topic Re: Scam? in Selling

Scam?

albskee — Sun, 30 Sep 2012 12:04:20 GMT

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?

Re: Scam?

leader-of-the-band — Sun, 30 Sep 2012 12:12:25 GMT

Scam Scam SCAM!

STOP all communications with them.

KEEP bidder blocks in place that prevent saels to overseas members.

DO NOT hit any links in emails.

DO NOT email or message them.

DO NOT tell them your PayPal address.

Once again, this is a SCAM.

Fake emails from scammers will look just like the proper eBay and PayPal emails. BE very careful.

Re: Scam?

kayedonproducts — Sun, 30 Sep 2012 12:14:08 GMT

Sounds very suss to me - i wouldn't be giving out any information.

If he has time to send an email why hasn't he got time to make a purchase or bid????

Have you checked their feedback?

Sure there will be more knowledgable people along to give you some answers and advice.

Re: Scam?

kayedonproducts — Sun, 30 Sep 2012 12:15:13 GMT

Thanks Leader - much better info than what I gave!!!

Re: Scam?

emporiumdownunder — Sun, 30 Sep 2012 12:24:05 GMT

You are right Scam, My hubby got a message on Gumtree for his ute offered more money than what he was asking.

He stated he was from Tas but overseas on secret mission lol, but the same deal asking for Paypal info.

Don't respond to him if they did pay a stolen credit card and you loose or once you send him your email address you will receive a scam Paypal emaill they then hope you will then click on the link to sign into your Paypal account.

Hope all that makes sense, somebody will come along who can explain it better that me. 🙂

Re: Scam?

emporiumdownunder — Sun, 30 Sep 2012 12:27:18 GMT

Sorry , was no other post when I thought I would respond 🙂

Re: Scam?

albskee — Sun, 30 Sep 2012 12:40:07 GMT

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

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)

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.

Re: Scam?

silversterio2 — Sun, 30 Sep 2012 12:59:50 GMT

albskee,

You'd receive a FAKE email supposedly from Paypal stating that payment was being held safely and would be released to you when a number was given for the parcel.

All a SCAM

"(buyer has a 29 feedback score 100% positive)"

This is a Nigerian Scammer who has hijacked another member's account.

Phone or email eBay and report the account as hijacked/stolen

Account Security > Unauthorised Account Activity > Report another user’s ID as stolen:

http://pages.ebay.com.au/help/contact_us/_base/index_selection.html

Be sure to have these buyer blocks in place. Go to:

My eBay > Account > Site Preferences > Postage preferences > Show >
Exclude postage locations from your listings from your listings > Edit .......and Select the countries you don’t post to.

Tick … Apply to all current live listings
Click …Apply

And

My eBay > Account > Site Preferences > Buyer Requirements > Show >
Edit .......and tick:

1. Buyers in locations to which I don't post
2. Block buyers who haven't gone through phone verification…
3. Only apply this block to buyers who have a feedback score of 5 or lower(Having a Paypal Account and / or Credit Card details on file overrides this block)

Tick all other blocks of your choice.

Tick …Apply above settings to active and future listings.
Click …Submit

Beware of further spoof/phishing emails you may receive .
Do not open them and do not click on any links.
Run all your spyware, keylogging and virus protection and change your passwords regularly.

Re: Scam?

silversterio2 — Sun, 30 Sep 2012 13:01:18 GMT

"when a number was given for the parcel"

= Tracking number

Re: Scam?

kopenhagen5 — Sun, 30 Sep 2012 13:43:20 GMT

Definitely SCAM.

Re: Scam?

leader-of-the-band — Sun, 30 Sep 2012 14:14:27 GMT

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)

Re: Scam?

bluerose5838 — Sun, 30 Sep 2012 14:19:55 GMT

SCAM SCAM SCAM
Do not fall for it

Re: Scam?

leader-of-the-band — Sun, 30 Sep 2012 14:24:06 GMT

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.

Re: Scam?

leader-of-the-band — Sun, 30 Sep 2012 14:25:16 GMT

SCAM SCAM SCAM
Do not fall for it

glad i am not the only poster that is SHOUTING

Re: Scam?

albskee — Sun, 30 Sep 2012 14:51:23 GMT

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.

Re: Scam?

leader-of-the-band — Sun, 30 Sep 2012 15:25:48 GMT

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. 🙂

Re: Scam?

bsal6160 — Sun, 30 Sep 2012 22:01:37 GMT

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.

Re: Scam?

albskee — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 00:27:06 GMT

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

Re: Scam?

licoricebabyandfabmama — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 01:02:10 GMT

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.