfect storm, of sorts....
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Old 12-09-2018, 03:30 PM   #4
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I doubt they expect anyone to fall for the scam to the point they part with money. I expect once someone replies and the scammer gets a live email and/or phone #, they have what they hoped for.
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Old 12-09-2018, 04:18 PM   #5
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Because it's human nature to want a bargain, the best bargain.

We had a young man here on FiberglassRV a number of years ago... I can't remember his name, that lost his inheritance from his Grandmother to a Craigslist scammer. It was heartbreaking to read his story...
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Old 12-09-2018, 05:05 PM   #6
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If it seems too good to be true it most likely is.
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Old 12-09-2018, 05:30 PM   #7
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Why scams? Because they work. Even if its only a tiny percentage who take the bait, even if it's not thousands but say, a $250 deposit to hold a trailer... repeated over and over.

Why molded fiberglass? Demand exceeds supply and long distance purchases are common.

The stories are carefully calibrated to tap into universal sympathies and fears: military service, death of a spouse, a child with a terminal illness,...

Most are painfully obvious to a discerning buyer. As long as you are patient and don't let your heart get out in front of your head, you'll be fine.
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Old 12-09-2018, 07:46 PM   #8
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Originally Posted by garyhall View Post
I am a newbie and just started shopping for a Scamp or Casita. It is so shocking to me to find so many craigslist scams. Really.... who would spend thousands of dollars without walking in the trailer. Also, the reason for selling seems to be the death of a spouse.
Because it is so cheap for scammers. Used to be they had to at least pay postage.

All scams are based on people wanting something for nothing, the "too good to be true" syndrome. Greed basically.

With the cost of creating a scam posting so cheap, they don't need to catch many suckers to make it oh so profitable.

FWIW, I have bought several trailers, motorcycles and other expensive stuff long distance, including sending a deposit. I never expected to get some deal of a lifetime/something for nothing, so I haven't been burned, yet......
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Old 12-09-2018, 08:05 PM   #9
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I see scams on Craigslist for all sorts of things some price in the low $2000s with a text number in the picture.
Ads for tractors etc all too low with texts (usually).
I guess that they look for someone to buy into the scams looking for a deal.
I usually flag them when I see them.
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Old 12-10-2018, 12:50 AM   #10
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Often Scams are discussed here to warn our friends about a scam. Hopefully it save a few people's funds.
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Old 12-10-2018, 03:43 AM   #11
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quite often people do sell their RVs due to the death of a spouse, parent, because of divorce, bad health, loss of their job, kid or grandkid in college, because they have to move out of the country or to a place where they can't park an RV, etc. Oh and there is the wife wants it out of here because its an eyesore project that I am not getting around to.

The first RV I purchased was on craigslist and it was from a couple who were selling it to pay their grandchild's college tuition. I went to their home, they were the real deal as was the kid going to college.

The second RV I bought on craigslist was from a man whose wife wanted it gone. He had bought it to fix it up but never got around to it. I don't think that was in the ad though but it did come up in the conversation before I went to look at it.

Real stories do draw people into scams. But real sellers who are legit also use those descriptions in their ads. It is always buyer beware but craigslist does have lots of the real deals posted too.
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Old 12-10-2018, 05:14 AM   #12
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they work the other way too....

I put up a sailboat for sale on Kijiji....then got an email from a guy on an oil drilling rig in Asia somewhere....wanted to buy it for his son...price was fine....just had to work out payment details.......sure!....I didn't reply
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Old 12-10-2018, 09:04 AM   #13
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Originally Posted by garyhall View Post
I am a newbie and just started shopping for a Scamp or Casita. It is so shocking to me to find so many craigslist scams. Really.... who would spend thousands of dollars without walking in the trailer. Also, the reason for selling seems to be the death of a spouse.
My feeling here is are they really scams, or are you that unfamiliar with the item you are looking at. Being totally knowledgeable on the item you are wanting to buy is 90% of getting a good deal and knowing what is right and what is not when talking to sellers. I've called many sellers on there bluff and most of them you probably don't want the item, because there BS becomes untrue. I've found most sellers on Craigslist are on the up and up, but many think there item is in top shape and in top condition and it's not. Yes there are scammers out there, but they stand out and the light should go off in your head and look elsewhere. Remember know what you are buying inside and out, ask led in questions and and see how the seller responds, know if there responses are correct and make sense. I would probably look on the fiberglass trailer forums for one vs. Craigslist, just a better class of sellers and many are just moving up to a larger trailer. Also visiting a fiberglass trailer rally will most always have one or two for sale, visit with those people and become familiar with what's out there.

