Fraudulent sale of Chinese made counterfeit Australia post stamps.
Summary: The discussion centers around the fraudulent sale of counterfeit Australia Post stamps made in China. new_to_me initiated the conversation, which attracted multiple participants, including padi*0409, twyngwyn, and *casey*. The participants shared experiences and concerns regarding the counterfeit products and discussed potential actions or solutions to address the issue. The exchange highlighted a communal awareness and involvement in tackling fraudulent activities.
this seller on eBay has taken another seller's original receipt that was uploaded to the community board on January 2021 and has altered it to include in their listing to con buyers into thinking the stamps are genuine
83 comments
new_to_me
OP8 months agoAustralia Post introduces Detection Tool to identify counterfeit stamps and satchels
springyzone
·8 months agoThat's good but it may not help ebay buyers as much, as from what i can gather, counterfeit stamps etc will be picked up by detection tools used by the post office.
Buyers on ebay who are buying stamps to add to a collection probably won't be taking them to a post office. Those who buy satchels may but it might come too late. They may not become aware of the scam till more than 30 days after receiving their items.
Still, those who are caught out, even if they cannot make a claim, will become aware of the risk and won't use ebay a second time for those sorts of purchases.
new_to_me
OP8 months agoYeah, sometimes you need to break a few eggs to make a cake,
and item not as described is 60 days, so that should give the buyers time to work it out👍
new_to_me
OP8 months agoWhat am I saying, yeah it's 30 days, must be the sleeping tablets taking lol
new_to_me
OP8 months agoIt is encouraging to observe that eBay is beginning to remove scam stamp listings at a much faster rate now. Well done, eBay!
new_to_me
OP9 months agoI appreciate your support, Casey, and I am grateful for it, you have been the only one, that means something to me!;
I feel again that I must express my disagreement regarding the receipt aspect of the matter, I think that has been blown out of proportion, you guys are treating it like we've shared the location of the holy grail.
Scammers are like the room full of proverbial monkeys with a typewriter and enough time. They will get there, they just do it the easiest way first, and wait to get found out before they do more. " But they know have no doubt about that "
However, our control is limited to what we can observe. I am sceptical that anything shared here will benefit the scamming community in any manner.
It appears that many here are merely adopting a devil's advocate stance to have something to say.😉
So If anyone possesses external links to relevant pages, such as government websites or other platforms where this criminal activity like this can be reported, That's cool, I encourage you to share them here. Additionally, if you are aware of similar occurrences on other Australian selling platforms, please message me!, as that information would be greatly valued. By remaining vigilant, we can effect change.
Also, If you have acquired a box of counterfeit stamps from a scammer , please consult your Local Post Office (LPO). They will be pleased to assist you in reporting the issue and will provide you with a letter to submit to eBay or any other platform. I hope this information is helpful. Wishing you a happy new year and urging everyone to stay safe.
Now if some of you feel the need to have the final word, please proceed, but I will refrain from further participation until I have pertinent information to contribute.
*casey*
·9 months ago"Now if some of you feel the need to have the final word"
Please don't think I'm trying to have the last word and I hope you'll understand why I'm going to sidetrack slightly in regards to everyone wanting eBay to be a safe and trusted site.
You're probably unaware that 3 of the kudos you've received in your opening post have been given by international scammers / criminals from Brazil who have hijacked Australian accounts.
For anyone who may just read the threads.....be on high alert - pass it around
There are now literally 100s if not 1000s of these hijacked Australian accounts.
Some days 5 - 10 new hijacked accounts are appearing here on the forums, just in one day !
These scammers / criminals now have all of the details showing in the 'real' users' accounts.
They will be passed around to criminals around the world.
Change all your passwords and run all your virus, spyware and keylogging protection regularly.
Be aware of phishing emails, fake text messages because more importantly,
this can lead to identity fraud
new_to_me
OP9 months ago"You're probably unaware that 3 of the kudos you've received in your opening post have been given by international scammers / criminals from Brazil who have hijacked Australian accounts."
