Victim Location 56377
Type of a scam Online Purchase
We posted an aquarium for sale on Craigslist. We were contacted via text message by a potential buyer. He stated that he was out of town on business, but that he would have movers come and get the aquarium. He sent a check that included the purchase price plus enough to cover the moving fee. We asked for the moving company’s information, and he stated that he hadn’t coordinated with them yet. He said that the check would cover their fees, and we could keep the extra money that was left over. This raised a red flag. We knew then that he was attempting to scam us.
He sent us a check from BBH International, that was supposedly drawn from Hanmi Bank. We looked up the routing number on the check, and sure enough, it was invalid. It had no matching institution. The check also did not have any of the security features listed on the back, no watermark nor microprinting. We still have the check and will turn it in to the proper authorities.
We informed him that the aquarium had developed a leak and was no longer for sale. He said he would buy it anyway. Why would anyone pay our asking price plus moving fees for a leaky aquarium? He attempted to continue communication, but we have ignored his attempts. We are reporting this scammer to all pertinent agencies.