[Jukebox-list] !!!! POSSIBLE ONGOING CRAIGSLIST SCAM !!!!

[Automatic Music]

I recently responded to a post on Craigslist offering
a Wurlitzer 1500 in Delaware for $1000.00. I asked if
the machine was still available, and if so, when could
I could come to look at it. Delaware is close to
Baltimore, so I thought I'd take a ride. Besides, the
photographs of the machine looked pretty good. I was
pretty sure I'd bring it home.

Later that day, here is the email I received from
mwbbr at yahoo.com:


Hi,
Thank you for your email. I still have it for sale.
Right now i am gone in my honeymoon in Hawaii but i
hope that`s not going to be a problem because i can
still handle the transaction. When i left in my
honeymoon, i left the item along with several other
items in the custody of The Online Outpost because i
wanted to sell them on eBay when i return, but
something came up back home, something wrong with my
mom and i decided to sell this one before i get back
but not on ebay because i need to sell it faster. So
if you are still interested let me know because i can
make the transaction immediately. Just let me know and
i will explain 
all the details of the transaction...
Thanks


Right away I smelled trouble, and so for grins I wrote
him back saying that I couldn't possibly pay for a
machine that I haven't seen, especially when it was
that close by (actually I HAVE paid for machines I
haven't seen-- but that's another story, and the owner
USUALLY knows WHERE the machine is, ISN'T in Hawaii
"at this time", has some known credibility, and sends
me his personal information beforehand). I told him
that if he could tell me when I can come to see it,
that if all was good I'd buy it right there and take
it home with me. I think I even said something about
how I found it incredulous that he didn't know where
the machine was, but I don't remember. At any rate,
here was mwbbr at yahoo.com's overly wordy, and somewhat
I would guess intentionally confusing reply to me:


Hello again,
As i said in my first email i will explain how The
Online Outpost works because i want you to be clear on
every aspect of this transaction. They are one of the
best eBay selling services. You simply drop an item to
one of their stores or they pick it up from your home
,you find a buyer and they will take care of the rest.
When i went to Hawaii i left 4 items for sale in their
custody, they picked them up from my home so don`t ask
at what store, or where the item is exactly because i
don`t know...as long as they are handling the shipping
and handling i don`t care where they are. I forgot to
mention that the shipping is included in the price of
sale. They offered me a discount on shipping because i
am selling a large number of items and i can afford
that. 
So basically they have the item insured and ready for
shipping. As soon as i will have your shipping details
i will send it to them and they will start the
transaction. They will email you with an invoice and
payment instructions. You will have to send the
payment to one of their agents by following the
payment instructions. Then you will send the payment
details to them, they will validate the transaction
and will start the shipping ASAP. If you will have
questions you can ask them directly. 
Unfortunately the pick up is not possible because this
is an urgent sale (like i said before i intended to
sell this on eBay when i should have returned from
Hawaii but due to some recent problems back home i am
forced to sell it now). The Online Outpost suggested
to offer a return policy because my offers would
substantially increase so i am offering a 10 day
guarantee. This eliminates the pick up option but you
will have the time to inspect it and decide if you
want it or not. If for any reason you decide not to
keep it, they will give you a full refund and will
return the item on my expense.
So if you agree with this terms and decide to proceed,
then i will need your full name and shipping address
in order to start the transaction.
As soon as i receive this details from you i will
forward them to The Online Outpost exactly as you sent
them.
Thank you


After this, I wrote back and told him it was for the
Conference room of the Maryland State Police Barracks,
I never heard another word.

By the way, what's he doing in Hawaii with so many
problems at home? :) 

John D. Rutoskey
Automatic Music Machines
Baltimore, Maryland
 



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