SOLVED - I think I'm being scammed but can't figure out how

Hi MP,
Apologies if I'm posting this in the wrong spot.
A few weeks ago I posted a jacket and shoes for sale in the For Sale forum - https://www.mountainproject.com/forum/topic/115370809/arcteryx-jacket-med-and-la-sportiva-miura-395#ForumMessage-115373474

This feels like a scam but I can't figure it out.  Here's the text exchange:  <Deleted>

Fake check - you cash it, then are on the hook for the money plus lost jacket.

Seems like a legit African prince to me

They will usually send a check for greater than the amount of the item “by accident” and will request you to  wire them the difference. The check is of course bogus and the scammer is betting you’ll send them money before it bounces.

Nobody is having couriers come to your house to send a $160 jacket to Hawaii. 
It would be worth posting as much of this guys information you have available. Even though it’s all fake they probably use similar information/spelling/grammar for the same scam across other marketplaces. 

Did the prospective buyer have an MP account to contact you?  I'd flag his account or reply, if he does.

Classic scam.

Definitely string him along.    

Never accept a check from someone you don't know for a gear sale.  This is what Paypal and Venmo are for 

Be aware, PayPal echecks can bounce just like regular checks.

Thanks for all the help, fellas!

Think of it this way - if what this person is saying is all true, he's sending you $800 and trusting that you'll give back $700 of it instead of just keeping it. That is an insane level of trust in a stranger, not to mention one who has not explicitly said "yes I agree to accept a huge check and pay you a large sum of my own money in return". It only makes sense if that money he's sending you isn't real. The hope is that you'll send him a bunch of your own money before the check clears or possibly even before you've received it. Luckily this is an easy scam to avoid - don't send out the thing you're selling until you've got the money (and a check isn't money until it clears). You could say "great, all checks are subject to a 14-day hold to be sure they clear, then I'll send your jacket." Or even more fun "wow, thanks for the extra $700, very generous of you I can really use the money right now." See how fast the story falls apart. 

You deleted the text, but I imagine it's very similar to a message I got on October 12th. I saw it as a scam and ignored it, and see that the account has since been deactivated. Very odd that someone is targeting MP. Here is the message I received:

"Hello. How are you today?. I am new here and I am interested in the Black Diamond Yosemite hammer you posted. I want it as a surprise for my son in Hawaii. I am presently in Orlando, FL & will handle shipping. Do you accept cashier's check?. I am sorry i can't do paypal. My paypal account was hacked few weeks back and i lost a lot of money. I will not ask you to ship until check clears your bank account and you have cash for the item. I dont really come online cause of my busy schedule so please text me XXX-XXX-XXXX if you can. Thanks"

ClimbingOn wrote: You deleted the text, but I imagine it's very similar to a message I got on October 12th. I saw it as a scam and ignored it, and see that the account has since been deactivated. Very odd that someone is targeting MP. Here is the message I received:

"Hello. How are you today?. I am new here and I am interested in the Black Diamond Yosemite hammer you posted. I want it as a surprise for my son in Hawaii. I am presently in Orlando, FL & will handle shipping. Do you accept cashier's check?. I am sorry i can't do paypal. My paypal account was hacked few weeks back and i lost a lot of money. I will not ask you to ship until check clears your bank account and you have cash for the item. I dont really come online cause of my busy schedule so please text me XXX-XXX-XXXX if you can. Thanks"

Although it sounds fishy, if someone is willing to wait until their check clears, how are you vulnerable? I don't like the idea of texting them and giving them my phone number, though.

FrankPS wrote:

Although it sounds fishy, if someone is willing to wait until their check clears, how are you vulnerable? I don't like the idea of texting them and giving them my phone number, though.

It's just another form of the old 'check clearing' scam. They give you a check and your bank makes the funds available to you within a couple of days, so you think the check 'cleared'. It didn't - that normally takes a few weeks. You send them the stuff, find out weeks later from your bank that the check was fraudulent. You no longer have your stuff and now owe the bank the money.   

deemonti wrote: Hi MP,
Apologies if I'm posting this in the wrong spot.
A few weeks ago I posted a jacket and shoes for sale in the For Sale forum - https://www.mountainproject.com/forum/topic/115370809/arcteryx-jacket-med-and-la-sportiva-miura-395#ForumMessage-115373474

This feels like a scam but I can't figure it out.  Here's the text exchange: 

Why delete this? It seems like it could be really useful for others to learn what to watch out for. 

Em Cos wrote:

Why delete this? It seems like it could be really useful for others to learn what to watch out for. 

That was exactly my thought as well. From the subsequent posts, I can deduce the gist of the text exchange, but I'd personally leave it up as a cautionary tale. Might you consider putting it back up?

New thread:  Attempted Scams on Mountain Project