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Old 12-10-2018, 12:41 PM   #14
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Great news everyone, I won Nigeria's lottery!

hmmm... I don't recall entering.

Be careful out there. Scanned & reprinted phony cashier check's have been a favorite. Also, somehow people are learning about transactions with pending wire transfers and submiting emails with fake wire instructions. Yes, these fraudsters may have ties to banks or dealers. Good luck retrieving a wire.

There are far more sophisticated email scams. Many pose as someone you do business with. A quick check is to examine their return email address. Drag your mouse over it. If not 100% sure don't click.

Yesterday, I was told the recent Powerball winners decided to share with me...
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Old 12-10-2018, 12:51 PM   #15
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Scams

The scammers are demanding a payment to hold the trailer so you can look at it.

These scams are also hooking a lot of people who are looking for home rentals or purchasing homes.
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Old 12-10-2018, 01:05 PM   #16
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Originally Posted by garyhall View Post
I am a newbie and just started shopping for a Scamp or Casita. It is so shocking to me to find so many craigslist scams. Really.... who would spend thousands of dollars without walking in the trailer. Also, the reason for selling seems to be the death of a spouse.

There's a sucker born every minute and scammers know it. That's why scams work so well. Even intelligent and wealthy people get scammed. Never ever send gift cards or money to someone until you have researched all options and the person. Go see the item. If it sounds to good to be true it is most times. My sister was scammed out of her home, money and all she had. Her sons told her it was a scam but she was gullible and is still dealing with the scammer. I could tell you stories of many that lost thousands because scammers are so good at what they do. We bought a vehicle off of ebay one time because my brother-in-law could go see it first. Otherwise I'd never have done it and no money changed hands until we got to the vehicle.
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Old 12-10-2018, 01:43 PM   #17
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On a related topic I get about three or four calls on my cell phone every day where a recording is played telling me that I can have my student loan or credit card interest reduced or forgiven. I used to "press 1" to tell the live person I am on the Missouri no call list. These calls are against the law. That makes the callers criminals. Yea, like I am going to give my name, date of birth, social security number and credit card number to a criminal.



Their latest trick is to use an automated phone dialer that sends a stolen phone number from your area to your caller id. Then the machine dials all of the phone numbers in a given prefix one by one. If you call back the number on your caller id you get one of your neighbors who doesn't know what you are talking about.
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Old 12-10-2018, 01:59 PM   #18
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Canada has a "no call list". The scammers are out of country so they use that list as a resource.
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Old 12-10-2018, 02:58 PM   #19
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I have bought a lot of these things. Always cash in person, in exchange for trailer and title in hand. Lots of interesting stories always requiring a quick response and usually requiring a long drive on short notice.
Every trip an adventure, even on the couple of occasions when I drove home with no trailer.


Generally same is true when selling... Cash in hand on delivery, usually at my location. I have delivered over a thousand miles one way with only a down payment. I also once sent a title with only a down payment.
Even though I have had a couple of sellers renege over the years I have never been actually burned on a deal.


"Trust but verify" works.

"When in doubt,don't" works pretty well too.
Never want anything so bad as to risk more than you are willing to lose.
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Old 12-10-2018, 06:59 PM   #20
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If the buyer is not going to bring you cash and many can't for reasons of financing, etc., the only other safe way is to go to where the buyer is getting his money from and have that place of business, hopefully and bank or credit union deposit that amount owed you into your account and when your account is funded they get the trailer,etc., but not until then. As far as cashier check in this day and time, it's a no go for me even you you get it from the bank where the buyer is getting his money, go for the direct deposit and protect yourself, plus make your bank aware of what is going on. They don't get the title either, they can see it, but not turned over until funds are cleared. If the buyer is a weak buyer then it many not work this way, sorry I guess they don't get my trailer.

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