Scammer alert

notwilight · April 2, 2009 8:48PM

I know this has been done before but it appears we are having a new round of it. It is also the only scam that I know someone (a coworker) who actually fell for it. It is an easy one to get taken by. Somebody sent one of my buyers a note the other day telling them not to pay that I was changing my paypal account. Fortunately they had already paid and contacted me. But their contact was "what do I do now since I've already paid?" It appears they would have fallen for it if they weren't such a quick payer. Be careful if you get one of these notes. Here is the text of the e-mail. I have sent it off to ebay too. --Jerry

To: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Monday, March 30, 2009 7:50 PM
Subject: Don't Pay For My Item,Please Read This Email - Item# 370178132899, 2009 PCGS PR70 DCAM Lincoln Commemorative Silver

Dear xxxxxx.

You are the winning buyer for the 2009 PCGS PR70 DCAM Lincoln Commemorative Silver.
Thank you for your business.

Just reply this email as soon as possible for new payment instructions(don't pay until you contact me). We can't use paypal right now,because we change the credit card account number in my paypal account & will be active in 10 days .If you have already sent the money,please cancel your order,in any case contact me for new payment instructions . We will make the transaction through eBay system.

Your purchase:

Item title: 2009 PCGS PR70 DCAM Lincoln Commemorative Silver
Item number: 370178132899

US $232.50 insurance
Included in the total price (optional)
US 0.00 Sales discounts
(-) or charges (+)
US 00.00 shipping/handling

Please send me your shipping address & I will contact ebay for a new invoice with new payment instructions.

Again, thank you for your business.
carlsbadeagletrader

derryb · April 2, 2009 9:02PM

"because we change the credit card...."

That would have tipped me off. Poor english makes a lot of scams almost entertaining.

options26 · April 2, 2009 10:24PM

This is a little scary, but how did they get the buyers ID with ebay hiding all that stuff?

notwilight · April 2, 2009 10:32PM

I'm wondering the same thing. Just heard from another buyer wondering what to do so I sent a message to all buyers with payments pending not to pay any alternate e-mail address and always be skeptical of any e-mail that doesn't come thru ebay. This is one reason I always make sure I give my phone number to buyers. It may be old fashioned but if they can pick up the phone and call me they often feel better and can avoid problems like this. I'm still waiting for my account rep to get to work at ebay and respond to me. --Jerry

VAMSKY · April 2, 2009 10:58PM

<< This is a little scary, but how did they get the buyers ID with ebay hiding all that stuff? >>

Really only two ways ... an inside job ... unlikely given the difficulty with the English language, or they've cracked your account. I'd go for a password change. Just my two cents.

notwilight · April 2, 2009 11:16PM

Haven't had anything happen that made me suspicious that my ebay password might be compromised and it is a unique password unlike any of my other passwords. But I changed it anyway. Good suggestion. --Jerry

OffMetal · April 2, 2009 11:48PM

I suspect that the origin of that email might have come from one of your underbidders on that auction because people can still search a person's bid history and still see the successful bidder of a particular auction that has closed. So if someone bids on something, or if they know that a particular person has bid on something, they will still be able to see the successful bidder of that auction.

If you've bid on stuff, try searching your bid history under "advance search".

Casman · April 3, 2009 12:21AM

These people are everywhere, I found a car on autotrader, sent the seller an email to set up an appointment to look at the car. I then got some goofy email where he claims he was on an aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf, had no phone, and tells me the car is actually in North Carolina...Originally it was listed as here in Michigan...I told him I couldn't even attempt to buy a vehicle without looking at it...Here's what he replied with:

I can only deliver the van to your front door because I am not in US in this moment. The vehicle will arrive at your door in 3 days. The shipping is paid. You will not pay shipping charges. As soon as the vehicle will be at your home, you will have 7 days to inspect and test drive the van. If you will not like the vehicle 100% you will ship it back at my expense. I'm sure this will not happen because the van is in excellent condition.
The van is at the shipping company with all the paperwork inside. You will receive all the original documents and keys with the van . I signed all the paperwork and the title is ready to be transferred to the new owner. You will have the chance to inspect the vehicle before I will be paid.
The only way we can do this transaction is through Ebay because I want a smooth and safe transaction.
If you are interested to buy my van, please send me your full name, shipping address and phone number so I can register the transaction with Ebay. Ebay will reply you with more details and informations about this transaction.

Thank you,
William

Notice the bad use of the English language....and his new claim that somehow Ebay would handle it? I don't know what he was trying to pull, but maybe he was gonna send me a fake ebay email to try and steal my login...

lope208 · April 3, 2009 12:26AM

I don't know about you, but I also get all my ebay mails in my personal email box.
Obviously, if that's the case, change that password as well.

