scoobyricht

iTrader: (4)

Im trying to sell my Canon 1000d camera, its currently on gumtree, i got this email from an interested buyer. he asked me to email more details about the item to his email, hisname@blumail.org so i did and he replyed with this:-

Hello

Thanks for contacting me regarding the item listed for sale, am very much interested in buying this item from you and am okay with your sale asking price for the item. Am a disable man on wheelchair and i will really appreciate your assistance.

I want to use this item as a gift to my cousin in West Africa and am willing to pay for the item £200 and shipping £55 via royalmail signedfor registered postal service. I’m willing to pay you using my paypal account. if you don't have a paypal account you can set up a paypal account on www.paypal.com

Kindly send me your paypal email so that i can make the payment to you.

Thank


I have not contacted him since the email which was sent on monday.
What you think? con?

Thanks

Rich

JayM

Definitely a scam, he mentions "item" and "price" so it can be generic and they can mass-email people with the same messages, also poor English, wanting sent to Africa etc, steer cleer!

nik52wrx

Con written all over it, best stay clear.

Nik

TelBoy

Not seen this one before, knowingly. How does the scam work?

Orangio

A prime example why you shouldn't use gumtree

TelBoy

Or craigslist. NEVER use craigslist if you can avoid it.

Wurzel

iTrader: (1)

Jesus if everyone listened to you doom and gloom mongers no one would ever trust or sell anything ever again. Why don't we all go back to living in caves, clubbing our women and taking what we want.

hodgy0_2

I am trying to sell a car at the mo (an old Mistibushi Shogun/Pajero)

anyway had quite a few of these emails, i.e. willing to pay direct into a paypal account - don't need to see the car blah blah blah

they are obviously scams but I am intrigued to know how they work
after all I would not let them take the car until I had made sure the money was in my bank

(i would close my paypal account)

What exactly is the scam?, how does it work -- surely if they want the car they would just nick it???

AndyC_772

iTrader: (2)

I suspect they just file a claim with Paypal to say the item was never delivered or didn't work, and expect to get a refund. Alternatively they may have a stolen credit card which they use to fund the payment, in the hope that you'll have sent the item before the transaction gets identified as fraudulent and is reversed.

Hanley

Just take the payment and never send it!!

scoobyricht

iTrader: (4)

Thanks for the replys, thought it seemed pretty suspect and will stay clear of this dude. wonder how they scam with paypal.

oh well ill pop an ad in the for sale items on here later

Cheers

tubbytommy

iTrader: (20)

Ill take it but im disabled. Can you send it to my cousin in africa.

TelBoy

Who i bet is a whole lot less tubby

Busterbulldog

iTrader: (1)

My wife got caught with this identical scam,they will send you a fake email/paypal payment,which looks proper.They assume you wont actually log into paypal and check,which she didnt until I came home and realised things werent right.The police/postal services crime unit eventually sorted it,delivery address in Scotland,scammers from Gambia.A year later I got my bracelet back,there were many others involved and these people were already under surveillance...do not fall for it

Infected by sti

iTrader: (6)

As busta said they tried it on with me as well selling an item, they sent a fake PayPal payment and when I emailed them back telling them to basically F off they started bombarding me with threats of legal action

Don't waste your time bud I can assure you they are full of shît

tubbytommy

iTrader: (20)

Payment sent

stedee

iTrader: (4)

the email address says it all lol.

TelBoy

Why, what should blumail.org tell me?

nik52wrx

Here you go mate......


http://blog.gumtree.com/paypal-scam-alert/

Nik

bioforger

iTrader: (1)

Its so obvious it's a scam for christ sake, sorry but ffs why do you even have to ask if it is or not :s

nyscooby

iTrader: (12)

scamtastic!!

TelBoy

But if it had said Birmingham or Luton instead of West Africa, could you have been so sure? Seems obvious in hindsight, not quite so clear-cut when you have a potential buyer and you need the money.

bioforger

iTrader: (1)

Yes I would have been bloody sure! Look at the wording, the tug on the heart strings about the wheelchair (why would you feel it necessary to mention this). I'm surprised you are asking this Tel and disappointed to be honest

TelBoy

Hmm, apologies to disappoint you. My point is, that for most people Paypal is 100% trustworthy and there's no issue of bank deposits being declined etc. To be honest, i think the wording plays into the hands of the scammers, it's obviously "foreign" and it would make many people believe that because it was via Paypal, they could get one over the scammers. I'm sort of disappointed you can't see past the top layer of what might appear too simplistic a scam. I think it's actually pretty clever.

hodgy0_2

this what I got

i read as far as "Anyway, I agree to buy at your price", then knew it was a scam and confined it to the trash and blocked the email address

Hi again,

Thank you for getting back, Anyway, I agree to buy at your price and i am keen myself. How I wish i could come for inspection but i'm currently deployed and will be away for quite a number of weeks,precisely 9weeks according to the programme.

Here is the deal, I know you can't possibly wait for 9weeks but I will make full payment to you and once your payment clears, I will arrange for a shipper to contact you and pick it up from you. This is the best way I can handle this professionally cos I am keen like I said earlier.

Due to this inability to bring cash physically, the best way to pay for me would be through PayPal which is safer for you and I plus i will cover the PayPal transfer fees. Kindly send me a PayPal payment invoice or create an account atwww.PayPal.com if you dont have one.

I can also make the payment directly to your bank account through PayPal if you insist on bank deposit, My PayPal account is attachd to my bank account so this is not a problem. I know their are lots of time wasters on internet business but this is real cos I will make a concrete pick up arrangement with my transport person who will be coming over for pick up once you receive full payment into your PayPal account.

I hope we have a deal? Have a nice day and please,I'd like to know certain things too; Are you the first owner? What is your reason for selling? I'm sorry, just want to be sure about the sale before i proceed

bioforger

iTrader: (1)

oh dear oh dear this is even more disappointing, for one who appears to be intelligent, I really can't see why you could possibly think this way

TelBoy

Because i can see the psychology behind the scam. Because i can fully understand why the OP's wife was duped. Because i can appreciate that for many victims they will have utterly believed they will have "got one back" on the Nigerians who don't fully understand Paypal. Trust me, this operates on more levels than just "West Africa, red alert, red alert". But if you can dismiss scams like this on a superficial level, great, you'll never get caught.

hodgy0_2

they can trick even the most level headed, my wife (university graduate – admittedly in History of Art) and a mother of 5, with a very successful career behind her

unbelievely capable and organised -- anounced a few years ago thay we had won a (large) share in Spanish national lottery, and proceeded to read a very official looking letter

"great" i said, "when did you do the spanish lottery then"

"well i haven't" she replied

bioforger

iTrader: (1)

Some of the most intelligent people on the planet don't have any common sense...

dpb

The fat one?