For Sale Warning of potential scam on CL in Montana.

[aiad_78]

Found an advert on our favorite list brought to you by Craig for a 2021 Honda trail for sale in Helena, MT. This ad's been placed and re-placed on and off for 3-4 weeks now. I contacted the seller and requested pictures. First pic was of the bike next to a Sherriff's cruiser. Next came the title, which seems legitimate enough, correct address etc.

It's a 6 hour drive from my home to Helena, carrying that kind of cash across state borders seems unwise. I've heard that they (Sherrifs) can confiscate cash if they suspect fowl play of any kind and there is nothing you can do about it. When I suggested paying via Paypal or bank transfer, the seller became pushy and accusational. Red-flags IMO, so I noped out.

Not saying this is a scam and I'm sure others on this site know the ad I'm talking about. Be aware of what you might be getting into and please be safe.

 

[dmonkey]

Thanks for the heads up. There are LOTS of potential scams out there and they have really become more common since the start of the pandemic. They'll go so far as sending you photos of a fake driver's license, a fake title, etc. Always get things verified in person, and try to use publicly available information to verify their name and number match the address they provide and what's on the title. DMVs won't GIVE you information but if you call them up with a title number, VIN, and name and address and explain that you just want to verify the information because you're concerned about being scammed buying a vehicle they WILL almost always confirm those details for you. Be sure to also ask if there is any lien on the title.

 

[Kev250R]

Sounds like it could have been sketchy. Probably a good idea to pass on it. The fact that the ad keeps getting re-posted screams scam or broken bike to me.

On a related note, I buy a lot of things on Craigslist and while I've never gotten scammed or burned I have had several 'interesting' experiences. Once I made a deal to buy a motorcycle from a guy and for reasons which would take too long to explain we agreed to meet in the parking lot of a closed grocery store at midnight. For that one I dragged the girl I was with at the time out of bed and made her come with me with the $$ stuffed in her bra LOL!

Between my experiences on CL and on-line dating, I should probably write a book!

 

[Cpd419]

If it seems too good to be true it usually is.

 

[Kev250R]

If it seems too good to be true it usually is.

Sometimes, yes. Although I have bought some things from Tweakers which were an incredible deal.

What puts me on alert is when someone is selling something (say a motorcycle) but instead of taking and posting actual photos of the bike, they cut and paste pics from say Honda's website.

 

[Cpd419]

Same. I have done well on Craigslist. And had some sketchy encounters.

 

[SneakyDingo]

Craigslist seems to be ok. OfferUp on the other hand, I've seen more scams and stolen shit on there than actually legit stuff, mostly because I look at bicycles. OfferUp also does sweet FA to protect against that sort of thing. Stay away from OfferUp.

 

[Scoutman]

I had been following that ad for a week or so and was planning on stopping through Helena on the way back from my summer trip. Just checked it again and it says pending sale.
Best part was that while stopping for fuel in the middle of South Dakota we found a dealer that had 2 available. Result= I got a brand new one! So happy!

 

[Kev250R]

Craigslist seems to be ok. OfferUp on the other hand, I've seen more scams and stolen shit on there than actually legit stuff, mostly because I look at bicycles. OfferUp also does sweet FA to protect against that sort of thing. Stay away from OfferUp.

I agree! I tried selling a MC on Offer-up once and found all I was getting were flakes. I put the same Ad on CL and had the bike sold by the end of the weekend.

The NextDoor App Classifieds were also a joke (at least they were a couple of years ago back when I was on ND). I used to list a lot of things for Free (at the time I had just moved into my current house and had a lot of good-quality boxes and crates I was giving away). I'd list them for free, ready for P/U. Sometimes they'd go quick, other times I'd get requests; could I hang onto them for a couple of more weeks? Would I deliver? Could you send me the sizes? What did you have in them? Etc. The best is one person agreed to pick them up, I left them in the driveway on our agreed date and time, then later got a message asking if I could deliver them since when the person came-by my house to get them, they saw I had a P/U truck sitting in the driveway

I pretty much stick to CL. It's an S-Show too but at least I know what to expect!

 

[aiad_78]

I had been following that ad for a week or so and was planning on stopping through Helena on the way back from my summer trip. Just checked it again and it says pending sale.
Best part was that while stopping for fuel in the middle of South Dakota we found a dealer that had 2 available. Result= I got a brand new one! So happy!

It still says pending.

Congrats on the find. I am, needless to say... Jealous. I spend several hours a day scouring every site available to look for ones for sale. f@#$%W$#%@#%@#$%#ck......

 

[aiad_78]

If it seems too good to be true it usually is.

There are a few of those right now on CL. Given the bikes desirability, anything under $5k seems a trap IMO.

 

[McRuss]

I posted mine on three regional CL's, cost was $15.00. For that I got a sale out of state with the agreement that I deliver it to Albuquerque (the buyer has a friend going to the Balloon Festival from CA) for an extra $500. I only had two contacts from scammers prior to the legit customer. I usually get one or two; dead giveaway is "saw your ad, do you still have it?" I think it is a canned reply to everything from them!

 

[G19Tony]

I won't accept PayPal for an item like that either. I would suspect a scam, but I wouldn't be a dick about it. I just politely tell the buyer that it's cash only.

