Dodgy buyer

Uncle Mclovin

So I have my car advertised on done deal. Looking for about €12,000.

I get this email from a lady who is foreign.

Back and forth with emails. Anyway I tell her she can come look at the car and then if she's happy she can buy.

I get an email this morning saying she doesn't need to see the car as she is impressed by the photos and what not. She then says that she is living in Sofia and will pay by PayPal and arrange shipping. She will get a shipping agent to collect for her.

Obviously I'm not going to go ahead with it as there is definitely something strange about the whole thing. Anyone come across this before?

harr

Very well known scam... Numerous treads on boards about it

Uncle Mclovin

Cheers. Can't find any of those threads. How does the scam work?

Pete67

Typically they appear to overpay, giving some flimsy excuse, and ask you to refund the difference. Once you have done so the original payment is reversed and you are out of pocket by the amount of the difference. Avoid.

Uncle Mclovin

Ah I see.

Thanks for the heads up.

harr

Uncle Mclovin wrote: »

Cheers. Can't find any of those threads. How does the scam work?

A number of different scams this is just on example

http://www.scamnet.wa.gov.au/scamnet/Scam_types-Buying_or_selling-Classified_scams-Online_car_sales_scam_buyer.htm

bazz26

Ancient scam at this stage. Honestly who buys a car they haven't seen or tested at the sellers full asking price?

corks finest

As old as done deal,that scam,run

TigerTim

I usually have a bit of fun with them first - guy agreed to buy a car from me with only 3 wheels & a timber wheel on the other corner & another where the cow had a calf in the back seat & there was a bit of a mess !!. Have got sick of doing that now. Just ignore anyway. Total scam.

T.

bear1

Just curious, but do the scammers actually lodge the money into the person's account?

grogi

Uncle Mclovin wrote: »

So I have my car advertised on done deal. Looking for about €12,000.

I get this email from a lady who is foreign.

Back and forth with emails. Anyway I tell her she can come look at the car and then if she's happy she can buy.

I get an email this morning saying she doesn't need to see the car as she is impressed by the photos and what not. She then says that she is living in Sofia and will pay by PayPal and arrange shipping. She will get a shipping agent to collect for her.

Obviously I'm not going to go ahead with it as there is definitely something strange about the whole thing. Anyone come across this before?

What is PayPal? /s

grogi

bear1 wrote: »

Just curious, but do the scammers actually lodge the money into the person's account?

Typically not. They would send a fake PayPal email confirming the transaction. With links to fake PayPal, which might or might not phish your PayPal authentication data.

grogi

bazz26 wrote: »

Ancient scam at this stage. Honestly who buys a car they haven't seen or tested at the sellers full asking price?

I sold my car over a phone. Got deposit paid to my PayPal account based on the photos alone. Guy came two weeks later to collect it. Paid full price...

True story, seriously.

bazz26

Yeah but did he send his shipping company?