Need an opinion, is this a scam

[di-1-9026]

so my fiance is trying to sell her mac book pro, so she can buy an imac. she listed it on craigslist for 2370. this is one of the offers she recieved and i just wanted your opinions on if its a scam or not


Hi,
$2300...can you ship it to Africa for me to my son as a birthday gift,he is on a missionary trip there for our church,i want you to pls help me with this, i would have loved to pick this up myself and send to him but i am not in the city to pick up from you and i do not have time to go to the post office.. i'll pay you with paypal... will pay you for the shipment to him also.

Hope to read from you soon.


my fiance responded with


Well sounds very reasonable, since I would not meet you in person I would require paypal payment before I would ship the computer to Africa, and once I received payment I would gladly ship the computer to him. Just so you know I imagine shipping across seas with a fragile item like a laptop will be on the pricey side, once I look up the cost I will give you a itemized bill with the cost.


this is what she got in response


Hi,
Thanks alot for that, I checked with USPS and i see it will cost approx $90 to mail to my son by USPS Express mail but i will give you $120 just incase there is an extra cost because of the accessories..so pls give me your paypal email address so i can make the transfer to you as soon as possible, so pls pack the laptopnow...and once i pay for it, pls delete the ad from craigslist..can you mail it out tomorow pls at the post office once i make the payment today because i want it to get to my son before his birthday....

Thanks in advance.


theres somethings that really make it seem like a scam mostly the fact its too good to be true but at the same time i can't quite see how she could rip us off.

thanks in advanced for any opinions

[bmaninc]

Honestly, if you get the money first, who cares where they want it.

[hawkofva]

In light of more informed advice (see the next post), I'm going to go with Apples.

[Apples]

NO NO NO NO NO.

This is a total scam.

The PayPal account is hijacked. Even if they pay in advance, the money will get reversed by their fraud service and you'll be on the hook for that amount.

At the risk of being blunt... doing business with the continent of Africa is an absolutely suicidal move. Paypal blocks massive ranges of IP addresses in Africa because literally 99.9% of them are illegitimate. I used to work there, I would know.


I can't even articulate in words how bad an idea this transaction is.


THIS IS A TOTAL F*CKING SCAM. DO NOT DO IT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE.

[FlyGuyLXI]

With Apples all the way.

Internet transactions with people you do not know should never be made dude.

[iNeedXBL]

THIS IS A TOTAL F*CKING SCAM. DO NOT DO IT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE.

this

it seems like he's begging you to delete the ad after so that's bad too

[Apples]

As an addendum, if you need to ask "is it a scam" it probably is.

As a second addendum, beware of casual internet advice. The first two people who responded are well meaning but not informed on the subject. And thats how these bad situations tend to unfold... you don't learn about these lousy scams until after the damage is done.

[Bulkdarthdan]

Apples just took the words right outta my mouth.

[moose39]

Apples, go make yourself an apple pie, cause you deserve it.

[Alright_Computer]

Apples, go make yourself an apple pie, cause you deserve it.

Cannibalism is not cool, man.

[ThrobingCane]

Cannibalism is not cool, man.

Awesome quote man:D

[estemshorn]

Awesome quote man:D

Agreed.

[Magnet]

Paypal blocks massive ranges of IP addresses in Africa because literally 99.9% of them are illegitimate. I used to work there, I would know.

Wait. You used to work in Africa... or at Paypal? :eek:

[ryan12147]

Cannibalism is not cool, man.

Nominated for quote of the day xD

[moose39]

Dammit Riles! Why can't I ever make a remark that everyone praises?

[ryan12147]

Dammit Riles! Why can't I ever make a remark that everyone praises?

because you changed your avatar.

[Mystlyfe77]

Dammit Riles! Why can't I ever make a remark that everyone praises?

QOTD right thar.

[moose39]

because you changed your avatar.

Wait...are you saying you liked the old one? :confused:

[ryan12147]

Wait...are you saying you liked the old one? :confused:

perhaps

[moose39]

perhaps

I'm going to be honest, you're the first and only person I have come to find out that liked it.

Everyone else thought it was either "funny" or "extremely creepy, especially with the mustache."

[ryan12147]

I'm going to be honest, you're the first and only person I have come to find out that liked it.

