Can someone explain how the typical scam works?

[sao123]

If we get good answers...maybe this could be a sticky somewhere...

What type of items are usually targeted for scam?

How does the typcial scam buyer behave?
(seems like they usually email about buying something as a gift and in a hurry.)

How exactly is the scam carried out?

What types of payments are safe, and which ones are not?

Can you be screwed even by using paypal?

Anything else you can think of that would be helpful to know?

 

[Injury]

Originally posted by: sao123
If we get good answers...maybe this could be a sticky somewhere...

What type of items are usually targeted for scam?

How does the typcial scam buyer behave?
(seems like they usually email about buying something as a gift and in a hurry.)

How exactly is the scam carried out?

What types of payments are safe, and which ones are not?

Can you be screwed even by using paypal?

Anything else you can think of that would be helpful to know?

- Electronics... things that can resell easily.
- They try to make you confident. Usually have poor spelling/grammar, wants you to do things their way but assures you it's okay.
- They claim to send you money. You send the item. The money was faked or from a stolen account.
-They have your item, you have a bogus check or money that will get charged back from paypal.
-USPS Money order is usually the best way. Have them wire the money via Western Union... but only if you are waiting at the location they send it to and if they are an authorized WU location. Basically, whatever you do, wait for the money to clear the bank and call your bank and ask them to verify the transation and the payment type... call the issuer of the payment type and have them verify it... hell, even if it's a USPS money order, ask for a receipt from the purchase of it. Whatever you do, understand you should make no arrangments to ship immediately and tell them it may be up to a week or two before the funds clear the bank. If they don't like it, too bad. You have to look out for YOURSELF and YOU ALONE. Tell them to do their shopping earlier.
-Yes, you can be royally screwed using paypal. Don't bother if you can't trust the person paying with paypal.

 

[ZoomStop]

Don't sell anything to anyone in Nigeria or India. Ever. No matter what. Ever.

 

[sao123]

Originally posted by: Injury

Originally posted by: sao123
If we get good answers...maybe this could be a sticky somewhere...

What type of items are usually targeted for scam?

How does the typcial scam buyer behave?
(seems like they usually email about buying something as a gift and in a hurry.)

How exactly is the scam carried out?

What types of payments are safe, and which ones are not?

Can you be screwed even by using paypal?

Anything else you can think of that would be helpful to know?

- Electronics... things that can resell easily.
- They try to make you confident. Usually have poor spelling/grammar, wants you to do things their way but assures you it's okay.
- They claim to send you money. You send the item. The money was faked or from a stolen account.
-They have your item, you have a bogus check or money that will get charged back from paypal.
-USPS Money order is usually the best way. Have them wire the money via Western Union... but only if you are waiting at the location they send it to and if they are an authorized WU location. Basically, whatever you do, wait for the money to clear the bank and call your bank and ask them to verify the transation and the payment type... call the issuer of the payment type and have them verify it... hell, even if it's a USPS money order, ask for a receipt from the purchase of it. Whatever you do, understand you should make no arrangments to ship immediately and tell them it may be up to a week or two before the funds clear the bank. If they don't like it, too bad. You have to look out for YOURSELF and YOU ALONE. Tell them to do their shopping earlier.
-Yes, you can be royally screwed using paypal. Don't bother if you can't trust the person paying with paypal.

how does the bold part happen? does this essentially mean no paypal transaction is safe?

how does that thing work where they put money into paypal, but it acts as an escrow and because the package gets forewarded to a new address then they never release it? I dont exaclty understand that. a paypal confirmed address doesnt solve this either does it...

 

[MrBond]

Originally posted by: sao123

how does the bold part happen? does this essentially mean no paypal transaction is safe?

how does that thing work where they put money into paypal, but it acts as an escrow and because the package gets forewarded to a new address then they never release it? I dont exaclty understand that. a paypal confirmed address doesnt solve this either does it...

Usually that happens because they used a stolen paypal account or a stolen credit card to fund the account.

Paypal is safe as long as you follow their shipping guidelines. If you ship to their VERIFIED address using a TRACKABLE carrier with signature required (USPS delivery confirmation is no good), you should win any disputes. Scammers are almost always going to want you to ship to an unverified address if they're using a stolen account.

Terrible english is a HUGE tip off. Granted, even many native-english speakers have horrible email grammer, but you can still usually tell.

Don't ever accept payment for an amount larger than the winning bid, with the requirement that you send the balance back to the buyer.

 

[Hummin]

Originally posted by: MrBond

Originally posted by: sao123

how does the bold part happen? does this essentially mean no paypal transaction is safe?

how does that thing work where they put money into paypal, but it acts as an escrow and because the package gets forewarded to a new address then they never release it? I dont exaclty understand that. a paypal confirmed address doesnt solve this either does it...

Usually that happens because they used a stolen paypal account or a stolen credit card to fund the account.

Paypal is safe as long as you follow their shipping guidelines. If you ship to their VERIFIED address using a TRACKABLE carrier with signature required (USPS delivery confirmation is no good), you should win any disputes. Scammers are almost always going to want you to ship to an unverified address if they're using a stolen account.

Terrible english is a HUGE tip off. Granted, even many native-english speakers have horrible email grammer, but you can still usually tell.

Don't ever accept payment for an amount larger than the winning bid, with the requirement that you send the balance back to the buyer.

While you are correct USPS Delivery Confirmation is rather worthless, USPS Signature Confirmation, (the pink conf. slip, not the green conf. slip) which is the next step up in delivery confirmation services provided by the Postal Service, is quite a viable option and is much cheaper than the certified mail route.