Daily Archives: December 10, 2017

I have two titles for this blog…and couldn’t decide so there you go. Many of you know my husband, Dan, and I will be traveling around the states for about a year once we get past the holidays. With all that comes the drudgery of packing, deciding what to take, what to store, and what to sell to keep the storage costs down.
I started with the lightest to move items, my photography backdrops, and a backdrop stand. They are in good shape, multiple scenes, colors, and patterns. I hoped to get them to someone who is starting photography or adding to their current setup. Putting feelers out didn’t drum up a sell, so I went to the next option…Craigslist. I posted photos of the equipment so that the potential buyer would get a visual. Then headed off to meet my daughter and friends for a fun meet & greet lunch. On my way to the restaurant, I received a text. Now, I promise I don’t normally check a text, for the most of 99.9%, but I wanted to be sure it wasn’t my daughter canceling due to a work/child emergency before I got on the freeway. It was someone responding to my ad…wow, I thought to myself, it’s only been a couple of hours.
When I park at the restaurant, I read the email stating this person’s mom would be interested and I was to email the mom at the provided Gmail account. Sounds good so far…right?
My lunch took priority, so when I returned home a few hours later, I proceeded to let this person know I heard of her interest and to please contact me when she would like to make the financial/item exchange.
Dan and I headed out to run an errand that evening to purchase a car alarm for his truck…it has been broken into twice over the past week and a half…(insert very unhappy face here). While he drove I noticed an email from the “mom”…so I opened it. Reading her story sounded legit, so I provided the information (my full name and address) she needed to get a Cashier’s Check to me. I was to cash it and then make arrangements for someone to pick up the items for her. She said her husband handles the finances and was out of town…so the check would be overnighted from his destination.
Okay…let me insert here that I have gone off Paxil, due to a health concern, and even though we reduced the dose down while getting off, withdrawals are pretty much inevitable…my brain has been misfiring a bit as the withdrawals take over (not fun). My zapping neurons didn’t see any issues. Until the middle of the night when I woke up in a panic realizing I was about to become the victim of a SCAM operation. I picked up my phone at 2:30 am and emailed the “mom” telling her I will not accept the check. If she was interested in the items, she will have to come up with cash, and meet me in a public place – I suggested the Lynnwood Police Dept.
I didn’t hear back for a couple of days. Whew…that’s off my yuck detector. Then suddenly someone else tries to do the same SCAM deal. I quickly deflected this new intruder. Later that day I hear from the first one saying the check is on the way…good grief, what about cash/police didn’t she get. In the email, she is saying the check will be for considerably more than the sale price…that I am to deposit to my bank, withdraw what I have coming to me…along with transfer fees…what are those for you ask??? Well, she told me once the check clears, I was to withdrawal the remaining amount and wire transfer it to UPS…the instructions are endless and blurring my eyes at this point.
Anyhow, I blasted back I was NOT accepting the check and that the items had been sold (yes, a lie…but I felt justified). Well, guess what came in the mail today. A Cashier’s Check for $1,500.00 – yes, that is $1,350.00 more than what I was selling my items for. Naturally, I won’t be doing the depositing…transferring…or any other business.
I hope you are still reading at this point because here is the real reason for writing this blog. How many times do these people get away with these, or other scamss like it?? Obviously enough to be profitable or they wouldn’t keep going. I would love to take this check to the police and get an investigation going, but they don’t have time for this…hence, the reason these “SINNERS’ can continue to exploit good American people. I stand by that assumption partly because when Dan’s truck was broken into the first time (they used a slim jim), they left their Walkie-Talkie…nice to know these thieves communicate during “their” business hours. We put in a report and got a case number, but when we told them we had evidence they could get prints off, they told us they wouldn’t bother with it, and instructed us to throw it in the garbage. To top it off some of Dan’s tools, and paperwork was found by a man who lives close to our apartment. He called the police, and get this; they told him just to throw the stuff out. Thankfully, he is a better citizen than that, so he dug around and found Dan’s cell number and called him. Next thing we know we are standing in front of a man with Dan’s items in his hands. We didn’t get everything back, but it was something.
However, this is exactly why good American citizens are getting scammed, ripped off, robbed, and violated. There are so many Whales swimming around that the police have to handle that these little “Sinning Minnows” can easily swim past without being noticed.
I know there isn’t anything I can do about it, but I feel better talking to all of you and hoping you can see past the slime that slithers amongst our good people.
Take care everyone; we only have each other and God to see us through.
As for the original items, I was selling, and the furniture I will be selling as “Moving Sale” items…I’ll be doing more research in an attempt to find legitimate post avenues. I’m sorry to be a Debbie Downer during the holiday season, but, unfortunately, crime doesn’t take a vacation, so fighting back can’t either.