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Is this a scam?

A

ai4281

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Aug 16, 2008
29
1
I'm trying to sell my White Macbook on Kijiji Canada, and I got this reply.

-----------------------
Hello there,
It's pleasure receiving message from you and i would have love to
pick up the item by my self but i am presently in Uk for a conference and i will
be away for three months, but I'm buying it for my child that went on a
research trip as a gift via this address below:
22 Olisaro qrts Ijapo Estate
City;Akure
State:Ondo
zip:23434
Country:Nigeria
so i will like you to get back to me with the final cost plus shipping from
Canada post (International Air Parcel) so that i can make the payment via paypal
if you have paypal account .i hope to hear from you soon . Thanks
---------------------

Is this a scam? I heard from many people that you should avoid shipping to Nigeria at all cost.
 
Yes it's a scam

edit: I actually feel bad for honest buyers in Nigeria, they must be having a hard time :) this one is definitely a scam though
 
Of course not, just send them your birth certificate, mother's maiden name, and a copy of all your banking info at the same time ...
 
What they said.

Apart from the bad writing (OK, emails often feature random capitalisation and poor grammar, even moreso from people whose first language isn't English), who goes to a conference for *three months*?

A scammy scam of the scammiest kind.
 
Sell me the Macbook for $20 instead of dealing with this guy and you'll come out $20 ahead.

It's an obvious scam... can't believe you even had to ask.
 
what made u think...

it's NOT a scam?

Have you never heard of all the scams originating from Nigeria?

I wouldn't trust paypal for payment from a foreign country, especially Nigera. It's so easy for buyers to dispute via paypal. Google...you'll see what I mean.
 
Being "away" in the UK raised my suspicion slightly and then I see, Nigeria. DING DING DING SCAM ALERT!!!

UK is being used more and more these days, especially with tickets. People will claim to be working in the UK and their company has tickets to the event you are interested in that were originally meant for a customer but they can no longer attend so they are selling the tickets.
 
Don't you guys watch FoneJacker?!

Of course this is not a scam!
Look @ the grammar its perfect >.<
He will be asking you for your council tax or something pathetic like that soon.
Watch George Adgdwango (sp?) from FoneJacker and it's probably him.
 
Any seller that has moved to another country, blah blah blah is immediately considered scam by me (and pretty much everyone else).
 
for future reference: if you think it's a scam it probably is.

I don't know why these dumbo scammers keep using Nigeria. It's pretty much in the dictionary now that if an ad says nigeria it's a scam. I've never been there so I can't comment but it seems as if every scammer has something to do with nigeria. At least change the country to make it less obvious...geez!
 
queshy said:
fI don't know why these dumbo scammers keep using Nigeria. It's pretty much in the dictionary now that if an ad says nigeria it's a scam. ...
Click to expand...

Uh, they use Nigeria because that's where they are from. I saw a special (I think it was 20/20) awhile back and the story was about how Nigerian scammers came about. A lot of them are out of work guys who hang out in cafes setting up their scams. Sometimes they work with accomplices in other countries. However, most Nigerian scams have to do with finding long lost money, not so much about buying/selling equipment. Guess they are getting more sophisticated.
 
Well, over here in the UK where I live, there's a show called Watchdog, and they have had a story every night about Nigerian scammers.

This story was about a woman who got scammed on a dating site by a Nigerian.

So, in short, it's a scam. Never trust anyone who asks it to be posted to Nigeria.

Hope this helps...
 
Yes, it is a scam; it has all of the ingredients, and screams scam, namely, poor grammar, convenient absence of the person who replied, and a Nigerian address, etc, etc. Don't touch with the proverbial bargepole. Instead, run a mile in the opposite direction.

Cheers and good luck
 
The OP has left the building. Notice how he never replied after his original post? This thread is dead so I'll go ahead and turn the lights off on my way out.
 
lol, I didn't mean to ignore you guys or anything.

There are so many scammers out there, and this experience has turned me off all second-hand internet shopping... I'm never using Craiglist, Kijiji or Ebay again!
 
ai4281 said:
lol, I didn't mean to ignore you guys or anything.

There are so many scammers out there, and this experience has turned me off all second-hand internet shopping... I'm never using Craiglist, Kijiji or Ebay again!
Click to expand...

Not everybody on those sites is a scammer
You can find some good deals, but "buyer beware" is always a good rule of thumb

Just be careful, ask questions and use common sense and you will be fine
No need to cut off these avenues completely

Woof, Woof - Dawg
pawprint.gif
 
Personally, if anyone chooses to intrude on my life setting out to steal from me I would make it worth their while in scamming them right back.

take a look at this page and get some ideas....

http://www.419eater.com/


lead the person on as long as you can. say you have packaged it all up ready for shipment but in order for you take take it to the postal office as a goodwill gesture you would like them to pay your petrol, say $15 or something into a paypal account.
then withdraw the funds and say you never got it.
Just go on and on.
I know revenge is a nasty thing but the people who do this are pretty nasty pieces of work and they do manage to dupe quite a lot of people out of their property....
 
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