Would someone kindly explain to me how this scam works?

[midnight rambler]

I've listed a piece of equipment for sale on CL locally. The asking price is a few thousand and that's in the main line of the listing. I clearly stated in my ad, "Do NOT send a text to my phone" yet this morning at about 6:20 I got a couple of texts (the 2nd a repeat of the 1st) asking to email my firm price. I checked the phone # on the text and what a reverse phone # search indicates is that the phone # is a landline in a nearby small community (a text from a landline?? ???). So I emailed my firm price to the email provided and this is the email I got back:


Hi,am Angela Morris,A Marine in Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station Colorado.I would have love to see this item but am presently Busy.I am Okay with your advert price and i will be sending your money asap via paypal. Do you have PayPal account cos i have one that I can send money through.get back to me with your paypal info and also delete the cl post.




Now be advised that this piece of equipment is actually a couple of pieces that are heavy enough they will need to be loaded with a fork lift. By the email response I received I get the impression that the sender has English as a second language. I emailed back: What's a marine in Colorado need with this monster piece of very specialized equipment? Do you realize how much this thing weighs? I require cash on pickup from the buyer in person - NO paypal.

So how does this scam work by supposedly sending money via paypal? I don't get it. I must be dense. lol

[Hitch]

So how does this scam work by supposedly sending money via paypal? I don't get it. I must be dense. lol

I could be wrong, but from my understanding, paypal usually sides with the buyer and protects the purchaser. Perhaps, this scammer hopes you'll receive the paypal payment, ship the item, and then claim they never received it and claim their money back. In this case, they obviously are very vague about the "item" and don't know or don't care how much it weighs and if shipping is even possible.

[PatColo]

not sure but I assume it's some variation of http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams

[midnight rambler]

not sure but I assume it's some variation of http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams

Going by the list at that link the only thing I can think of is that they're phishing for my PP info*...tango sierra, the email addy I emailed from isn't attached to any PP account.

*I have no idea how that would work as part of some scam.

[midnight rambler]

I could be wrong, but from my understanding, paypal usually sides with the buyer and protects the purchaser. Perhaps, this scammer hopes you'll receive the paypal payment, ship the item, and then claim they never received it and claim their money back. In this case, they obviously are very vague about the "item" and don't know or don't care how much it weighs and if shipping is even possible.

Not that familiar with PP, but I'm pretty sure what you're referring to are feebay transactions where feebay/pp 'guarantees' the feebay transaction, which I heard can be a real mother fucker for a seller if the seller gets scammed via a feebay deal.

[Cebu_4_2]

Internet landline, like google etc. I never reply to anything where they don't read my ads and send out feelers with no indication of what it even is they want to buy. Just ignore them and move on.

[monty]

I've listed a piece of equipment for sale on CL locally. The asking price is a few thousand and that's in the main line of the listing. I clearly stated in my ad, "Do NOT send a text to my phone" yet this morning at about 6:20 I got a couple of texts (the 2nd a repeat of the 1st) asking to email my firm price. I checked the phone # on the text and what a reverse phone # search indicates is that the phone # is a landline in a nearby small community (a text from a landline?? ???). So I emailed my firm price to the email provided and this is the email I got back: Now be advised that this piece of equipment is actually a couple of pieces that are heavy enough they will need to be loaded with a fork lift. By the email response I received I get the impression that the sender has English as a second language. I emailed back: What's a marine in Colorado need with this monster piece of very specialized equipment? Do you realize how much this thing weighs? I require cash on pickup from the buyer in person - NO paypal. So how does this scam work by supposedly sending money via paypal? I don't get it. I must be dense. lol

I received a similar response be email from a "soldier" supposedly from Alaska. The English was poor, so I suspected a scam. I checked the email headers and found the originating email server gmail.mx which must be in Mexico. I answered the person back and was asked to reply to the personal email and delete my Craiglist add. I was told there the money would be deposited to my paypal account and to furnish that information. Still suspecting a scam I sent my paypal info. The next email explained to me the buyer was aboard ship and couldn't contact the shipper, but would put an extra $1000.00 dollars in the pay pal account and I was supposed to go immediately to Western Union and forward the 1000 dollars to,the shipper because the buyer as unable to contact the shipper. I answered back that I would not handle and shipping arrangements. The money never appeared in the account. I reported the email to Craigslist as a scam. I suspect the buyer puts the deposit in pay pal, waits for the money to be sent by the seller to Western Union, then tells paypal the goods weren't received or were not as advertised, paypal returns the sellers money and you are out the money you sent to,the "shipper"

Sent from my iPad using Forum Runner

[vacuum]

Chargeback?

https://www.paypal.com/webapps/mpp/security/chargeback-faq

[midnight rambler]

The latest email (this is the email in its entirety and unedited I've copied and pasted ALL of it):


My choices are limited and not often available on phone. I am a loyal woman and you gotta have your money cash in hand before they pick up. It easy and free to open a paypal account. go to www.paypal.com (http://www.paypal.com) & register an account. Paypal is the world leading payment that protects both buyer/seller. We are secure with paypal and it's like instant cash. Kindly get back to me with your full name and paypal email to enable me send your money asap.


Regards



My response to the above:

I thought I made myself clear - there will be NO(!) paypal payment and the buyer of this equipment will present themself at (my office) and hand me cash money for this equipment at which point I will assist them in loading it onto their truck. What don't you understand about that???

