Are there any scams involving internet bank transfers?

MrPez

Sorry if this isn't the right forum for this question, I wasn't really sure where to post!

A friend of mine is looking to sell a motorbike on ebay and has had an offer from someone abroad. They are registered in Malta but then called him from somewhere else (Netherlands I think). Straight away alarm bells rang!

Anyway, they offered to do an internet transfer to his bank and then have the bike collected by courier. Are there any risks with this? I couldn't think of anything. As long as he checks his bank directly, rather than following any phishing emails or anything, surely once the money is there it is his?

badger09

MrPez wrote: »

Sorry if this isn't the right forum for this question, I wasn't really sure where to post!

A friend of mine is looking to sell a motorbike on ebay and has had an offer from someone abroad. They are registered in Malta but then called him from somewhere else (Netherlands I think). Straight away alarm bells rang!

Anyway, they offered to do an internet transfer to his bank and then have the bike collected by courier. Are there any risks with this? I couldn't think of anything. As long as he checks his bank directly, rather than following any phishing emails or anything, surely once the money is there it is his?

You'll probably get some help by posting on this part of the forum. Lots of people with in depth knowledge of eBay scams

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.php?f=40

bengal-stripe

MrPez wrote: »

Straight away alarm bells rang!

Anyway, they offered to do an internet transfer to his bank and then have the bike collected by courier. Are there any risks with this?

Alarm bells are very appropriate.

Most likely the transfer comes from a cracked account who has account holder has nothing whatsoever to do with the bike. Fraudster did gain access and transfers money from someone else's account to your friend and has the bike collected almost instantly.

Account holder discovers a transaction he has not instigated and claims the payment back. So your friend will lose the payment after he has sent off the bike a few days earlier.

spacey2012

Yes the oldest and biggest scam of all : the advanced fee refunded scam.
"Buyer" transfers cash to bank stating courier will collect (they have no intention of buying or collecting !)
Buyer suffers some catastrophe and says for your trouble you can keep half of money of you refund please sir, .
Seller refunds half thinking they got rich quick.
Bank transfer is then flagged as fraudulent within seconds of the partial refund and the payment is withdrawn and you have just paid half the value out of your own money from your bank .
A very old and very popular scam re-heated .

Exploits the differences between UK banking rules and other countries where transfers can be re-claimed.
You can not advertise without expecting this scam it is so common place.

MrPez

Ah ok, thanks for the heads up! Will recommend he says no!

MoneySaverLog

Well advised not to make any payments outside of eBay / PayPal for both buyer and seller protection

soolin

MoneySaverLog wrote: »

Well advised not to make any payments outside of eBay / PayPal for both buyer and seller protection

Absolutely not...PayPal on a collected item is just about the worst thing you can advise here. Motor vehicles are one of the only exempt categories for PayPal parents on eBay and a seller would be mad to take it.

Bank transfers are completely safe within the Uk,however there can be issues from overseas payments but this scam works entirely on a fake bank email telling you that funds a being held pending collection by courier. That's all it is a simple fake email.

The fake funds received email scam is fair common and a google search on this scenario will explain it fully.

MoneySaverLog

From the http://pages.ebay.co.uk/safetycentre/buying.html page

Avoiding Scams

"eBay Buyer Protection only covers eligible transactions that are completed ON eBay.co.uk and paid for with PayPal*. If a seller 'promises' you eBay protection, but you aren't buying the item on eBay and/or the seller asks you to pay using another payment method, walk away. Learn more about avoiding fraud."

soolin

MoneySaverLog wrote: »

From the http://pages.ebay.co.uk/safetycentre/buying.html page

Avoiding Scams

"eBay Buyer Protection only covers eligible transactions that are completed ON eBay.co.uk and paid for with PayPal*. If a seller 'promises' you eBay protection, but you aren't buying the item on eBay and/or the seller asks you to pay using another payment method, walk away. Learn more about avoiding fraud."

Please read up the requirement for PayPal seller protection. PayPal themselves say it is not a suitable service for items that are not posted. The PayPal on collection scam is not uncommon and it is one thing that drives many of us seller to distraction about eBay as unless we can prove delivery of an item using online tracking from a courier or RM the money can be reclaimed either via a simple INR in PayPal or via a bank chargeback.

Incidentally your links were for buyer protection and OP is the seller, and cars and motor vehicles are different and excluded. From the PayPal requirement.

MoneySaverLog

I'm mainly a buyer as you can probably tell. OK points taken.

soolin

https://www.paypal.com/uk/webapps/mpp/seller-protection


Eligibility Requirements

You must obtain proof of delivery that can be tracked online.
Seller Protection covers physical items only. Check that the item is eligible in the 'Transaction Details' in your PayPal account and in your confirmation email.
Eligible transactions between buyers and sellers in the UK, US and Canada qualify for Seller Protection. If you're selling on eBay, you can post to buyers in any of the 190 countries where PayPal is accepted and still be covered.
Only post to the buyer's address provided in the 'Transaction Details' and only accept payments in full from a single PayPal account.
If you deliver an item in person or post it in any other way that can't be tracked, you won't be covered.