Ok, paypal isn't safe anymore...Possible Scam

[Kottwitz-Graphics]

Well, I think it's a scam...

Long story short, I am selling a truck for my son on craigslist. I get an email from someone asking if I was the original owner (which in the ad I said that it was a state owned vehicle, in addition to everything that has been done to it)...

Then I get an email saying that the e-mail system isn't working for him, and could I reply with my email address. I replied that they could call me at the number listed on my e-mail....

And this is the reply that I get: "i don't have access to cell phone here due to the nature of my job, let me have your personal email..."

I send him my e-mail, and this is the reply that I got:

"I'm ready to pay your asking price and to be honest, i want to buy this for my brother as a gift for him. I am a marine engineer that works on the sea at the moment. phone calls and visiting of website are restricted but i squeezed out some time to check this advert and sent you a text regarding it. My payment mode would be PayPal as i can send money via PayPal anytime. I will be responsible for all the pay pal fee/charges on this transaction and if you don't have an account with paypal, it is pretty easy, safe and secured to open one. Just log on to http://www.paypal.com/. I hope we can make the purchase as soon as possible? I have a mover that will come for the pick up once payment clears. i look forward to hearing back from you soon. Below are the details needed Your PayPal e-Mail Address: Full name: Firm Price: Cell Phone number


Thank You"

Well my response was that I will only accept $3000 in American Cash.

And the response that came in less than 4 minutes later:

"PayPal also work as cash.."

I'm not sure how they are going to scam through paypal, but it all seems to odd...

 

[Solventinkjet]

Run from this one don't walk. The only reason he is willing to pay the 3%-6% fee on a $3000 purchase is because he is going to scam you. Plus, him having a mover come pick it up is a common sign of a scam. His guy comes and picks it up, he says he never got it, you have no evidence to provide PayPal if you actually gave him the car.

 

[Biker Scout]

Who reads "adverts" in this country?

Actually, while you cut and pasted the email in here, chances are that if you hovered over the URL he provided that says PayPal.com might look like PayPal, but really isn't once you click on it, but takes you to a fake but official looking PayPal page. Complete with log in and password fields. Basically, they just want to phish your email log in and password to get at your other credentials and bank information.

 

[SignManiac]

In the spirit of human kindness and all decency, I would have to believe that this honest soul has truly good intentions and would never think of doing anything morally or wrong or illeagal. I'd take the offer and pray that all people could be this kind and caring.

 

[phototec]

Run from this one don't walk. The only reason he is willing to pay the 3%-6% fee on a $3000 purchase is because he is going to scam you. Plus, him having a mover come pick it up is a common sign of a scam. His guy comes and picks it up, he says he never got it, you have no evidence to provide PayPal if you actually gave him the car.

I'm not 100% sure how, but I do believe it to be a SCAM....

Many people here in TX will NOT use PayPal for craigslist purchases, CASH only in my hand, you take item, were are done, oh and only meet at public place, NOT your house....

I purchased a Samsung Galaxy S3 for CASH and meet at the AT&T store so the phone could be checked out before payment, not stolen or under contract etc.

 

[phototec]

in the spirit of human kindness and all decency, i would have to believe that this honest soul has truly good intentions and would never think of doing anything morally or wrong or illeagal. I'd take the offer and pray that all people could be this kind and caring.

get real! Come out of the fog....

 

[Gino]

Doesn't he want to take it for a test drive ??

 

[player]

I'm not 100% sure how, but I do believe it to be a SCAM....

Many people here in TX will NOT use PayPal for craigslist purchases, CASH only in my hand, you take item, were are done, oh and only meet at public place, NOT your house....

I purchased a Samsung Galaxy S3 for CASH and meet at the AT&T store so the phone could be checked out before payment, not stolen or under contract etc.

How can they scam you? You're no fun.

 

[iSign]

so, why blame paypal?

I've heard people grumble about paypal, but not me.

