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Scammers are getting better and better

#27
pstyle said:
His 2nd email is classic scammer style. If i receive payment from him, it will probably be from a hi-jacked paypal account. Paypal will eventually cancel that payment and take the money from my account most likely, and I will be out of a bass if I ship it.
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This is one of the reasons I never use paypal. The other is that I was once charged $1,200 twice for the same bass. It took more than 6 months for paypal to refund the money.

My cousin is a post master with the U.S. Postal Service. He told me to always pay by bank check or money order, a postal money order is even better. Then send it via U.S. Mail. If the seller does not ship the item or it is not as described, they have committed mail fraud which is punishable by up to 20 years in prison and fines up to $1,000,000. If the buyer commits fraud, the same penalties apply.

Now, I only use sites that I trust such as Musician's Friend, Guitar Center, etc. Otherwise, I meet in person and exchange cash. If the seller doesn't want to do it that way, I pass. There is plenty of gear available from sources where you don't have to worry about being scammed.
 
#29
pstyle said:

Hello,

Thanks for the mail, i am presently in Houston on a Oil spillage clean-up training course as a facility engineer of BP Oil Company. Am ordering for this musical instrument because is urgently needed to be delivered to my church for choir.

I am on a world Oil spillage clean-up training programme, I am also a UN worker, due to the nature of the training that is going on here, visiting of website are restricted but I squeezed out time to check this advert because I received mail from my church pastor that is urgently needed that is why I send you an email regarding it.

I can only send you a PayPal payment which protects me and you from scam and fraud, I insisted on paypal because I don't have access to my bank account online as I don't have internet banking, but I can pay from my paypal account, as I have my bank account attached to it, I will need you to give me your paypal email address so I can make the payments asap for the instrument and please, if you don't have paypal account yet, it is very easy to set up, go to [urlwww.paypal.com[/url] and get
it set up , after you have set it up I will only need the e-mail
address you use for registration with paypal so as to put the money through.

I have a pick up agent that will come and pick the item up after you cash the money
Regards.

Damn.. I thought I had a sale!
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Between the multiple mentions of Paypal, and the items that I've placed in bold letters, this is so ridiculous...

Run Forrest, Run! :D
 
#30
Koffelito said:
Sorry if i dont understand but didnt he want to send you the payment in advance? How can you be scammed if youve got the money before his "agent" picks it up?
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Quick n' dirty..

What usually happens is that you receive a 'check' for an amount way over the purchase price of the thing you're selling; you're supposed to cash the check and refund the extra to the 'buyer's' agent. The 'check' is bogus to begin with, and you've just handed the scammers free money. Or something like this.

- edit - not totally sure how the PayPal scam works, but the hijacked account mentioned earlier sounds about right.
 
#32
Hahaha- check this out-
got a reply for my ad for a bass from a deaf person------>

GET BACK TO ME ASAP: Steinberger 5 String bass - $600
Hello,
Thank for the prompt response to my mail. I will be processing
and mail a draft to cover the cost of my purchase as am completely
satisfied with the advert. I will need the details of whom & where to
mail the draft. It will be delivered by the Courier within 2-5 days.
Please note some Courier do not deliver to P.O.Box addresses
1.Payable Name to be on the check
2.Mailing / Home address
3.Mobile #
Kindly delete the posting as am totally committed to buying from you
to save me cost, my mover will be coming over for the pick up right
only after the payment as been
delivered and i want you to understand that, i love to call but am a
deaf and only uses a hearing-in paired phone the relay. So please send
me aN email you leave a message on my email - it
will be delivered as to me i will understand:Thanks for the trust and
the honest that you have with me i really appreciate your respond god
will bless you.. waiting to ready from you soonest,
Regard
Pam.
 
#36
So just because you got the money inte your paypal account that doesn´t mean youre safe? Wow i always used ebay with paypal in the belief that i cant get scammed. But maybee its saffer over ebay where you have a reputation?
 
#37
Yeah guys, for me and anyone else who doesn't know the scam, can you explain it. If the guys sends you a paypal payment, even if it is too much, why can't you just wait til the payment clears? If they payment is bogus, won't it just not clear? Please educate us
 
#38
One of the factors is that it can take weeks for an account to be debited in a foreign bank, and for all the time the guy has both the guitar and the refund for the difference, the money that your bank or Paypal paid you is 'pending' clearing a check in that very slow offshore bank account.

Once it bounces there, it can take a while for it to be reported back to your bank and then you get dinged for the whole amount plus any fees.

It seems that some of those offshore banks intentionally put holds on- or slow down the transactions just for this very reason. After all, they are righteously scamming rich Americans.

And as the economy sinks further, this is more and more common.

Cash-in-hand and face-to-face transactions are a lot safer - er, unless the other party has a gun and a ski mask.
 
#39
Duuuuuuuuuude said:
Yeah guys, for me and anyone else who doesn't know the scam, can you explain it. If the guys sends you a paypal payment, even if it is too much, why can't you just wait til the payment clears? If they payment is bogus, won't it just not clear? Please educate us
Click to expand...

The best info you can get:

Invalid Link Removed

Seriously, read it now if you don't understand the scam.

If the check bounces you are liable, not the bank.
 
#40
The original doesn't sound legit to me at all - even the initial "still available" question is clearly a formula response. All it takes is one time to get such a message and you know what's going on. ANY response to an ad that doesn't mention the specifics of YOUR ad as part of the question can safely be assumed to be a scam attempt.
 

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