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How to Spot a Scam

Friday, June 6, 2008

New Scammer Murphy James

From: Fellow Craigslist user

Scammer Name: "Murphy James
Scammer's Email: mtycx3@hotmail.com

Here is a new one From: "murphy james"

Tactic Used: Hit and run. Once follow up email fails this scammer simply goes quiet.

I have posted an item 4 times over the last year. 4 time I have gotten the exact same inital and followup e-mail no matter what my responce is. When I refuse to use his method of payment "while i will love to send your fund via alertpay"... he dissapears.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

This guy is trying to scam me also from some jewelry wanting me to set up an account through Alertpay. I told him I only take PayPal or cash and asked him where he is located. Now he wants to send me a cashier's check and my full contact info! Told him paypal only needs my email. I had another one I found 2 weeks ago, jacktman. I forwarded his scamming things on to PayPal. You all just made me feel alot better! Thanks!

Unknown said...

Here is another example of Murphy James responses:
Hello,
Thanks for the urgent and swift reply to my mail.l am interest to purchase the item urgently and i would like to proceed with payment cause i am buying this item to present my Friend as a gift for the xmas coming soon,Can you attach picture any other picture to view so l can forward it to him to view ..My form of payment we be via(AlertPay) you can read more about AlertPay at www.alertpay.com ..it is safer and secured way of paying and it is Not to delaying transaction.To proceed with payment,l will need you to register with AlertPay as member, or your full contact address so that i can proceed to order for your payment immediately ,But once i receive your message.So, after registering with AlertPay for the payment to commence all i need is your payment Name and your full email address or full contact address and you will also included your phone number to provide to the alertpay when sending your money. so the payment can be made immediately and once the payment been approved,you will receive a confirmation notification email from AlertPay for you to be sure that i have paid for the item, The item will ship Via Express Mail Service(EMS) additonal $100 will add to your asking price to cover the shipping cost.please proceed to delete the postage from craigslist web.And email your information to send your fund.I look forward to read your response as soon as possible so that i can proceed to order for your payment immedaitely.

Anonymous said...

He's contacted me wanting to buy a high-ticket piece of jewelry listed on Craigslist "for a friend's wedding." Yah right. Nice guy to give a friend a Rolex for his wedding.

I initially got the Alertpay nonsense. Just for fun I wrote back "cashier's check only." He then started with Business Checks, with more long-winded, scammy instructions about all the info he wants from me. That letter is pasted below.

Cheers to the bloggers and net-narcs who made "murphy james" get tons of hits on Google, all complaining of the scam.

Go, Global Community! :-)

I am going to write back (again, for my amusement solely) saying I do not sell to those who lack basic grammar skills.

-------------------------------------------
Hello,
Okay since you are not willing to accept alertpay .Okay i will prefer to send your fund via e-check...if this is okay by you i will like you to go ahead and purcahse a Business Check paper ready ,But once that been done i will like you to get back to me with your full contact address so that i can proceed to send the electronic cashier check via your email for you to attempt print the check immedaitely and believe this will be more easier for you to print and deposit .why i will add $100 to your asking price to cover the cost of check paper .i will look forward to hear back from you.You will probarbly need a Business Check paper to print and cash or deposit the check.The Business Check Paper is sold for $20 at any below stationery outlet...

1).Sam's Club
2).Staples
3).Office Depot/Max
4).Micro Centers
5).Any Fry's Electronic stores.
6).Any Stationery Stores.
7).Compusa.

I will re-emburse you for the cost of supplies to your asking price.I am currently away from home and will not have time to mail a check.Electronic cashier checks is fast and secure.I will need your nameand address with valid email address to send the Echeck to your email which you can print immediately when you must have purchase the supplies at any stationery store.Kindly delete the advert of this item if my mode of payment is accepted.I will await your email asap.

Thanks.

Anonymous said...

This guy is a mess - he is all over the place.
Hello,
Thanks conerning your respond to me...i am still interested to purchase the item from you urgently...while my mode of payment will be via (Paypal)...You can also read more about paypal at www.paypal.com ..because is the safer and secure way of paying and it is not delaying transaction at all.To proceed with the payment you will need to register wiith them and get back to me..as a member with your paypal email address with your full name for me to proceed to order for your payment via paypal immedaitely i receive your massage i will proceed with the payment so that the payment can be made immediately and once the payment been approved,you will receive a confirmation notification email from paypal for you to be sure that i have paid for the item, The item will ship Via Express Mail Service (EMS) additonal $100 will add to your asking price to cover the shipping cost.please proceed to delete the postage from craigslist web.And email me your paypal payment ID so that i can proceed to made your payment today.

I look forward to read your response.
Thank you.

Anonymous said...

THIS GUY "jerrybrown008@gmail.com" offers to pay 2x plus $$$ for an item listed on craigslist. RED FLAG #1 Then to buy for a 'friend' RED FLAG #2 and final straw was telling me, the seller, how I WOULD ACCEPT PAYMENT from HIM using my paypal account!! RED FLAG #3 READ AND LEARN......

Nice hearing back from you.Am brown i will like to buy your item for my friend...i suppose to come and pickup the item in your house.so i cant able to come because am out of the state and am very busy due to my work. so am going to pay you $300 for the item including the shipping fees and am going to pay you via pay pal so get back to me with your pay pal email address so i can pay you on time.. And you will be shipping the item through USPS Global Express Mail (ems) Thanks.....