How do you know this?
*casey*
·9 months agoThey've been around the boards for months.
They used to ask questions here, 'testing' the user IDs.
One minute they're registered in Australia and within 24 hours, they've changed the country of registration to Brazil.
The 3 who've given you kudos haven't changed the country of registration yet but they're scammers none the less.
They have a 'pattern'.
They give kudos to really old eBay announcements and to posts at the top of the boards.
Here's just a small sample of these scammers:
https://community.ebay.com.au/t5/kudos/messagepage/board-id/eBayAnnouncements/message-id/540/tab/all-users
https://community.ebay.com.au/t5/kudos/messagepage/board-id/eBayAnnouncements/message-id/549/tab/all-users
https://community.ebay.com.au/t5/kudos/messagepage/board-id/eBayAnnouncements/message-id/526/tab/all-users
https://community.ebay.com.au/t5/kudos/messagepage/board-id/eBayAnnouncements/message-id/525/tab/all-users
new_to_me
OP9 months agoGood Info, thanks for that✌
*casey*
·9 months ago"A few days later, the seller changed his user name, had items up for sale including a new listing for the stamps, without a picture of the FAKE / FRAUDULENT receipt.
At the time of writing this, the seller was still selling until yesterday 31st December, is still registered but today has no items for sale"
And that stamp listing was also removed by eBay
eBay's motto appears to be " As long as we're collecting fees, all fraudulent sellers welcome"
as the seller's now listed 50 new items today.
sandypebbles
·9 months agoIt is blatantly obvious
The ‘people’ who do this behave in a specific way every time, the same MO
And almost every time the account is suddenly registered in Brazil
It is clear they used to be genuine accounts
A few open new accounts for their scam
Some of those even post here, asking for help on how to sell but most just give helpful
I have reported these to eBay and the forum mods many many times, both parties will not do anything
But they stand out like dogs you know what’s
gympiegold
·9 months agoIf Australia Post was serious about stopping the sale of counterfeit stamps, satchels and envelopes wouldn't the first step be to close down the Australian website where these items are freely available for sale. Oh so easy to find.
A number of years ago I reported to Auspost that I had purchased counterfeit satchels on Ebay. The process to convince them that they were counterfeit was an extremely difficult task every step of the way. Eventually they agreed 'Yes they were counterfeit'. I received a full refund after I was instructed to return them to the seller who was later booted from Ebay.
Auspost asked for feedback on how they handled my case. I responded that I wouldn't be reporting counterfeit items again because of all the BS involved.
I wish you well with your endeavours. Go get em.
*casey*
·9 months agoJust a few things to note:
From the time the thread was started, it was very obvious to everyone that the receipt was FAKE / FRAUD and that the original receipt is shown on our AU forum.
There was no need to point out ALL of the individual differences in order to help a scammer seller .
Then in #49, this was posted:
bestbits2
"Don't know if it has been mentioned before but the second receipt is definately fraud.
The GST component on the fisrt one is correct, $8.25 divide by 11 is $0.75.
The GST component on the second one should be $7700.55 divide by 11 equals $700.05 but is shows $0.75"
Yes, of course we all knew it was FAKE / FRAUD right from the beginning and there was absolutely no need to point any more differences on our AU forum which could help the scammer even further.
This case wasn't all automated.
The original listing for the stamps was removed by eBay and for a few days, the seller had nothing for sale.
Probably received a tap on the hand from eBay !
The seller was still registered.
eBay Aiding and Abetting FRAUD once again.
A few days later, the seller changed his user name, had items up for sale including a new listing for the stamps, without a picture of the FAKE / FRAUDULENT receipt.
At the time of writing this, the seller was still selling until yesterday 31st December, is still registered but today has no items for sale.
new_to_me
OP9 months agoThanks for the update, Casey, just one thing I don't agree with, I think now everyone who comes across this page will be on the lookout for stamp sellers showing receipt's. And as you would know, any receipt's authenticity can be proved in no time at all.
