I have a set of Boss Waza Air Headphones for sale on our classified pages. I thought I had a buyer but it turned out to be an obvious scam. Here's how it went and the red flags along the way.
Potential buyer sends me a PM asking if the "Item" was still available. This was the first red flag. Most people would call the item by what it is (i.e. headphones) instead of "item". Scammers don't care what the item is, they are about the scam and they could care less whatever it is you're selling. However, it's early so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.
This scammer just opened a TB account the same day and has zero profile, post, likes or anything. Ok, maybe they signed up just so they could buy my Waza headphones so I'll give them the benefit of doubt.
First question is what form of payment would I take. No questions about the "item", condition or shipping. A little odd but not unreasonable so I give them the benefit of doubt.
Then I'm asked if I'll accept a Money Order or Cashier's Check. Maybe this person has no bank account or whatever. So once again I give them the benefit of doubt and tell them I'll accept a check but it won't ship until it's cleared.
Then she wants my address, phone and email. I don't provide it and ask for theirs instead.
She responds with an address just several miles away from me and a California area code (all fake). So I suggest we do a local cash sale and that I'd give them a discount since there would be no shipping costs. So she claims she is buying it for her uncle and as soon as I cash the check her shipping agent will contact me for a pickup date and time. Who the heck uses a shipping agent for a $320 sale? Besides, she can afford a shipping agent for a $320 sale but can't transfer funds online? I've had enough at this point so I call her out and tell her...
"Yeah right. You kinda suck at this whole scamming thing don't you?". As expected she stopped responding.
FYI, It can take the bank weeks to discover a check is fraudulent and when they do they come after you for money. And it probably, would have been the old "over-payment" scam.
Scammers are still rampant and it appears I was selected randomly so I suspect she/he/it/they? are currently targeting many other TB members. Once again, buyer beware!
I alerted the moderators.
Potential buyer sends me a PM asking if the "Item" was still available. This was the first red flag. Most people would call the item by what it is (i.e. headphones) instead of "item". Scammers don't care what the item is, they are about the scam and they could care less whatever it is you're selling. However, it's early so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.
This scammer just opened a TB account the same day and has zero profile, post, likes or anything. Ok, maybe they signed up just so they could buy my Waza headphones so I'll give them the benefit of doubt.
First question is what form of payment would I take. No questions about the "item", condition or shipping. A little odd but not unreasonable so I give them the benefit of doubt.
Then I'm asked if I'll accept a Money Order or Cashier's Check. Maybe this person has no bank account or whatever. So once again I give them the benefit of doubt and tell them I'll accept a check but it won't ship until it's cleared.
Then she wants my address, phone and email. I don't provide it and ask for theirs instead.
She responds with an address just several miles away from me and a California area code (all fake). So I suggest we do a local cash sale and that I'd give them a discount since there would be no shipping costs. So she claims she is buying it for her uncle and as soon as I cash the check her shipping agent will contact me for a pickup date and time. Who the heck uses a shipping agent for a $320 sale? Besides, she can afford a shipping agent for a $320 sale but can't transfer funds online? I've had enough at this point so I call her out and tell her...
"Yeah right. You kinda suck at this whole scamming thing don't you?". As expected she stopped responding.
FYI, It can take the bank weeks to discover a check is fraudulent and when they do they come after you for money. And it probably, would have been the old "over-payment" scam.
Scammers are still rampant and it appears I was selected randomly so I suspect she/he/it/they? are currently targeting many other TB members. Once again, buyer beware!
I alerted the moderators.
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