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How to Spot a Scam

Friday, June 6, 2008

ROBERT ADAMS UPDATE

It appears that our good ole' friend Rober Adams just cant help himself! He is back again and trying to scam people out of money. Paul, a fellow craigslist user sends us this tasty tid bit.

Hello. I found your BLOG on a search of Robert Adams and Craigslist. I am in the middle of negotiations with him, knowing pretty darn well it was a scam. He claims he is going to send me a check for my piece of furniture, but am waiting for the whole "I sent your $2500 by accident"

Here is the first email I got from him:from email:rbmails12@fresnomail.com

I am satisfied with the description and condition of the item listed above by you on the Ad, Please let me know if the piece is still available for sale and kindly attach more pictures if available. I have a problem talking on phone because I'm hearing impaired I look forward to hearing from you soon.RobSo I responded back with what pictures/angles do you want?Here is his response:I'll send you a check from my bank to cover the cost as I'm happy with your early response.anyway, I'll not be available for the pick-up of the item because of the nature of my job so i got the services of a mover whom will come for the pick up of the item on my behalf.so I'll like you to provide me with the following information so as to expedite the payment for the item.1.Your full name to be on the check2.Home or work address3.Your phone number4 The final priceAs soon as you have cashed the check I'll make arrangement with my mover to come over for the pick-up. Pls do me a favor of removing the Ad from CL as I'm committed to buying it.Have a nice day.Still awaiting final outcome...STAY AWAY FROM ROBERT ADAMS

ROBERT ADAMS EMAIL: rbmails0@gmail.com rbmails12@fresnomail.com

22 comments:

Evan Simpson said...

Thank you for posting this! I received an email today from "Robert Adams" - almost identical to what you've posted. Fortunately, I am not a trusting sort, so I did a bit of searching and found your site. I had already replied, accepting his offer, so I sent this addendum: "Please ensure that your check is for the exact amount ($500), neither more nor less. It is my policy, when doing business via craigslist, to simply destroy any check that I am sent for an incorrect amount and to cancel the transaction. I am sure that you understand, and will be able to comply without any difficulty." We'll see.

Anonymous said...

I too am currently in negotiations with a "Robert Adams," and luckily for me, I stumbled upon this site when something didn't feel right.

Unfortunately, I've already given him my address and cell phone number for contact purposes - to expedite the 'check' he was going to send. Haven't heard from him in days.

Should I be concerned about them having that information? It shouldn't effect anything considering none of it was Bank Account based.

Anonymous said...

I also got an identical email from Robert Adams within hours of posting an item for sale on austin.craigslist. The wording sounded funny to me, and had no interest expressed in the particular thing for sale.
To me, this seems computer generated, which is a scary proposition that this scam is being automatically run in huge volume.
In any case, I said 'cash only, tell me when and we'll meet at the grocery story'.
I am curious what the angle is for him, what good does it do to have name, address, phone #? Does he just sell the info to telemarketers?

Anonymous said...

I received the following email. "I am satisfied with the description and condition of the item listed above by you on the Ad, Please let me know if the piece is still available for sale and kindly attach more pictures if available. I have a problem talking on phone because I'm hearing impaired I look forward to hearing from you soon. Robert" But found it strange with a 555.zzn.com domain for the email. Especially since the reply too was a yahoo account. When I did some research I found this blog as well. Thanks for the posting. Seems that he is now using a robmail18@555.zzn.com & robmails0@yahoo.com address.

Anonymous said...

I got and email from Rob today. It was worded just like the others in the blog. I thought that it sounded like an email that I got last year that was a scam.

Anonymous said...

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! Robert Adams replied to my Orange County posting on Craigslist this morning. HE uses both of these e-mail addresses: robmails0@yahoo.com, bobmails17@555.zzn.com
I had replied to both and the e-mail was rejected from the second. That prompted me to google him and I found your blog. What a snake! I also found him on this site:
http://mit.edu/silmaril/www/
using the name Thomas J. Klemas
and he had the heading "Below are some email addresses and phone numbers for general use:
jrwcorg@gmail.com
larry@alcoverealty.com
(617)-868-8500
617.326.3849
413.687.3902
Brendan@ParkatmyHouse.com
blattrell.biz@gmail.com
freshsf@reactionsf.com
damian.abgrealty@gmail.com
617-224-6344
a.virgadamo@gmail.com
617.777.5353
617-820-6560
617-714-4000
617-440-6060 cambridgegems@gmail.com
mporter@apartmenthub.com
century21cambridge@comcast.net
MarquisWhosWho@email.marquiswhoswho.com
terriblebutgood@blueejeanbankers.com
(917) 744-6919
Sam@SuccessWeekend.com
debbie_williams04@hotmail.com
alenroben04@hotmail.com
drdirrd1@googlemail.com
offshoremarine1@yahoo.com
robmails0@yahoo.com
WHAT A LOSER!!!
Thank you again for exposing him!What the heck is "General Use" supposed to mean?

