Retired Minister Too Smart for Craig's List Scammer

An 81-year-old retired minister was too smart for some scammers who responded to his Craig's List ad, according to an Urbandale police report.

The minister advertised a table for sale on the online sales site. The buyer contacted him by email and told him they wanted to buy the table, sight unseen, and would send a cashier's check in the mail.

When the check arrived, it was for more than the asking price. The buyer told the retiree to deduct the cost of the table and send back the rest, said Lt. Rob Johansen.

"It's a common scam," he said. The cashier's check is fake and by the time the person realizes it, they're out the money they sent back to the buyer, he said.

"He was smart and didn't do it," Johansen said of the retiree. He called his bank first and they told him it was a scam.

Police are trying to track the buyer through their internet address, he said.