Need help on possible scammer on my 350d ?

Hi folks,

 

HELP !

I am not a veteran on the big auction site so I need some advice from

the 'seasoned' pros of using that website. I think a possible scammer has

clicked on my buy it now offer. I listed my 350d with BG-E3 on it for sale with

a buy it now price that is probably a bit too high.

Then I got an email from her that goes like this:

 

Dear seller,

I am highly interested in the

immediate purchase of

this item and i will be paying for it through bank transfer.

As a matter of fact, right now am in Nigeria for

a business mission and i want to present a friend of mine for her

upcoming Birthday so i will like you to pack the item.

 

I urge you to look into the total shipping cost to Lagos

Nigeria Via express mail and get back to me

with the total shipping cost along with you bank details

 

Here is the shipping address

 

Name.........A.Lanre

Address......11 fawehinmi street off ojuelegba road

City.........Surulere

State:.......Lagos

Country......Nigeria

Zip Code.....23401.

 

I look forward to your favourable response

Sarah Donna

 

 

Need some advice here folks. Does that sound like a scam ? So far I have only

requested her to make payment to my Paypal account. I guess that is the safest

option ?

 

Thanks.

Oh by the way, I am in Australia. The username of the buyer has a zero rating, and was registered only today, as an Australian username ! (By why send it to Nigeria ?)

If they pay via PayPal, all is well. If they're asking you to accept a wire transfer, cashier's check, or other form of payment - ESPECIALLY if they pay more than requested and ask you to use the extra to pay something else for them - then run away. You can always relist the item. You'll never get your money back if they send you a bogus check or wire transfer.

"As a matter of fact, right now am in Nigeria..."

 

That should be a red flag. The entire language and tone of the email is very similar to those from other scam attempts that have been posted on PN. As Jason said, if she pays via PayPal, OK - but even then, I wouldn't let it sit in the PayPal account for more than a couple of hours.

 

Also, beware any offers on her part to pay you an amount in excess of the camera price, with a request that you return the excess to her by check or wire transfer. Don't go there. Don't even walk in that direction......

Forgot to mention that Nigeria is the source many on-line scams. They may even be Nigeria's major export.

Very likely a scam. Even if you get your money via paypal, they may seek to reclaim it by claiming non-delivery or a defective item. The attempt to phish for your bank details is a way of trying to be able to clean out your account. I'd report the situation to ebay.

Hi, we have had many scams here in Oz from that area, particulary asking for bank details. with a zero rating I think theres a way to cancel the bid. You could say Paypal only and don`t send till you bank it. it sounds dodgy, I`ve been stung for 1200 before this way, never again,hate to see anyone else done.

 

good luck.

I agree that it's probably a scam. You should notify eBay that you suspect this is a fradulent bid and you should cancel the auction.

It's more than "probably" a scam. Don't respond in anyway to this and get in touch with e-bay. Good luck.

Of course it's a SCAM!

 

And here are the kickers - "... i will be paying for it through bank transfer... right now am in Nigeria for a business mission ... i want to present a friend of mine for her upcoming Birthday ... get back to me with ... your bank details"

 

This one has so many red flags that you should run screaming from the room. Everything in his email to you is the standard come-on from these scammers. I don't mean to offend, but if you can't spot this as an obvious scam, then you need to be very, very careful with anything else that you might offer for sale on eBay! But I commend you on having the good sense to ask.

 

Don't waste any more time with this asshole. Report the "buyer" to eBay security, and then RUN FORREST, RUN! ;-)

Further, despite the genuine advice offered above, a PayPal payment from anyone who makes an "offer" like this is NOT safe! I repeat NOT safe!

 

It doesn't matter if you withdraw the funds immediately after payment. If it is funded from a stolen credit card (and it will be), PayPal WILL do a chargeback to your PayPal account once the fraud is discovered. If you have no funds remaining in your PayPal account, they will put a "lien" on any future deposits until the fraudulent payment is recovered.

 

Be careful out there.

Agree, this is a scam. Best thing to do is to ignore the scammer. Do NOT respond, no more emails to him - nothing. He will go away - they always do after a while. Good Luck!

The fact that they want to pay by bank transfer is the major clue here. In order to do that <i><b>you</b> have to give <b>them</b></i> your account information - not something I'd be willing to do over the internet.

Why post this to the EOS forum? Unless you were born yesterday you already know everything having to do with Nigeria or Brooklyn Camera shops is a SCAM.

Request a payment with Western Union, in that way you have the money in your hands and nobody can take it from you anymore.

Nigerian scams are common; they go back at least to the Kennedy era in the early 1960's. Then it was just thru the mail. Later it went into fax, then on BBS's then the internet.