Internet scammer or not?

[xxx000]

Originally Posted by GerryP65

Had this before as well. Just tell them you will only deal in person with cash or verified bank cheque.

Bank cheques can bounce just like personal cheques.

I wouldn't even bother replying to the scammer, not worth the time.

[nickdl]

Very strange to hear about the credit card. Let us know if you find out what happens.

I've sold cars on Gumtree twice before and both times had the same scam. Anyone offering to pay via PayPal for Gumtree or Carsales should be instantly suscpicious. PayPal also doesn't do transactions larger than $12,500 which is worth noting.

It's fairly obvious to see it's a scam when they start, particularly when the cars aren't that unique - they were a Holden Combo and a Peugeot 206. Hardly worth shipping from Melbourne to Darwin!

I called bull**** and wasted their time as much as possible, without giving anything away. I sent through details of a bogus PayPal account with my email address, so they can't get anything.

The scam is this:

They send you an email from 'PayPal' (complete with some poor English, but convincing enough) which says they've billed you for the agreed amount + $900. So if you're selling a car for $12,000, they'll put in $12,900. 'PayPal' tells you that the money could take up to 28 days to clear, but rest assured because you'll absolutely most definitely get it...

They then email you explaining that you should have got an email from PayPal and if you didn't to check your spam folder (because PayPal would really end up here...) and they say they've put the extra money in to cover the courier's cost to Darwin.

They then send you the bank details of their courier who just happens to bank with the Bank of East China or something strange, and ask that you pass on the $900, and that once you do the courier will come and pick the car up. They hound you to do this, saying they're $12,900 out of pocket and they want their car.

Of course, the courier never comes and they pocket the $900. Meanwhile, you never see the money from PayPal.

I managed to renegotiate the deal with the 'buyer', getting the asking price of the Peugeot up from $6500 to $15k and he was still willing!

[xxx000]

Originally Posted by nickdl

Very strange to hear about the credit card. Let us know if you find out what happens.

I've sold cars on Gumtree twice before and both times had the same scam. Anyone offering to pay via PayPal for Gumtree or Carsales should be instantly suscpicious. PayPal also doesn't do transactions larger than $12,500 which is worth noting.

It's fairly obvious to see it's a scam when they start, particularly when the cars aren't that unique - they were a Holden Combo and a Peugeot 206. Hardly worth shipping from Melbourne to Darwin!

I called bull**** and wasted their time as much as possible, without giving anything away. I sent through details of a bogus PayPal account with my email address, so they can't get anything.

The scam is this:

They send you an email from 'PayPal' (complete with some poor English, but convincing enough) which says they've billed you for the agreed amount + $900. So if you're selling a car for $12,000, they'll put in $12,900. 'PayPal' tells you that the money could take up to 28 days to clear, but rest assured because you'll absolutely most definitely get it...

They then email you explaining that you should have got an email from PayPal and if you didn't to check your spam folder (because PayPal would really end up here...) and they say they've put the extra money in to cover the courier's cost to Darwin.

They then send you the bank details of their courier who just happens to bank with the Bank of East China or something strange, and ask that you pass on the $900, and that once you do the courier will come and pick the car up. They hound you to do this, saying they're $12,900 out of pocket and they want their car.

Of course, the courier never comes and they pocket the $900. Meanwhile, you never see the money from PayPal.

I managed to renegotiate the deal with the 'buyer', getting the asking price of the Peugeot up from $6500 to $15k and he was still willing!

Spot on with the description of the scam.
Some of these are Russian scammers who if they find out you are stringing them along will cause you to lose your Internet so beware.

[ford71V8]

Originally Posted by zilo

I remember a forum thread where they scammed the scammers.

Told them they were a church called "BJ" and that they would give him 60k if he could setup a church in Nigeria for them.

the catch was they had to have the church tattoo on their arms to qualify as missionaries.....LOL

have a look here.. he got his mates to do it as well cause they wanted the 60k each too..

They had to send him back photos to prove they had done the tattoos..

Some rough tattooing so beware....


BTW "I give BJ's" means I give blow jobs...LOL

http://www.getbig.com/boards/index.php?topic=384125.0

It's worth registering on the bovine forum mentioned to read the full thread BTW.

They told the scammers that the billboards with their photos were all over the US too...

http://www.fireflyfans.net/mthread.aspx?tid=48968

Gee the idiot featured in the 1st link here deserves to be done out of his cash. How can anyone be so stupid?
The part where he drops the magic bottle.........

[mike_nofx]

So how does this paypal scam, actually work?

Is it all to collect the money you pay a false courier? Or do they actually send a courier to collect your goods?

[nickdl]

Originally Posted by mike_nofx

So how does this paypal scam, actually work?

Is it all to collect the money you pay a false courier? Or do they actually send a courier to collect your goods?

See above. They collect a few hundred bucks from you when you pay a false courier, who never comes.

[GASWAGON]

Shat myself today when checking account again to see the same 3 withdrawels on the new credit card.

Apparently they are being carried over from the old credit card until resolutions are solved.

So it may take me a few weeks to get the money recovered unfortuneatly!

[tozaq]

Yep like it was posted earlier they send you a fake pay pal email with logos and everything.let's numb it down you don't pay someone money to sell your car on gumtree.dead give aways are.the SMS to your phone will come with a name as it would as a contact in your phone but the scammer is not a contact in your phone,so they should only come up as a ph.no not a name,dead give away same applies for emails.secondly sight unseen sales,I always put "cash upon pick up only".and you dont get hassled buy scammers.but the bank will find it to be fraudulant and you will get your cash back.buyer beware market.and yeah those nigerians got done hard what pearler,looks like the used a knife and rubbed the ink in,i cant stop laughing.oh by the way get the bank to ring you before purchase approval.

[XB GS 351 Coupe]

Originally Posted by CoolBFWagon

I have an unregistered motorbike for sale on bikesales.com.

I hav'nt had any enquiries so today i lowered the price to $5,800.

Then later today i get a text message on my phone saying to email someone with a gmail account so i did send a message and just asked them to ring me personally.

Had no calls but got a fresh email message saying that the buyer is working offshore in NZ and has no phone access.

He wants me to send my Paypal details or send my bank account bsb and account number.

Said he will organise a courier to pick bike up and send it to Darwin where he reckons he lives.

I replied to his message saying i want to speak to him personally on a phone before sending ending bank details.

Is this an internet scam or is it a genuine buyer???

It's genuine for sure, I am away working on an oil rig with no communications as well, I will buy the bike if you deposit $1000 into my bank account, then there is also your long lost relative a Nigerian King that recently died, he left you 12 million $$ all you need to do is send me $5000 and your account details so I can transfer the money into your account, the $5000 is to release the funds.

[tozaq]

What!.are you saying its a genuine scam?.or a genuine buyer?. Alarm bells if you have no comms how was the email sent?.magically?.and why would you pay the person buying the bike they pay the seller.maybe joining the church of BJ is more your speed they pay you well for just getting a tattoo.please tell me your joking.with all that cash you could order just about anything from a good bike dealership.but yet people still phish and people still take the bait.