I'm more than happy for these stamp selling scammers to keep trying to perfect the receipt. It's just digging a deeper hole at the end of the day. And if any of you scammers are reading this, I'm now living in your head free of charge. Game on! This is my new hobby!
*casey*
·9 months ago"I think now everyone who comes across this page will be on the lookout for stamp sellers showing receipt's"
As you're fully aware, I've been on your side since you first posted this thread and just like you,
I've been following the seller to see the outcome .
The last thing anyone wants to see is a 'perfect' receipt as it makes it much more difficult to prove.
We don't need anyone posting tips as to how to perfect the scam.
ESPECIALLY when the original receipt is here, on our forum.
Let's say the seller is NARU (unlikely but....) the perfect receipt then enables a scam seller to still continue scamming on Facebook Marketplace and Etsy !
It's unlikely buyers would suspect a thing and even more buyers would be scammed.
"I think now everyone who comes across this page will be on the lookout for stamp sellers showing receipt's"
This thread will just sink to the bottom of the very quiet boards at some stage,
especially now that you've chosen a 'solution'
So many words, sentences and meanings are misinterpreted on a public forum.
In this (and most) threads there are only a handful of posters , all very experienced, and we really do all want the same thing. For eBay to be a trusted , safe site.
We just put it across differently.
What I can assure is that Sandy, just like myself, would be one of the first to report fraudulent sellers and fraudulent listings.
twyngwyn
·9 months agohttps://www.google.com/gasearch?q=fake%20opals%20stamps%20$1.70&source=sh/x/gs/m2/5
If you look at sold items, they’re being sold nationally, many different sellers….
new_to_me
OP9 months agoDoesn't make it right✌
new_to_me
OP9 months agoThis was his other forgery. You can really see he understands GST
bestbits2
·9 months agoMight be best not to confront them on this, otherwise they will adapt.
new_to_me
OP9 months agoNot confronting, just reporting where I can, something I think every good eBay seller should do when they see dishonesty. But that's my opinion only
springyzone
·9 months agoI might have misunderstood bestbits comment. I took it to mean confronting the thief with the evidence of how you worked out they were scamming by specifically mentioning GST amount showing.
I think you have enough evidence you were being scammed. The time stamp, the fact you have found the original seller etc, without having to specifically mention GST to the scammer.
If you alert them to it, they may fix that aspect for later sales attempts, making it harder to pick up discrepancies.
I agree with you that sellers (and buyers) should report problems or dishonesty to ebay but unfortunately, ebay seems to be a bit slow to act on things at times.
sandypebbles
·9 months agoExactly
Why give other scammers tips on how to 'improve' their scams
This being a public forum, viewable to anyone in the world for scammers to use to their advantage
new_to_me
OP9 months agoI completely disagree with your perspective. I am not assisting anyone. It is irrelevant how competent they believe they are when they sell a box of stamps worth $1.70 for half the price, and they continue to sell them repeatedly. What is your opinion on their authenticity? If they raise the price excessively, potential buyers will refrain from making a purchase. I believe it is unnecessary for me to provide further explanation on this matter. You are not purchasing these items, are you? You appear to be quite worried about my attempts to alert the community.
sandypebbles
·9 months agoSeriously?
The first time I have commented on you post and you accuse me of buying the stamps and being worried about alerting the community?
Yes, you ARE giving scammers ideas on how to improve their scam
Why do you take such a front to me pointing something so obvious out?
lezned-toycollector
·9 months agoNow you've got me curious... would that be a box of 100 × $0.017c stamps, or a box of 10 × $0.17c
If you find a box of stamps for $0.85 then surely authenticity would be questioned - regardless of the face value
new_to_me
OP9 months agoYeah, eBay is slow, it's more like the government department than a selling platform. Could be an employee problem, maybe the hole show is run with a skeleton crew, who knows. But what I do know is that the more people that make noise, the more eBay will notice and take action.
springyzone
·9 months agoI think the main problem is a lot of it is not done by employees at all, it is automated.
