This sounds like a scam to me - Am I wrong?

[Dancemom03]

I saw this today on craigslist while searching for AG dolls.

"Hey guys,
I'm a 23 year old girl who is totally in love with a man here in Baltimore. I'm from Italy and i have to go back there because of my visa.
There is a possibility to call him for free from Italy. But for that i need a phone with an American phone jack.
So if there is anyone who got an old and unused phone at home, PLEASE contact me!
I need it within the next week!
Thanks in advance!"

What do you think, is it legit? I do have several old phones sitting here I keep meaning to purge but haven't done it yet. We've had quite a few italian/french exchange teens for the summer in our small town. Twenty-three is old for that but this is the time they'd be returning home so it is possible, I suppose, but something just screams scam to me. I thought I'd read something about using old phones to rip the past owners off but don't remember specifics...

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Of course it is a scam. If she wanted to contact her beloved HE would buy or send her a phone.

 

[snarlingcoyote]

Actually, it sounds like she's going to install skype or vonage or somesuch on her PC - you need a phone-phone for that, not a cell phone - and is hoping to get one for free rather than pay a few bucks at Target or Wallyworld.

 

[luvmy3]

Actually, it sounds like she's going to install skype or vonage or somesuch on her PC - you need a phone-phone for that, not a cell phone - and is hoping to get one for free rather than pay a few bucks at Target or Wallyworld.

That's what it sounds like to me too.

 

[DMickey28]

Why not just go to Target and get one for $10??? I don't see how anyone could get scammed by giving someone a phone though. Just that kind of plug in the wall phone at least.

 

[DisneyBlonde]

Scam. Italians here on Visa do not say "totally".

 

[ma2jr]

Of course it is a scam. If she wanted to contact her beloved HE would buy or send her a phone.

Amen

 

[M5ward]

When in doubt...DON'T!

 

[DISNEY1975]

Scam...Italians do not need a visa to be here.

From the US Consulate in Milan...


The Visa Waiver Program Countries are: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and The United Kingdom.

 

[LuvCuteBoys]

Why not just go to Target and get one for $10??? I don't see how anyone could get scammed by giving someone a phone though. Just that kind of plug in the wall phone at least.

Can't comment on whether or not it's a scam... but isn't that the point of Craiglist? Person A gets rid or something no longer needed and Person B gets something (s)he needs cheap/free?

I've never used it, but I thought that was what it was used for...

 

[chell]

It just sounds weird to me. If they were so much in love like someone else said you do think he would buy her a phone for $10 and send it home with her.

 

[beavismom]

I don't think you can say it is a scam from that posting. She isn't asking for anything other than an old phone. If she later wants you to cash a money order or cashiers check for her then run away quickly.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I don't think you can say it is a scam from that posting. She isn't asking for anything other than an old phone. If she later wants you to cash a money order or cashiers check for her then run away quickly.

My guess is that this is "the hook" to lure someone into the scam.

And anyway a poster already said an Italian does not need a Visa. So busted there.

 

[snarlingcoyote]

Scam...Italians do not need a visa to be here.

From the US Consulate in Milan...


The Visa Waiver Program Countries are: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and The United Kingdom.

That's only good for 90 days, if memory serves; after that you must have a valid visa.

ETA: Went and looked it up. Yep. 90 days.

http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/without/without_1990.html#vwp

Also, if your purpose for coming is to study, you're supposed to have a visa, according to this.

 

[dicar123]

I suppose one could get sucked into something scammy later, but I just can't see what harm anyone could do with an old phone.

DH says it isn't a scam, the poster is just silly for thinking she needs a phone. What she needs is an adaptor.

 

[Dancemom03]

DH says it isn't a scam, the poster is just silly for thinking she needs a phone. What she needs is an adaptor.

So you really can get free phone calls from europe with just a regular phone? My cousin's in Germany and we only call a couple of times a year from my mom's b/c it's so expensive.

I have to confess, it's been so long since we had a landline that I was originally thinking she wanted a cell phone but of course it does say with a phone jack so she must want a landline...

 

[snarlingcoyote]

So you really can get free phone calls from europe with just a regular phone? My cousin's in Germany and we only call a couple of times a year from my mom's b/c it's so expensive.

I have to confess, it's been so long since we had a landline that I was originally thinking she wanted a cell phone but of course it does say with a phone jack so she must want a landline...

When I've visited overseas, I've found it cheapest just to go buy a phonecard once I got there. You can also buy an e-phonecard from various Amazon vendors that are cheap, and geared towards your nation of origination at the time.

However, if you have the card/adapter for a VOIP (voice over IP) connection - skype or vonage are the most common - then you'd be able to make calls on your computer for little or nothing, no matter where you are. The adapters don't come with the hard-wired, landline phones, you buy that separately or (what most people do) use the one you have lying around. For someone calling from overseas who LIVES there, this would be the most cost effective option.

It sounds to me like someone gave Italy girl a VOIP adapter for her computer, but now she needs a landline phone - not a cordless, just an old school phone with a cord and buttons.

ETA: Dancemom, you shouldn't pay more than a few cents a minute to call Germany these days. I highly reccomend you buy a phonecard. Try any stop-n-shop style store in a community with a large number of recent immigrants, or go on Amazon and do a search.

 

[Green Tea]

Scam...Italians do not need a visa to be here.

From the US Consulate in Milan...


The Visa Waiver Program Countries are: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and The United Kingdom.

Maybe that is in travel to one of the listed countries from Italy. I am hosting a European exchange student, and yes, a visa was required to be here.

 

[Chuck S]

So you really can get free phone calls from europe with just a regular phone? My cousin's in Germany and we only call a couple of times a year from my mom's b/c it's so expensive.

I have to confess, it's been so long since we had a landline that I was originally thinking she wanted a cell phone but of course it does say with a phone jack so she must want a landline...

It depends upon your provider. For instance, Vonage has just introduced a new plan that is $24.95(plus taxes and regulatory fees) per month, unlimited local and long distance in the US and to land lines in 60 other countries, including Germany. You need a DSL or cable internet modem. The Vonage box plugs into your internet modem, and the phone plugs into the Vonage box. And I could keep my original land line phone number. Total is about $32 per month with the taxes and stuff, but will vary by your locaton. It sounds like she'll be using some sort of Skype or VoIP service.