Is this a New Offer-Up Scam for vintage parts?
 

Hi,
I am noticing people asking for phone numbers or texts on their ads fo parts that are reasonably priced or much lower.....I am curious, is there a problem responding by text, if it is a scam what can/might be done with my phone number information??
Best, Ben

There are some Craigslist sellers that ask for a phone number response by E-Mail.

If the ad seems legit, don't worry about it.

Some people ask for phone/text to ignore the email phishing that often comes with CL ads. All personal info has value and phone numbers can be compiled into lists to sell to spammers. If it’s something I really want then I give my number away unless it’s an obvious scam of course. At worst it will be another few spam calls to block on my phone.

On the flip side, when selling on CL, you can get responses asking for a number or email to discuss. The phishing can usually be spotted because it won’t mention the item for sale, usually just something like “is it still available, can you text me?”

CliffordK,
Yes, I have encountered this type of request before but recently instead of asking for an email first the request is text first...."I won"t respond to emails". Anyhow wondering if phone number can be used for "other" purposes beside contact etc.

[MENTION=136325]surfer[/MENTION]osa
SR,
Cinelli SR, It was my son's who no longer rides and has just been sitting in my garage taking up space. I want it to go to someone that will appreciate it. It is all original in your size, absolutely mint ....free to the first person to respond by text. Please respond with your contact information, emails and PM's will be ignored......:D
Best, Ben

There wouldn't be so many "Is $THING still available" responses if Craigslist sellers would take the 38 seconds and three clicks required to remove their ads after they sell $THING. But enough of them don't that buyers can't assume that the existence of an ad for $THING indicates the existence of a $THING, and so the sellers that do remove their ads have to deal with all of the inquiries as to the existence of $THING.

As is customary for the Internet, the system settles into an equilibrium point of maximum annoyance for all parties.

--Shannon

Ben, Send me yer fone number and I will call you and talk your ears off. Smiles, MH

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...fd9bd45b48.png
no problem

If I’m interested enough to buy at the listed price, I’ll email, text or call with “I’m interested, where can I have a look at …”. If the item is gone, they say so (and I’m PO’d but nothing I can do about it) if not, I get an address or location to actually see the item AND tell the seller that I’m on my way! So far, that method works fairly well.

Digital Privacy and security
 

There is no such thing as digital privacy safety or security...

Anything electrically or electronically transmitted lasts forever! Electromagnetic waves travel out into the universe at about the speed of light! :50:

In 1995 I sent a nasty comment online to the Berserkly, California City Council. To this day I can still do an online search and come up with that post from 26 years ago!

Google is particularly bad about keeping history. The other evening I was able to do some research and found every Google search that I did from this desktop that I bought new in 2018. I erased all of the entries but Google still has the records on their servers!

Getting back to the OP's topic, along with the advice posted above here's some suggestions I've seen about using CraigsList:

If possible, meet with the buyer or seller in front of a police station, fire house, bike shop or other public location. Try not to let a stranger near your place of residence.

CASH ONLY (with ID hahaha) for sales unless previous payment arrangements through a person to person money transfer operation like PayPal or Venmo have been made.

I have 3 cell phone numbers plus a land line that I keep disconnected unless I need it for something like a fax. I've had one of the numbers for 15+ years and people everywhere have it.

That's the one that I receive the most robbocalls on.

This week I started getting slammed with Medicare scams. I spoke with several of the scammers to find out what they were doing. They already had TOO MUCH info on me and I was trying to see where they got it.

If you ever talk to one of those low lifes, NEVER EVER SAY YES TO ANY QUESTION!!!

Even if you answer YES to a question like "Are you so-an-so?" that's enough to say that you requested the product or service.

In the Medicare scam they record your yes answer then send you some bogus medical item like a back or knee brace then bill it to Medicare for an exorbitant price. The current scam involves mouth swab kits supposedly for genetic testing for things like heart problems and so on.

They use hijacked or bogus phone numbers that display on caller IDs. I received over 25 calls yesterday from bogus phone numbers all over the US before I could get my service provider to block them. ARRGH!!!

I was able to get a real working number from one of the #@%$# and turned the info into the Medicare Fraud Department.

verktyg :50:

When I list a bike or component locally (Kijiji not Craigslist), I do not include any personal information at all. When someone emails me in response to my listing, I decide then if I will invite a phone call or not. I usually do invite a call but not always. It depends on the tone of the responding email. Not really sure how to best describe my gut feelings on this but I have never (I think) been scammed this way.

Phone # from an interested Craigslist buyer is generally the way buyers to convince a seller you're not blowing smoke up their butt. It's been mentioned multiple times here on the forum from the buyer's perspective (and calling is even better, though last time I was on, I think that was removed).

As for OfferUp, buyers asking to continue conversations by email are scams. Less so by phone, but it happens on occasion.

Sniffing out the scammers is easy enough - I simply look for the usual "English-is-not-my-fifth-language" grammatical mistakes, and engage in enough conversation to get at least three coherent replies out of the buyer - this usually weeds the robots out.

Now, OfferUp is still full of idiots, and the texting platform makes it a bit more difficult to kick them to the curb. If I have a fish on the line, I give the nearest large intersection as a destination so they can get an idea of how long it'll take them to get to me, instead of my address. I make it clear that I'll only give them the full address once they commit to come.

The above method usually works, but I've had two complete asshats (acting normally) recently who committed to come, got the address, and then never showed up. One replied after I pressed him 30 minutes after committing to a set time range...and only then did he say he was "no longer interested." Instant block. It's a good thing for him I didn't have his number or I would have shouted him off the coastline all the way to the Bermuda Triangle.

-Kurt