If you go read the SCAM stuff that craigslist provides you will not wonder anymore. It is a typical scam letter that they WARN US ABOUT. I spend time on craigslist looking around at cars, trucks, & parts.

 

I got the same scam from a CL ad I placed for some 427 factory cast iron headers. I exchanged a few emails with the guy, he didn't come right out with the overpayment offer in the first email however. Here's his final email to me:

"Hello Dan,

Thanks very much for your response if you care to drop me a line you could call me on my number and if you didnt get to reach me please drop a message and I would get back to you 425-906-3556, I would want to tell you that I accept your offer for $1250 but I am willing to pay you that price and the reason I am sending you this email is to make final reconfirmation for the purchase of the goods, also to let you know that payment will be in certified cashier's check. In view of this I need you to email me any information that may be required to send the payment as I do not want to send the check to a wrong location or they get into the wrong hands and I hope you would understand that and I also want you to know that I am very much in need of the item and I would do everything to get the check sent to you as soon as possible and I hope you wouldnt take that for granted . Regarding the shipping, I have a company that takes care of the pickup of my consignments for me and ship to my destination in the U.S.A, you do not have to worry a dine about shipping, the company will send down a representative very lose to your region to arrange the sales documentation and the pick up from your end for onward transfer to my destination.

I also want to alert you on the fact that you will be receiving an overdraft check, which will cover the money for the pickup (pickup and shipping to the final destination) which is meant to be paid to the company that will take care of the pickup and the documentation with you. So please, as soon as you receive the payment, just take it to your bank immediately for processing, deduct the money that accrues to you, and send the balance to the Head Office of the company that handles the shipment I shall get you their contact information as soon as you get the payment.The check will be in your name to make it easier for you to receive payment, please reconfirm your details one more time.I will give you the details of the company that will be shipping the Item as soon as we seal this deal. Once the money is received by the agent ,the shipping agent will contact you immediately to arrange the documentation as well as the pick up immediately.So in view of the above, here are some of the details I will need for final issuance of the check to you.

(1) Full Name of the beneficiary
(2) Mailing address, no P.O Box please
(3) Your direct telephone number both home and cell.
{4} Accept my offer ?

I shall instruct my Lawyer to mail you this payment once you get back to me with all the above information I need to have the check mailed to you and the check would be made payable to the beneficiary right away and I would let you have the tracking to the shipment and bear in mind it's going to be the next day air delivery so you are going to have it as fast as you could ever expect, the check will be issued out immediately and it will be sent to you .Hope to hear from you immediately.Looking forward to your swift response.I will also be offering you extra $25 for keeping the Item for me till the shipper comes for the pick up and I would be sending the heck through an express courier service which would not deliver to a P.O Box that's why I said you should provide your residential address. I would want to hope this be an itch free transaction and I would be very grateful if you could comply to my mail.

Regards
Hillary"

And my final response to him:

"Thank you so much for your very wordy response, I
really was in need some entertainment this morning.
However, you should know that I am well aware of the
scam you are offering to perpetrate on me and while
it's tempting just to string you along and waste your
time, I believe I'll instead simply turn your
correspondence over to proper authorities for
investigation and move on, I have better things to do
with my time. So kindly **** off."

So just remember...if you suspect it may be a scam, it probably is.

 

Rule#1 when they can't spell or write anywhere close to good/proper English it is a scam.

 

The we need to issue a warning about FTE. There are apparently several scams in many of posts I have read (tried to read).

 

I'm still waiting for that same Nigerian prince to send me the check for 3 million dollars