I Wasn't Born Yesterday, Sucka!

Husband recently decided to sell his pickup truck, so I put an ad in the Wheels and Deals last week. I can't believe how much it costs now to list an item with a picture. I remember when a three week ad cost only $15. Anyway, that's not the story.

Monday morning when I checked my email, I had an inquiry about the truck. Now, I did not list an email contact in the ad. Apparently Wheels and Deals has an automated anonymous feedback system, and that's how this person emailed me. I thought it was sort of odd that someone wouldn't just pick up the phone and call, and I really thought it was odd when I opened the email, which came from mensfield_dee@fastermail.com.

I am interested in immediate purchase of your Truck and i will be making the payment rightaway,will like to know the working condition and final asking price and also send me some pics of the truck ok get back to me asap Best Regards

Now, being an English teacher, I was particularly offended by the text of the message, but I decided to put that aside and give this person the benefit of the doubt. Of course, the word "scam" was running through my mind, but perhaps, I thought, this person might be legitimate. So I sent some extra pictures and even provided an additional phone number. I did not give a final asking price, opting instead to let Husband do that. Then I sent the email and forgot about it all.

Until this morning when I checked my email again and found this message from mensfield_dee:

Hello there

How are you doing i hope all is moving on smoothly if so give thanks to amighty,I will give you a call soonest,I really need the truck and i wil be making the payment rightaway and once you recieve your money we will be arranging for the pick up at your location ok send me your full name and contact address for immediate payment also let me know the final asking price ok get back to me asap

Best Regards

Of course now there's no doubt in my mind that this is a scam. Some sucker thinks I'm going to give him my name and address so that he can send me a bogus check for more than the purchase price and then have me send him back the difference. Who does he think he's fooling?

I started to reply that he'd better give thanks to "amighty" that I don't know his real name and address and then say something about a shotgun, but I was a little more polite than that. Instead I replied:

Your email sounds really shady to me. If you want to make a deal on the truck, then call the phone number listed in the ad. I will not send you any personal information. If you want to come see the truck, I will be happy to sell it to you, but I only take cash.

Do you think he'll call? I'm betting not.