Anonymous said...

I too, received a nearly identical response after posting something on craigslist. Thanks so much for posting this information!!

Anonymous said...

Thanks so much for this information.I also just received an email from Robert Adams with exactly the same wording to my furniture for sale in Chicago. Seems he has changed his email address to "rrmails12@555.zzn.com".

Unknown said...

I heard from dear old Mr. Adams today too, a SF Bay Area post of mine he responded to. There was something about the vagueness of his reply use of words like 'your item' that raised some flag. I spent a few minutes googling him and confirmed my suspicions:

From: Robert Adams [mailto:rrmails1@tnen.zzn.com]
Sent: Sunday, November 02, 2008


** CRAIGSLIST ADVISORY --- AVOID SCAMS BY DEALING LOCALLY
** Avoid: wiring money, cross-border deals, work-at-home
** Beware: cashier checks, money orders, escrow, shipping
** More Info: http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams.html






I am satisfied with the description and condition of the item listed above by you on the Ad, Please let me know if the piece is still available for sale and kindly attach more pictures if available. I have a problem talking on phone because I'm hearing impaired I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Robert

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Get your Free E-mail at http://tnen.zzn.com Get your own email service at ZZN.COM.

Note his reply to address was : robmails0@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

"Robert" has also responded to my ad placed in the Daytona Beach area. I am also currently in
"negotiations" with him. I was suspicious and found this site. My emails have been much the same as others have posted, down to the hearing impaired part. He claims that a $2500 check is on it's way to me. When it arrives, I will be turning it over to the authorities. I hope the FBI can track him down because I'm sure there are some unfortunate people whom he has dupped money from. With my correspondence, he is using the email addresses bobmails8@godsfamily.zzn.com and robmails600@gmail.com

Lorraine said...

I have also heard from 'Robert Adams' on the Fort Myers, FL craigslist. I googled 'Robert Adams zzn.com' and reached this blog. I was selling a recliner on craigslist and he inquired if it was still available. I replied it was and this was his response:
"Great. I'll send you a check from my bank to cover the cost as I'm happy with
your early response.anyway, I'll not be available for the pick-up of the item
because of the nature of my job so i got the services of a mover whom will come
for the pick up of the item on my behalf. I'll like you to provide me with the
following information so as to expedite the payment for the item.
1.Your full name to be on the check
2.Home or work address (Ups doesn't deliver to P.O Boxes)
3.Your phone number
4 The final price
As soon as you have cashed the check I'll make arrangement with my mover to come
over for the pick-up. Pls do me a favor of removing the Ad from CL as I'm
committed to buying it. Have a nice day.

Rob"

Anonymous said...

LOOKS LIKE HE CHANGED HIS EMAIL AGAIN



Sunday, November 16, 2008 1:58 PM
From:

"Robert Adams" robmails000@yahoo.com
s

Anonymous said...

Thanks guys. He just mailed me as Dr. James Russell, using these emails:

revjames8@tnen.zzn.com
rev.jamesrussell@yahoo.com

"Hi, I am Rev. James, I am interested in the item on subject listed by you on Craigslist. Please let me know if it is still available for sale??? I have difficulty talking on the phone. Please send me more pictures if possible."

Anonymous said...

Hi,
We just received a similar post this am.
Hi, I am Rev. James, I am interested in the item on subject listed by you on Craigslist. Please let me know if it is still available for sale??? I have difficulty talking on the phone. Please send me more pictures if possible.
I am not even going to respond to the request.

Thanks for posting this info. Something in the email just did not seem right. I googled the website from his email and found you

Anonymous said...

Got a similar post in NC from "Rev. James Russell", revjames16@godsfamily.zzn.com :

Hi, I am Rev. James, I am interested in the item on subject listed by you on Craigslist. Please let me know if it is still available for sale??? I have difficulty talking on the phone. Please send me more pictures if possible.

Anonymous said...

