you think?!?

what gave it away?
-the email address at mail.com?
-or that the machine's located nowhere near either him or you?
-or that you're in jersey, the machine's in buffalo, and he's calling from a pennsylvania area code, and referring you to a number w/ a texas area code?

Almost everything on Craigslist is a scam. Everytime I list something I have to deal with all the idiots wanting to trade me something or low balling the hell out of me, and then all of the damn scammers. Don't buy a pinball.machine or anything for that matter off of craigslist unless you can go to the persons house and pay them and haul it away.

honestly, good looking out for folks. just having' a lil fun with ya

Yeah, stick with Kijiji if your going that route. Its not perfect but a lot better than Craigslist for sure.

adams, your post is clearly a scam.

Scams abound! Remember that routed Hobbit being offered in the $5's? As if!!

or that guy local to me promising to sell me his dirty harry at some point, and then, not?

I was checking that out as well. Once the "seller" replied the pin was in Buffalo I knew for certain (as opposed to the 85% certainty before). Of course, a quick check of the Buffalo CL showed no AFM. Seriously, just stupid.

I'm gonna be pissed if I get there after a 5 hour drive and there is no machine!!!

This thread isn't a bad idea, though I suppose it is up to you to update the initial post through with any other confirmed scams to keep a quick "active" list.

There was a $4500 AFM on CL last week that was legit. It was faded and had insert wear so the price was probably rigjt given condition

I suppose he'd only need a deposit, right?

Looks like a throw away number from TextNow. When in doubt, do a carrier lookup (https://freecarrierlookup.com) to see if it's linked to a free phone number service.

I too replied to this guy’s Craigslist Ad, and I was also confused when he didn’t ask for money. He said they’d even drop it off if I paid for gas. Given it was a 6 hour drive, I said sure and that I’d pay in cash.

Morning of, the scam finally becomes obvious.
first (resized).png

Ok, so he wants me to send money to someone I know in Texas. I’m assuming they plan to use a fake ID to claim to be that person. But I don’t know because I didn’t feel like going to Western Union to get a receipt to play that part out.
second (resized).png

I’m particularly a fan of the SpiderMan spelling of ‘lose’.
SM (resized).png

He isn’t excited about me asking for another photo:
third (resized).png

But he agrees and sends this.
oakland txt (resized).png

Of course you, the astute reader, will notice some odd things about this photo. Here is a larger version for you:
Oakland (resized).jpeg

Why is it backwards you might ask. And why don’t the colors match the side art from the photos from earlier in the thread. But you’re not going to stop there.. you’re going to Google “Ideal Cleaners” and find out it’s in Okland, because you’re on Pinside and what else would you do? (Or, that’s what I did… I grabbed a picture of the cleaners for use later.)

Time to figure out this Texas thing…
why texas (resized).png

Ok, this is just bizarre… I have to do actual work, so I’m going to stall.
stall (resized).png

As you can see, I tried to draw him out with the ATM idea, but he didn’t really take to it.
atm (resized).png

Maybe I should have said I didn’t have time tonight and punt it to tomorrow, but I’m frankly getting bored.
So I use the line “I don’t think he’ll make it in time" to deliver the killing blow
cleaners (resized).png
You'll note that this is the cleaners that was in the background of the thumb's up shot.

He doesn’t take it all that well and sends me an NSFW picture I’ll spare you the picture of the large dong he sent me. Suffice to say, he wasn’t pleased.
dong (resized).png
the end (resized).png

He then tried to call me, but I felt it was best not to answer.

Now that was funny.

The sad part, as we all know, is that somehow...people fall for this shit somehow. Boggles the mind.

I have to admit by the time DallAs and western unioning your wife got brought into it...well I kind of felt like he deserved some kind of money just for coming up with a web of confusion so stupefying that it deserves recognition.

I recently put a wanted ad on Mr Pinball. Talk about scammers coming out of the woodwork!

Funny, but use a throw away number for scam-baiting. Google voice is great for it.

This was amazing....ahaahhah wth.....

Great story, you got me having a good laugh and after a 14 hour day at work I needed it. Thanks--Mike

send a picture of western union receipt
and you get all the info right there with sender and wire number while somebody makes a fake id with the name and goes get the money.

with that horrible grammar hard to believe people fall for this!

very funny! it was bitd in grad school last time i heard the term "gaylord"

I once used Payoneer to pay for a NIB Jurassic Park from a new poster on Pinside.

Let's all get "Concretized" tonight!

Holy laughter.
I needed this. Hobby is pissing me off lately ( I was looking forward to GOTG, not Metallica 2).

Like this dude!

Homebodies (resized).jpg

I'm being hit by a scammer as I type......

They sent a text asking if the item was for sale, I say"yes" then a couple hours later with no questions, no pics, nothing asked about the item....The send "I need your full name and address. i'm paying by cashiers check. I'll add $50 for keeping it in my favor."

I txt back.."No worries, I'll hold it for you!"

Them..."I need your full name and address to mail you payment."

Me..."Just bring payment when you pick it up."

Me again.."I'm not really understanding.....You come,You look, Then you pay,you leave with the item. Why would you send me a check? If you need me to hold the item? I will!"

It's an Indiana number, Which doesn't mean anything.

I tried calling them twice, with no response.....Since I think It's a scammer? I have nothing better to do alllllllll night but to call and leave messages.

Try lookup up the carrier for the number:

http://freesmsgateway.info/

If it's a random free texting service, it's likely a scammer.

In the voicemail I can't quite make out what it's saying. Google x subscriber, or Global x subscriber. Something like that.

Added... I looked it up on the link you posted. That's a cool link!! Here's what it says...

Google/Bandwidth.com (SVR)

Wireless was N

It's a Google Voice number. The service can be used for legit purposes.

I have one. Was going to port one of my other phones to it, but never did.

LTG : )

I really hope this wasn't a person just wanting to buy sight unseen. With no questions or pics....I highly doubt it. If not their phone is going crazy right now!! haha.....Voice mails and constant calls, texts back after back for minutes at a time.

A guy answered one time and said" why do you keep calling" I said" I just wanted to know if you were going to buy it or not? He said I didn't text you!" Well, I never asked him if he txted me. I just asked if he was going to buy it or not.

I can't help it....I always have to mess with the scammers if I can. I have nothing better to do tonight. haha

The pic of the AFM appears to be an old pic of TJ Beyer. Not coincidentally, TJ has a location on 14th St.

Better yet, post the number to us so we can have fun too.

I would...But I wasn't sure if the number that showed up was the number used. Use to be able to call someone and another number would show up. Like prank a friend and have the police stations number show up. as example.

They got about 60 calls back to back from me, and about 200 text messages in a row about 3 a second...Then I got tired of playing around.