Advice needed re probable fraud

[iainlouden]

I paid for an item on 10th July via paypal and had no communication from the seller until I requested seller details from Ebay on 11th July.

The item was listed as being in Port Germein SA as was the seller.

I was told the item would be posted the next day ( 12th July ) by registered post and I requested the tracking number.

Today ( 17th July ) I received an Auspost express post platinum envelope with no return address.

I was suspicious of the parcel as it was very light and felt like there was just a piece of paper in it rather than a 10 gram item.

I videoed myself opening it and all it contained was an advertisment for holidays in Darwin.

The fact that some unknown person paid $13.50 for the prepaid envelope to send me an unsolicited sheet of A4 paper rang alarm bells so I tried tracking it via Auspost but it didn't show the originating location...only the closest main post office to me and then my local post office.

I tried the main Post office near me and they couldn't do any better apart from telling me it was not purchased. or lodged there.

Phoned Auspost and they could not track it to its origin either.

I have sent another message via ebay to the seller requesting the tracking number but really I'm pretty sure I have been the victim of internet fraud.

I tried the phone number Ebay gave me for this seller but it is a fake...Telstra have confirmed it does not exist.

The seller has just updated the details, after I requested the tracking number earlier today, to say that the item was posted today (17th July) but has not given me a tracking number as I have requested on 2 occasions.

I have just requested the tracking number again.

Any advice on what I should do now?

[iainlouden]

No I will not name the seller...as far as I'm aware that is not allowed on these forums..the seller info will be discoverable once I leave the biggest negative I can get away with leaving...but I will wait till the situation is resolved in the next couple of weeks before I do that.

I opened a not received dispute as I have no proof the seller sent me the express satchel containing the advertising brochure and at the time of opening it they had not told me it had been posted and they then refused to communicate in any way let alone tell me the tracking number of the item they supposedly posted a day after the satchel arrived at the main Post Office nearest me.

I guess they don't want to give the tracking number as it would be proof of them sending the advertising brochure and would definitley be used against them when I hand all the info over to the police to who I have already spoken to about it...it's good to have relatives and friends in the Police 🙂

Paypal have been great ..I spoke to them on the phone and they immediately escalated it to a claim so the seller has until the 27th to come up with proof of posting..who knows they may have actually posted the item after realising that they had put themselves in a legally risky position...but I doubt it lol.

Ebay have been very helpful too and have taken action over the fake phone number the seller used to regisiter their account.( they couldn't tell me what action ).

Yes I agree that there is more risk buying from anyone with a low feedback score than from someone with a high feedback score..but we all started off with a zero score.

Not the first time i have purchased from a zero feedbacker and never had a problem before.

As long as you take measures to protect yourself by using paypal and if in doubt videoing the opening of the parcel you should be right...I have been videoing the opening of parcels for a few months now after a friend was scammed..actually if I have any doubts from now on the parcel will be opened on the counter of my local post office in front of the manager who doesn't have a problem with me doing that.

I'll let you know of the outcomes...re Paypal and the Police when it is sorted.

[janeababe]

A fake seller with fake phone number, goes to assume also fake address and fake names are highly likely.
Im not sure that the online fraud squad will take this much further for $500. It would cost more than that in man power hours to track down the IP address of the computor that was used to create the actual ebay account.  (wouldnt it ?) and, if it was a public computor (as in at a library or internet cafe), then searching through video surveilance and library members etc would also take many many man hours, not really feasable.

I am *assuming* that your scammer didnt even have the item to start with, its probably a photo from someone eles's listing or another web site. I am also going to *assume* that the paypal funds were withdrawn immediately and the account is empty. It could be an old unused account or even a stolen account... also fake id.   ( my assumptions are based on what we do already know, fake number, no item posted) 

I am sorry this happened to you, and i do wish you all the best, but I cant see much happening in the way of catching the seller.
paypal will most likely refund you though, so that will be something at least.

Next time, purchase from someone reputable hey!  😉

[phorum_junkie*]

I am pleased you did open a not received dispute, I think we all assumed from your first post that you had opened a not as described dispute.

The seller will probably not send Paypal the tracking info, they probably realise that as soon as they do that they have committed fraud. Even if the police do nothing it is still important to make the report, the on-line auction fraud report site collate info from all states and all auction sites and this person may have used other ids and sites.

[zigzagdot]

No zigzagdot, naming and shaming can get you into trouble around here.

You can find it in the OP's purcase history though 😉

No I just wanted a hint because I don't know how to find it via OP's purchase history, I did not know you can see another Buyer's purchase history? 😮

I just check the feedback

[zigzagdot]

**********************************

1 x 10 gram Perth Mint gold bar 999.9 - investment gold

13bids, sold for $485 + $6postage.

0 feedback, newly opened account holder.

**********************************

Op... this alone would have had the alarm bells ringing, and i would have been hitting the back button, not the bid button.

good luck with your paypal case.

tks and ditto

[col52]

You might also like to go to http://www.scamwatch.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/693900

No I just wanted a hint because I don't know how to find it via OP's purchase history, I did not know you can see another Buyer's purchase history? 😮

I just check the feedback

http://www.ebay.com.au/sch/ebayadvsearch/?_sofindtype=3&&_in_kw=1&_sacat=See-All-Categories&_adv=1&_...