Scam?

[albskee]

So I'm currently selling a laptop and I received a peculiar message:

"Thanks for your kind respond,Am a Medical Doctor,I'm always busy with patients in my hospital all day,l want to buy the item for my cousin,His birthday is fast approaching,l've been finding it difficult to hit the buy it now button or place bid with my ebay account and l want the package to get to him before the day.l was wondering if you can ship the item to him,l will offer you $1120AUD for the item including shipping&handle fee to Africa via DHL or Express Post Platinum 3-5days delivery,Consider the item sold to me and end the auction immediately.Please email me your paypal id so l can send payment immediately.Glad you cloud help."

I'm not 100% sure what the value of the laptop is... but this seems very high. The message itself is very sus, but I can't work out whats going on. They're offering to pay for the item before I send it, and they're not asking for bank details.

Could they have the payment reversed after it's sent by lodging a PayPal dispute?

[leader-of-the-band]

How does the scam work and what can they do with my PayPal address?

If they have your PayPal address they can be very adept at getting your password.  They will send you an email that looks exactly like a genuine PayPal email.  Somewhere on that email there will be an instruction to log into your PayPal account using a link in the email.  Click that link and you will be taken to a fake PayPal login page that exactly like the real PayPal login page.  HOWEVER, when you put your PayPal acct name/email and your password you may get taken to a page indicating that there are problems accessing your account and to try again in an hour (it will look like a real PayPal page).  By then they have your login and your password.  If you have a credit card or bank acct linked to your PayPal acct they can do you serious financial harm.  AND if you are like a lot of eBayers, your password for eBay and PayPal are the same which will let them hijack your eBay acct and do the same thing all over again while you sleep.

Does PayPal seller protection cover sellers when the buyer uses a stolen card or initiates a credit card chargeback?

(buyer has a 29 feedback score 100% positive)

The fact that they want you to end the listing so they can then pay you directly through your PayPal should be RINGING ALARM BELLS LOUDLY !!!!  Forget about protection and chargebacks . . . . THIS IS A SCAMMER AND YOU NEED TO END ALL COMMUNICATIONS AND THOUGHTS OF DEALING WITH THEM.

I don't doubt what you say at all and I'll be following all your advice about blocking them, i just don't understand the risk to me.

They will change your passwords so that even you can no longer log in to your accounts.  And while you are emailling eBay and PayPal they are ripping off you and other eBayers.   IS THAT ENOUGH OF A RISK.

Now, you may be blinded by the possibility of getting $1120 for your laptop and that you will send by trackable means so you have PayPal protection . . . . BUT YOU WILL REGRET IT FOR A LONG LONG TIME.

(sorry for the shouting . . . . I just want to emphasize the point that this guy is a scammer . . . . and your followup post and questions about risk/protection gives me the impression you just don't get it yet)

[bluerose5838]

SCAM SCAM SCAM
Do not fall for it

[leader-of-the-band]

i just don't understand the risk to me.

Do yourself a big favour, do a google search for "paypal ebay scam" and read some of the search results that are to eBay guides/reviews, like http://reviews.ebay.com.au/PayPal-Scam?ugid=10000000001355096

As a seller you need have a better understanding of the possible scams that do the rounds.

[leader-of-the-band]

SCAM SCAM SCAM
Do not fall for it

glad i am not the only poster that is SHOUTING

[albskee]

thanks silversterio2's: i followed all of your advice.

haha leader-of-the-band, I appreciate your gusto. The message obviously rang alarm bells for me (hence the post here). My post about not understanding the risk could have been better phrased. I was trying to understand how the scam worked rather than simply whether it was a scam or not.. The message I received this time is obvious because of the extrodinary offer and the language. If it was better worded and the offer was realistic I doubt I would have hesitated. Now I know what to watch out for.

[leader-of-the-band]

haha leader-of-the-band, I appreciate your gusto.

glad to have been of assistance.

There have been threads here before where posters say things like "but if they pay with PayPal and I send by trackable means will I be covered if it is a scam" and the message just doesn't sink in.

Many regular posters have abandoned the "softly softly" approach when they kept getting head injuries from hitting their heads against a brick wall. 🙂

[bsal6160]

How many times has the general public heard of these scams coming out of West Africa and Nigeria yet some GREEDY people still fall for it. They are selling something on eBay and when a scammer offers them 3-4 times the asking price they think to themselves 'Ahh easy money here". FOOLS.

How close are they to the old days of the emails saying 'You have a long last aunt/uncle who recently passed away and has bequithed you millions of dollars. Please email us a bank account so we can forward the money".

How many GREEDY people fell for that one. I, for one DO NOT feel sorry for the people who got scammed as it is their own greed which got them scammed.

[albskee]

Thanks for sharing. I hope you feel better for it.

[licoricebabyandfabmama]

lets not forget that there are alot of non tech savy people out there that do not spend alot of time on a computer,  so when they see the word nigeria,  they think nothing of it.  But other people like us who are all over the computer and internet everyday see certain words and scams all the time, we are almost immune to it.        At least this seller had the good sense to feel there was something fishy about the offer.