 

[AutoLode]

Craigslist is a cash is king system any seller should be wary of any online payment other than cash as many CL scams have been pulled using the paypal and cashiers check scam

I don't blame the seller for feeling potential for a scam if you tried to ask him to take paypal

re carrying cash nobody knows if you are carrying cash unless you plan to tell them really not something to worry about - if you have a camper, trailer or other domicile area in your rig lock your funds in the living area the LEO will usually need a warrant to search any area beyond the drivers compartment

and of course don't carry illegal items into Montana or any other state if you are a legal pot user in other states leave that stuff at home

yes interdiction officers have been known to confiscate cash in excessive amounts many LEO say $300 in cash is excessive but if you break down near Helena good luck trying to pay for services with paypal - interdiction LEO are looking for specific age groups usually 20 to 45 single male and the average buyer for CT125's is usually a bit older in my experience

I have been travelling the western US for 45 years buying bikes with cash and have never been searched or even hassled by LEO on anything other than my once every 7 years speeding ticket I seem to get and traffic school plus a donation to the courts fixs that lol

I don't think it's fair to call this seller a scam if a hunch is all you have to go by I do a lot of buying of bikes in Montana and have only met fantastic and upstanding people which is true of other areas as well

i would call and speak to the seller and I bet you will find a perfectly decent and nice person on the other end if you don't hear a human voice the imagination can make up all kinds of scary beastly things that just don't exist

if a stranger from another state wants to buy your bike and pay using paypal I hope you say no thanks

if carrying cash is a big issue grab a hotel for an extra day and get the cash from a local bank and be sure to call ahead and make sure the bank is expecting you and has the cash ready banks don't like large surprise cash withdrawls - some sellers will entertain meeting you at the bank but many folks have a healthy disdain for banks for good reason so be flexible and work with one another and you can make a deal happen

good luck on the hunt it's been a lifetime of fun chasing around buying nice bikes I hope you enjoy the travel as much as I do

 

[AutoLode]

There are a few of those right now on CL. Given the bikes desirability, anything under $5k seems a trap IMO.

actually I have just missed a few Trail 125's around $4500 which is far less than they were 3 months ago but they were real deals in fact the CT125 in Kissimmee Florida posted on these classifieds is what led me to this forum - I wish it was on the west coast I'd be driving there now lol

 

[aiad_78]

I won't accept PayPal for an item like that either. I would suspect a scam, but I wouldn't be a dick about it. I just politely tell the buyer that it's cash only.

I'm not sure the truth behind it, but I'd heard Sheriffs can confiscate funds in large amounts if they feel there's reason. Crossing State lines with $4 1/2k was too risky for me. I contacted the person on a Sunday and could have been a cash buyer if he'd been willing to wait for the banks to open which the seller wasn't. The whole thing got weird and went from jovial to 'my sale my rules' in a single text message.

Worked out for me in the end, scored a 2022 with 9 miles on it from the nicest people who practically delivered it to my door. Zero regrets.

North-West coast is the most expensive, South-East the least. Odd given where these bikes are built.

 

[Kev250R]

I'm not sure the truth behind it, but I'd heard Sheriffs can confiscate funds in large amounts if they feel there's reason. Crossing State lines with $4 1/2k was too risky for me. I contacted the person on a Sunday and could have been a cash buyer if he'd been willing to wait for the banks to open which the seller wasn't. The whole thing got weird and went from jovial to 'my sale my rules' in a single text message.

Worked out for me in the end, scored a 2022 with 9 miles on it from the nicest people who practically delivered it to my door. Zero regrets.

North-West coast is the most expensive, South-East the least. Odd given where these bikes are built.

I think the key word here is 'reason'. A LEO can confiscate your whole vehicle if they think that have a good enough reason. Even then it's going to take a lot for that to happen.

Being someone who has traveled across state lines with a fair amount of cash for various reasons (all legal, some more interesting then others) just don't give them a reason to stop you in the first place (don't drive like a Richard, make sure all of your lights are working, tags are up-to-date, no fuzzy dice hanging from your rearview mirror, etc) or if you do get stopped, don't volunteer that you've got large sums of cash, ammo or Hamsters in the vehicle with you.

Then again I am the guy who once bought one-way Train tickets for myself and a girl I was dating at the time so we could go buy a truck which was out of the area from where we lived at the time. She carried the $$ for that deal in her bra

 

[SneakyDingo]

I'm not sure the truth behind it, but I'd heard Sheriffs can confiscate funds in large amounts if they feel there's reason.

Civil asset forfeiture is the term you're referring to. The reasoning varies from state to state as well as the severity. In the case of Washington state the rules are extremely relaxed so I differ from @Kev250R in opinion there. Additionally, you can lose most of the money fighting the legal case - the classic pyrrhic victory.

 

[aiad_78]

Civil asset forfeiture is the term you're referring to. The reasoning varies from state to state as well as the severity. In the case of Washington state the rules are extremely relaxed so I differ from @Kev250R in opinion there. Additionally, you can lose most of the money fighting the legal case - the classic pyrrhic victory.

Civil asset forfeiture, thank you! Honestly can't remember where I heard of this from but remember that, in Washington, it's a scary prospect. IRC, as Kev250R mentioned, you'll get asked if you're carrying cash... If they suspect you of BS'ing them, it's a vehicle search and lose it all purely based on suspicion.

 

[AutoLode]

theres a great interdiction series that I can no longer find on Youtube I'll see if I can find it but it was a guy from Kentucky who was a dog trainer and he got hired by the State Police and he became the number one drug interdiction officer in history eventually he found no many drugs they had him work the opposite side of the freeway and he became the largest cash seizure officer in history be he got tired of ruining lives of people who he felt often didnt deserve what they got in the courts he shows hundreds of his actual busts in the time before he had a change of heart

He goes on to investigate police corruption and thats where things turn bad for him since he was too good going after crooked LEO and I don't know where he is now but its a fascinating look into how he found his targets and how you can see the interdiction LEO before they find you

btw as someone who has traveled the USA my entire life buying and selling collector bikes I tried to post a long opinion but it was my first post and still says awaiting moderation not sure why I was trying to he helpful since I have decades of making deals in other states