Where is the scam here?

[essayer]

I pay an Indian supplier often via WU. It is cheaper and faster than my bank; bank transfers within India sometimes take weeks for no determinable reason, WU funds are available same day AFAICR

[jonm01]

Wow. Amazing how many people think anything can be explained away with 'it's Photoshopped'

Do any of you actually use Photoshop? It is really not that easy to make something look 100% perfect.

[KFC]

mrmr96 said:

PS - Does Western Union actually do anything useful? I only EVER hear about it in connection with scams of some kind or other.

Its handy if you need to get money to someone quickly, as its available immediately. The fees are pretty bad for big amounts... but for smallish amounts its okay. A lot of people will use it to send wages home to wherever they came from as its quick/easy/doesn't require the receiver to have a bank account.

You only ever hear about it connected with scams... because people are crying about those publicly. Its not even worth mentioning if I tell you I paid a 50 euro Pakistani invoice with it, or the Polish guy you work with uses it to send £60 back home every Friday.

If you're sending more than £500 it'll almost always be cheaper to use bank transfers though.

[Fastra]

jonm01 said:

Wow. Amazing how many people think anything can be explained away with 'it's Photoshopped'

Do any of you actually use Photoshop? It is really not that easy to make something look 100% perfect.

Amen to that brother.

[TC99]

mrmr96 said:

Do people really do this stuff?

I'd consider it a waste of MY time to trapse up to the Western Union shop and then to a scanner etc.
Besides which, a screen print from online banking (redacted appropriately in MS Paint) would do the same job a damn site quicker/faster.

PS - Does Western Union actually do anything useful? I only EVER hear about it in connection with scams of some kind or other.

There are many variations on this theme. The worst are for renting flats which is evil as it preys on the desperate and the gullible. I think it's a scatter gun approach. if you do enough adverts, you get one biting occasionally. That might be a lot of money to one of the boys in Lagos.

[northandy]

paul1087 said:

My dad has found a car he wants to buy on our local gumtree.

Its a 2012 Audi worth about £20k. The advert is quite poorly written, and the only picture posted was from google, and appeared to be an image from a approved dealer, photoshopped onto a background to give the appearance it was parked outside a house. However, the price it was posted for sale at was £20k - so not like a normal scam where they attempt to draw you in with an attractive price.

A bit weird from the offset, but I knew nothing about it at this point and if I had been would've said to forget it if I had been.

Anyways, he has agreed on a part ex with his car with the seller via text and emailing photos etc. The only thing is, the total value of the part ex deal works out about £6 - 7k short of the audis value if sold for full price. Hence seeming too good to be true.

We have the reg, pictures of the car that were later sent via email. and will be HPI-ing later, and viewing this afternoon. But the concern is, where could the scam be? Swapped plates, so check VIN on chassis and documents?

The seller is also conveniently moving halfway across the country tomorrow, adding to concerns / pressurizing a sale.

Any advice appreciated.,

Any update then OP?