And where people are employed, you're often dealing with a situation where they have to keep to a script and cannot make executive decisions.
I think the main things that will make ebay take notice and take action on anything are sales/profits and legal issues.
As far as they are concerned, they have covered some bases, for example, people can report problems with an ad, people can make a claim on the money back guarantee if something is wrong with their purchase, and so on.
I'm not claiming any of their 'fixes' work perfectly though. They probably need more staff with more training and greater power, but that costs money.
new_to_me
OP9 months agoYeah, all true, But one thing to add, Australia Post is starting to push eBay. And eBay makes a lot a LOT of money out of selling Auspost postage. So I say do as much as you can, report as much as you can to Australia, Post an eBay. It's only going to make the case stronger, " squeaky wheel gets the oil "
new_to_me
OP9 months agoAt this point, there is not much more to add. I have contacted eBay several times, and it seems to be a matter of reaching someone who is capable of addressing the issue. Consequently, I have filed a report with both the police and Australia Post. I am also persistently urging eBay to rectify this situation. Nevertheless, the fraudulent seller I am referring to continues to operate daily, selling counterfeit stamps. He has changed the name of his account, and it appears he can act with impunity. However, I remain determined, as this situation is simply unacceptable.
*casey*
·9 months agoThe scam seller should have had his account closed by eBay but at the time of writing this, still showing as registered !
He kept ending the stamp listings , all multiple items, but ended early and relisted.
100s sold.
The stamp listings have now all been removed by eBay and as from today, the seller has nothing for sale .
"Hopefully" eBay does the right thing and contacts all those poor buyers as their purchases of the fake stamps will probably have been removed from their purchase history page , no doubt leaving many of not knowing what to do about getting a refund !
bigoskar2
·9 months agoThanks for confirming that these stamps are counterfeit. I almost purchased a box but had a gut feeling that something wasn't quite right. It didn't occur to me though that the Auspost receipt had been altered.
Good catch 🙂
joes--garage
·9 months agoCheers mate, glad I could help✌
new_to_me
OP9 months agoYou made me laugh🤣🤣
new_to_me
OP9 months agoOnly one person helped me here, the rest of you think I'm the bad guy for reporting fraud!
That says it all 👍 cheers.
new_to_me
OP9 months agoUpdate ;- I'm now in contact with the seller that posted the original receipt in 2021 , We are both working to reporting this issue.
But eBay support moves slowly, so it could take a while to get a suitable outcome.
*casey*
·9 months ago"All I'm going to recommend as a general comment is if buyers are ever going to report online fraud, or make a police report, apart from eBay , it's always a good idea to check Facebook Marketplace where you'll often find the same scam with the seller's full name"
You may even find links to user IDs who are now NARU
AND open an "item not as described " dispute through eBay's Money Back Guarantee within 30 days of receiving it.
https://www.ebay.com.au/help/policies/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy?id=4210
If you've left it too late, try a chargeback through your bank
new_to_me
OP9 months agoThanks mate, this guy has been selling the same rubbish for months. it needs to stop eBay should be safer then this
twyngwyn
·9 months agoWow…..you’ve named and shamed….a BIG no-no.
A mod will be along shortly to delete this thread.
gutterpunkz05
·9 months agoMuch worse than that twyn.
Big public accusation by OP, have left themselves wide open.
Actually think OP should be booted from ebay for this one.
twyngwyn
·9 months ago😳😳😳😱😱😱
new_to_me
OP9 months agoWhy, it's all true, just have a close look at the receipts I mean a close look.
twyngwyn
·9 months agoTwo wrongs don’t make a right!
Your concerns should be sent to eBay, not an open forum, for all the world to see.
What if that seller were to see your post & listing?
