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Someone's trying to scam me on Ebay.

S

sjjordan

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jun 10, 2003
296
1
United States
So I listed a projector on ebay to sell and someone bought it through the "buy it now" option. They then, in very broken english, told me they were going to paypal me the money and then I receieved a paypal payment notice (see attachment).

They said they wanted me to send them my physical address so they could pick up the package. I'm thinking of giving them my work address and packing up and sending them a box full of bricks.

I haven't responded yet. Any ideas?
 

Attachments

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Hang on, they're stupid enough to send you a fake paypal payment and then pick it up in person? :p
 
How will you get paid without a tracking number? I think you have to ship. :)

Errrr, what's up with that silly contact address in the notification email? Report it to eBay and walk away.
 
Er, that's just a spoof email; they've misspelt "immediately" for one thing...


Never click on the email links. Go directly to paypal.com and check your account from there.
 
Lau said:
Hang on, they're stupid enough to send you a fake paypal payment and then pick it up in person? :p
Click to expand...
Indeed - a payment note that says the seller won't be paid unless he gives them a tracking number. Which he can't if they pick it up.

I wonder who this works on?
 
Lau said:
Hang on, they're stupid enough to send you a fake paypal payment and then pick it up in person? :p
Click to expand...

They want to email me a shipping label and then fedex is going to pick it up.

I already contacted ebay about it and got a refund. Now the projector is back on Ebay and I'm back where I started.
 
sjjordan said:
They want to email me a shipping label and then fedex is going to pick it up.
Click to expand...

Ah, I see. Probably best not to arrest Fedex. :p A box of bricks sounds amusing to me. But I would definitely use an address that can't be traced to you – definitely not home, and even work I would say is a bit dodgy. Although it would be funny, you don't want to end up with the Mafia after you or something. :D
 
elfin buddy said:
Personally, I'd try to nail the sucker for trying to scam me. The more scammers get nailed, the more people will think twice before trying it.
Click to expand...
I agree. I totally would have boxed up a few cinder blocks and let the sumbitch pay for them to be shipped to Africa.
 
The lure of easy money is what motivates these scammers. No amount of getting even will stop them. Just be vigilante and educated is all that is required. But sometimes you have to wonder the great lengths some of these people go to rip another person off, when the energy can be put towards legitimate ways of profiting.
 
spicyapple said:
The lure of easy money is what motivates these scammers. No amount of getting even will stop them. Just be vigilante and educated is all that is required. But sometimes you have to wonder the great lengths some of these people go to rip another person off, when the energy can be put towards legitimate ways of profiting.
Click to expand...
Was that a Freudian slip there? "Vigilant" is what I think you meant... "vigilante" is quite the opposite of what I think you meant. ;)
 
If you send someone a box of bricks, aren't you committing fraud?

And yes, I realize that the chances of a scammer busting you for fraud are remote, but I would imagine you open yourself up to liability if you attempt to take the law into you own hands?
 
mactastic said:
If you send someone a box of bricks, aren't you committing fraud?

And yes, I realize that the chances of a scammer busting you for fraud are remote, but I would imagine you open yourself up to liability if you attempt to take the law into you own hands?
Click to expand...
You're no fun at all.

And like anyone in Nigeria is actually going to try to use the law (which they obviously have NO respect for) to come after someone in the US who counterduped them after they tried to dupe someone out of an expensive piece of consumer electronics.
 
clayj said:
You're no fun at all.

And like anyone in Nigeria is actually going to try to use the law (which they obviously have NO respect for) to come after someone in the US who counterduped them after they tried to dupe someone out of an expensive piece of consumer electronics.
Click to expand...
Oh I'm sure the risk is low. I just tend to like my illegal revenge plots to be a little more untracable... :D
 
mactastic said:
If you send someone a box of bricks, aren't you committing fraud?

And yes, I realize that the chances of a scammer busting you for fraud are remote, but I would imagine you open yourself up to liability if you attempt to take the law into you own hands?
Click to expand...

If the person scamming you never actually paid for the object, it's not fraud, is it? You sent them a free box of bricks.

Now if they receive the bricks, then legitamitely pay for the computer, then it becomes fraud :eek:
 
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