Milton resident avoids potential scam

This is the check Milton resident Kim Sumner says she received that's $1,400 more than the $300 she was asking for a treadmill she was selling on Craigslist. [Special to the Press Gazette]

MILTON — Selling something on Craigslist? Milton resident Kim Sumner says an overpayment could be a scam.

Sumner was trying to sell a treadmill for $300. She placed it on Craigslist and received an email from a user saying he would pay full price and would send a truck June 6 to pick it up.  

“I was thrilled,” Sumner said.  “I thought he was valid.”

Sumner said she received an email from the same person asking for her address and then another one asking for her to text him. Sumner sold the treadmill to another individual when that person offered her cash in person. Sumner sent an email to the original user saying it had been sold. That's when things began to get suspicious.

On June 16 Sumner received a priority envelope in the mail with no paperwork except a check for $1,730.00 dollars stating nothing but "Re" plus the name of the Craiglist user who initially offered to buy the treadmill.

Sumner had been expecting a check for one of her investments and it wasn't until she noticed the name on the check that something stood out to her as being odd. Through research, she discovered that it could be a scam and notified the local police.

“I called the police department in Milton and they advised me to shred the check,” Sumner said. 

Captain Mike Cline, Milton Police Department said the particular scam referenced happens a lot.

The scam begins with the potential buyer saying a check will be mailed to the seller, sometimes for more than the asking price. In this case, the buyer sent $1,400 more than the original $300 asking price.

The scam artist may give an excuse like citing a secretarial error and ask for the seller to cash the check and wire the overpayment back. Once this happens and the check turns out to be fake, the seller is out the money sent.

Here are some red flags on Craigslist scammers:

  • A seller is marketing a household item and receives response from a buyer offering more than what it’s worth.
  • A seller lives a significant distance away and the item is not collectible.
  • If it’s too good to be true, it probably is.
  • You question the buyer and they respond in a ‘nasty’ manner.
  • It’s important to remember the scammer wants to be believable, so it may be difficult to detect in the language of the email.

Here are some tips to remember when placing an ad on Craigslist:

  • Never put up personal information such as phone numbers, personal addresses, or personal information in the ad.  This is a good way for scammers to steal information and to use it against you.
  • Never give out your phone number or street address to suspicious emails.  A good rule of thumb is to have the person give you a contact number and call the person.
  • Never give financial information to anyone requesting it online via Craigslist. Always meet in person and deal in cash or use a secured form of payment such as PayPal so you don't have to reveal your credit information to the seller.
  • When in doubt, take it down.  If you feel like your ad is being hit by a scam artist, take the ad down and create a new one.  
  • If you suspect a scammer, report it to Craigslist immediately.    

This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Milton resident avoids potential scam