scam ?

[200tdi ayre]

So im trying o sell my disco here, got it on gumtree, in the hostel on aulro and on ebay to try and sell.

I recieved an email 2 days ago asking if it was still for sale which I replied yes, any more info you'd like.

Got a reply back today saying they are willing to buy for the buy it now price they are overseas currently and they'll arrange a courier to come pick it up. Awesome I think and do a little dance

Then he asks if he can pay via paypal. Of course I said as its safe and well known.

Then he says that he is having trouble sending the money to his pick up agent from where he is overseas .. ok fair enough money transfers can sometimes be a pita so he says he'll transfer me $950 and asked if I could transfer it then to the pick up agent. Im not worried about getting more money but this is when suspicions started to arise fully as I started thinking $950 transport for a $3800 car, is that worth it ? But australia is big so I can see how it can be alot

But then I said ok.

The next message I got was this.

" I have just make the payment of $4,850.,i have decided to add the amount of $1,050 which i paid through paypal,you can now send $950 to my pick up agent via western union so he can be able to come for the pick up and also PayPal said they won't release the funds until they get the western union information from you due to the fact that i emailed them about the excess payment i made.I will need you to send the $950 to my pick up agent Headquarters where they normally confirm any commission payment to via western union money transfer(this can be done from the post office or western union online, as they usually have a western union agent there) , i added extra $100 to cover the western union charges which shouldn't be more that $60-85 but just to be sure i added $100, Here is my pick up agent Headquarter info needed to get the money sent through western union money transfer:Agent's Info:

First Name: Hongmei

Surname: Jia
Address:Gong ti bei lu
City: Beijing
State:Beijing
Zip:100024
State: Beijing
Country:china"

So this is when it really threw me, he wants me to send money from his pay pal account to mine, to then transfer 950 through western union (I looked it up it is another money transfer service like paypal) but to a pick up agent in china for a car in Australia ????

Seems way to complicated to be reasonable ? Why doesnt he just pay the pick up agent through paypal or choose one in australia that doesnt have a branch in china?

Also the money hasnt appeared in my paypal account yet and im not going to send $950 without recieving the money first ...

So what do you think. Dodgy or just a lot of unfavorable circumstances.

[steveG]

Standard Gumtree scam. Ignore any further contact.

Have a search on Google about it, and try searching on the phone number, and the text of the message.

BTW - paypal only protects the buyer. Standard routine goes like you've already found, until you transfer the money to western union then he effectively reverses the transaction, and you're out of pocket.

Steve

[p38arover]

As Steve said, it's a well known scam but not just on Gumtree. Also on CarSales. One member here lost money in such a scam.

[landy]

Seriously, this is a joke right? What was your gut feeling on this? If it sounds like a duck, it's probably a duck!

But well done for asking the question to be sure.

Nino.

[200tdi ayre]

Standard Gumtree scam. Ignore any further contact.

Have a search on Google about it, and try searching on the phone number, and the text of the message.

BTW - paypal only protects the buyer. Standard routine goes like you've already found, until you transfer the money to western union then he effec7tively reverses the transaction, and you're out of pocket.

Steve

Thanks for backing up my suspicions.

On a lighter note the disco os still for sale


Sooo seeing as weve sussed it as a scam shall I play with him for abit ? Mabie get some incriminating evidence ? Give him abit of his own medicine ?

[87County]

Thanks for backing up my suspicions.

On a lighter note the disco os still for sale


Sooo seeing as weve sussed it as a scam shall I play with him for abit ? Mabie get some incriminating evidence ? Give him abit of his own medicine ?

Common sense would indicate that you should just get out while you can, the "buyer" already has more info about you than you will ever have about him.

[200tdi ayre]

Common sense would indicate that you should just get out while you can, the "buyer" already has more info about you than you will ever have about him.

Yes I was just thinking this through probabaly best to just not reply and not dig myself into something.


Would be fun to give him some abuse though

[laney]

Scam big time

[Toxic_Avenger]

There was a US based TV show that did a piece called "to catch a con man". They baited a nigerian scammer and ended up meeting him to give him the 'what for'.
Part 1 of 6 is below.
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--RfZoqOHDo[/ame]

[p38arover]

Read this: e-Bay Scam ?