Everyone else thought it was either "funny" or "extremely creepy, especially with the mustache."

I thought it was stupid at first but hilarious with the random moustache :p

[moose39]

I thought it was stupid at first but hilarious with the random moustache :p

Thank you :D

It got kinda old after a while, to be honest, plus it was extremely hard finding the right brush size in Photoshop to paint on an 80x80 image.

I found a quick alternative to that though

[ryan12147]

Thank you :D

It got kinda old after a while, to be honest, plus it was extremely hard finding the right brush size in Photoshop to paint on an 80x80 image.

I found a quick alternative to that though

lol np
mine is just a cliché'd looking solo artist poster featuring my xbox avatar but no one gets it :( I'll just change it sometime tomorrow

[xXjAmEZXx]

this is a total f*cking scam. Do not do it under any circumstance.

scaaaaaam

[Apples]

Wait. You used to work in Africa... or at Paypal? :eek:

PayPal's fraud division.



The situation described in this post is quite common. In their world called a Pending Reversal.

The hijacked account is used a straw man to supply the funds. Meanwhile the guy doing the hijacking arranges a "private" transaction where goods and merchandise are mailed overseas... usually to Africa, Eastern Europe, or the Middle East.

When the real account holder wakes up and finds his bank account shorted by X thousands of dollars, they have recourse with their bank or with PayPal to claim that the transaction was unauthorized. PayPal will investigate the "seller" who received the bogus transaction and challenge the payment via a claim process.

The claim process is a rigged system most of the time against the seller. And one of the ways you lose a claim is shipping overseas. So PayPal reverses the fraudulent transaction back to the original account holder. If you had previously withdrawn the money, they take your account negative and send you to their bill collectors.

So in the end the hijacker has their stolen goods mailed to them, the hijackee gets their money back, and the "seller" is left holding the bag.... no money, no merchandise.


Of course PayPal will never cop to any of this... despite the fact that they're facilitating theft. They obscure it all in an entire phone book of legal jargon and gloss over it with marketing slogans touting their security. (When it is truly anything but... oh the horror stories I could tell)



In closing, here are some general tips I recommend when using PayPal to cover your ass:


Sellers: Only ship to customers in your home country. And only ship to the verified address linked to the payment. And be sure to get "delivery confirmation" when you ship merchandise.

Buyers: Always use a credit card (NOT BANK ACCOUNT) as the funding source for a transaction. If things go wrong you will be glad that you have chargeback rights.

[moose39]

lol np
mine is just a cliché'd looking solo artist poster featuring my xbox avatar but no one gets it :( I'll just change it sometime tomorrow

Ah, I get it now. I knew it was something that was a major cliché--I just didn't know that was what you were going for.

[ryan12147]

Ah, I get it now. I knew it was something that was a major cliché--I just didn't know that was what you were going for.

lol I know only one person got it so far (in the rate the avatar above you thread they gave it an lol and a 10/10 :p)

[bmaninc]

Ah, I didn't know that Apples.

The More You Know.

...and knowing is half the battle!

I'm tomato juicing this thread for future reference.

[mercuryshadow09]

In case you didn't get that, stay away from anybody with any deal from that continent, ever heard of Somalia, Nigeria? All thieves.





THIS IS A TOTAL F*CKING SCAM. DO NOT DO IT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE.

[Apples]

Ah, I didn't know that Apples.

The More You Know.

...and knowing is half the battle!

Yeah... the real stinker is the fact that PayPal can reverse completed transactions... effectively pulling the rug out from under you... even days or weeks (sometimes months) after the fact. Even if the money gets withdrawn, spent, etc.

[moose39]

lol I know only one person got it so far (in the rate the avatar above you thread they gave it an lol and a 10/10 :p)

ROCKBANDFANTATIC###### gave me a 7.5 out of 10.

I was so devastated.

[mercuryshadow09]

Ah, I didn't know that Apples.

The More You Know.

...and knowing is half the battle!

I'm tomato juicing this thread for future reference.

+11 for the Joe reference.

[ryan12147]

ROCKBANDFANTATIC###### gave me a 7.5 out of 10.

