credit card scam

A couple of weeks ago I got a text stating that they were hearing impaired and could only communicate by text. They wanted me to give them an estimate on fixing their roof but could not meet with me because they were currently in the hospital being treated for lung cancer. I agreed to look at it over the next couple of days so they texted me the address. That was a Thursday. I texted them on Monday stating I was headed over to the house- which was on the other side of the county 25 miles away. So far everything was all plausible. I get to the house and it is a 18 sq. cracker box, vacant with a for sale sign. I get on the roof and it looked like it could have been installed over the weekend in about 3 hours by a production crew- new roof but it was slopped on crap. What the hey? I figured the texter must have hired someone else so I text a snarky reply "Some idiot gave you a crap roof." Then I called the real estate agent and he had never heard of the guy who texted me. I thought I must have the wrong address. No, the guy texted me again and said that was the right address and wanted a price to "do it right and clean up that mess of a roof". I figured I had already been taken for a fool, so on the 1% chance that he might be making an offer on the property, I texted back "$6000 to do it right". I didn't hear back from him until yesterday- 12 days later. On Monday, he is going to send his credit card information and wants me to charge $6000 plus 3% fees. I can keep $2000 as down payment, then send $4000 to the seller by bank transfer. Until this, it was all plausible. Who would fall for this scam? And I don't even take credit cards. So far I am playing a long.

Old School Said: Natty, you can really have fun with the idiot if you want to. Play with him and see how far he will go. I get them all the time and I just hit the button.

Well, I played the fool. On Monday, the criminal text me all the credit card info and address of someone in Miami Beach, FL. The area code for his phone was from Boston. The house he wanted roofed was in Grand Prairie, Tx. Now, he wanted me to run the card for $4000. I asked him why he was buying a house in Grand Prairie. He said "there's nothing wrong with that" and if I had run the number. I stated that I did not take credit cards. He asked why I didn't say that earlier and what does it mean. I stated that he had not asked then asked him why he was a criminal. He text "why the insult and what is this about?" I text, "I am sure the guy in Florida is glad his identity is no longer in use by criminals." I had called Visa and reported the credit card info was stolen.

Natty, you can really have fun with the idiot if you want to. Play with him and see how far he will go. I get them all the time and I just hit the button.