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Old 02-12-2022, 03:58 PM   #1
CaptainYooh
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Default Weird Scam

Whenever we list an item for sale on Kijiji or FB Marketplace, within a few minutes there is a message from someone offering to buy the item at full price plus $50 for shipping to a relative. No negotiations. It is always the same. Always comes from someone with a very common name (Gerry Baker, Melissa Turner, James Winter etc.) and the account on FB or Instagram showing a few pics of an older person. This is a 100% scam, undoubtedly. Messages are always the same and accounts are fake. We block them immediately and report back to the platform (although, seemingly they do nothing about it). But I just can't understand how their scam actually works? Anyone knows?
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Old 02-12-2022, 04:03 PM   #2
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They'll pay you, you'll ship the item, then you'll lose your money because however they paid for it will get clawed back because of some kind of fraud, you're out the $$ and the item.
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Old 02-12-2022, 04:07 PM   #3
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They'll pay you, you'll ship the item, then you'll lose your money because however they paid for it will get clawed back because of some kind of fraud, you're out the $$ and the item.
I thought about it. But it is really not that easy to get a refund. Whichever platform you use (PayPal, Telegram or e-transfer) – all you have to do is to provide a proof of shipment (usually, a photo of the item being sealed at the Post Office plus shipping receipt and tracking #).
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Old 02-12-2022, 04:39 PM   #4
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OT but I love the names scammers pick for these things. I once had one from someone named Bongo Wilson.

A funny recent one I received had the salutation “Dear Email Owner”, and said that I had a lottery prize, inheritance, and/or lawsuit settlement at “your country’s bank”. It’s like they had an email template and forgot to change the boiler plate stuff.
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Old 02-12-2022, 04:43 PM   #5
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Whichever platform you use (PayPal, Telegram or e-transfer) – all you have to do is to provide a proof of shipment
Unless the account they are using isn't theirs. So the owner of the account disputes the charges, and you get charged back.
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Old 02-12-2022, 04:47 PM   #6
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Unless the account they are using isn't theirs. So the owner of the account disputes the charges, and you get charged back.
Wow... But if they already have access to someone's account, why would they need to bother? I guess, it is easier to pay for something rather than transferring funds somewhere where they can be traced... God, I hate scammers.
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Old 02-12-2022, 04:55 PM   #7
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Yeah, and if they just transfer funds where they can be traced, they funds get reversed. But if they buy something that can easily be resold, they have those funds free and clear.

So buy a $500 iPhone, resell it for $400- that's $400 in their pocket.

Transfer $500 to a buddy, the buddy gets charged back.
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Old 02-12-2022, 05:00 PM   #8
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Seeing "Enemy of the State" or other movies alike, one wonders if ANYTHING can get paid without trace, yet it is not that difficult apparently. I hope there is a special place in hell for these people.
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Old 02-12-2022, 06:17 PM   #9
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Oh, I'm sure it can all be traced. It's just so minor no authority is going to bother with the time/effort. These people know that, so they prey on this smaller dollar crimes.
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Old 02-12-2022, 06:20 PM   #10
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I've had funds from an ebay sale taken back. All I got was a message stating that the payment was fraudulent. They'd somehow hacked an existing account with over 100 positive ratings too.

All they told me was there was fraud. No way to dispute it.
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Old 02-12-2022, 06:36 PM   #11
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I thought about it. But it is really not that easy to get a refund.
Not so much about getting a refund, more actual fraud. I.e. funded through a stolen credit card or they offer to pay with a money order or cashier's cheque that will eventually bounce.

Or another one I read is they'll send an e-transfer but it's from a different country in a different language, and instead of it being an e-transfer to accept, it's actually a request for payment and by accepting you send them $$. Send out a bunch of these and it only takes a few that don't bother to translate it and click ok.
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Old 02-12-2022, 08:51 PM   #12
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Seeing "Enemy of the State" or other movies alike, one wonders if ANYTHING can get paid without trace, yet it is not that difficult apparently. I hope there is a special place in hell for these people.
"Why did you blow up your building?"

"Because you made a damn phone call!!"
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Old 02-13-2022, 02:02 AM   #13
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Just this week I had someone come to my door. "Uh.... do you know an Emily?" No, I don't... Why? "We'll, are you or someone here selling tools?" No. Why? "I think I got scammed". Half an hour later... somebody else came to the sudden realization that they were scammed. I texted my wife and she said that she had the same thing earlier in the day.

So I called the cops to report what happened and I figured I can give them some information from my experience to help backup the people who got scammed. I got a call from a Constable about 18 hours later to take my info down and he did as quick look and apparently none of the scammed bothered to call the cops. Lots of people get scammed and just chalk it up to a learning experience.
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Old 02-13-2022, 07:52 AM   #14
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I've had funds from an ebay sale taken back. All I got was a message stating that the payment was fraudulent. They'd somehow hacked an existing account with over 100 positive ratings too.

All they told me was there was fraud. No way to dispute it.
Did you lose the item you shipped too? That seems like it should be on eBay if you did.

eBay is pretty crappy on buyers I learned. I had sold a fairly new excellent condition Xbox in an auction. Sent it to him. Then we got it, he claimed it wasn’t working and was overshot something and I knew it was good since my kid had playing on it regularly. Even though my auction said no returns, eBay requires sellers to pay for return shipping and accept returns if the buyer simply claims not as advertised.

I got the Xbox back and it reeked of cigarette smoke, had sticker residue all over and wouldn’t power on. Luckily I had accidentally taken a picture of the serial number and could prove to eBay that they sent me something different and eBay did give me all my money back and I didn’t have to ship the bad Xbox back

I looked up his address and he runs a pawn shop. I assume his scam is pay like $10 for inoperable Xboxes. Buy good ones on ebay, return the bad ones and sell the good ones. The guy had a perfect rating with 1000s of selling reviews. But apparently you can’t leave bad buyer feedback. The big lesson is always take pic of serial number.
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