Shopping Discussion

How would this scam work?

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  • Oct 14th, 2010 10:18 am
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Sr. Member
Jul 21, 2010
652 posts
493 upvotes

How would this scam work?

I'm trying to sell my 8GB iPod Touch 2G. I put it up here on rfd and put it on facebook marketplace just to see what would happen.

Someone asked me to offer the final price etc to her.

I messaged her this:
"The item is fully working and has some scratches on the back as any other iPod. I can jailbreak it for free and add installous so you can download and install apps for free.

I'm asking for $120 and this is pick up only at Kennedy/Eglinton.

Please give me your phone number and I will contact you. "

Then I get this back:
"Thanks for the mail i am really interested in buying this item for my friend in west Africa as a Birthday gift and i will be offering you $290 including the shipping cost to west Africa kindly get back to me with your pay pal email address, so that i can send out the payment as soon as possible.
Thanks and Stay Bless "

This smells fishy and is 99.9% a scam. Now I'm wondering how they would scam me... Once the money is in my paypal account, can they get it back or what? Any one know how this scam would work?
18 replies
Deal Fanatic
User avatar
Feb 25, 2004
5655 posts
149 upvotes
New Westminster
They are going to go to the scuz of kabutu, "deposit" the money via then transfer it to you. When the cheque bounces, scuz bank pulls the money from paypal which does the same to you leaving you on the hook with a negative balance
OR
They cracked somebodies paypal account and are either using his money or the fake check scheme above.

Either way ... it could leave you with paypal look at you.

Just about anything requested for shipping off kiiji, craigslist, etc is a scam. Don't waste your time.

edit ... oh, the 290 vs 120 part ... you send them back the overpayment. yours clears, theirs is a fraud that takes 4-8 weeks to show up .... you are down $170 plus your device is gone.
Deal Addict
Oct 31, 2009
3746 posts
1003 upvotes
Toronto
I have recieved this same reply a bunch of times on all sorts of items. I dont know how the scam works but it for sure is one. I just delete those replies as soon as I get them.
Jr. Member
Jun 29, 2009
147 posts
11 upvotes
[QUOTE]They are going to go to the scuz of kabutu, "deposit" the money via then transfer it to you. When the cheque bounces, scuz bank pulls the money from paypal which does the same to you leaving you on the hook with a negative balance
OR
They cracked somebodies paypal account and are either using his money or the fake check scheme above.[/QUOTE]

They might also send an email that looks like it came from paypal that says something along the lines of "Paypal has received the funds but is holding onto the funds until delivery is complete".
Deal Addict
User avatar
Apr 25, 2006
2698 posts
80 upvotes
Etobicoke
i've always wanted to try to see what would happen...get the payment and just wait it out to see the end result.
i'm concerned that somehow accepting the payment would give them access to my paypal account
Jr. Member
User avatar
Aug 31, 2008
164 posts
12 upvotes
thepersianguy wrote: i've always wanted to try to see what would happen...get the payment and just wait it out to see the end result.
i'm concerned that somehow accepting the payment would give them access to my paypal account
Not if you you don't use any link they send you. If you login through paypal.com, you have nothing to worry about. You can check any payments you have made and received there.
Sr. Member
Jul 21, 2010
652 posts
493 upvotes
thepersianguy wrote: i've always wanted to try to see what would happen...get the payment and just wait it out to see the end result.
i'm concerned that somehow accepting the payment would give them access to my paypal account

Maybe I'll do that... but I'd rather not in case it is legit and I don't have the device anymore.
Deal Addict
Oct 18, 2007
4378 posts
1597 upvotes
kinda funny cause i had a similar message sent to me for my psp i was selling. but i had TWO "user" send me the IDENTICAL message on facebook.

these "user" only had 1 friend... scam is written ALL over it when it asks to send it to africa and twice the asking price.
RFD is bad for your wallet's health 😂
Rogers EPP - $40 Canada/USA-wide + 6GB since 2018
Deal Addict
Sep 24, 2004
1157 posts
824 upvotes
Scarborough
My b-i-l in the US, recently advertised his dining table on Craiglist. He got a reply from a guy saying that he is really interested in the table. The guy asked for the mailing address so he could mail the check and says that he'll get the table picked up. The scammer also says that he is deaf so he cannot converse on the phone.

How dumb could that be....

I had a hearty laugh when I read that email.
Sr. Member
Jan 27, 2004
718 posts
81 upvotes
gettin that thing sold for $120 thats too good to be true =P

anyways, always deal local unless they got some major feed back + everything adds up like posts/heatware, google the persons email/username address/phone. You'd be surprised what you could find sometimes. One time some1 wanted me to ship to england so i google'd the address and it turned out to be an empy house :lol: anyways before i make a deal i always google the persons info/posts anywhere i can just to validate that they are legit and even so always be careful.
Deal Fanatic
User avatar
Jul 23, 2005
5983 posts
159 upvotes
for 290$, they could probably buy it from online retailers.. lol
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Newbie
Sep 16, 2008
80 posts
2 upvotes
Why do they always end with "stay bless". It's def a scam.
Shugi wrote: I'm trying to sell my 8GB iPod Touch 2G. I put it up here on rfd and put it on facebook marketplace just to see what would happen.

Someone asked me to offer the final price etc to her.

I messaged her this:
"The item is fully working and has some scratches on the back as any other iPod. I can jailbreak it for free and add installous so you can download and install apps for free.

I'm asking for $120 and this is pick up only at Kennedy/Eglinton.

Please give me your phone number and I will contact you. "

Then I get this back:
"Thanks for the mail i am really interested in buying this item for my friend in west Africa as a Birthday gift and i will be offering you $290 including the shipping cost to west Africa kindly get back to me with your pay pal email address, so that i can send out the payment as soon as possible.
Thanks and Stay Bless "

This smells fishy and is 99.9% a scam. Now I'm wondering how they would scam me... Once the money is in my paypal account, can they get it back or what? Any one know how this scam would work?
Deal Guru
User avatar
Apr 17, 2005
12990 posts
1471 upvotes
dont waste your time. just delete the message and move on. these are a dime a dozen. why bother going through a possible chance for your paypal acct to get temp suspended? dont even waste your time replying to his email
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Deal Addict
Oct 18, 2007
4378 posts
1597 upvotes
i think there's a report button on facebook.... taht's why i did for both... lol
RFD is bad for your wallet's health 😂
Rogers EPP - $40 Canada/USA-wide + 6GB since 2018

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