BTW, WHY did your phone # show up on my caller ID as being in Xxxxx, Texas??? Is that really your phone # or did you spoof it??? What makes you so special that you can't make or accept phone calls???

[midnight rambler]

Chargeback?

https://www.paypal.com/webapps/mpp/security/chargeback-faq


Chargebacks are initiated and handled by the buyer's credit card issuer-not by PayPal-and therefore will follow that company's regulations and timeframes. That said, PayPal often plays a role in resolving chargeback disputes.



And according to the webpage at that link in there would need to be actual grounds for a chargeback (e.g. not as advertised, never arrived) before the credit card company initiated a chargeback. And in the case of this equipment neither of those criteria would be applicable - IF I were to allow a credit card payment* via paypal.

*I use that the term 'payment' VERY loosely 'cause there's possible way in the world to 'pay' a debt with a debt.

[aeondaze]

I received a similar response be email from a "soldier" supposedly from Alaska. The English was poor, so I suspected a scam. I checked the email headers and found the originating email server gmail.mx which must be in Mexico. I answered the person back and was asked to reply to the personal email and delete my Craiglist add. I was told there the money would be deposited to my paypal account and to furnish that information. Still suspecting a scam I sent my paypal info. The next email explained to me the buyer was aboard ship and couldn't contact the shipper, but would put an extra $1000.00 dollars in the pay pal account and I was supposed to go immediately to Western Union and forward the 1000 dollars to,the shipper because the buyer as unable to contact the shipper. I answered back that I would not handle and shipping arrangements. The money never appeared in the account. I reported the email to Craigslist as a scam. I suspect the buyer puts the deposit in pay pal, waits for the money to be sent by the seller to Western Union, then tells paypal the goods weren't received or were not as advertised, paypal returns the sellers money and you are out the money you sent to,the "shipper"

Sent from my iPad using Forum Runner

This is how it works, happened to me, except the part about actually transfering funds into your PP acount.

What they do is they change the emails details to make it look like a PP notification of payment was sent to you when in fact its just an ordinary email from another source, a check of your PP acount confirms no paymernt was made. They are trying to fool you into thinking they paid you so you feel obligated to go down to WU and deposit the money.

In my case the guy said he was working in Malaysia which was odd because we were selling a two bar electric heater and some winter clothes/rugs along with some other things, lol, which rang some bells then when he said he wanted us to organise the shipping costs through Western Union and he would firstly tranfer the money into the PP acount. It was fun! When I notified him the money had not come into my PP acount he got nasty, so I offered to 'help' him get his suposed money back from PP for a small fee, I didn't hear anything back after that.

ahaha :D

[midnight rambler]

The latest exchange:


like i said earlier i am busy here at the base and have no permission to move out of the base including phone access.i would have love to do this deal via western union hence why i said this transactions should be done via paypal but which you can just drop me a voice message since i won't be around to answer to your calls (956) 261-5627 (tel:%28956%29%20261-5627) kindly get back to me with your paypal info in order for me to transfer your money into your account.


Regards



Me:


What are you, a complete moron?? I EMPHATICALLY told you NO FUCKING PAYPAL!!! When you're ready to pick up this equipment >>>>IN PERSON AT MY LOCATION WITH CASH IN HAND<<< get back to me.


You never answered my question as to what does a WOMAN marine in Colorado need with a piece of heavy equipment like this.

[midnight rambler]

Apparently there's a very clear pattern with this crap, the same elements over and over. I googled angela_morris1902@outlook.com (the email addy this scammer hit me with) and found this -

http://clscammers.blogspot.com/2013/03/scammers-still-finding-ways-to-scam.html

[madfranks]

I think Monty nailed it. They con you into forwarding $1000 of your own money to a "shipper" with the promise of paying you back the $1000 or more later. I hate to say it but I bet they get a fair amount of people to send them money.

[palani]

"CASH AND CARRY" is an appropriate response.

[mick silver]

theres a sucker born every second . thats what they are counting on

[Santa]

I think Monty nailed it. They con you into forwarding $1000 of your own money to a "shipper" with the promise of paying you back the $1000 or more later. I hate to say it but I bet they get a fair amount of people to send them money.

Scammers ruin everything. Not long ago, I bought a camera off CL from a local kid and in conversation, let him know I had a few lenses he might be interested in.
A month or so passed and I got an email from him letting me know he wanted to check out what I had, but when I responded, the mail wouldn't go through because the CL ad had been automatically deleted. So I couldn't contact him because I didn't have his personal email address. We both lost.

What I'm saying is, there are legitimate reasons to use personal emails, but scammers ruin it for everyone.

[govcheetos]

Midnight you're putting way too much time and energy into this. Anytime I encounter one of these I completely ignore them or have actually typed back: GET FUCKED.

My ads say no emails, no texts, calls only!

AS IS WHERE IS.

Like palani said, Cash and Carry. Money talks, Bullshit runs a marathon.

I actually charge more for stuff on craigslist vs sold on the side of the road, to make it worth dealing with all the bullshit.

[midnight rambler]

I got another TWO texts back to back from the same party (not the one in the OP) wanting the same thing: "email me back at this email address...." - of course didn't bother with it but edited my CL ad to indicate that any text messages will be ignored. It appears these scammers have some community/forum where they exchange their 'best' ideas (i.e. the ones that have worked previously, e.g. "I'm in the US military and therefore I'm trustworthy blah blah blah") as well as how to work around the blockades CL puts up, like the email forwarding.