Buying a macbook from craigslist and seller asking to use google checkout? scam?

-I started contacting a guy on craigslist who had advertised selling a macbook in wisconsin. He then had to go to new york to a military base. I am now in new york as well on vacation and he is asking me to use google checkout to put the deal through. I received an email from google checkout saying that the seller had requested confirmation of the order which is $600 google checkout asked me to use western union to make a payment of $600 to a man in the uk and said he was a google checkout rep and it just seems odd to me that I would have to pay somebody out of the country. Is this a scam?100% SCAM



Google checkout is a payment system like Paypal. They NEVER would ask you to use Western Union for any reason. You set up an account through Google.com and link your account to a credit card or bank account - just like Paypal



This is a scammer falsely using Google's name



There is no Macbook - there is a scammer who wants to steal your $600



You did not get an email from google checkout - you got an email from a scammer, probably in Nigeria



This is how you set up an account with Google Checkout http://checkout.google.com/support/bin/a鈥?/a>
If you have to ask if something this obvious is a scam then you should probably stop trying to buy anything online. Criminy, Craigslist puts big bold links at the top of every section:



AVOIDING SCAMS & FRAUD



Click that, and you'll see this:



DEAL LOCALLY WITH FOLKS YOU CAN MEET IN PERSON - follow this one rule and avoid 99% of scam attempts on craigslist.

NEVER WIRE FUNDS VIA WESTERN UNION, MONEYGRAM or any other wire service - anyone who asks you to do so is a scammer.



Those are the first two at the top of the list.
I would never think about doing that. Sounds like a huge scam. If you payed you would probably never see the computer or be able to contact the man again. Is that what you're thinking? That's what I am thinking. Ask the guy why the UK for payment. That's probably where the guy really lives.
Scam

~

Meet with him. He hands you Macbook, you hand him cash. Otherwise, no sale.
Mmmmm yeah its a scam. If you can't meet him in person, its a total scam.