Gumtree Scam?

captshiznit

Hi guys,

I'm well aware of the PayPal scam where buyer pays you via PayPal then claims the money back.


I listed a guitar amp head on gum tree (Odd item to scam its HEAVY and bulky) for roughly 390 the buyer asked if I'd be willing to accept 340 I agreed. He then said can he pay via papal and organise his own courier?

Red flags started to get raised, So I thought lets text him back I'll post the exchange

Him: Hello would I be able to pay via PayPal if so what is your email address and what is your address so I can organise a courier?

Me:Hi that would be no problem as long as your PayPal is a confirmed address? also what courier would you be using? or can I arrange it and you reimburse me the costs to ensure it's tracked delivery.

Him: Cool I will arrange my own courier mate thanks

Me: (Deciding to see what he would do) (I then give my PayPal email and ask him what courier he intends to use then I send second text saying what is your address so I can ensure it's written on the package for you)

Him: Ok, my address is XXXXX, if the courier will accept to carry 6 pounds for the amp as I think I only have 334 in my PayPal account as it would make it up to 340, would that be ok?

I've not replied,

But the "carry 6 pounds thing" made alarm bells now ring in my head, why not just give full amount of money to a courier if that is possible ? I guess maybe he wants to be covered by PayPal but It makes me wonder,

What are your thoughts? I tried to write the texts out word for word.

theonlywayisup

Never let anyone organise a courier for their own purchase.

If the item doesn't arrive or arrives broken, they will get a paypal refund and you won't be able to claim from the courier.

Organise your own if you really need to, but Gumtree is designed for cash, personally I would stick with cash.

campdave

Run a mile.

Jamie_Carter

Well it obviously isn't a courier if the buyer is going to ask them to pay you. So you wouldn't be covered under the seller protection policy.

How do you know it isn't a hacked Paypal account? To be covered by Paypal you would need to deliver to the registered Paypal address. You don't have a clue where it is going o be delivered to.

Also if it was his Paypal account, then he could just add the £6 to the account, and then pay you. I suspect that it isn't his account at all.

Tell him that you will only sell to him if he follows Paypal rules, and that you arrange for a courier (with on line tracking), to deliver to the address registered with Paypal.

captshiznit

campdave wrote: »

Run a mile.

ha-ha

damn I Was really hoping to be able to sell my amp, desperate for the cash. I'm an honest seller too just cash on collection does heavily limit where you can sell too unfortunately. But I agree it does sound dodgy, but I have heard of people doing it before via PayPal.

captshiznit

Jamie_Carter wrote: »

Well it obviously isn't a courier if the buyer is going to ask them to pay you. So you wouldn't be covered under the seller protection policy.

How do you know it isn't a hacked Paypal account? To be covered by Paypal you would need to deliver to the registered Paypal address. You don't have a clue where it is going o be delivered to.

Also if it was his Paypal account, then he could just add the £6 to the account, and then pay you. I suspect that it isn't his account at all.

Tell him that you will only sell to him if he follows Paypal rules, and that you arrange for a courier (with on line tracking), to deliver to the address registered with Paypal.

Good call, I'm going to tell him I will pay to arrange courier out of my own pocket and see what he says. Lets challenge this guy and see where he breaks,

I thought if he was a scammer surely he'd have broken at the confirmed address text and just went silent (that what I Thought was going to happen at least)

theonlywayisup

captshiznit wrote: »

Good call, I'm going to tell him I will pay to arrange courier out of my own pocket and see what he says. Lets challenge this guy and see where he breaks,

I thought if he was a scammer surely he'd have broken at the confirmed address part.

If he still is interested and you do go the courier route, ensure it is adequately insured and that the courier gives a signature on delivery as you need that for sales over £150.

captshiznit

theonlywayisup wrote: »

If he still is interested and you do go the courier route, ensure it is adequately insured and that the courier gives a signature on delivery as you need that for sales over £150.

Yeah I'm aware of that, I just want to now push this guy for my own amusement to find out if he's a scammer.

Jamie_Carter

captshiznit wrote: »

Good call, I'm going to tell him I will pay to arrange courier out of my own pocket and see what he says. Lets challenge this guy and see where he breaks,

I thought if he was a scammer surely he'd have broken at the confirmed address text and just went silent (that what I Thought was going to happen at least)

If he is using a mate with a van, then you don't know where it is going to be delivered to. And he could have the registered payapal address from the account that he has hacked.

captshiznit

Jamie_Carter wrote: »

If he is using a mate with a van, then you don't know where it is going to be delivered to. And he could have the registered payapal address from the account that he has hacked.

Yeah that's why I asked what courier company he intended to use.

soolin

captshiznit wrote: »

Good call, I'm going to tell him I will pay to arrange courier out of my own pocket and see what he says. Lets challenge this guy and see where he breaks,

I thought if he was a scammer surely he'd have broken at the confirmed address text and just went silent (that what I Thought was going to happen at least)

Confirmed or not it makes no odds, without full tracking that *you* hold he's going to get the item for free, confirmed address or not.

This is a very notorious Gumtree scam, it happens every minute of every day and it just takes one seller a moments slip to believe they are safe , and scammer is laughing.

Paypal seller protection is exactly the same 'off' ebay as well as on ebay, so *you* need to hold all the cards and have fully insured and tracked online delivery confirmation.