What's the scam?
Discussion
Ebay is full of people selling gift cards for a fraction less than face value where postage takes it equal to or over and I don't get it.
£25 Amazon card
£24 + £1.65 postage
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/25-Amazon-Gift-Card-Vouc...
What's the angle for buyers here? Normal people don't pay £25.65 for £25.
£25 Amazon card
£24 + £1.65 postage
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/25-Amazon-Gift-Card-Vouc...
What's the angle for buyers here? Normal people don't pay £25.65 for £25.
technodup said:
hat's what I'm thinking but I can't figure it out, what with me not being a criminal mastermind.
Vouchers don't existPeople buying vouchers are actually buying drugs
Money becomes clean
Simples!
There are many other ways of doing it, but that would be one example. Provided the amounts are less than a few thousand a year it is unlikely to be picked up.
menguin said:
Vouchers don't exist
People buying vouchers are actually buying drugs
Money becomes clean
Simples!
There are many other ways of doing it, but that would be one example. Provided the amounts are less than a few thousand a year it is unlikely to be picked up.
That simply wouldn't work, and even if it did then the money hasn't been laundered.People buying vouchers are actually buying drugs
Money becomes clean
Simples!
There are many other ways of doing it, but that would be one example. Provided the amounts are less than a few thousand a year it is unlikely to be picked up.
If the vouchers didn't exist then the buyer would simply report non delivery and the seller would get a chargeback. If they really were selling drugs or something else illict, then the seller would most likely be reported to the police.
From the seller's perspective, they are either moving on vouchers they have acquired either as taking at lower than facevalue as payment, were given to them, or perhaps more likely are using a bulk buying arrangement.
From the buyer's perspective - it can only be laziness / stupidity.
Plenty of easier and more value ways to spend Paypal income.
sgrimshaw said:
That simply wouldn't work, and even if it did then the money hasn't been laundered.
If the vouchers didn't exist then the buyer would simply report non delivery and the seller would get a chargeback. If they really were selling drugs or something else illict, then the seller would most likely be reported to the police.
From the seller's perspective, they are either moving on vouchers they have acquired either as taking at lower than facevalue as payment, were given to them, or perhaps more likely are using a bulk buying arrangement.
From the buyer's perspective - it can only be laziness / stupidity.
Plenty of easier and more value ways to spend Paypal income.
You're assuming the buyer and seller don't know each other and that it isn't a prearranged transaction.If the vouchers didn't exist then the buyer would simply report non delivery and the seller would get a chargeback. If they really were selling drugs or something else illict, then the seller would most likely be reported to the police.
From the seller's perspective, they are either moving on vouchers they have acquired either as taking at lower than facevalue as payment, were given to them, or perhaps more likely are using a bulk buying arrangement.
From the buyer's perspective - it can only be laziness / stupidity.
Plenty of easier and more value ways to spend Paypal income.
Any 3rd party buyer innocently buying a voucher would just get one sent after the seller had gone out and bought one.
Probably a bit far fetched I do agree though
Bluedot said:
sgrimshaw said:
That simply wouldn't work, and even if it did then the money hasn't been laundered.
If the vouchers didn't exist then the buyer would simply report non delivery and the seller would get a chargeback. If they really were selling drugs or something else illict, then the seller would most likely be reported to the police.
From the seller's perspective, they are either moving on vouchers they have acquired either as taking at lower than facevalue as payment, were given to them, or perhaps more likely are using a bulk buying arrangement.
From the buyer's perspective - it can only be laziness / stupidity.
Plenty of easier and more value ways to spend Paypal income.
You're assuming the buyer and seller don't know each other and that it isn't a prearranged transaction.If the vouchers didn't exist then the buyer would simply report non delivery and the seller would get a chargeback. If they really were selling drugs or something else illict, then the seller would most likely be reported to the police.
From the seller's perspective, they are either moving on vouchers they have acquired either as taking at lower than facevalue as payment, were given to them, or perhaps more likely are using a bulk buying arrangement.
From the buyer's perspective - it can only be laziness / stupidity.
Plenty of easier and more value ways to spend Paypal income.
Any 3rd party buyer innocently buying a voucher would just get one sent after the seller had gone out and bought one.
Probably a bit far fetched I do agree though
The buyers owe the seller money for drugs. They pay him via PayPal. He loses fees & postage but now has clean currency. Money = laundered. No reason for the seller to be investigated so long as he keeps volumes under PayPal & eBay quarterly trigger limits.
menguin said:
As bluedot has already mentioned, you have missed the key point to the transaction. The vouchers do not exist. The seller is not selling vouchers, he is selling drugs.
What you have missed is that anyone can buy the "vouchers".If as you say there are no vouchers, then the buyer would have to be refunded and the seller would incur fees for no gain.
Pretty dumb scheme.
There are much easier ways to launder small amounts of money
Bluedot said:
You're assuming the buyer and seller don't know each other and that it isn't a prearranged transaction.
Any 3rd party buyer innocently buying a voucher would just get one sent after the seller had gone out and bought one.
Probably a bit far fetched I do agree though
I'd agree to that too. It would be a pretty easy way to do a shady deal but why not make the purchase cost much more than the value of the gift card to prevent other non-shady buyers from purchasing rather than price it just above face value? Any 3rd party buyer innocently buying a voucher would just get one sent after the seller had gone out and bought one.
Probably a bit far fetched I do agree though
Anyway, you've given me an idea. To the lab, Jesse!
sgrimshaw said:
What you have missed is that anyone can buy the "vouchers".
If as you say there are no vouchers, then the buyer would have to be refunded and the seller would incur fees for no gain.
Pretty dumb scheme.
There are much easier ways to launder small amounts of money
This takes us back to the original question posed: Who buys vouchers to the value of £25 for £25.65? Pretty unlikelys someone will buy. If they do, simply buy one on Amazon and post it to the buyer.If as you say there are no vouchers, then the buyer would have to be refunded and the seller would incur fees for no gain.
Pretty dumb scheme.
There are much easier ways to launder small amounts of money
I'm not suggesting this is exactly what was done, or that this is the easiest way to launder small amounts of money - I was explaining to another poster how it COULD be ML.
menguin said:
This takes us back to the original question posed: Who buys vouchers to the value of £25 for £25.65? Pretty unlikelys someone will buy. If they do, simply buy one on Amazon and post it to the buyer.
I'm not suggesting this is exactly what was done, or that this is the easiest way to launder small amounts of money - I was explaining to another poster how it COULD be ML.
Some people do not have a credit card and only a paypal account. I'm not suggesting this is exactly what was done, or that this is the easiest way to launder small amounts of money - I was explaining to another poster how it COULD be ML.
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