Scam info: snoopdoggydoggyworld@gmail.com becomes Michael J Holness

This is one example of how a scam works. You get an email response from something you are selling on craigslist. In this case, the scammer uses two email addresses. The email came from snoopdoggydoggyworld@gmail.com. When I reply to that email, an auto-response came from Michael J Holness wdc.apt.movein@gmail.com. Here is how it went:

<snoopdoggydoggyworld@gmail.com> wrote:

Am interested in the deal. So what is your best price.

Thanks

Sent  from my Verizon Wireless Smartphone.

Noting that he didn't mention the specific item for sale, I'm pretty sure it's another scammer. I click reply, remove the craigslist links at the bottom of his email, changed the subject slightly, and put in the rely that the best price is several thousand dollars.  (The original asking price was couple hundred dollars.) 

The automated reply, now coming from a different email address said:

Mr Michael J Holness <wdc.apt.movein@gmail.com> wrote:

Thanks for the prompt response i want you to know that am okay with the condition of the item and i will love to make an instant purchase. I will be mailing (overnight) a certified check from my account to cover the cost, while you hold item on my behalf, am willing to give an extra $40 for you to hold item till you receive payment. Once you have payment, I will have my handler come for pickup at your place as soon as check clears your bank. I will be needing the following information to issue out the payment . .

1.Name to be on the check
2.Home Address
3.Telephone
4. Final Asking Price

** Please note that the payment will be mailed overnight via the courier to your address and its bound to delivered within 2 to 3 days. I have taken a closer look at the item and am very satisfied i really need this and would appreciates that you help hold this for me till the payment arrives. Furthermore do remove the posting from CRAIGSLIST as am definitely buying it from you. Hope to hear from you ASAP

Sincerely

Mr Michael J Holness

Now, I go back to the original email and click on craigslist link that says:  If this email is a scam or spam please flag it now:
http://craigslist.org/mf/7248ce05b0bcb7778cda80109283aecd.8
(I do this in the hope that craigslist actually do something about scammers.)

Then, I reply to his second email. I give him the fake name from my fake email address. (I use a fake email address when I sell anything on craigslist. I recommend you do the same.) I give him the address of a business that has recently closed. (In my case, when I was out of state, I noticed an Asian market that was out of business because a larger Asian grocery store had popped up. So, I gave him the address of closed store.... and the phone number of the open store. I thought this perfect. Most scammers live in Nigeria and they are not easy to understand. So, the scammer sends his fake payment overnight to a closed store. Then, if he moves on to the second phase of his scam, he calls a grocery store where their accent completely conflicts with his and nobody can understand the other.

In the end, the scammer pays for overnight shipping to the United States. Then, if he tries to call me for the next step of his scam.... he's out of luck.  It takes me a few minutes to reply to emails, cutting and pasting my fake info, closed stores, etc. By the way, if you want to mess with these criminals and like my idea of a closed market.... you can google the following phrase: yelpers report this location has closed asian market. You'll get tons of results. Grab an address of one of the closed markets. Then, get the phone number of an ethnic grocery where their accents are difficult to understand. 


By the way. I don't recommend you actually do this. It's a waste of time and may not really make a difference. Personally, I should have just stuck with creating this blog. It's made me happy that it's helps so many people. Currently, I am getting around 60 visitors a day when they google a scammers info. 

Finally, if you want to mess with these scammers and they go the paypal scam method. Don't bother. I haven't found an easy way to waste their time or make them pay for something. 


------

His response:

Mr Michael J Holness <wdc.apt.movein@gmail.com> wrote:

Thanks for sending the requested Information for payments. Additional
funds for pick up charges as quoted by my movers will be sent along
with your funds on a single check, you are to pay the movers via
Walmart Western union or Money Gram after check clearance with the
additional funds, I am i  no rush with you as I will await bank
clearance before we proceed further once you received the payments.
Payments will be out through Express Post and you should get it at
your address in the next 2-3 days, you can delete the advert today and
consider it sold to avoid interruption by others, then write me back
so i can proceed with payment ASAP.

I will await your response asap.

Regards

Regards