Endeavour to respond urgently...

So a few weeks ago I placed an ad in the the Beacon Free Press and Pennysaver to sell my Jeep. I've had two responses that are bizarrely similar, and I'm trying to figure out what the scam is. The first was from an allegedly deaf person, so the phone operator had to mediate, typing what I had to say and reading his responses. He wanted to send me a certified check for $5000 (I'm asking $2100), and asked me to cash the check and give the difference to a "handler" who would come and pick up the Jeep. The extra money would be used to ship my Jeep and several other vehicles to an undisclosed international location. I declined the offer. Then, I got this in my email box from Pennysaver.com:

Hello, I am Engr Slimgee from New zealand, i saw your advert while i was surfing on the internet so i come about your advert car forsale so i was intrested in buying it for my personal use so pls get back to me with your last price and let me know if you are willing to sell to sell it to New zealand cos i am willing to handle the shippment my self. Endeavour to respond urgently to let me know if it is still available for sale.Expecting your soonest reply with your last price and let me know if you are okay with a cashier's check. Thanks and regards, Engr Slimgee....

Clearly this is a scam. But of what kind? Would I be helping some gangster launder money via the certified check? Would they show up at my door demanding all the money, but not take the car? I'm certainly not going to give them the keys to the car until I have cash in hand. What's the deal here?

Comments

[Matt]

See: http://newyork.craigslist.org/about/scams.html

Sounds like the same thing.

[Mike]

Thanks Matt. This sums up the scam nicely:

* Distant buyer offers a high-value (but fake) cashier's check in exchange for your item

- you receive an odd email (actual examples sent to craigslist sellers below) offering to buy your item site unseen.
- cashier's check is offered for your sale item, as a deposit for an apartment, or just about anything else.
- value of cashier's check often far exceeds your item - buyer asks you to wire the balance via money transfer service
- banks will often cash these fake checks AND THEN HOLD YOU RESPONSIBLE WHEN THE CHECK FAILS TO CLEAR
- scam often involves a 3rd party (shipping agent, business associate owing buyer money, etc)

[Brandon]

Guy gets your car and the balance of the check based on a forged check he's sent you. Worst case, you get arrested for trying to pass a bad note and he disappears. In the end, when the check doesn't clear, you are left holding the bag in any case.