MySwag.org The Off-road Camper Trailer Forum
General => General Discussion => Topic started by: HerGU on November 28, 2010, 01:02:54 AM
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Hi All,
Just want to make everyone aware of a scam that i nearly fell into.
I posted a for sale ad on the Quokka (WA version of Trading post) and got a response through the website. So i replied and after numerous emails back and forwards, the guy at first said he will organise postage for the parts and requested the transaction be done through Paypal. Fair enough i thought, and after more emails, i asked him to ring me, he then said that he worked on an oil rig and the phone lines were down and could only communicate via email. He wanted these parts for his dad or something. Then it ended up that he was a sailor (so his ocupation suddenly changed?? - first sign) in the UK. This is when i started getting suss. Then he asked me to do a transaction through Western Union, and he wanted to add $430 on top of my asking price but i had to organise this transaction through the post office etc. I then made sure he was aware the parts are in Australia, and told him i was not interested- as it was way too suspect. He then came back to me and tried to explain etc and said yes he knew i was in WA and sent me "a" UK Mailing address. Considering his surname was different to the person he wanted me to mail this stuff too who was suposidly his dad (a bull bar and rear plastic bumper- so would not be feasable or cheap to freight to the UK) i told him no deal!
This has all happened only over the last 3 days.
Anyways, just wanted to make people aware of this. Taking to my mum tonight, she also said she knew someone who was scammed a similar way through a "trading post" type of site.
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Yup typical scam, it happens very often these days. I've had good success selling via the forums and never had a scammer.
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Whilst advertising something for sale onone of the "trading" websites (eBay, Trading Post, Gumtree, etc) on the internet ensures the widest possible audience, it also means getting lots of scammers enquiring.
I sold a caravan about 6 months ago and had almost word for word the same scam as posted by the OP.
I've currently got an old car for sale via a "trading" website and have had nothing but scammers enquiring, both via email and SMS, even though my "For Sale" ad states enquiries by phone call only - all other contacts will be ignored!
Problem is that if I go back to the more traditional method of selling via a newspaper classified, as most are then also posted on the newspapers website, it still provides scammers with the details to try and scam you.
Oh for the good old days where you could tell an enquirer where you lived and to come around and check it out. They make an offer and you then decide whether to accept their offer or not.
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Now if you tell them where you live you have to have a fortress to keep them out &your gear in . Sad isnt it
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You should try selling camera gear on eBay. Every single transaction has either failed due to scammers (bought and been a scammer) or a number of questions for each item.
I now sell any camera gear through forums, or Gumtree - they don't seem to be on that yet.
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Western Union accounts should ring alarm bells as they are apparently untraceable. I had a 50 year old mate (in Melbourne) conversing on the internet with a hot 24y old girl in the UK who wanted to spend the rest of her life with him, sight unseen. Her photo was a typical "Page 3" pose. (No alarm bells yet???) It was only when she asked for money for her airfare to be sent to a Western Union account in Holland did he lose the "got nothing to lose" attitude.
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Scammers and spammers do try to infiltrate forums as well but I think they very soon get kicked out!
I think it was after I read another post on this forum about the ways people try to scam you these days I ended up actually closing my paypal account, it's just not worth it, besides it's a bit of a rip off for the seller and claiming anything through them is a process and a half to get maybe 75% of your cash back!
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I sold a caravan about 6 months ago and had almost word for word the same scam as posted by the OP.
My in laws had exactly the same thing when they tried to sell their cvan about 2 months ago... Word for word!
Why is there always someone who tries to take away what the average person works hard for their entire lives for??? Just one word for it but I think my post would get edited if I said it ;)
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Damn scammers they're everwhere now.
If you send me your bank account details I can give you a detailed report of how to avoid them.
I'll even throw in a dozen of those pre dug fire pits and a set of steak knives.................. >:D >:D >:D
Joking aside, it is making it really difficult to trust any form of trading these days.
I still use evilbay and the likes, but am very cautious and get a niggling worry every time I do so.
What is happening to the world???
I feel like I get penalised for being honest.
Thank heavens for the bush and "myswag". A good dose of the real life........
Cheers all
Brian
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I'll even throw in a dozen of those pre dug fire pits and a set of steak knives.................. >:D >:D >:D
but only if you order in the next 15 minutes and pay by credit card?
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Its unfortunate but scams are everywhere now. There are a few scam bait websites that I was like to look at.
http://www.419eater.com/
http://thescambaiter.com/
This keeps me amused for hours reading the stories on these sites. One of my favorite scam baits is the anus laptops. They are also doing the world a favour by keeping the scamers occupied for a while. Its good to see the scamers get scamed as well.
cheers
Paul
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had the same issue when trying to sell my lifestyle. Ended up getting around three emails all worded the same with a different person. Told them all to piss off and earn a real living and never heard back. Link below to compare wording.
Mark
http://myswag.org/forum/index.php?topic=6631.0