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Originally posted by Wayne2001

I had 2 inquiries about 2 banjos I have listed. Each from someone called Yi XU wanting to send me a cashiers check. The fist one using the user name goattwo and email reasonmore231@gmail.com. The 2nd one from Yi XU also wanting to send a cashiers check
using the user name pioneerray, email heritagefarhdma231@gmail. Looks very much like scams to me.

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May be related...

https://www.banjohangout.org/topic/388522

I had the same thing happpen within the last hour a new member: saka001 with this email zenturaywater12@gmail.com
BE AWARE BHO Members!

Same here….Yi Xu wanted to know if my banjo was still available. I didn’t respond.

YiXu’s accounts have been locked. Good work!

If it was me, and a cashiers check was sent, I would wait until this check was deposited and cleared before I shipped anything.

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Originally posted by wrench13

If it was me, and a cashiers check was sent, I would wait until this check was deposited and cleared before I shipped anything.

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I can pretty much guarantee you that the cashiers check is going to be fake.  It will credit to your account in a few days, but about three weeks to a month later the bank is going to claw back the money they credited to you, as they will get notice from the bank that the check is not valid when that bank reconciles their accounts.  I would not accept any cashiers check unless it was issued by a bank local to me that I could walk it into and find out if it is valid or not.  The cashier check scam is a pretty well known one, and has been going on for at least 20 years.  I used to collect these checks, never deposited them or sent the item to the buyer.  Most of the time the buyer will send you more than you are asking for the item, and ask you to send some of the extra back to them.  They are only interested in getting a slice of the overage, and don't have any interest in your item.  I used to send the buyers one of the fake cashiers checks I had received from another buyer, and I wouldn't hear from them again.  Your bank is not going to be happy with you if you deposit that check.

We've been having a rash of spammers who join in the middle of the night, gather a bunch of information on items for sale and start e-mailing folks as quickly as they can.

I check the new members at about 6: 30 a.m. every day and usually find several who are suspected spammers and continue to check at various times through the day and into the evening. 

Be sure you vet anyone who is brand new to the site and wants to know if your "item" is still for sale or wants to send you a cashier's check and have the "item" delivered to someone else.

Caveat Emptor or in this case, seller beware.

banjohangout.org/my/Texasbanjo

Please see the account I posted previously in this thread. They just emailed me. Thanks for keeping BHO safe and secure!

I've come to the conclusion that the next time I post an ad here for a banjo to sell, I'm going to include this text:

"This item is for sale only to those who have been members of the banjohangout or mandolin cafe for six months or longer. I will verify your membership (and you must have a posting record) before dealing with you. All others will be ignored."

This may unintentionally screen out a few bona fide potential buyers, but works for me.

I will also request payment via U.S. Postal money orders (which can be issued in denominations up to $1,000). These can be taken to the post office and verified before cashing.

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Originally posted by J.Albert

I've come to the conclusion that the next time I post an ad here for a banjo to sell, I'm going to include this text:

"This item is for sale only to those who have been members of the banjohangout or mandolin cafe for six months or longer. I will verify your membership (and you must have a posting record) before dealing with you. All others will be ignored."

This may unintentionally screen out a few bona fide potential buyers, but works for me.

I will also request payment via U.S. Postal money orders (which can be issued in denominations up to $1,000). These can be taken to the post office and verified before cashing.

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I don't know that would stop any spammers, but it's definitely worth a try.    

We're still receiving reports this afternoon about spammers.   Guess this is their weekend to howl an they're howing all over the hangout.  Luckily, I don't think it's doing them any good.   We have some very smart sellers on this forum. 

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Originally posted by J.Albert

"This item is for sale only to those who have been members of the banjohangout or mandolin cafe for six months or longer. I will verify your membership (and you must have a posting record) before dealing with you. All others will be ignored."

 

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Many sites have a "minimum number of posts" requirement before any "advanced" functions can be used.

I might reword the disclaimer to simply say -

"Online buyers must be BHO members with a posting history".

Spammers often create accounts that stay "dormant" for a while...

I find it interesting that they dont use a different, Americanized name, espcially if the package is shipping within the US. 

FYI: We're still getting spammers trying to sell banjos. I locked out 2 this morning. Be careful, vet the seller before you lose your money on a bogus sale.

Had a gracious invitation to Export directly to mainland China from here on the hangout. Tsk, Tsk.

"Online buyers must be BHO members with a posting history".

I think that's a bad idea. The pot is still stirring the spoon.

Sherry, is there any way to add a sticky on the classified listing and buying pages to warn newer members about the scams and how to spot one? Some of the new folks may not browse the forums and see the posts about the scams going so a little warning to them would be nice. It seems that the scammers are getting worse despite the best efforts of the mods and general membership.

There's been a sticky on the Swap Shop for ages and ages about spammers. Go here: banjohangout.org/topic/383114.

A lot of people just don't look at the stickies and definitely don't read them or we wouldn't have so many posts about spammers.

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Originally posted by Texasbanjo

There's been a sticky on the Swap Shop for ages and ages about spammers. Go here: banjohangout.org/topic/383114.

A lot of people just don't look at the stickies and definitely don't read them or we wouldn't have so many posts about spammers.

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Thank you. I must have looked in the wrong place.

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Originally posted by Banjonewguy

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Originally posted by Texasbanjo

There's been a sticky on the Swap Shop for ages and ages about spammers. Go here: banjohangout.org/topic/383114.

A lot of people just don't look at the stickies and definitely don't read them or we wouldn't have so many posts about spammers.

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Thank you. I must have looked in the wrong place.

I'll post that sticky on the Shopping Forum, too.  Maybe more people look there than at the Swap Shop. 

The portion of people that even use the forums at all is tiny. The portion of people that 'browse' the forums rather than just click the 'most popular' and 'newest' links on the splash page is even smaller. Most people using the marketplace don't use the forum at all.

There should be a warning right on the main marketplace page, and probably a warning when you send PMs from a marketplace link. But that's something Eric would need to do, not the mods.

I just got the same thing xixu all they want is pics

just tell the buyer you accept only cash on pickup or bank wire transfer … that should probably do it

I actually do only accept USPS money orders. That eliminates scammers….

It also mght help if it was required to mention and provide a link to a listing in Swap Shop.

Oh that cashier's check scam is all over Craigslist - You post an item, agree to cash sale, and three dudes show up at your house waving a "cashier's check." Bye!

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Originally posted by Wayne2001

I had 2 inquiries about 2 banjos I have listed. Each from someone called Yi XU wanting to send me a cashiers check. The fist one using the user name goattwo and email reasonmore231@gmail.com. The 2nd one from Yi XU also wanting to send a cashiers check
using the user name pioneerray, email heritagefarhdma231@gmail. Looks very much like scams to me.

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A verified scammer. Stay away.