A scam I'm unfamiliar with
Discussion
I've got a car for sale on the pistonheads classifieds. I have someone interested but asking the classic scammer questions. They've stated that they can't personally collect the car but will get an agent to collect. I've gone along with it for the time being.
They've now asked me to send them a paypal invoice for the amount.
This is the bit of don't get, what's the angle? Pay from a hacked paypal account?
They've now asked me to send them a paypal invoice for the amount.
This is the bit of don't get, what's the angle? Pay from a hacked paypal account?
I had exactly the same, word for word my response was "do one!"
Then I had another that seemed like a scam, "I work offshore, don't get much chance for leave at the moment but can come on such and such day could I pick him up from a local train station, please give me first refusal etc" I agreed to the date, knowing I would accept an offer in the meantime if one came along, he turned up and bought it, cash at the asking price.....
Then I had another that seemed like a scam, "I work offshore, don't get much chance for leave at the moment but can come on such and such day could I pick him up from a local train station, please give me first refusal etc" I agreed to the date, knowing I would accept an offer in the meantime if one came along, he turned up and bought it, cash at the asking price.....
Stu78 said:
Paypal will tell you to never take payment for any vehicle with an engine using Paypal as they don't give any sort of protection.
They say quite clearly in the T&C's that everything you sell must be sent using an on-line trackable method. You don't have to follow these T&C's - but if you don't do what they say, and the buyer opens an 'item not received' claim, you will loose your money.If it's the same as I've had, he'll send a fake paypal receipt saying you have the funds.
He might then ask you to pay his "shipping agent", usually £500ish out of those funds, so he'll score for £500, not interested in getting the car.
I was bored, so strung one along for a few days, saying the funds hadn't hit my account, I haven't had the receipt etc.
I played a bit dumb, saying I hoped his paypal account hadn't been hacked, or he'd been a victim of one of those nasty online scammers, but never actually letting on that I knew full well he was a scammer.
It was funny, his emails got a bit more desperate each time, Heading in RED, then BOLD BLACK, then BOLD RED, then LARGER TYPE FACE, as if that made the emails more genuine
He might then ask you to pay his "shipping agent", usually £500ish out of those funds, so he'll score for £500, not interested in getting the car.
I was bored, so strung one along for a few days, saying the funds hadn't hit my account, I haven't had the receipt etc.
I played a bit dumb, saying I hoped his paypal account hadn't been hacked, or he'd been a victim of one of those nasty online scammers, but never actually letting on that I knew full well he was a scammer.
It was funny, his emails got a bit more desperate each time, Heading in RED, then BOLD BLACK, then BOLD RED, then LARGER TYPE FACE, as if that made the emails more genuine

Escy said:
I've got a car for sale on the pistonheads classifieds. I have someone interested but asking the classic scammer questions. They've stated that they can't personally collect the car but will get an agent to collect. I've gone along with it for the time being.
They've now asked me to send them a paypal invoice for the amount.
This is the bit of don't get, what's the angle? Pay from a hacked paypal account?
Most likely a fake "payment" e-mail notification. Give it a try and see for yourself. They've now asked me to send them a paypal invoice for the amount.
This is the bit of don't get, what's the angle? Pay from a hacked paypal account?

DrDoofenshmirtz said:
They say quite clearly in the T&C's that everything you sell must be sent using an on-line trackable method. You don't have to follow these T&C's - but if you don't do what they say, and the buyer opens an 'item not received' claim, you will loose your money.
The lad I spoke to at Paypal didn't really go into the details he just said never accept Paypal payment as any vehicle with an engine is not protected for the buyer or seller. What the buyer can do is report a suspicious transaction to the bank who will immediately withdraw funds from Paypal, Paypal have no powers to contest this.Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff


