Am I walking into a scam?

lordgaz

Hi all.. I consider myself very cynical when it comes to online marketplace buying.. (paranoid even!), believing unless I am otherwise satisfied, the seller is a scammer! So I am trying to find if there is any angle to be scammed with an ‘in person’ transaction via Gum Tree. I am meeting at the sellers address and they want bank transfer payment. I am meeting his partner as he will be at work. I’ve asked who’s bank account I will be paying and I’m waiting for a reply.. but I’d be concerned if it was his bank account as he could claim payment not received.. maybe send £1 first and when they say that has gone through pay a portion more? I’m just looking for the scam that may not be there.. can anyone reassure me?

The_Unready

If you pick the item up and are happy with it, then you pay, I'm not sure what could go wrong (unless the item is stolen).

Aylesbury_Duck

No one's going to be able to assure you it's all above board, but sending a small and secret amount first e.g. 29p, and asking them to confirm (by text if they're absent) how much they've received before sending the payment to the same account is one way of ensuring you don't send to the wrong account by mistake.  Not paying in advance and until you have the item in your hand is probably the single best thing you can do.

What are you buying and what's the cost?

lordgaz

It’s the payment part I’m worried about.. just sending money to an account for which they could say no payment received. I think to mitigate risk the seller must have their banking app open on their phone (so I can verify their bank details), and ensure names match etc and then send a test amount.. that should be enough I think. (edited to remove irrelevance)

soolin

Won’t they accept cash on collection ? it seems a much better way for both parties. 

If they want a bank transfer at the time you collect do you have the app on your phone to do that immediately? 

lordgaz

soolin said:

Won’t they accept cash on collection ? it seems a much better way for both parties. 

If they want a bank transfer at the time you collect do you have the app on your phone to do that immediately? 

Another reason for caution, but then from their side, I could have £300 of fake cash.. yes, I can pay by banking app quickly

Aylesbury_Duck

lordgaz said:

It’s the payment part I’m worried about.. just sending money to an account for which they could say no payment received. I think to mitigate risk the seller must have their banking app open on their phone (so I can verify their bank details), and ensure names match etc and then send a test amount.. that should be enough I think. I do know that the vendor hails from a very well known scamming country which is spooking my spidey senses, but I know also that only a tiny  fraction of 218 million people are scammers…

An interesting statement. It's either a "well-known scamming country" or just a tiny fraction of its people are scammers.  It would struggle to be both. Which country is deserving of your prejudice?

Clive_Woody

Aylesbury_Duck said:

lordgaz said:

It’s the payment part I’m worried about.. just sending money to an account for which they could say no payment received. I think to mitigate risk the seller must have their banking app open on their phone (so I can verify their bank details), and ensure names match etc and then send a test amount.. that should be enough I think. I do know that the vendor hails from a very well known scamming country which is spooking my spidey senses, but I know also that only a tiny  fraction of 218 million people are scammers…

An interesting statement. It's either a "well-known scamming country" or just a tiny fraction of its people are scammers.  It would struggle to be both. Which country is deserving of your prejudice?

Going from the "218 million" reference I'm guessing it's the one with an excess of exiled Princes who use random email outreach to try and find people to help move their fortunes.....not that I am condoning prejudice against a country based on a minority of scammers, we've got plenty in the UK.

Alderbank

You're asking us the best way to send money to a Nigerian prince you've met on the internet?

Cool story bro! 

Clive_Woody

Alderbank said:

You're asking us the best way to send money to a Nigerian prince you've met on the internet?

Cool story bro! 

Think he's meeting them in person...

lordgaz

Alderbank said:

You're asking us the best way to send money to a Nigerian prince you've met on the internet?

Cool story bro! 

I'm buying an air con compressor for a car