Anybody looking for a Plasma, LCD or other HD TV on Craigs List has probably run into postings advertsing these sets for $ 400 to $ 450 in order to “take care of an urgent matter.”

A little digging shows that this is an on going scam that has a “Fed Ex” trick that gives it an air of legitimacy; and as they at first ‘ship the TV” – ha – and then ask you to Western Union only $ 150 to a Paul Richardson in Lagos, Nigeria, you may think, what the hell – it may be legit – but there is a trick.

That trick is that Federal Express does not actually require you to drop off a package in order to obtain a tracking number on their website and to be able to print a shipping label. All you have to do is use the web and have “Package Data Transmitted” – in the case of this serial scam, the package will weigh 146 pounds as the two examples to be posted here will show.

The number can be found on the Fed Ex website, but if you read it carefully, as well as read the tracking label slip, all it says is “PACKAGE DATA TRANSMITTED” – if you call Fed Ex they will confirm that this does not mean that a package has been actually dropped off – it only means that Fed Ex has been notified that a package is forthcoming- allegedly.

They follow this up with a bogus email, purporting to be from Fed Ex, saying the package has been shipped- but note that the e mail says fed ex does not verify the e mail address.

The whole point of this, as the attached e mail thread shows, is to get the money sent by Western Union to the allegedly stranded boy- Paul Richardson in Nigeria – note they really don’t care about the balance of the $ 450.
Reading the Craigs List ads, which are posted every day in various cities, besides the absurdly low price, here are some tip offs: (1) you will never see an actual location in your area – this is because the first e mail will say that the TV is at a Fed Ex location in either Maine, Wyoming, Hawaii or Florida where it was stopped to- get this – Save It From a Scammer ! (2) they recycle 3 different pictures, none of which are of the actual set – in one New York posting they did show a new twist- a 32 inch LCD with surround sound speakers , but for the most part, same old, same old, and (3) there at least 3 different ‘ads’ they run – key words- “Hurry before its gone”; ‘moving to smaller apartment’, “do contact me, “serious buyers only eligible for this offer”.

The first e mail has three different forms as well- the key is the phone number – an 850 northern Florida cell phone, though the scam ring U.S operation is likely based near Miami.

I say scam ring because after answering the ad, you will soon get other West African scam e mail, bank account phising efforts, bogus lottery winnings etc.

If you’ve been stung as a relative of mine almost did, hopefully, we can collect enough names and have the authorities get after Fed Ex, Western Union and Craig’s List because they have plenty of info and the ability to stop it by now, because these guys are knocking down some serious jack off of people’s greed and stupidity.

The whole story is implausible- after all a pawn shop would give more for a plasma than the scammers ask – but the Fed Ex tracking number and slip make it seem like maybe its legit — so read the attached and be warned:
http://blog.efinke.com/2006/08/09/fatasha-jason-jason-fatasha/

http://crackersunited.com/blog/index.php/2006/08/23/fatasha-ruffin/