Odd purchase scam???
Discussion
Selling a kids bike on Facebook marketplace £50. Buyer hasn't seen it, general questions about condition. Says she can't collect it but her brother will and she will transfer the money to me before he gets here either by PayPal or bank. She'll do it today so it's hers, brother can collect on Monday. I tell her I' d like cash on collection but she says her brother won't do this as he's been robbed before. She's happy to do either bank or PayPal. Scam?
SwanJack said:
Selling a kids bike on Facebook marketplace £50. Buyer hasn't seen it, general questions about condition. Says she can't collect it but her brother will and she will transfer the money to me before he gets here either by PayPal or bank. She'll do it today so it's hers, brother can collect on Monday. I tell her I' d like cash on collection but she says her brother won't do this as he's been robbed before. She's happy to do either bank or PayPal. Scam?
Does her FB account look legit i.e. not new, plenty of relevant activity/friends, and not hacked? it has been known for people to dispute PayPal transactions and lie about it, they'll say the item was faulty or not received etc. If you go ahead get a signed receipt for the bike saying the transaction went ok and was satisfactory.
Her Facebook account doesn't look anything out of the ordinary. There has only been one bite on the bike in over a month, it's a BMX. It don't know why anyone would want to pay a few days in advance sight unseen. I did change from PayPal to bank transfer and she wasn't bothered, haven't given any details yet. Quizzed her from where the brother is coming from and he's about 5 miles away
Edited by SwanJack on Saturday 5th August 11:09
SwanJack said:
Her Facebook account doesn't look anything out of the ordinary. There has only been one bite on the bike in over a month, it's a BMX. It don't know why anyone would want to pay a few days in advance sight unseen. I did change from PayPal to bank transfer and she wasn't bothered, haven't given any details yet. Quizzed her from where the brother is coming from and he's about 5 miles away
At that distance i would tell her you will deliver for cash only and you take the risk of being robbed Edited by SwanJack on Saturday 5th August 11:09
SwanJack said:
Her Facebook account doesn't look anything out of the ordinary. There has only been one bite on the bike in over a month, it's a BMX. It don't know why anyone would want to pay a few days in advance sight unseen. I did change from PayPal to bank transfer and she wasn't bothered, haven't given any details yet. Quizzed her from where the brother is coming from and he's about 5 miles away
Once she's paid you via bank transfer and you've confirmed the money is in your account there's no way she can scam you afaik, if i was in your position i'd go ahead (by bank transfer).Edited by SwanJack on Saturday 5th August 11:09
" It don't know why anyone would want to pay a few days in advance sight unseen."
Makes them seem trustworthy. Then they give your bank details to someone who thinks they're getting a bargain laptop off Facebook Marketplace, and tell that person to transfer £500 to you.
You get the £500 and frantic messages about how they accidentally added an extra zero and they need that money to pay the rent. Can you... oh, no, the rent is due. Can you just transfer it to the landlord, it'd be so helpful, I'll get evicted otherwise... You transfer the £450 quid to a different account, as requested.
Then they disappear. Laptop-buyer reports a fraud with YOUR bank details attached. To the bank, you look like a party to the fraud who has taken a 10% cut.
Makes them seem trustworthy. Then they give your bank details to someone who thinks they're getting a bargain laptop off Facebook Marketplace, and tell that person to transfer £500 to you.
You get the £500 and frantic messages about how they accidentally added an extra zero and they need that money to pay the rent. Can you... oh, no, the rent is due. Can you just transfer it to the landlord, it'd be so helpful, I'll get evicted otherwise... You transfer the £450 quid to a different account, as requested.
Then they disappear. Laptop-buyer reports a fraud with YOUR bank details attached. To the bank, you look like a party to the fraud who has taken a 10% cut.
Edited by rgf100 on Saturday 5th August 11:57
Gassing Station | Speed, Plod & the Law | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff