crystalcranium Posted September 18, 2006 Report Share Posted September 18, 2006 I was selling an item on the bay. I had an inquiry from an interested party who asked me if I would send it to Russia as a gift to his cousin for the shipping quoted. I said yes and today, I got the following email from the interested party "OK, also I would like you to send to my cousin $900 via Western Union as an additional part of my present. I can't send it myself 'cause my cousin will see my name as the sender's name in a WU receipt - I want it to be a surpirse. I could pay you let's say $200 for your help. I will pay for everything via paypal in full and upfront. My money is ready in my paypal account so please let me know if you could help me with that. Thanks!" What the hell is this? He's going to send me $1100 and trust me to send the product and the money to someone else? What's with the "keeping the name secret" business? His cousin would have to know the sender of the cash to pick it up. I think he would be "very surprised" to have a total stranger send him $900. Any thoughts on what this might be. Would I be helping to fund Chechen rebels? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linder Posted September 18, 2006 Report Share Posted September 18, 2006 Sounds like they will be funding the payment via a stolen credit card and then expecting you to turn around and WU the money while Paypal takes the money back out of your account? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goochenbrau Posted September 18, 2006 Report Share Posted September 18, 2006 Sounds like they will be funding the payment via a stolen credit card and then expecting you to turn around and WU the money while Paypal takes the money back out of your account? This is exactly what came to mind after reading your post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crystalcranium Posted September 18, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 18, 2006 Sounds like they will be funding the payment via a stolen credit card and then expecting you to turn around and WU the money while Paypal takes the money back out of your account? I think he wants to pay my paypal account, the money from which I would transfer to my bank account and then use my bank debit card to fund the WU transfer. The hitch is that my bank account transfer from paypal takes about 3-4 days and has to go through a confirmation process so if paypal is funded by a fradulent credit card, there should be time to flush that out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starbug Posted September 18, 2006 Report Share Posted September 18, 2006 No. The PayPal chargeback could occur tomorrow, or 6 months from now. That is a scam.. Pure and simple. As an ebay seller myself, with several powerseller accounts, I strongly advise you to not take part in this.. You'll regret it - believe me! The money will be available to take out to your bank, whether it's funded with a fraudulent card transaction, but PayPal will come back to you later and freeze your account, plus you'll have to pay them £12.00 (or the equivalent in $$) for the chargeback. You can take the chance if you wish... but it stinks to high heaven! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
offshore Posted September 18, 2006 Report Share Posted September 18, 2006 If you think that a potential profit of $200, is worth risking a potential loss of $1100, plus losing the item from your ebay sale... then proceed, but its a scam, pure & simple. I only wish I was as confident of winning the lotto, as I am that you will get done. Offshore Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V Posted September 18, 2006 Report Share Posted September 18, 2006 Scam... stay away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2005SUBMARINER Posted September 18, 2006 Report Share Posted September 18, 2006 No. The PayPal chargeback could occur tomorrow, or 6 months from now. That is a scam.. Pure and simple. As an ebay seller myself, with several powerseller accounts, I strongly advise you to not take part in this.. You'll regret it - believe me! The money will be available to take out to your bank, whether it's funded with a fraudulent card transaction, but PayPal will come back to you later and freeze your account, plus you'll have to pay them £12.00 (or the equivalent in $$) for the chargeback. You can take the chance if you wish... but it stinks to high heaven! report it to ebay assap ! its a well known scam ! thats a common scam comming from russia & africa .. dont fall for it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tribal Posted September 18, 2006 Report Share Posted September 18, 2006 Hey, nice idea... I have have an uncle in africa... His name is Tom and i want to suprise him with your money Ok please send all your money to namibia and my uncle tom is happy..... and me too,zhat i found those idiots... Man it's scam.... Rg Tribal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cwai02 Posted September 18, 2006 Report Share Posted September 18, 2006 Paypal Scam. Common sense. When it's too good to be true... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJGladeRaider Posted September 18, 2006 Report Share Posted September 18, 2006 I was selling an item on the bay. I had an inquiry from an interested party who asked me if I would send it to Russia as a gift to his cousin for the shipping quoted. I said yes and today, I got the following email from the interested party "OK, also I would like you to send to my cousin $900 via Western Union as an additional part of my present. Very common scam - if you bite you will get bit. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finepics Posted September 18, 2006 Report Share Posted September 18, 2006 Same thing happens with mobile phones on the bay. Never ever accept a Western Union payment from anyone unless you know them. Always stick to Paypal and never deal with anyone who has 0 feedback unless you have email contact prior to the sale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crystalcranium Posted September 18, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 18, 2006 Thanks veryone. I'll stay far away Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingkitesurf Posted September 18, 2006 Report Share Posted September 18, 2006 This is a general warned for trick. They book it back and there is nothing you can do. You loose. Normally they do this from Nigeria... Good that you stay away.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highflyingclive Posted September 18, 2006 Report Share Posted September 18, 2006 These scammers rely on the greed of their targets. They often speak in broken English in order to make you feel that you are smarter then them. You are not! This is not some bloke trying to skin you for a few bucks... it is organised crime. Don't fall for it. There is no such thing as a free lunch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
t Posted September 18, 2006 Report Share Posted September 18, 2006 [censored]ing paypal they will held your money and you will get NOTHING i have many bad experience with paypal people purchase items on ebay from me... send me money via paypal.. i send item at same day for fast dilevery... after 2 days paypal held my money and tell me that this customer is a fault??? result: No items, no money???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poopypants Posted September 19, 2006 Report Share Posted September 19, 2006 nigeria 419 scam now seeing its way to paypal!!! when will it end?!?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panerai153 Posted September 19, 2006 Report Share Posted September 19, 2006 Absolute scam. I've had several of those types of requests from Nigeria mostly. The rub is they will use a stolen credit card, or a counterfeit cashiers check to pay you, you send the item plus 900 dollars and then you find out that the transaction didn't go through, Paypal comes after you, and the scammers are long gone. Remember well the old addage " If it seems too good to be true, it probably isn't" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcrooz Posted September 19, 2006 Report Share Posted September 19, 2006 Remember well the old addage " If it seems too good to be true, it probably isn't" I thought it was "If it seems too goo to be true, it probably IS" - as in it is too good to be true therefore it's false, or a rip off as in this instance. Either way I think we both mean the same thing and this is a watch forum, not a semantics, or nuances seminar... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HauteHippie Posted September 19, 2006 Report Share Posted September 19, 2006 I think he wants to pay my paypal account, the money from which I would transfer to my bank account and then use my bank debit card to fund the WU transfer. The hitch is that my bank account transfer from paypal takes about 3-4 days and has to go through a confirmation process so if paypal is funded by a fradulent credit card, there should be time to flush that out. Credit card charge backs can come 180 days later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archibald Posted September 19, 2006 Report Share Posted September 19, 2006 Credit card charge backs can come 180 days later. This sounds like a scam, but it seems like paypal could potentially take a big hit on these type of operations. I must be missing something about lag times: Let's say crystalcranium went through w/ this thing, then tomorrow decides it's a mistake and he's probably going to get shafted. So he takes the money out of his paypal account, then spends 10 minutes on the phone closing the bank account connected to paypal and opening a new one. When the chargeback from the credit card company company comes next month, paypal has nowhere to go, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slay Posted September 20, 2006 Report Share Posted September 20, 2006 Just take the money from him and dont send it to his "friend" via WU. Then transfer it to your bank account, call your bank and make sure they wont let paypal deduct money from your account Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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