I got $3K from paypal just last week... was supposed to be 3 to 5 days... got cash in my bank, in two days..
another $3K coming this week...

sure, the scam you are offered has every red flag in the book, and isn't worth the time (to me) to figure out how it allegedly "works" in the scammers favor...

..but posting a thread title that "paypal isn't safe" is off the mark.

hell, by that logic, Money isn't safe, because people get killed for it

 

[Biker Scout]

Seriously? Who buys a car site unseen, not even wanting to kick the tires, to give as a gift to their brother? Must hate his brother.

It's just a phishing scam to get your log in credentials. Happens all the time. Nothing to do with PayPal. In fact, forward the email to Spoof@PayPal.com

PayPal changes their homepage picture often. And it's always a secure connection http(S) The phishing site usually looks official, and might even say paypal.com across the top. But they can never seem to use the exact same homepage picture the real PayPal uses. It's usually a way older version.

 

[player]

Many times I can ask the email program to show source or show source code and if you look you can see the actual url for the link, which in this case it won't be paypal.com.

 

[Biker Scout]

Oh, and another dead giveaway that his language skills aren't really up to par... he says he's a marine engineer and works "ON THE SEA" right now. Really? The sea needs a tune up? He didn't even say "Out At Sea" When people who work in any kind of water based industry where they are not on land, they usually say "OFF SHORE". That's the common parlance, at least in North America.

 

[Gino]

Well, I know a lota people who live here and are US citizens, but still don't talk/speak eloquently or spell all that good. Heck, just look around here, where we're all in the communications industry.......



Anyway, I must say, their storylines are getting better and a bit more interesting. They're more convincing than the religious people looking for 3,000 banners.... regardless of the price. What, I don't get is..... how long can one of these twerps get away with something like this until it's picked up on ?? Is it really that worthwhile to be doing this ?? I might start looking into this......

 

[SignManiac]

As long as people keep falling for it, they will keep selling it. PT Barnum was right about people.

 

[Techman]

as soon as they mention you responding back to them via email.
IT is a scam. Automatic rejection is the order of the day.
Cash on the barrel head. nothing else works.

You deliver the car to a driver,, he leaves,, the scammer reverse charges your paypal. You lose the money and the car..

 

[peavey123]

Ya, Scam forsure. But doesn't mean paypal isn't safe. There are tons of scammers on online classified sites. I encountered a bunch when looking for a dog.

On a kind of related note. I really hope Bitcoin or similar takes off. No service fee and transactions are INSTANT. Plus no restrictions placed on who you can pay like PayPal has in place. ie. With paypal you can't make a donation to wikileaks, but you can donate to the KKK. what the?.. haha

 

[player]

There is still KKK? Why are they allowed to exist?

 

[mopar691]

I sold a Cannon 5D via craigslist a few years ago. Lady came to my house to pick it up. She used my computer to log into paypal and pay me VIA credit card thru paypal I checked her name and ID, All looked good. Money was there in my account and we were happy and she left. Next day money was gone. She had said it was a fraudulent purchase she never made and paypal refunded the funds to her. I fought with paypal about this for months. Even showed them video footage from our office of her walking in and walking out with the camera bag.

Ended up taking her to small claims court and got a judgement. But still git jipped and never saw any money ever.

Man, I really hate people.

 

[Techman]

Why are they allowed to exist?

because we have a constitution. And the right to assemble.

 

[player]

because we have a constitution. And the right to assemble.

I looked them up as KKK Canada. They tried here but got such a huge public uprising against them they are gone, or are completely underground.

Back on scamming... There is a guy locally who has been looking for his $7,500 guitar he go scammed out of. He met the buyer at the bank. The buyer liked the guitar. He goes into the bank, and comes out with a certified money order, and gives it to the seller. He leaves with the guitar. The money order is a fake. The seller should have gone into the bank with the buyer and got cash. Cash is king.