Craigslist remains a top target for scammers on both sides of transactions. For sellers: fake payment confirmations and overpayment checks. For buyers: listings for things that don't exist, especially rentals and vehicles.
About this scam type: Suspicious buyers or sellers on Craigslist
ScamRadar verdict: likely-scam · Risk score: 76/100
Buyer email: I'm a missionary currently in Africa and very interested in buying your motorcycle for the full asking price. My assistant will mail you a cashier's check for $5,500 — please deposit it, keep your $4,200, and Western Union the remaining $1,300 to my shipping agent.
The cashier's check is fake. Banks credit it provisionally, you wire the 'shipping' money, and 5-10 days later the check bounces. You owe the bank the full check amount.
If you wired the money, contact Western Union (1-800-448-1492) or MoneyGram (1-800-666-3947) immediately to request a transfer freeze — recovery is possible only if reported before the recipient picks up the funds, usually within hours. Contact your bank to report the fake check; they may freeze your account or pursue you for the funds when the check bounces. File at reportfraud.ftc.gov, FBI IC3 at ic3.gov, and report the listing to Craigslist by flagging the original ad if still up. If you deposited the check but did not wire money, freeze your account and refuse to release the deposited funds. Document everything: every email, the buyer's address details, the check itself (front and back), and any tracking numbers.
Legitimate Craigslist buyers do not pay by cashier's check, money order, or wire transfer for local items, and never overpay then ask for a refund. Cash in person is the only safe payment method on Craigslist. If you must ship an item, use a platform with buyer/seller protection like eBay, never accept overpayment with refund requests, and never wire money to anyone you've only emailed with. Cashier's checks take 5-10 business days to fully verify, even after your bank shows the funds available.
No. Cashier's checks are the most common Craigslist scam payment method because banks credit them provisionally before verifying with the issuing bank. Verification takes 5-10 business days, by which time the check is exposed as fake and you owe the bank the funds.
A buyer sends a check larger than the asking price and asks you to refund the difference by wire to a 'shipper' or 'agent.' The check is fake; your wire is real. When the check bounces, you lose the wire amount plus owe your bank the bounced check.
Call Western Union at 1-800-448-1492 or MoneyGram at 1-800-666-3947 immediately. Recovery is only possible if the recipient hasn't picked up the funds, usually within hours of sending. File reports with the FTC, FBI IC3, and your bank.
Cash only, in person, in a public place (many police stations now offer designated 'safe exchange zones'). Never accept overpayment, never wire money, never ship before payment clears. For shipped items, use eBay or a platform with seller protection.
Flag the original listing on Craigslist. File at reportfraud.ftc.gov, FBI IC3 at ic3.gov, and the Postal Inspection Service if mailed checks were involved at uspis.gov/report.
Last reviewed: 2026-06-24 by the ScamRadar editorial team. We update this page when scammer tactics change or when official agencies issue new guidance.
ScamRadar · Blog · Scam Database · Is It Legit? · About