topic Re: Help confirming this is a scammer. in Selling

Help confirming this is a scammer.

nosif666 — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 19:39:38 GMT

hi everyone I need some advice.

I put this item up for sale yesterday evening and two people offered to buy it from me at a certain price yet when I try to communicate with the individual they also wanted to pay for a apple gift card valued at $300 which they would pay me on top of the $250 for the item I am selling.

Re: Help confirming this is a scammer.

padi*0409 — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 12:18:45 GMT

It's a well-known scam.

Re: Help confirming this is a scammer.

davewil1964 — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 12:23:11 GMT

Good news.

You have posted your email address for the scammers of the world to use.

Re: Help confirming this is a scammer.

etb321 — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 13:22:55 GMT

Interesting. Let's say that it was above board, they send you the money, you send them a scan of the card and pin. All good but is there more to it? My thinking is along the line of swapping out money obtained illegally for a spendable gift card. If the card was traceable it would look like you, the buyer of the card, spent the money.

Re: Help confirming this is a scammer.

padi*0409 — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 13:36:40 GMT

Read the link below, it gives some examples of how the scams work.

https://accan.org.au/consumer-information/talking-telco-tip-sheets/your-digital-safety/protecting-yourself-from-gift-card-scams

Re: Help confirming this is a scammer.

*casey* — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 13:55:52 GMT

"Let's say that it was above board"

Let's not.

It's a SCAM

"they send you the money"

They won't.

It's a SCAM

Re: Help confirming this is a scammer.

countessalmirena — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 14:15:08 GMT

It’s a scam in capital letters.

The instant that a gift card is mentioned, and the suggestion that eBay is holding the payment in escrow, you should immediately cease all contact with the soi-disant buyer.

The instant you see an email from a gmail address purporting to be eBay, you should immediately cease all contact.

The instant you’re addressed as “esteemed seller”, ditto.

Picture of a gift card plus its receipt enables the use of it. Scam.

Funds not visible in your summary and eBay account = scam.

The whole thing reeks of SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM.

Only sell as per eBay’s policies.

OP, you are too new and uninformed to sell higher value items at present. eBay is in most respects a safe platform for selling, but you have to know what you’re doing.

Are you even signed up for Managed Payments? If not, you can’t even be disbursed any payment. But that’s not the same thing as eBay escrow (which doesn’t exist).

I would strongly suggest you try dipping your toes in the selling waters with lower value items that you’re happy to sell from around the house, and read through eBay’s Help pages (including Policy pages). Post in these boards with questions; the responders here are always happy to give you helpful advice, particularly if you’re taking the time to read through the relevant pages.

Just remember that with scammers, the less you say, the better. Also make sure you keep all communications within eBay messages; don’t communicate email to email.

Re: Help confirming this is a scammer.

sandypebbles — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 16:07:51 GMT

Posting your email address on a public forum, when you have a warning banner on the screen when you go to post not to put personal details is a great big welcome mat for a hundred more scammers

And as you can see, it can takes hours to be removed so the damage is well and truly done

Expect a flood of emails from many more scammers, including those pretending to be eBay

Re: Help confirming this is a scammer.

sugar249 — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 20:32:02 GMT

looking at your join date, you have being around for a while, why would you even consider this is a legitimate offer.

Don't help the scammers business model.

Re: Help confirming this is a scammer.

sugar249 — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 20:32:35 GMT

@etb321 wrote:
Interesting. Let's say that it was above board, they send you the money, you send them a scan of the card and pin. All good but is there more to it? My thinking is along the line of swapping out money obtained illegally for a spendable gift card. If the card was traceable it would look like you, the buyer of the card, spent the money.

Why would you even consider it to be above board,

Re: Help confirming this is a scammer.

springyzone — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 22:25:09 GMT

@nosif666 wrote:
hi everyone I need some advice.
I put this item up for sale yesterday evening and two people offered to buy it from me at a certain price yet when I try to communicate with the individual they also wanted to pay for a apple gift card valued at $300 which they would pay me on top of the $250 for the item I am selling.