You should self-report & remove your listing.
new_to_me
OP9 months agoIt's all true, i'm more than happy if the seller sees this. What do you think people should get away with ripping others off?
twyngwyn
·9 months agoThat’s for a court to decide.
Did you purchase from that seller?
new_to_me
OP9 months agoYeah, i'm going yo the police on Monday, this is not acceptable you can turn a blind eye if you want, but I'm not. con is a con.
*casey*
·9 months agoHave you actually opened an 'item not as described' dispute ?
https://www.ebay.com.au/help/policies/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy?id=4210
The more buyers that do that, the better. The scam seller would need to provide you with a return label for tracked postage within 3 days.
If not, you can ask eBay to step in and you'll be refunded
twyngwyn
·9 months agoI’m not turning a blind eye……you either inform the police, A.P. or eBay. You cannot ‘out’ on social media.
*casey*
·9 months agonew_to_me
OP9 months agoGood to hear 😂👍
twyngwyn
·9 months agoHave you purchased from that seller?
*casey*
·9 months agoAll I'm going to recommend as a general comment is if buyers are ever going to report online fraud, or make a police report, apart from eBay , it's always a good idea to check Facebook Marketplace where you'll often find the same scam with the seller's full name
new_to_me
OP9 months agoThanks, iv'e contacted seller support and requested a call back. and going to Australia post and police tomorrow✌
padi*0409
·9 months agoThe seller you mention states in their listing that they bought out those opals from stating in their listing :-
"They are leftover stock from a now closed business
I am clearing remaining inventory, which is why the price is discounted."
So it may not be a scam at all. (Although the price is not discounted...............)
new_to_me
OP9 months agoExamine the original receipt that was posted in 2021 by matildasportsau, and then carefully compare it with the receipt being utilised by the seller. Pay attention to the coding present on both receipts. It is undoubtedly the same receipt. Furthermore, it appears to have been cut and pasted, albeit poorly; observe the top right-hand corner of the seller's fraudulent receipt. The background color of the original receipt is still visible.
*casey*
·9 months ago@new to me
Take down your listing immediately.
You need to take note of all my instructions before your thread is removed
new_to_me
OP9 months agoYes i will, thanks again
davewil1964
·9 months agoStill there. OP seems not to want to continue on eBay, and maybe doesn't realise that suspension of one account means suspension of all.
new_to_me
OP9 months agoSuspension for what, my info is correct.👍
new_to_me
OP9 months agoBut Thanks for your concern 🙏 I'll be back to report on this step by step👍
springyzone
·9 months agoI've obviously missed a lot as mods have been in but one look at the 2 receipts is enough to prove to anyone that this is a con job.
Without knowing all the details of what has happened I would say-
You are quite right, sellers like this should be booted from ebay.
But first things first. If you have lost money to this thief, firstly try to get a refund from ebay.
I think hitting bad sellers in the hip pocket is a great start to getting even.
Then go for it, try to get ebay to see the faults with the seller's listings, but at the same time, try to keep yourself on the right side of ebay. You've done nothing wrong and you shouldn't have to suffer any consequences.
Unfortunately, I think ebay is riddled with fraudulent sellers. From what I can gather, ebay is often slow to act and instead of booting some off permanently, some bad sellers are just allowed to go on their merry way. As long as a few buyers give positive feedback to them, ebay will consider they are probably okay. I guess it is about the money ebay is making.
But proven scamming activity should see an account banned, you would hope.
Let us know how you get on.
bestbits2
·9 months agoDon't know if it has been mentioned before but the second receipt is definately fraud.
The GST component on the fisrt one is correct, $8.25 divide by 11 is $0.75.
The GST component on the second one should be $7700.55 divide by 11 equals $700.05 but is shows $0.75.
new_to_me
OP9 months agoYeah, that's right, but I don't think this guy is the sharpest knife in the drawer
bestbits2
·9 months agoAnd just for the record, the time stamp is the same on both receipts, even though they are dated four and a half years apart, I don't know which one on the numbers is the receipt number but they are also the same.