Selling/Buying scam via PayPal

[DonLucifer]

Hi everyone, I put up my car on Gumtree a couple of days ago and yesterday I got a text message from a person that I don’t have it in my phone list asking me if I still have the car and to reply to an email address “<removed> .... What was very strange for me that usually when you get a message from a new phone number that you don’t have it in the phone it should came up the number not the name. So that was the first question mark for me and the second one was the message saying to reply to an email message. I was very curious to see what els people can do to steal money out of other people so I send a message on the email address and shortly I got a reply back. Great! please consider it sold and remove the adverts online as i am willing to pay your asking price? because i need to buy it for my cousin asap as a surprise gift, i have read through the advert and i'm totally satisfied with it, sadly i would not be able to come personally to collect due to my hearing loss and I'm just recovering from heart surgery so I'm home-bound. can i earn your trust, hope i wont be disappointed? I have a courier agent that would help me to pick it up at your preferred location after you have received your money and cleared to your account and i'll pay you via PayPal today once you get back to me with your Paypal email and full name. Where is the pick up location so that i can inform the courier agent about it now? Await your response. I tried to be nice and play along to this emai to see what else they can right so My answer was Hi, I’m really sorry to hear that you are in such a bad position and I wish you a fast recovery but As much as it sounds tempting your email and I would like do go down on this road and jump in this I’m not willing to go for this. I’m really sorry but I don’t have PayPal account and I’m not willing to sell the car thru an email. If you would like to buy the car you can send the money thru your courier agent or someone who you can trust with a proper identification for the person who will buy this car so I can make the proper papers for it. If you are not willing and able to do this please don’t bother me anymore. So I got another email from them I’m sorry i am disabled and i have limited access to cash and other payment methods..so i can only pay via PayPal. You can setup a PayPal account at <a href="http://www.paypal.co.uk" target="_blank">www.paypal.co.uk</a> it's very safe and secure. Also it's very easy to set up within few minutes. So after all this back and forwards emails I got the idea that my intuition from the first message appearing the name and not the phone number didn’t trick me. Be very careful about wired thinks that come to your life and look up every information befor you doing something that can affect your mind, heart, mood, life and everything that it’s defunds you. Ooooo and I almost forgot I copied her email address “<removed>“ and I look that up on google and it came up this internet page plus a few more. So be very careful when you selling something to who you selling it to don’t just be happy that you got lucky and you sell that thick very fast..

[kernowlass]

@DonLucifer 

Yep this scam is all over this forum and internet and been ongoing for about 15 years.

SCAM.

They encourage you to accept a 'direct' Paypal payment, they don't quibble on cost and may also say they can't view the item as they are disabled or working abroad etc etc but they will arrange a shipping agent to collect it.
No funds or activity of the transaction shows in your Paypal account and any emails 'may' go into your junk or spam folders.

You will get/got a "fake" email that looks as though it is from paypal.....it isn't because they don't actually have a Paypal account and have no intention of paying you.
The 'fake' paypal email will tell you that the buyer has paid for the item + shipping costs but you must send those shipping costs to the courier/ shipping agent via western union, moneygram or walmart etc BEFORE the funds are released to you.
They are not interested in the car, they just want the western union etc funds and you will never see money in your paypal balance.

Paypal NEVER tell you to send an item before the payment is showing in your paypal account.
Paypal NEVER expect you to use a rival money transfer service eg Moneygram or Western Union etc.
Also their is no seller protection on paypal for any type of motor vehicle or item that is collected by the buyer.
Delete any emails and ignore the scammers.