Potential Scam. How does it work?

Triggerfish
Contributor
Contributor

I'm selling a fridge in FaceBook Marketplace. I was contacted by  someone who would pop round today to have it, but in the mean time could he have my PayPal address so he could organize payment. Now I'm obviously suspicious, but giving out the address surely isn't top secret is it? I did a bit of detective work and searched for the guys FB account..... low and behold this middle aged white welsh bloke  only has friends in Nigeria. 

My question is no goods would have changed hands as he's probably in Nigeria, he has the ability to pay money into my account, what is the angle and how does the scam play out?

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kernowlass
Esteemed Advisor
Esteemed Advisor

@Triggerfish 

 

SCAM.

They encourage you to accept a direct Paypal payment and ask for your paypal email address so that they have it to send you fake emails.
No funds or activity of the transaction shows in your Paypal account and any spoof/fake emails may go into your junk/spam folders.

They don't quibble on cost and may after contact say that they can't after all view the item but they will arrange a shipping agent or courier to collect it.

You will get/got a "fake" email that looks as though it is from paypal.....it isn't because they don't have a Paypal account and have no intention of paying you.
It will say the buyer has paid ...you won't have been paid.

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 another payment processor than Paypal or by providing some vouchers or tokens before the funds are released to you.


They are not interested in the item, they just want that couriers/shipping 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, Western Union, Bank Transfer, Bitcoin or any sort of gift token or voucher.
There is no seller protection on paypal for any type of item that is collected by the buyer.

Delete any emails and ignore the scammers.


Advice is voluntary.
Kudos / Solution appreciated.
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