I was so devastated.

hahaha, I think it was actually him that gave me the 10... can't remember though :p

[mercuryshadow09]

hahaha, I think it was actually him that gave me the 10... can't remember though :p

+5 for the threadjack.

[ryan12147]

+5 for the threadjack.

...in the face (I'm still losing though :()

[sa_nick]

Yeah... the real stinker is the fact that PayPal can reverse completed transactions... effectively pulling the rug out from under you... even days or weeks (sometimes months) after the fact. Even if the money gets withdrawn, spent, etc.

Yeah that sucks, although really, you should only ever send the package to the mailing address linked with the PayPal account your receiving money from. Surely if you do that they can't take away your money.

I sold my old PSP on ebay last year with a 'buy it now' option. A few hours after I put it up I got one of these scammers, they're so annoying. And ebay deletes the listing so you can't just re-post it, you need to write it all out again.

[moose39]

hahaha, I think it was actually him that gave me the 10... can't remember though :p

I think he just types in random numbers and happened to put a .5 at the end of mine

[Apples]

Yeah that sucks, although really, you should only ever send the package to the mailing address linked with the PayPal account your receiving money from. Surely if you do that they can't take away your money.


You'd think so.. but even with that there are caveats. I think if people knew how many loopholes there were in the PayPal system, the whole system would collapse.



As an anecdotal example, a few years ago an Ebay seller tried to scam me by sending me obviously used/broken merchandise advertised as new. He did everything right, by the book.

Using completely legal steps, I was able to get PayPal to reverse the funds back to me, while I was still in possession of the merchanise. I could have basically disappared into the night and PayPal would have helped me facilitate legalized theft.

Once the seller realized I had him by the balls, he copped to his "mistake" (his explanation for the scam) and we negotiated a new transaction at a much reduced rate.



I can use the system without fear because I know where all the holes are. But to the average joe... the system is stacked against them, and they should not take anything for granted. Like I said, the things I've seen... its like visiting a hot dog factory.

[Apples]

Here's another good example:

Buyer PayPal's multiple payments of $10,000 for a classic hot rod.

Buyer shows up at the sellers house, collects the car, and drives off.

Buyer puts the $10,000 payments into dispute... claim is found in the buyer's favor because the seller cannot provide proof of shipment or delivery (DUH it was an in person pick-up)

Payments reversed, buyer ends up with the car AND the money.

Epilogue: The buyer used a fake name, plates were switched out, seller had the title. It's grand theft auto... brought to you by PayPal.

[Mystlyfe77]

This thread has been paypal horror stories with Apples.
Tune in next week for Netherlands, the good the bad and the ugly with Der_Lex.

[CCDaDon]

Yeah well... I have stories about bullet wounds and amputee midgets... Take that Apples!

[moose39]

This thread has been paypal horror stories with Apples.
Tune in next week for Netherlands, the good the bad and the ugly with Der_Lex.

Also, be sure to tune in the following week for Connections with Magnet.

[mimic]

Here's another good example:

Buyer PayPal's multiple payments of $10,000 for a classic hot rod.

Buyer shows up at the sellers house, collects the car, and drives off.

Buyer puts the $10,000 payments into dispute... claim is found in the buyer's favor because the seller cannot provide proof of shipment or delivery (DUH it was an in person pick-up)

Payments reversed, buyer ends up with the car AND the money.

Epilogue: The buyer used a fake name, plates were switched out, seller had the title. It's grand theft auto... brought to you by PayPal.

Nice double post. There is an edit button you might not be aware of.

[sa_nick]

I can use the system without fear because I know where all the holes are. But to the average joe... the system is stacked against them, and they should not take anything for granted. Like I said, the things I've seen... its like visiting a hot dog factory.

Yeah, I bought a NIN album off ebay once, advertised as new. The thing itself cost me like $7 but the shipping from the US was $12. I got it and it wasnt new PLUS it was either a bootleg or a bad print (which is annoying since I bought it for my collection, not to just listen to).

It took me ages to convince PayPal that it was ****ed up and he ripped me off, then they tell me I can only get the item price back and not postage and I'd have to ship the item back to the dude I bought it from. So either I pay $19 for a piece of crap or $25 for nothing.

So annoying.

[Xander730]

Total scam you will be taken for a ride