Craigslist - Can I get scammed by receiving a Certified Check?

I have a posting up for a few items, and received an email that said "I would love to buy your posted item." Since I have multiple items, I thought that might be a red flag, but I responded any ways. I then received the following several hours later: "Hello, Thanks so much for your swift response as I am ready to purchase it asap.I anticipate that I'll have a Certified Check issued out to you from my office .I'm in no rush with you till fund's are cleared in your bank. You do not have to bother yourself about the pick up. I'll have my mover come down for pick up at your location,when you must have gotten your cash at hand. I will request the following information to have your payment sent..... Name,Address,City, State, Zip-code, Phone Number.I will be sending the payment via UPS Courier Service .You can delete the advert asap!

Walter"



I read it and automatically figured it was a scam. Though I did not know what a Certified Check was, I know that you can be scammed through the use of Cashiers Checks. After reading up on what a Certified Check was, I was a little reassured, and then I reread this part of his email "I'm in no rush with you till fund's are cleared in your bank."



Wouldn't the bank realize that the Check was fake, if it was, at this point? Or could I still be scammed?Craigslist - Can I get scammed by receiving a Certified Check?
Certified or cashiers checks can be faked and it may take the bank weeks to determine it is fake. Many people believe that when the bank releases funds in your account, the check has cleared but that is not the case.



Under federal law, banks must make funds available to you from U.S. Treasury checks, official bank checks (cashier鈥檚 checks, certified checks, and teller鈥檚 checks), and checks paid by government agencies at the opening of business the day after you deposit the check. For other checks, banks must similarly make the first $100 available the day after you deposit the check. Remaining funds must be made available on the second day after the deposit if payable by a local bank, and within five days if drawn on distant banks.



However, just because funds are available on a check you鈥檝e deposited doesn鈥檛 mean the check is good. It鈥檚 best not to rely on money from any type of check (cashier, business or personal check, or money order) unless you know and trust the person you鈥檙e dealing with or, better yet 鈥?until the bank confirms that the check has cleared. Forgeries can take weeks to be discovered and untangled. The bottom line is that until the bank confirms that the funds from the check have been deposited into your account, you are responsible for any funds you withdraw against that check.



http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer鈥?/a>
yes watch out for those types of situationsCraigslist - Can I get scammed by receiving a Certified Check?
anything can be scam on the internet. Be warnedCraigslist - Can I get scammed by receiving a Certified Check?
"I would love to buy your posted item" %26lt;%26lt;--scammers are too lazy to customize their emails, so they use generic phrases.



"certifed check ...from my office" %26lt;%26lt;--either it's fake or stolen.



"cleared in your bank" %26lt;%26lt;the 3 day courtesy credit is NOT the same as clearing. You have to allow weeks.



"my mover come down to pick up"%26lt;%26lt;--oh, right, mover scam. He'll claim that he could only issue one check and that some of the money is for the mover. He'll ask you to wire the money to the mover (actually back to him).



"via UPS courier service"%26lt;%26lt;--scammers don't like to add mail fraud to their crime list.

stop blackheads