I also received an email almost exactly the same except it didn't talk about being hearing impaired rather she was making a job change so she would be sending me a check once I gave the information needed. Her name was Karen Edwards. When I emailed her back requesting a contact phone number so we could discuss the details, she never responded as of yet, anyway! I was immediately suspicious so I googled the 3 email address used by her. I came up with this website by searching sfbay.zzn.com (her email was k.wards8@sfbay.zzn.com). Thank you for posting - this creep obviously has many names!

Anonymous said...

This is the email I received for my item but the name is Karen Edwards.

Thank you very much for the response, Anyways, I'll be mailing a check via my Bank to you due to my job transfer and shortness of time. However, to ease the pick up, I'll be engaging the services of a mover to do that after the check has been cashed. I'll need this details below to mail out the payment to you asap...

• The Full name on the Check
• Mailing address be it residential or office
• Cell phone # and
• Final Price of the item

I'll appreciate it if the item is kept for me. Thank you for the understanding.

Regards,
Karen..

What a scam - he is going by many different names.

Anonymous said...

I just got the same e-mail. From a Roberto Adams. Identical to what's been posted here. I just copied and pasted a bunch of web addresses warning sellers about him in an e-mail. I don't understand what it is he's getting out of this scam though. Its kind of scary, because if you reply just once to him, he's got your personal e-mail address then and access to your profile info...
robertoadams117@yahoo.com

Kevincoughlin@yahoo.com said...

I had three different cars posted in the Spokane area Craigslist - all needing repair. Basic junkers, and got "Please get back to me ASAP! if it's till available for sale. Thanks..." from robert.adams008@live.com on all three of them (two in the middle of the day, and the third one that evening. I responded back, asked what other information he wanted. This morning I got


"Sounds Good
Am okay with the price & condition. my mode of payment will be via certified check drawn on Bank Of America, you will cash the check and have your cash at hand before we proceed with the shipment, I will make arrangement for it to be picked-up after you must have gotten your cash at hand. the check will be delivered to your location within 1-2 business days. provide me your full name which the check will be payable/issued-to and your contact address where the check will be delivered. kindly remove the Ad if you are interested in selling to me. am waiting your reply.

Robert
202 Jeffrey Dr.
Lafayette, LA 70503
(337) 680-4032

So - anybody want to call him? I'm not interested. I'd say things I should not. With many short four letter words.

Anonymous said...

I got this today after running an d for a $50 item on craigslist..

"Thank you for your swift response. I will like to purchase it. I will be glad if you can withdraw the advert from Craigslist today. I am out
of town presently until 21st of September, due to the nature of my job I will be paying via bank certified/cashier's check. My job will not allow me to come for physical inspection and I don't want to loose it so I want to make a down payment right now, I will have to pick it up once I'm back on the 21st or hire someone to pick it up from you as soon as you receive and cashed the check payment. I will need you to
provide me with the following information to be able to send you a check payment as soon as possible-- 1.Your full name to be on the check 2.Home or work address 3.Your phone number. 4. Final price. I will sending the check payment via Ups ahead, but I'm not sure they deliver to P.O boxes. I will be waiting for your response today.
Robert

He is using this email..rrr00mails@gmail.com

Be aware.

Dale said...

I had this idiot contact me and even send me a check for $1000 over my asking price. It was Robert Adams his email address used was rr000mails@gmail.com. The check came from CA addressed from Larry Moore in Riverside. Ironically, the check was "issued" in Pittsburgh but came from CA? how stupid did he think I was. I contacted the bank and they laughed as well as I did. I did send him a response in how I reported him to the police and the IC3. Both of course are true. Luckily I did find this site to confirm my suspicions. When someone says the bank made a mistake, you need to think twice.

My Transaction started on September 8, 2009

Anonymous said...

This is not his real name. These are nigerian scammers who do the same scam under many different "American sounding" names, such as Robert Adams, Mike Nelson, Jennifer Smith, etc. But they are all the same exact scam, and they typically use gmail or yahoo to create a fake email accounts. The whole idea is to get you to wire them the overpayment via Western Union with a temporary account number than can never be tracked, and by the time you figure it out, the check they gave you bounces dramatically. So it is not one person, it is a group of them, some work in the Connecticut area sending the fake checks. I played along for awhile and found "Mike Nelson from MO's" real name, which was Ola Ray from Nigeria, who was actually in the states when I got him to finally try to speak to me (by using my female charms) who was actually traveling from MD to CA and wanted me to join him! lol Then i backed off fast. But i found out that they use fake "return address" stickers from states all over the country with different names, but the checks I received were all postal stamped from southern CT, regardless of what it stated on the return address.