bluegrassbanjopicker - Posted - 03/11/2018: 13:23:04
As a potential victim of a past attempted scam by a very proficient "Michael Robert," I have decided to list some of the telltale signs that one is being scammed. Then I will list how to tell a scammer from a real, valid trustworthy buyer, and how to reduce the risk of being scammed.
1. The scammer sends you an email telling you he is "very interested" or "doesn't care about the condition" of what you have for sale, and that he will send you one of the following:
Certified check via USPS Express, or PayPal/MoneyGram/Western Union funds.
2. The scammer then asks you, "do you have a PayPal account?" Most persons do not immediately smell something fishy. They confidently reply, "yes."
3. The scammer then sends a completely fake, absolutely null PayPal "confirmation" to your SPAM, and then tells you to "kindly/immediately check your spam for the confirmation/money I sent you." The "kindly/immediately" is a dead giveaway. A real, valid party NEVER asks you to do anything "kindly" or "immediately," nor does PayPal EVER send confirmations to your Spam folder.
4. You check your actual, 100% valid PayPal Summary, and what do you see in your Balance? Absolutely...NOTHING! Reality: The scammer does not, did not, and never will send you anything. Usually, the scammer will then send you some kind of nagging reply such as "did you get the emial confirmaton frmo my PyaPal?"
(The misspelling of "email," "confirmation" and "PayPal" are also signs that this is no buyer, no "interested" person at all.)
5. The scammer "accidentally" overpays you and asks you to "kindly wire repayment via Western Union," and that "PayPal" is "working with Western Union on this transaction." Reality: They aren't!
6. Your suspicion kicks in. You decide to do some searching on the Web about detecting scams. What you discover then, is that you have been targeted by a scammer. When the scammer emails you next, telling you to "respond immediately!" or asks you if "you are still there," you ignore them.
7. The scammer may try to bully or scare you into sending money, because, "I MADE A PAYEMENT OF ONE THSGOUSASND DOALLARSS TO YOUR PAYPAL! WJHAT IS GOING ON?! PLESAE GET BACK TO ME. OI AM GETTING WORRYIED OVER THIS!!"
Reality: DO NOT RESPOND!
Now, I will list some of the ways to avoid getting scammed, and ways that one can tell that they are dealing with a real, valid individual who actually wants and does have funds to purchase your item, or an item that you are interested in.
1. List your instrument/product with something like this added into the posting: "Local, face-to-face transaction only. Cash only. We can meet 2 blocks away from the Police Station." I'm not suggesting that this is a wonderful idea, but no doubt the scammer will not want to be anywhere near the law if he knows anything about crime!
2. If you are interested in a product/instrument, send an email thus, "If you do have the product/instrument in question, please send me detailed photos and your phone number. I will not consider this if you are unable to do so."
3. If the party is truly valid, the PayPal alert will arrive in your INBOX, with a "You've Got Money!" message attached.
4. An honest person will not use the words "kindly," "immediately," "please," or the phrases "what is going on," "I am getting worried over this," "are you still here/there," or "respond immediately."
5. An honest person will never overpay unless they specify in their message that they sent extra to cover the shipping. Additionally, a real buyer will not send any messages about "my Western Union pickup agent will come to pick it up, and for this you will have to pay an additional $330/$500."
6. An honest person will not email you 20 times during 9:30 and 9:40.
I am sure this list is not complete by any means. Feel free to add information to this subject/topic!
Edited by - bluegrassbanjopicker on 03/11/2018 13:24:56
mike gregory - Posted - 03/12/2018: 07:05:35
I had great FUN when I put a fiddle up for sale on the HangOut.
Described it as a "Genuine Scratchavarius". For $75
The scammer sent a vaguely worded inquiry, not referring to it as a fiddle, nor even an instrument, but at an ITEM.
Asked what the lowest acceptable price would be.
It seemed as though this was some sort of robot program, which would simply search the Internet for ANYTHING for sale, and send an inquiry, without any HUMAN bothering to read the ad.
So, I replied that a person familiar with such things had advised me that I could easily make a sale, if I discounted it, down to $150.
I figured that if nobody noticed that the price had instantly doubled, nobody had looked at the ad.
Sure enough, he was still interested.
So I described it as in less than perfect condition. Said the finish on the top had been slightly damaged, by some college girls applying too much pressure when using the kielbasa, because "you know how some of those college girls get, first time they get their hands on a kielbasa."
I figured that, if this guy didn't NOTICE that a kielbasa is a SAUSAGE, he'd keep on trying to con me into accepting his phony check.
Sure enough, he said he'd have his agent pick it up.
So I said that I lived far out in a rural area, with a work schedule which made it uncertain as to when I might or might not be home.
Eventually, he gave up.
'Rickard 12' 1 min
'Jerusalem Ridge rerun' 28 min