OPA · April 3, 2009 12:43AM

<< I don't know about you, but I also get all my ebay mails in my personal email box.
Obviously, if that's the case, change that password as well. >>

Absolutely ... If a copy of the email is not in your personal eBay email box...it's a scam or phishing attempt.

notwilight · April 3, 2009 12:53AM

Yes, the buyers are getting a direct e-mail, not a message through ebay. The scammer has their email address somehow. Of course it is possible the scammer has sold these guys a trinket in the past and thus has their email. Or he could just ask them a question on ebay and then they will likely respond. When the message comes to their e-mail inbox it has the other guys email address on it. --Jerry

TwoSides2aCoin · April 3, 2009 12:55AM

You guys who are geniuses with computers should already know the perpetrators name address and blood type. What's the hold up ONLINE ?

KoinMann · April 3, 2009 1:02AM

Whenever i get a phishy email like that, i simply forward it to spoof@ebay.com, or spoof@paypal.com. Just don't ever open any links. Needless to say, I always check my ebay account as well to see if the same email is in there. It seems they (ebay / paypal ) have been pretty good at disabling the websites these mails are directed to if you forward them to their "spoof" departments.

Just a thought........

KoinMann · April 3, 2009 1:04AM

Sorry, didn't see that they were getting these notifications to their personal emails. I'll read all the posts next time, but the spoof thing still works in other circumstances.

Bcsican · April 3, 2009 1:06AM

<< because we change the credit card...."

That would have tipped me off. Poor english makes a lot of scams almost entertaining >>

I agree; the first thing I noticed was the poor grammar...

orie · April 3, 2009 1:15AM

I had a buyer get one of those last week.

notwilight · April 3, 2009 2:00AM

No reply from my account rep. Maybe it is her friday off. The number in my cell phone for Ebay Powerseller Customer Service is apparently old and I can't get to ebay on this computer. Could another Powerseller please PM me the number? I'm currently a platinum powerseller in good standing. You can click the link in my sig line to see the logo on my auctions before sharing the number if you like. thanks, Jerry

Bear · April 3, 2009 2:52AM

Don't worry, just put the cash in an envelope and mail.

SilverEagles92 · April 3, 2009 2:59AM

Do the emails show who sent the message? That could be helpful.

notwilight · April 3, 2009 3:12AM

Just got off the phone with ebay customer service and account takeover dept. They confirmed that nobody has compromised my account and nobody is logging in from strange IP addresses. They basicly said that the cyber criminals that do this are sophisticated enough to find the email addresses of the winning bidders without much trouble and there is nothing they can do about it. Remind your customers to only reply to messages that come through the ebay message system or otherwise confirm the ID of the sender...

I am a little worried about a couple of buyers. I have a couple of coins in the $1000 range that haven't been paid and were to relative ebay newbies. They are only a couple of days old but that is about when the fake emails apparently went out. Hopefully they didn't fall for it.

--Jerry

notwilight · April 3, 2009 3:14AM

<< Do the emails show who sent the message? That could be helpful. >>

Of course when the buyer gets the scam e-mail it appears to have my email address but if you look underneath the actual e-mail address is bum590@gmail.com. Maybe I should mount a DNS attack...

I haven't noticed coxe posting lately...i believe he knows this stuff. there are probably others here that do too. --Jerry

Coins101 · April 3, 2009 7:18AM

<< These people are everywhere, I found a car on autotrader, sent the seller an email to set up an appointment to look at the car. I then got some goofy email where he claims he was on an aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf, had no phone, and tells me the car is actually in North Carolina...Originally it was listed as here in Michigan...I told him I couldn't even attempt to buy a vehicle without looking at it...Here's what he replied with:

I can only deliver the van to your front door because I am not in US in this moment. The vehicle will arrive at your door in 3 days. The shipping is paid. You will not pay shipping charges. As soon as the vehicle will be at your home, you will have 7 days to inspect and test drive the van. If you will not like the vehicle 100% you will ship it back at my expense. I'm sure this will not happen because the van is in excellent condition.
The van is at the shipping company with all the paperwork inside. You will receive all the original documents and keys with the van . I signed all the paperwork and the title is ready to be transferred to the new owner. You will have the chance to inspect the vehicle before I will be paid.
The only way we can do this transaction is through Ebay because I want a smooth and safe transaction.
If you are interested to buy my van, please send me your full name, shipping address and phone number so I can register the transaction with Ebay. Ebay will reply you with more details and informations about this transaction.

Thank you,
William

Notice the bad use of the English language....and his new claim that somehow Ebay would handle it? I don't know what he was trying to pull, but maybe he was gonna send me a fake ebay email to try and steal my login... >>

I had a guy like that who wanted to buy my couch and Loveseat. He said he was out of the country and wanted to send me a cashiers check that included the shiping cost. I was suppose to then wire the extra $$ to his moving company. So, I played him. Got him to send a payment overnight to the local police station

. Then I played him for a week or so after that when he kept asking when I was going to wire the $$.

I finally told him all the emails, address, phone numbers, etc he had sent was turned over to the police, where he had sent the check, to the FBI and his local police department. Never heard a word from him after that.

Scammer alert

Comments

Leave a Comment