How can you even consider that it may NOT be a scam?

You have an item listed on ebay.

1. Anyone who wants it can 'buy it now'.

They just hit that big blue tab and pay. Job done. They don't need to message you.

They certainly don't need to pay you extra on top of the $260. Ask yourself-what normal person goes in and offers over double the asking price when they don't need to? It is not an auction, it is a normal sale.

2. The other option you have on that item is 'Make an offer'.

Believe me, the buyer interpretation of that is that you may be open to a lower price than $260 you have listed it for. So you may get offers for eg $230 or $200. If you get an offer above $260, be suspicious because-refer back to #1. They can already buy it at $260.

If you are going to sell on ebay, do it all by the book. These scammers rely on people, especially fairly inexperienced sellers, to think there may be a huge profit on ebay just about to fall into their lap, that anything is possible on ebay. It isn't. Ebay is a marketplace like anywhere else.

Anytime you see a remarkable offer of money or goods for free, on ebay or anywhere else, it is pretty much going to be a scam.

And as countess said, make sure you are signed up for managed payments or you might never see your money, even if you make a legitimate sale.

Re: Help confirming this is a scammer.

etb321 — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 13:35:40 GMT

You've received very good advice.

Don't respond to any message outside of ebay messaging

Any suggestion of you providing gift cards, for any reason, block the buyer and if necessary cancel the sale.

Report the buyer.

I'm not sure how the scam plays out but it's pretty certain it would end in tears.

Re: Help confirming this is a scammer.

padi*0409 — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 15:17:01 GMT

@etb321 wrote:

I'm not sure how the scam plays out but it's pretty certain it would end in tears.

So you didn't read the link I gave you then.......................

Re: Help confirming this is a scammer.

brickworksmarket — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 22:06:26 GMT

I was also trying to understand the scam and did not see any similar in the link. The link is more for consumers not sellers or businesses which face different types of scams.

Re: Help confirming this is a scammer.

brickworksmarket — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 22:13:00 GMT

The way I see it is if you supply the gift card and the payment you received is fraudulent it will then get reversed. I have seen this with businesses where someone buys over the phone and the seller does not sight the card so is not protected and payment is reversed after delivery. Hence why Paypal is seen as a more secure form of payment.

Re: Help confirming this is a scammer.

*casey* — Thu, 11 Jul 2024 01:25:21 GMT

"the payment you received is fraudulent "

No payment will be received as it's a SCAM

Repost of the Countess's information:

The instant that a gift card is mentioned, and the suggestion that eBay is holding the payment in escrow, you should immediately cease all contact .

The instant you see an email from a gmail address purporting to be eBay, you should immediately cease all contact.

Picture of a gift card plus its receipt enables the use of it. Scam.

Re: Help confirming this is a scammer.

sandypebbles — Thu, 11 Jul 2024 01:36:38 GMT

100%

There is nothing remotely legit about any of it

Gift card or not

Not to mention eBay does not have a gmail address

Nor do the address people with things such as 'dear seller' (or similar)

It should only be treated as the scam it is

Re: Help confirming this is a scammer.

brickworksmarket — Thu, 11 Jul 2024 02:09:58 GMT

Here is the original post.

I don't see any mention of escrow payment or mention of a gmail message from ebay. Maybe it was edited out and so have missed this part.

Understanding how a scam works helps to avoid one in the future. Obviously something was edited out of the message as I am unable to see what others are saying regarding messages from ebay and escrow payments.

Re: Help confirming this is a scammer.

brickworksmarket — Thu, 11 Jul 2024 02:11:44 GMT

I feel like I'm doing a word search and everyone sees the word gmail but me. Please be kind enough and point it out.

Re: Help confirming this is a scammer.

*casey* — Thu, 11 Jul 2024 02:16:18 GMT

The OP posted the original email they received from the scammer but it was removed by a mod as it had the OP's personal email address showing