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OT: Selling Sax-Internet Scam?


clpete

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Ive been conversing with someone to sell my sax on consignment, but in the mean time I listed it on local internet site to see if there is any local interest. Today I got an e-mail from someone showing interest in it. I e-mailed them back after the 1st e-mail and said it was still for sale.

 

Here are the e-mails I received:

 

1st) Is the item still available for sale and let me know the final price...

 

2nd) good am still interested on buying the sax.so kindly get back to me your total amount of the item plus the shipping price abroad.and am paying via paypal...so kindly get your paypal email address so that i can proceed with payment.....asp

 

This has got to be a setup for a scam. Right? No questions about the sax?

 

We play for free. We get paid to set up and tear down.
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Sure reads like a scam ("final price", "shipping price abroad"), but scammers don't usually use PayPal. Unless, of course, they've hacked into someone else's paypal account. But in that case they wouldn't need to scam you - they could just paypal themselves the money.

Usually these guys send bogus checks drawn on real accounts. You deposit the money, you send them the "extra" because they overpaid and need the money for shipping, and they've got your money. Meanwhile the scam is discovered at the distant bank where the check was drawn, and the money is charged back to your account.

Tell them you prefer for them to pay via Western Union and see what happens.

Muzikteechur is Lonnie, in Kittery, Maine.

 

HS music teacher: Concert Band, Marching Band, Jazz Band, Chorus, Music Theory, AP Music Theory, History of Rock, Musical Theatre, Piano, Guitar, Drama.

 

 

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While it doesn't seem legit, what are the red flags you guys are seeing?

"I'm so crazy, I don't know this is impossible! Hoo hoo!" - Daffy Duck

 

"The good news is that once you start piano you never have to worry about getting laid again. More time to practice!" - MOI

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While it doesn't seem legit, what are the red flags you guys are seeing?

if they were really interested in buying a sax they'd ask about the pads,wouldn't they?

 

Besides not asking one question about the sax or asking for more pictures the "shipping price abroad" gets me. Where is abroad and why not give a location.

 

I have e-mailed back asking for a shipping address and stated that it won't be shipped until the money is in my Pay Pal account. I'm not sure how they could scam me if the money was in my account, but I don't think it will ever be transferred.

 

Has anybody seen a scam where they use Pay PAl?

We play for free. We get paid to set up and tear down.
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With PayPal, you will need to make sure your transaction is covered under the "Seller Protection Program".

 

In the U.S., the criteria are:

-- Buyer must have a verified PayPal address and you must ship to it

-- Shipper must be able to provide Proof of Delivery.

You are trying to avoid the situation where the Buyer pays, you ship, the Buyer claims item never received. I would avoid an international transaction.

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I responded to a Craig's List ad for a Hammond A-100 who insisted on being paid upfront via PayPal. That I offered to pay cash and he insisted on PayPal was a red flag. My guess is he gets the PayPal into his account and then delays picking up the organ (death in the family, cholera quarantine, emergency appendectomy, etc.) until he can withdraw the funds and disappear.

 

Of course, one should not use pictures lifted from a Hammond dealer's website with a probably one-of-a-kind needle pointed bench cover.

 

Dumbass.

 

If there's one thing more irritating than a scammer, it's a really incompetent scammer.

 

I'm still not sure how he was going to scam you as a buyer, but it just didn't sound right for the reasons previously stated.

aka âmisterdregsâ

 

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A lot of those girls use pictures that aren't even theirs, then when you get there it's a total disappointment because you're expecting er, ummm... hmmm, nevermind... I misread the the thread title. Sorry.
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Gotcha. Generic wording, no asking about the condition of the item, no info about their location. All stuff that's easy to overlook at first glance, especially when getting replies from others who are asking these things and not remembering who said what.

 

Of course, if you're listing the item locally, you should be dealing with people locally.

"I'm so crazy, I don't know this is impossible! Hoo hoo!" - Daffy Duck

 

"The good news is that once you start piano you never have to worry about getting laid again. More time to practice!" - MOI

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Still sending and getting e-mails. Here are the latest:

-------------------------------

From me: Sounds great! I can get a price to ship it, but I will have to have an address and will have to add insurance. Please forward the shipping address and I will get a price put together. Then I can get it shipped as soon as the funds are in my Pay Pal account. I will have to get this set up with Pay Pal.

---------------------------

From Them: This is the address am shipping the item to.so get back to me with your paypal email address for prompt payment.......hope to read from you soon

 

Address:

City:Abeokuta,

State:Ogun State,

Country:Nigeria,

Zipcode:234039

------------------------

NOTE: I removed Street address in case it turns out legit. ??HaHa

We play for free. We get paid to set up and tear down.
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Absolutely 100% a scam. The reason he uses the term "item" and doesn't ask about the sax is that he sent hundreds of similar generic emails to other potential victims at the same time. You shouldn't mess with these criminals if they have any of your real life info, but if you were anonymous and wanted to confirm this you could reply asking how they wanted the *lawnmower/painting/computer* shipped, they would get right back to you regardless. You should ignore any emails or other attempts to contact you from this character. Once this thief realizes he isn't going to be able to steal from you he'll move on.

 

Unfortunately scammers have started using spoofed Paypal emails in their operations. What might happen is that you receive a fake Paypal email, complete with graphics telling you that a payment has been made but you have to prove the instrument has been shipped before the funds are released to your account. It's also probable that you would get some story about extra money for shipping being sent directly to you, could you forward this on to his shipping company via Western Union etc. etc.

 

Edited to add: This link shows what would have happened next if you hadn't

been smart enough to check around on this. Sadly many people assume that the use of Paypal means the transaction is legitimate. Note that the Paypal message includes details about included "shipping fees" that would have to be forwarded via Western Union.

 

http://www.scamwarners.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=6158

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