African eBay scammers - The scum of the universe!

[Gemini-Phoenix]

I am sure everyone is well aware of these scammers.

Basically, they target people selling high priced goods (Ie, PSP's / MP3 players / Mobile phones / other portable gadgets Etc). They'll then contact you with a load of old dross about how they want to purchase the item for their mother / brother / dying auntie / destitute second cousin Etc...

They'll continue to tell you that they will be paying via Western Union money order, or a similar dodgy chequing payment... Either that or they will want to pay directly into your bank account! They then want you to tell them your address details as well as other details.


Now a mate of mine happens to be selling a mobile phone right now, and has had no less than four of ths scammers latching onto him. Whether or not it is the same scammer is unknown, but it goes to show that they just don't give up!


Click here to view the auction!

(PS: Will need to sign in to see the questions I am referring to in full)


And even if another scammer has tried, that doesn't stop another from having a go!


Like come on! Please! How stupid do these cunts think we are? I pity anyone who actually falls for one of these scams!


And another thing - They have very little knowledge of the English language. What they do know doesn't make any sense, and their punctuation is non-existent!

And they like to tell you what you are going to do, don't they! Lol! They never ask politely, they just assume you will do exactly what they announce! Ie, "I will be paying you via Western Money order..." Etc...


I have also seen this happening a lot more with rare and hard to find expensive games and consoles. It has become more and more common these days I am afraid. You really have to be clued up to use eBay in this day and age - Unlike just a few years ago...

[Promophile]

So what stops you from cashing the check or whatever they send you? I'm guessing once the check is found to be fake the bank or whatever will come right for you?

[Vroomfunkel]

No, the scam is that they will try to convince you to post the goods as soon as you receive the 'confirmation' email from Bidpay / Western Union (which is obviously going to be fake).

I just say that I'll happily accept Bidpay / Western Union - but, as with any other cheque payment, I will only post the goods once it has cleared. Funnily enough, they never seem to go for it.

Vroomfunkel

[Gemini-Phoenix]

Yeah, and I think Western Union cheques take a while to clear - That's if they are actually even real!

And because you are sending the parcel out of the country, there is virtually nothing you can do about it if you fall for it.


The thing that gets me is the amount of these scammers who constantly continue to badger the same seller over the same item, cahnging the story everytime!

One of the most common ones is: "I am wanting to buy all of your stock of this item. Please sending me the total list of all your stocks and I will buying all of them" - How dumb are some of these scammers? Most people are only ever selling one of one model of mobile phone at once...

[Bratwurst]

[video_game_addict]

I was watching some history channel program, I think it was on HCI, where they were talking about the Nigerian 419 scammers, this was a few years old I guess, becuase they were hand mailing letters to the US & Europe then. But it was said on this program that Nigerian 419 scams was like the second largest business over there!

[drwily008]

Yeah I had some Nigerian scam hit me just a few days before the 9/11 catastrophe. It was from the (supposed) lawyers of the former Nigerian President's wife. They wanted me to go retrive large sums of cash that her husband (ex-dictator) had embezelled from the people of Nigeria. I was to fly into France where my escort would be waiting and go to a federal bank and withdraw over 20 million dollars. I would get 25% for my time and then go home.

I did investigation on their story and found out that this guy (the ex-dictator) had been a real TYRANT executing people for no reason or little reason, keeping millions in tax money for his personal use. He was murdered in a coup by the people of Nigeria.

Truthfully if 9/11 hadnt happened I probably would have done it, I was told if all went well that I would be used to do it several times. I'm glad I didn't do it as it would have been wrong and because of what was on the news 3 weeks later: A lady recieved the same e-mails and when the news did an investigation, over 30 people had been murdered on the same mission I was to go on!

Sorry for the long story but I thought it was somewhat relavent. On topic I sent your buddy a funny question that I hope he answers on his auction!

[rpepper9]

One of the best way to get back at the scammers is to accept their payment, and tell them that you will ship out as soon as the confirmation is received. When they tell you where to ship the item, ship them a package with a few bricks in it. It would cost alot to ship a heavy item, but it wouldn't cost you anything because they always use there FedEx accounts.

[alexkidd2000]

hahah sweet idea. until they send you some anthrax back.

[Vroomfunkel]

For the best response EVER to a scam of this nature, check out the legendary P-p-p-powerbook story ...

http://www.p-p-p-powerbook.com/files/thepowerbook.pdf

It is wel worth the read, and absolutely hilarious!

Vroomfunkel

[drwily008]

Dude the P-P-Powerbook is great! People should definitely take time to read it! I love the mouse with the "laser". Polar bear kidneys...mmm.

[jajaja]

lol £600 for a phone, you know its a scam, and you can see it on how they write.
But.. cant he just wait for the western union confirmation and then go to a western union office and withdraw the money? I mean.. you have to get the money first before you send. But I guess ppl are falling for scams like this.

[slapdash]

Most of them use a moneygram/money order that is counterfeit, but most (practically all) will honor it right away, and find out in three weeks or so that it's fake. In the meantime, you think you've been paid, and then the bank asks for its money back. Too late for you.

That would be another way to tweak these guys -- hold payment until it clears, literally. They'll keep asking "did you send it?" and you'll say "my bank hasn't cleared it yet". Then one day you'll get to tell them "hey, that was a fake check; could you send cash instead?" and see if they even answer...

[Queen Of The Felines]

Why are these guys always from Nigeria or Russia? Why aren't there any scammers from Fiji or Greenland or Cambodia or somewhere else?

Kristine

[Promophile]

less stringent (or no) mail fraud laws.

[GunPanther]

Why are these guys always from Nigeria or Russia? Why aren't there any scammers from Fiji or Greenland or Cambodia or somewhere else?

Kristine

There are scammers from other countries, but they're not as blatantly obvious as the Nigerians or Russian scammers.

On a side note, some of them 'scam' legally; They overcharge for shipping if you buy items from them. (just as an example)





GunPanther