i think i already know the answer but, want to hear what you think.

here's my craigslist ad;

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/cto/d/san-...7512888762.html

here's 2 emails from the wanna be buyer;

Hi, I saw the ad on craigslist. I am interested in it. Where are you located? I never use cl emails, come back to this <bruce.cromwell.99@gmail.com>,thank you

&

Kristina Hunt <kristinahu48@gmail.com>
To: paul taylor <xxxxxx@att.net>
Thanks for returning my message. I'm currently not in town for now, so I won't be able to meet with you due to my work frame and also we are very busy at this time preparing for our daughter's wedding but I'm okay with the price and condition as shown on the advert. I'll proceed in issuing a cashier's check to you and when you receive the payment and it clears your bank, I will make arrangements for the pick up. I will also add an additional $50 to hold it down for me. So get back to me with the details below to mail the check out to you asap..

Name to be on the payment ...........
Address to mail the check to ........
City, state and Zip code ............NOT P.O BOX
Final Asking price...................
Phone number to text you on ..

what's the jig here? pfishing for contact info? check's gonna bounce?

A bit phishy. No cl response; different response emails; not meet. But cashiers check should be reliable unless it’s fake; good to ensure clearing first but may take a few days. Will need to produce a bill of sale so maybe require buyers driver license number and confirm address?

Maybe (?) biggest flag here is pic shows the license plate number. Plate, vin, your name and address could be enough for buyer to take out loan on the car in your name. Insist on cashiers check on a local bank and transfer in person with bill of sale. Remember to keep your plates and return if required.
The advantages and disadvantages of selling on cl.

I only deal with CASH in hand. Checks can be "washed" (bogus) and filled in. SCAM is my vote.

The scam part comes next. That email is definitely BS, no doubt at all.
I say go ahead and screw with him. Take the cashiers check (which will be fake) and give him fake tracking numbers.

Common scam... You deposit the cashiers check, bank puts the funds in your account. Several days pass, bank finds out cashiers check is bogus and takes the money out of your account. They sometimes will give you extra money in the cashiers check to pay someone else with your own money. Cashier check bounces and your out that money. I agree cash and if your extra paranoid have them meet you at your bank and have the bank deposit the cash in your account to make sure the cash is not counterfeit.

Don't forget that if you take the "buyer's" bogus cashier's check, your bank will probably charge you a nice fee because the cashier's check bounced!

Don't waste your time even responding to those flakes. 2 emails from different email addresses, but supposedly from the same "buyer" is a clear indication that some Nigerian Prince will soon be making an appearance with your $200 Million inheritance.

Someone sent me a fake cashiers check. I took it to the bank and they even said it looked pretty good.

I subscribe to Lex Fridman podcast on YouTube. One of his guests in March was Brett Johnson. Major cyber scammer. Very interesting story of his life from a young age and how he started down the path to committing fraud. He goes into detail on how he made money using fake cashiers checks to pay for EBay purchases.

Brett Johnson podcast

The text is a dead give away. Who says "work frame" scam

Collecting emails to sell to his compardres?

Scam all day long.

thanks for the insights!

even if i was a body shop, i wouldn't buy my car. too many un-wrecked ones on craigslist for a thousand or two more...

Cash or bank wire transfer