Scam?

[Tobiferous]

Hi, I'm trying to sell my laptop for $1000 on a local site over here in Germany (bookoo, so I'm immediately suspicious of this buyer being in Belgium saw this post to begin with). I didn't have a PayPal prior to this, so I independently Googled Paypal and created an account. Checked out seller protections, etc.

The part that gets me the most is his offer to pay an extra $100 for shipping and that it was for his cousin. I've sent the invoice request for payment, but I get this sinking feeling that this is an elaborate hoax. He linked me the Paypal site twice, both times which were not fraudelent. Are there any red flags to watch for so this doesn't bite me in the **bleep**?

[PayPal_Andy]

Hi Tobiferous -

Thanks for bringing your concerns here to the Community!  You're definitely right to be hesitant as this situation screams fraud. I'd recommend checking some of the posts over on this thread as I'm pretty sure you'll find some similarities. Long story short, if someone offers you extra money for shipping for a 'cousin' (or uncle, or son who is strangely always on an oil rig) you should be on the lookout for a scam.

Hope this helps!

- Andy