In the Too Good to be True category

murphey

murphey

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Aug 21, 2008
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murphey
Here's the situation. Saw a 430W on eBay last night (along with 4 others) for $2500 with the caveat "Don't bid, contact me direct" with an email address.

So I did, and asked the usual questions about antenna, tray, returns, refund, etc. And asked for the serial number.

Got an email back, in fact there's been 5 or 6 emails back and forth. As soon as the first round of emails started, the listing was removed from eBay.

He claims a 14 day return with full refund, etc. All just like eBay's policies and buyer protection.

This morning I received a confirmation email from the seller and the invoice from eBay with this most fascinating line:

"Payment must be sent by PayPal My Cash Card"

So far I've got 6 red flags
1) Listed & agreed upon price is less that 50% of any other unit on eBay
2) The PayPal Cash Card - PayPal's version of Western Union, as far as I can tell.
3) Refusal to send me the serial number
4) All his emails appear to be canned responses. Nothing personal.
5) A little digging discovers this guy has a number of other eBay listings, (none related to aviation) each one under a different user name with a different location.

Fun fun fun! Since this is the internet, this is interstate hence I could report him to FTC, FCC, FBI and the state (he sent me his name and address, if I can believe it).

6) Altho he sent his name & address, aint no such person at that address,
that I can find.

So I call this a scam and wonder how many other people he's scammed.

Now I need to figure out what response I want to write back to him. Suggestions?
 
simply report them as a scammer.
 
This scam has been around for two or three years and runs in cycles.
 
Maybe respond that you'll be in/near his town for a couple weeks visiting relatives/training/something and would like to make the purchase in person?
 
Clark1961 said:
Maybe respond that you'll be in/near his town for a couple weeks visiting relatives/training/something and would like to make the purchase in person?
Click to expand...

^ yes, please do this.
 
7) Never screw with a unix admin. I read the complete headers of the eBay invoice and it aint eBay.

He's toast.
 
Turn it over to the state or whomever and let them have it.
 
IF they are offshore, I will have them fax stuff to interpol. If you are good, you will have him fax information to the FBI or some District Attorney's fax machine.
 
Report him as a scammer ,and do everyone a favor.
 
Five will get you ten it's stolen merchandise. I'd think the FBI might be interested.
 
murphey said:
Here's the situation. Saw a 430W on eBay last night (along with 4 others) for $2500 with the caveat "Don't bid, contact me direct" with an email address.
Click to expand...

Seen the same, very cheap expensive items on fleaBay with "you must email me directly". And the email address is usually posted as a picture (so that fleaBay cannot detect it in the auction text).
If you type the email address into Google, you will usually get a LOT of hits for a scam.
 
As others noted, its a scam. By the way, there is also a scam going around using fraudulent eBay or Paypal cash/credit cards. Merchants have been burned to the tune of millions.
 
You mean there aren't sexy singles in my area dying to meet me?
 
tell him you want to wire him money - instead of using your credit card or a check - and you need his account number and routing information . . .

See if you get it - then run a check through for $1000 . . .
 
Norman said:
Five will get you ten it's stolen merchandise. I'd think the FBI might be interested.
Click to expand...

It likely doesn't exist at all, most of these scammers use pictures of someone else's merchandise and that's all they have. My service manager, that should know better was about to buy a Jaguar from a scammer! I found out and showed him what was happening, but he was completely fooled by these guys! I am not saying don't buy from EBay, just make sure who you are dealing with and don't deal outside of EBay unless you are picking it up in person.
 
murphey said:
7) Never screw with a unix admin. I read the complete headers of the eBay invoice and it aint eBay.

He's toast.
Click to expand...

^^^ This ^^^

I warned a email spammer twice that he should reconsider leaving me on his list.

After that, his online life became rather -- cumbersome. :wink2:
 
danhagan said:
Ouch!

I don't think I could ever purchase avionics on Ebay ... am sure most of you are more proficient or have experience with that site.
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There are reputable sellers. Example of two are Wentworth and Beegles, both with brick & mortar facilities.

Beegles is one of the FAA-approved shops for NTSB accident investigation. It's also a great repair shop (did excellent work on my cherokee). Beegles will part out an airplane on eBay. Check "basaviationsales" on eBay.
 
Henning said:
Turn it over to the state or whomever and let them have it.
Click to expand...

Oh yeah, they'll get their best detective on it right away!

lebowski_leads_.png


Just report it to eBay and they'll ban him.
 
tell him you want to send a western union money then keep sending him made up confirmation numbers
 
yetti said:
IF they are offshore, I will have them fax stuff to interpol. If you are good, you will have him fax information to the FBI or some District Attorney's fax machine.
Click to expand...

I did have a chat with the FBI's local cyber crime group this morning. I filed a complaint (the FBI really needs to hire some decent web programmers) which I know will go absolutely nowhere. But it was more fun that cleaning dog poop out of the backyard.
 
James331 said:
Oh yeah, they'll get their best detective on it right away!

Just report to eBay and they'll ban him.
Click to expand...

Yeah! Report that to eBay that you tried to make a deal to buy outside of eBay, which they warn you about in eleventy-seven places, and teh guy wassa teef.

They could use another laugh.
 
Tell the person you prefer to pay via western union. When he agrees make up a fake 10 digit MTCN and send it to him.

When he comes back upset because it didnt work, tell him you must have typed it wrong and change one digit.

When he comes back upset again, tell him you're very sorry but you know he is a scammer and you were just having a little fun, but to make up for his time you sent him $50 via western union.

Make up a 10 digit MTCN and send it to him.

Repeat as many times as possible
 
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