How many different Craigslist scams are there? Or am I just being paranoid?

So, I'm trying to sell some used furniture on Craigslist.  Not having much luck.  Seems like a buyer's market.  Yesterday I get this email saying that the writer's grandma is interested in "your above piece" and to contact her at a particular gmail address.  Seems a little odd to me.  Also, the desk I'm selling is not referenced as a desk, but as "your above piece" which leads me to suspect that it's some sort of automated email address gathering scheme or something similar.  Anybody heard of this one?  Or should I send the nice old grandma an email? 

I already got the "can I send a cashier's check and when it clears I will arrange for pick up."  I'm beginning to think Craigslist exists solely for the benefit of sleazy crooks.

I had someone offer for me to send them my address and a check for an engine that I have for sale.  So many things wrong with that.  

My polite response was that they were bad at this and to get a job.

Email phishing scam. 

I had a similar offer. "My mother is very interested in your ______Size 12 Men's Work Boots_______...blah blah blah". Sure friend, your mom wants to buy my steel toe Red Wings. I just ignored it. Didn't even bother responding, which might have been a missed opportunity.

STM317 said:

I had a similar offer. "My mother is very interested in your ______Size 12 Men's Work Boots_______...blah blah blah". Sure friend, your mom wants to buy my steel toe Red Wings. I just ignored it. Didn't even bother responding, which might have been a missed opportunity.

does make for good "yeour momma" jokes though

I get a kick out of the sellers who say "no scammers and I won't respond to long distance area codes" and things like that.  First of all, I live in PA with a CA area code.  Second of all, scammers don't read the ad.  They have bots that scan CL for certain price ranges in all categories and send bulk emails.

The one thing that probably DOES work is when the seller says "please put [keyword] in the subject line or I won't respond"  That at least weeds out the real people for now... until they make the bots look for that syntax.

For me, CL scams are ridiculously easy to spot.  I just click "report spam" on the email and move on with my day.  Any CL ad I post I can pretty much guarantee that over 50% of the responses will be fake.

when you get an email through CL's email system there is a link at the bottom to report the sender if you think it's a scam.  I get to use it regularly 

When dealing with Craigslist, if you are not paranoid, you're doing it wrong.