Scam - taking ads from Kijiji and insisting on using Paypal

[Gailoldford27]

I posted an ad in Kijiji selling Pink tickets for Toronto. I received a text with the following: "Pink Tickets in Toronto still available for sale? Email me only at *removed* to have deal. Pls dont reply text due to the nature of my job. Thanks. Felicia". I did respond and the following are emails I received back:

I appreciate your prompt response, I am buying It ASAP for my cousin
residing in Ontario as a surprise. I wont be available by myself for
inspection due to the nature of my work and present location. I will
like you to email me with some close up shots of it and will arrange
for it to be picked up by a pick up agent who will be coming for the
inspection and pick up at your place once the payment clears, I will
also be paying you through Paypal which i believe is safe and secured
for both of us and I will also be responsible for the charges. All I
need from you now is to get back to me with your Paypal email and name
or send me Paypal invoice so that I can send your payment ASAP. What
is your final asking price?

Just want to be sure about the sale before i proceed and If you need
to reach me, send me an email as i Squeeze time every four-hours to
check correspondence and respond at the same time.

Thanks

-----

Okay get back to me with your paypal account and your final asking price

-----

Okay. I would have love to talk to you on phone and explain more
better but Due to the nature of my job,making phone calls and visiting
of website are restricted but i took permission from our IT Admin to
check this advert and sent you Text regarding this and instructing you
to text so I am not allowed to get out of the unit or give calls
whenever I want. I am an honorable person and you will receive your
full money cash in hand before my mover comes for pick up at your
place. And if you dont have a paypal account, It's pretty easy to set
up a PayPal account at www.paypal.com . it's just a few minutes away
from signing up. it's safe and secure for both Parties. You are on a
secured transaction with paypal. As soon as you open an account, get
back to me with the name and email that you linked with your paypal
account and I will have your money wired asap. I hope to read from you
asap

Regards

__________________________

I googled the phone number and it comes from Oregon - many people have received same text. I guess this is a "Seller's Beware" post - as you as a seller would be responsible (in most cases) for cost of whatever you are selling once anything is disputed!

[rkgurney]

This scam is still going! I just received a very similar message from the same address.  I hope someone stops them.  Thank you for posting and I'm glad I googled the sender and found your post!

[MindBatteries]

Oh my god! I got the same exact email from this person verbatum!

I knew it was fishy but we were really eager to sell to this person, we used my boyfriend's account number and gave it to the person. Should we be worried about sending his email? He can just close his paypal account, or can they do anything with the email? What moving company uses Western Union? I mean seriously.. Do I look like an idiot? After we gave the email, this was her response:

Thanks for getting back to me. i just got a message from the Mover's
headquarters that will come for the pickup at your place , that i need
to pay a total commission of about $350.00 CAD to them before the
pickup can be registered and it should be paid via Western Union only
and there is no Western union outlet at my present location to send
the money to them over there as I'm presently off-shore, so i am
writing to notify you that i will be adding the said amount to the
payment i will be transferring into your PayPal account and you will
help me wire the money to them for the pickup charges, PayPal will be
informed about this process as well. Sorry to put this on you but
without the pickup, the purchase cant hold. And make sure its in good
condition described and i will not be disappointed with it as i won't
be seeing this in person.
 
Thanks for your help

[normi]

This exact scenario just happened to my sister in Edmonton, Alberta- Canada.

They got her for $700. 😞

Payment notification sent via a bogus email, bogus paypal message, with two payments, second one being for taxes and shipping costs.  She called Paypal this evening, and no such transaction occured, and 'buyer' has no account with Paypal.

They were using the trucking company called " Co-Operative Transport International ", based in Virginia.

[-Cye]

Yes - this happened to us too ! it is a scam ... When we assumed something was too good to be true but still hopeful;

we sent an email to our potential purchaser suggesting that they send by paypal the money to the person who will pick up our furniture... and that that person bring us CASH ONLY...

never heard from them again... PEOPLE PLEASE BE CAREFUL... there are so many ugly people out there...

[Abgal]

Looks like this creep is still at it.

I have a set of drums currently for sale on Kijiji and received the following email from a potential buyer today:

From: <removed>

Thanks for the prompt response. I'm Okay with the condition as I have already go through it on the advert but just trying to make little inquiry from you, I'm ready to buy it now as a gift for my Daughter, I'm at sea at the moment as I'm a Navy Officer, and due to the nature of my Job.....phone calls making and visiting of website are restricted but I squeezed out time to check this advert and send you a message regarding it. I really want it to be a surprise for my Daughter I won't let her know anything about it until it gets delivered to her, I am sure she will be more than happy with it. I insisted on PayPal because I don't have access to my bank account online as I don't have internet banking, but I can pay from my PayPal account, as I have my bank account attached to it, Get back to me with your PayPal email and the last price you are selling it? so I can proceed with the payment quickly, and sorry if you don't have an Account, you sign-up for a PayPal personal account www.paypal.com it is very fast and easy to set up. And there is a shipping company pick up agent that will come for the pick up after the payment has been sorted out. Thanks.

Anyway, something didn't smell quite right so I googled 'kijiji paypal scams' and up popped your incident and others like it. Undoubtably, this is the work of the same person(s).

Moral of the story: except cash only for Kijiji sales, trust your gut, and never click on a link unless your absolutely sure it's from a relliable source (and sometimes even then, don't). If, for instance, you receive a credible looking email from UPS, and you know you never send anything UPS, don't click on any link they provide. If necessary, always enter websites in question through your own browser.

[sisits]

got the same message today，thanks for the post！ I appreciate your prompt response, I am buying It ASAP for my cousin residing in Ontario as a surprise. I wont be available by myself for inspection due to the nature of my work and present location. I will like you to email me with some close up shots of it and will arrange for it to be picked up by a pick up agent who will be coming for the inspection and pick up at your place once the payment clears, I will also be paying you through Paypal which i believe is safe and secured for both of us and I will also be responsible for the charges. All I need from you now is to get back to me with your Paypal email and name or send me Paypal invoice so that I can send your payment ASAP. What is your final asking price? Just want to be sure about the sale before i proceed and If you need to reach me, send me an email as i Squeeze time every four-hours to check correspondence and respond at the same time. Thanks

[wagonfixer]

The man at sea is still at it......August 30/16

Good, I am ready to buy it now as a gift for my Daughter, I am at sea at the moment as i am a marine engineer and due to the nature of my Job,so l won't be able to come and check it.

I'll have to arrange for a pickup agent( Shipper ) who will be coming to pick it up as soon as the payment is made and i'll like to pay u through PayPal and do u have a PayPal acct so i can make the payment of the funds or if u don't have one, u can set up at Www.paypal.com it's fast and easy to set up. i will advice you to remove the advert from the site if you are ready to sell for me. i will pay the 3% of paypal charges so just let me know the total cost with the charges

Once I said cash only and in person he disappeared.

[TiffPri]

I got the same thing this morning, the person interested clained to be a navy officer and did not have access to her bank account.  Thanks for the post ...... probaly justed saved me a whole lotta money 🙂

[tbfromns]

I got the same email...the daughter......etc