What's the scam here?

[ryanb741]

Selling a high value item (c£5k) on ebay, got a message, poor English, guy wants to go outside of ebay and deal direct, alarm bells ringing so it's a no from me. But check out the thread and tell me what the scam is please. Would be a reversal of PayPal money I'm guessing?

[lewie]

Hacked PayPal account?

[Omegamanic]

I'd definitely stay away. You can add multiple cards to PayPal, so not a great excuse, and if a cards expired - where's the current card?

[stooo]

I think he wants your watch for free.

[ryanb741]

Yeah for sure I'm staying away, was just interested to understand what the scam was if he sends me the money first.

[stooo]

I imagine the money lands then gets recalled.

[oldoakknives]

I imagine the money lands then gets recalled.

This I reckon.

[hilly10]

Just the wording is enough.

[RLE]

Guessing either hacked PayPal account that is not linked to the eBay account that you are corresponding through. Chargeback follows soon after, or scammer is wanting you to request money so he has your PayPal details. They then generate a spoof email that looks identical to the “you have funds” which they hope will be sufficient for you to release the watch without doing the appropriate checks to ensure funds have actually landed.

[Essexman]

He will pay Paypal friends and family, you accept as you saved fees, more cash for you. You send goods, he does charge back. Paypal remove the money from your account. You have no leg to stand on as it was a friends and family payment and you accepted that form of payment. He gets the watch for free.

[wileeeeeey]

Hijacked PayPal. Stay well away

[vulcangascompany]

A fake email from PayPal saying he has paid the amount? At the same time they'll be an excuse why you should post immediately (before you check the account hasn't the funds in it) but there could be a host of options but it will come down to stolen CC / hacked PP or just plain bluff and delay.

[Bonzodog]

Steer well clear .

[ryanb741]

I've reported it to ebay

[P9CLY]

And the fact someone is offering £50 for the post!.......why would someone want to pay way over what it will actually cost.

[deepreddave]

I presume the fraudster uses a hacked PayPal account and ultimately the payment would be reversed. Maybe not though as they are very polite .

I wouldn't sell anything of significant value via eBay simply because of risks like this and their excessive protection for buyers in scenarios where they're clearly scammers - I recall one member on here selling an iron and being mage to refund despite the returned iron clearly being a different, broken one!

[PhilipK]

He will pay Paypal friends and family, you accept as you saved fees, more cash for you. You send goods, he does charge back. Paypal remove the money from your account. You have no leg to stand on as it was a friends and family payment and you accepted that form of payment. He gets the watch for free.

Family & Friends is irrelevant here - the protection that using F&F removes is for the buyer, not for the seller. A scammer's chargeback will affect the seller regardless of whether the PayPal payment is Friends & Family or Goods & Services.

As other have said, it will be either a fake email (if a low effort scam) or a later chargeback (if a slightly higher effort scam).

[ben4watches]

I would be tempted to play him at his own game.

Let him send you the money but don’t send him the watch, sit back and see where it goes.

[hogthrob]

Inform Paypal as well, saying you think it's a hacked account.

[Mj2k]

I would be tempted to play him at his own game.

Let him send you the money but don’t send him the watch, sit back and see where it goes.

I’m with you there, assuming he doesn’t get any details to cause issue. Scam 100% and as to the language, I get it may be a second language, but it doesn’t inspire.

[bobbee]

I've had the same, it's a fake PayPal email where it will say the money will be held until delivery is confirmed.
I contacted PayPal and was told they never do this.

[guli]

It’s really not worth the hassle

[E_2_Right-Force]

I would be tempted to play him at his own game.

Let him send you the money but don’t send him the watch, sit back and see where it goes.

Or, send him an old, broken iron!

[Essexman]

Family & Friends is irrelevant here - the protection that using F&F removes is for the buyer, not for the seller. A scammer's chargeback will affect the seller regardless of whether the PayPal payment is Friends & Family or Goods & Services.

As other have said, it will be either a fake email (if a low effort scam) or a later chargeback (if a slightly higher effort scam).

See here some time ago on this forum - https://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.p...geback-advice-!!

[PhilipK]

See here some time ago on this forum - https://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.p...geback-advice-!!

Sorry, but I've not got the time to read through the 261 posts on a 10 year old thread.

Can you please point me at the part where a seller was at risk of being scammed specifically because the transaction was Family and Friends rather than Goods and Services?

[mutanthands]

Fight fire with fire, send the scammer a Pagani watch.

[broxie]

I don't even bother with any dialogue. Click report, click delete. FB, Gumtree etc, even a simple but brain dead "is it still available" gets deleted.