gsm1

Just sold something on Ebay. The guy who bought it has been on Ebay for less than a month and has 2 feedbacks (7 in total but only from 2 unique sellers). His address is not very far from me and he paid by Paypal. I emailed him back (to his free email account address!) asking for a landline BT number for the delivery address and for him to get his delivery address confirmed with Paypal. He hasn't done this. The same day I received the Paypal payment, I got an email from Paypal saying it was a suspected fraudulent transaction. I just got an email from the buyer today saying he that he has paid for the goods and expects them or he will leave negative feedback. He won't give me a BT landline number either.
It's pretty certain this guy is a crook but is it worth contacting the police? Would they actually give a sh*t?

minor_threat

I doubt it! It's hard enough getting the police interested in fraud rings worth millions, they probably would't be bothered about a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours doing bad trade on ebay.

Did you say you have his home address?

gsm1

Yeah, I've got the address, but I doubt he'd probably be there himself. He'll probably have some crackhead taking delivery.

Goochie

so if paypal think its fraudulent have they given you the name anyway?

talizman

iTrader: (1)

Have Paypal actually paid the funds into your paypal account?

I would guess that if they suspect it to be fraudulent, then they won't have paid it in.

If they have paid it, then why tell you its fraudulent?

You have his address yes? but you say that he has no paypal verified address?
I was under the impression that you could not use paypal unless you had a verified address and credit card on file?

Are paypal threatening to retract the funds from you?

Most police forces now have specialist departments within the "fraud squad" to deal soley with internet frauds, especially ebay/paypal related issues.

If you have been told that this guy is committing fraud then tell the police and do not send the goods or else you may end up losing in the long run.

As for him leaving you negative feedback... big deal! Is that the worst he can do to you?

Simply leave his feedback along the lines of....
"buyer is suspected fraudster with stolen credit card.... police looking for him..... do not buy from him/sell to him!"

That'll put his gas at a peep!

gsm1

Paypal just email saying it's fraudulent but don't give any other details. Their backsides are protected in any case, why should they worry. I have a name that the fraudster is using of course and is probably the name on the credit card he is using.

gsm1

They took the money back out of my account the samd day it went in.

talizman

iTrader: (1)

Well in that case, you obviously won't be sending the item, regardless of whether his address is confirmed or not.

Explain to him that the paypal payment has been withdrawn, and if he still wishes the item to meet you with a handful of the King's Shilling!

If he leaves you negative feedback, you are covered cos he hasn't paid you!

gsm1

I'm certainly not going to send the goods, but I was thinking of scraping up some fresh dog sh*te out of the local park stuffing it in a box and sending it by parcel post.

talizman

iTrader: (1)

So, at the moment, what we have is......

A failed paypal transaction due to Paypal claiming that the buyer is "commiting fraud"?

Due to the lack of information, there is no point in reporting to the police, simply becasue you do not have enough information to instigate an enquiry/investiagtion.

If Paypal have grounds to suspect fraud, then I'm pretty certain that they will have their own internal measures to report these matters and will probably do so as a matter of course.

I'd forget all about it.

imlach

I'd just leave it too.

You've currently lost nothing financially.....

You don't know if this guy is a nutter.....best not to get involved.

gsm1

I don't normally concern myself and I know, technically, it's not concrete. It just hacks me off because it's the third fraud attempt within 3 months. One fraudster had me screwed for over a month making me answer to Ebay and Paypal because of their stupid system - Paypal still haven't returned the credit card fee that they made me pay for it either.
I doubt Paypal bother reporting squat to the police.

gsm1

I know. I was joking about the dog sh*te! I'm not wasting my money on a cardboard box and postage.

talizman

iTrader: (1)

gsm1,

I can appreciate that you are cheesed off, especially if you have been stung recently, however, with regards to Paypal's system and their methods, they are about as secure as you can get in this age of technology and online dealings.

Your paypal account can only be used once you have proved that you are not only in possession of the credit card/expiry dates/ccv number etc, but also that you are the person who receives the statement pertaining to the card before the account is activated.

People will always finds new schemes and ways round these thigs, but as far as paypal goes, their system is as good as it can be IMHO.

gsm1

Talizman, in my last fraud case, Paypal informed me of a fraudulent transaction 3 days later and took the money back out. Thirty days later they put the money back into my account and then the next day emailed me with a complaint from the buyer that he had not received the goods and make me answer for it. Their system is not as perfect as they claim.

It's not just the bother of dealing with these idiots but I lose a sale, time and the £5 entry fee as well. I even went to the bother of stating in bold caps, at the top of the auction, a warning to fraudsters that stringent checks would be made and not too bother. Still these idiots persist.

talizman

iTrader: (1)

gsm1,

I don't think Paypal claim that their system is "perfect" and I certainly never said it is.

What I did say was, that in the current climate of high technology crime, the Paypal system is about as secure as you can reasonably get, for what it does.

Certainly when I carry out a Paypal transaction, the money is taken straight out of my bank account or credit card, and the security is in the fact that I have proved that I am the account holder and statement recipient to Paypal. Theres not a lot more than that you could actually do.

gsm1

Talizman, I know you never said it was perfect, but I was just illustrating some obvious problems with it.
I've checked the buyer's activity and found he has bid and won nearly 50 items in the space of a week. To a value of over £6k. From designer clothes/perfumes to Computer hardware. He is still a registered user on Ebay (the people who own Paypal) and currently bidding on more auctions in progress. Meanwhile he is still able to take delivery at his dodgy address. It's ridiculous.

CrisPDuk

The other problem with paypal is that they will remove money from your a/c that they suspect to be fraudulent days after the payment has been received, by which time you've already posted the item. Leaving you out of pocket and pretty much up the creek without a rowing implement