How does this Ebay scam work?

[techs]

Here's what happened. An Ebay newbie, a friend of mine, bought a laptop.
She then received an email saying it was from the seller:

Please do not checkout until you contact me because I will send you new instructions with free shipping & new price.
Please reply me at this email address: r********@gmail.com
We can fix that fast. Thank you!

then a follow up email:

I sent you this email because I have to inform you that I can not use my PayPal for this auction. It is currently pending because I've just changed my bank account and it needs some time for clearing. I am sorry for this situation, you will receive a full refund in 5 days via PayPal. I will sell you this item for US $250 (including a fast shipping) and we are going to use Western Union and eBay SquareTrade. Please send me your full name and shipping address and I will
start to register this transaction to eBay SquareTrade. After that you will receive an invoice from them and all the details will be explained.
I will ship the item through Global PS Express and I will send you the tracking number, so you can verify the package status.The shipping duration is 48 hours.
Hope to hear from you soon.

Best wishes,
*********


Ok, so how did the scammer get her email address? Did he just have to look at the winner of the auction, or did he have to be the original poster of the item?
Or possibly thru a computer hack into Ebay, the seller or her computers email?

I am curious as to how this occurs.

Also, I have suggested she contact the company she bought the money order from and ask them for a copy of the cashed money order and when she gets it file a claim against the money order company?

 

[minendo]

http://www.infopackets.com/cha...etrade_scam_part_2.htm

and we are going to use Western Union

That statement right there should have given it away as being a scam.

 

[techs]

Originally posted by: minendo
http://www.infopackets.com/cha...etrade_scam_part_2.htm

and we are going to use Western Union

That statement right there should have given it away as being a scam.

Oh cr*p. When they told it to me they said it was paid by a money order. But if they did a wire transfer, its a whole new ball game.

 

[techs]

I still don't understand how the scammer got the buyers email address?
Anyone have any ideas?

 

[minendo]

Originally posted by: techs
I still don't understand how the scammer got the buyers email address?
Anyone have any ideas?

The scammer is the seller.

 

[techs]

Originally posted by: minendo

Originally posted by: techs
I still don't understand how the scammer got the buyers email address?
Anyone have any ideas?

The scammer is the seller.

That was my first thought, but the seller is an ebay "store" with over 9,000 positive feedback and over 99 percent. Most of the items they sold were used laptops worth hundreds of dollars.
Do you still thinks its the seller?

 

[manlymatt83]

I'm confused.

 

[Jassi]

Originally posted by: techs

Originally posted by: minendo

Originally posted by: techs
I still don't understand how the scammer got the buyers email address?
Anyone have any ideas?

The scammer is the seller.

That was my first thought, but the seller is an ebay "store" with over 9,000 positive feedback and over 99 percent. Most of the items they sold were used laptops worth hundreds of dollars.
Do you still thinks its the seller?

Maybe the account was hacked?

 

[DrPizza]

maybe the scammer simply sent the email through ebay. Meanwhile, the real seller is waiting for their pay via paypal.

 

[techs]

Originally posted by: DrPizza
maybe the scammer simply sent the email through ebay. Meanwhile, the real seller is waiting for their pay via paypal.

That's the thing. Can anyone get someone elses email address from ebay and just send them an email?

 

[wiredspider]

Originally posted by: techs

Originally posted by: DrPizza
maybe the scammer simply sent the email through ebay. Meanwhile, the real seller is waiting for their pay via paypal.

That's the thing. Can anyone get someone elses email address from ebay and just send them an email?

used to be that way, but eBay supposedly has locked this up, but maybe the scammer found some loophole..

 

[EagleKeeper]

Scamer may have sent a phishing mail to the original seller that worked.

 

[ViviTheMage]

IT is very obvious it is a scam, right off the bat that should not have been questioned....

Anything that IS out of the oridinary, especially when it comes to payments, IS a scam.

Only use PMs through ebay, unless the seller explicitly says to email him/her @ xxxx@xxxxx.xxxx

If I were you , just PM, in Ebay, and ask them about whats going on....

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: minendo

Originally posted by: techs
I still don't understand how the scammer got the buyers email address?
Anyone have any ideas?

The scammer is the seller.

WE HAVE A WINNAR!

 

[techs]

Originally posted by: alkemyst

Originally posted by: minendo

Originally posted by: techs
I still don't understand how the scammer got the buyers email address?
Anyone have any ideas?

The scammer is the seller.

WE HAVE A WINNAR!

The seller is an ebay "store" with over 9,000 positive feedback and over 99 percent. Most of the items they sold were used laptops worth hundreds of dollars.
Do you still thinks its the seller?

 

[Sureshot324]

Originally posted by: wiredspider

Originally posted by: techs

Originally posted by: DrPizza
maybe the scammer simply sent the email through ebay. Meanwhile, the real seller is waiting for their pay via paypal.

That's the thing. Can anyone get someone elses email address from ebay and just send them an email?

used to be that way, but eBay supposedly has locked this up, but maybe the scammer found some loophole..

I believe you can send any ebayer a message through ebays messaging system and it will send them an email, though it won't actually give them the email address. I could be wrong though.

 

[Ns1]

Originally posted by: techs

Originally posted by: alkemyst

Originally posted by: minendo

Originally posted by: techs
I still don't understand how the scammer got the buyers email address?
Anyone have any ideas?

The scammer is the seller.

WE HAVE A WINNAR!

The seller is an ebay "store" with over 9,000 positive feedback and over 99 percent. Most of the items they sold were used laptops worth hundreds of dollars.
Do you still thinks its the seller?

Could be hacked.

 

[darkxshade]

Originally posted by: Common Courtesy
Scamer may have sent a phishing mail to the original seller that worked.

2nd best guess since the seller has 9k feedback

 

[DrPizza]

Originally posted by: Sureshot324

Originally posted by: wiredspider

Originally posted by: techs

Originally posted by: DrPizza
maybe the scammer simply sent the email through ebay. Meanwhile, the real seller is waiting for their pay via paypal.

That's the thing. Can anyone get someone elses email address from ebay and just send them an email?

used to be that way, but eBay supposedly has locked this up, but maybe the scammer found some loophole..

I believe you can send any ebayer a message through ebays messaging system and it will send them an email, though it won't actually give them the email address. I could be wrong though.

That's what I meant above.

 

[Flammable]

it happens somehow, when i bid on an item, before the item ends i get second chance offers from scammers.

 

[robphelan]

maybe there is some connection between her ebay id & email addy out there in google-land.