Scam or not? What do you think?
Submitted: Saturday, Mar 16, 2013 at 10:43
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Patrol22
I recently put an add for my off road campertrailer in the for sale section of this site and also on Gumtree. I got a text this morning seemingly from an Australian mobile as it has the +61 in front of the number. The text reads: "Sent from: Luccy. What's the present condition and final price of you trailer. Best way to contact me is via my email Luccysammy@outlook.com."
I sent an email to that address and got the following response: "Thank you for the mail,i am okay with the condition Likewise your asking price is quite reasonable and affordable considering others I've seen lately,Am buying it for my SON who has just graduated from Charles
Darwin University NT. I'll have it for the listed price,please kindly send me your BANK details or pay pal payment email to set up purchase,as i don't have access to my bank account online as am not with my credit card details here on our
mine site but i have my ANZ bank account linked up with my PayPal account so I will be paying you through PayPal to your nominated bank account.i would have love to call in person but we have strict no phone policy due to bad weather condition and i won't be able to come for the inspection due to the nature of my work 4weeks on 1week off,i will arrange for pick up and delivery by my pickup agent after the cleared payment to your account."
Now I'm thinking this is more than a bit shady and wondering if your guys are of the same opinion. Or....do you think I'm being a bit over cautious. Just seems a bit too good to be true to me.
Thanks in advance for any advice.
Reply By: Member - kym111 - Saturday, Mar 16, 2013 at 11:03
Saturday, Mar 16, 2013 at 11:03
Hi Patrol 22
I would be wary at this stage... Do you have a PayPal account? The fact that they're sending you money, and hoping you provide the goods goes in your favour, as opposed to the other way around.
I do know of some WA
mine sites with 4/1 rosters, and no phone or internet service or access either at all or until after shift, so that could be legit. And some people have terrible grammar skills! Seems a bit strange, though, if he doesn't have phone or internet access for online transfer, but can pay by Pal Pal?
At the end of the day, go with your gut feeling. If you're not happy about it, don't go with it. If you do proceed, make sure you get the funds before releasing the trailer. Perhaps you could offer to hold the trailer until he can come in person (or an agent) with the cash...
Good luck!
Regards
Kym111
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506882
Reply By: Gnomey - Saturday, Mar 16, 2013 at 12:40
Saturday, Mar 16, 2013 at 12:40
G'day Patrol22
Even without the post from Kris and Kev I'd be very wary. Why?
Can access PayPal but not his bank online... huh?
Can text but can't make/take calls on his mobile....huh?
He can't give you credit card details because he doesn't have them with him... huh?
His "pick up agent", no name, rather than I'll get Harry to pick it up
It's all carefully and plausibly constructed so that you can only get paid by PayPal and only contact him via email. Reversible payments.
Cheers
Mark
AnswerID:
506891
Reply By: aboutfivebucks (Pilbara) - Saturday, Mar 16, 2013 at 23:03
Saturday, Mar 16, 2013 at 23:03
Well, I'm still confused.
I applaud raising issues in these types of forums if you "smell a rat" But where is the actual scam?
As D-Jack mentions above. If you receive the money for the CT, then hand it over, where is the scam.
If you hand over the CT before funds have cleared - then I would say you have the sequence wrong.
Does anyone know how the scammer actually gains in these events?
Just for the record, I work on remote sites, I can't always inspect items before I buy them,for classified items I would usually pay first then have someone collect it for me and my preference to buy goods is through PayPal as it is easy (its also connected to my credit card - not that that needs mentioning. Failing that - direct deposit into the sellers bank account. Saying that i would definitely send someone around to inspect any item over $10k before handing the cash over.
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Follow Up By: Member - Scott M (NSW) - Sunday, Mar 17, 2013 at 00:05
Sunday, Mar 17, 2013 at 00:05
Very commpn afb,
http://www.scamwatch.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/829446
"For sellers:
Scammers posing as genuine buyers also target consumers who sell goods through print and online
classifieds websites. The approaches used by scammers vary, but often they will contact you wanting to buy your goods, but will make up stories such as needing your help to pay an agent or third party for upfront costs like transportation or insurance. The scammer will promise you reimbursement for these costs, however once you have paid, there is no reimbursement and it is often too late to recover the money and/or contact the ‘buyer’.
Another variation is when the scammer poses as a buyer and makes you a generous offer for the item you are selling. If you accept the offer, the scammer then sends you a cheque, but the cheque is for more money than the agreed sale price. The scammer will invent an excuse for the overpayment, for example to cover the fees of an agent or extra shipping costs. The scammer might just say that it was a mistake.
The scammer will then ask you to refund the excess amount—usually through an online banking transfer or a wire transfer. The scammer is hoping that you will do this before you discover that their cheque has bounced. You will have lost the money you gave the scammer, and if you have already sent the item you were selling, you will lose it as
well."
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Reply By: Member Andys Adventures - Sunday, Mar 17, 2013 at 10:36
Sunday, Mar 17, 2013 at 10:36
Hi Patrol 22,
Selling anything on gumtree will give you a problem, as you have to contact the buyer or seller via email yourself. If you use ebay they are the go between and you never get email from the buyer only the cash.
With gumtree you can be anyone with a hotmail, gmail and any other email account which does not require ID checks.
One way to beat them is to set up a new bank account not credit card but savings account, Do not let anyone take your trailer till the funds have cleared from paypal to bank account and have Withdraw the cash, and then close the account. When they try to complete the scam by getting the money back through paypal they can't. And you have beat the seamer.
Otherwise get a computer nerd to put a virus in the email you send back to him.
AnswerID:
506969
Follow Up By: Dennis Ellery - Sunday, Mar 17, 2013 at 11:19
Sunday, Mar 17, 2013 at 11:19
Hi Andy
Lot of hassle setting up and closing bank accounts.
Recently sold the wife’s car on Gumtree – I stipulated cash, cheque (pickup after clearance) or direct debit. The buyer turned up with the folding stuff.
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