Watch this: I'm scamming a scammer!!

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
So I'm selling at 17" Powerbook on eBay. This dude says he'll Western Union me (BidPay) AFTER I send the Powerbook and give him a UPS tracking #.



So, I'll create a shipment, with a tracking # right from my laser printer. (myUPS.com) He'll have the package as shipping from New York City when he tracks it at UPS.com. Then I won't send anything.



Or I should send a box with rocks?



Because there is an off chance he will send the $3100.



Any other ideas on how to mess with them?



By the way, earlier this week, I had a fraudulent $3400 transfer into my Paypal account for 2 Powerbooks I was selling. Fortunately, I never sent them - I waited for the amount to transfer to my bank account, which it never did.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 14
    Send him the Bible. Ahahah, y'get it? 'Cause it's a book of? I dunno, power. And you can claim he misheard/read, and you can laugh.



    Or order this:







    And then send it to him? packaged in rocks! Oh, I'm genius?
  • Reply 2 of 14
    drewpropsdrewprops Posts: 2,321member
    This is the reason that a middleman is needed for some transactions. Shipping him a box of rocks is as bad as the bad guys trying to yoink your money...who decides to trust the other first? Don't get me wrong, I'd be just as suspicious. But making fake labels and shipping them to somebody who's yet to be proven a criminal seems wrong. I think that I'd just tell the potential bidder that I'm uncomfortable with that buying strategy and ask them to move along and forget your auction.
  • Reply 3 of 14
    Quote:

    Originally posted by drewprops

    This is the reason that a middleman is needed for some transactions. Shipping him a box of rocks is as bad as the bad guys trying to yoink your money...who decides to trust the other first? Don't get me wrong, I'd be just as suspicious. But making fake labels and shipping them to somebody who's yet to be proven a criminal seems wrong. I think that I'd just tell the potential bidder that I'm uncomfortable with that buying strategy and ask them to move along and forget your auction.



    drewprops is right. If I am uncomfortable with a situation I have been placed in, such as this, I just say no. You're the seller, you get to set the terms. If you don't trust someone, then don't sell to them. Doing what you propose makes you no better than the supposed scammers themselves.
  • Reply 4 of 14
    aquafireaquafire Posts: 2,758member
    Whatever happened to trust..?
  • Reply 5 of 14
    Quote:

    Originally posted by aquafire

    Whatever happened to trust..?



    It has to be earned :P
  • Reply 6 of 14
    ryukyuryukyu Posts: 450member
    These situations are exactly what escrow is for.

    Especially when you're dealing with that much money.
  • Reply 7 of 14
    francisg3francisg3 Posts: 168member
    Well, I think all of you latched on to the box of rocks part. I thought it was a hoot - considering I've also been attempted to be robbed out of about $5000 in the last week with my PowerBooks.



    I also was considering giving him a tracking #, then holding onto it. When the payment arrived, then I would drop the item. If the payment doesn't come, then I'll keep it. (which has already happened twice). Trust seems to be my worst enemy this week.



    I'm getting the feeling I shouldn't do anything at all. Any disagreements?
  • Reply 8 of 14
    thuh freakthuh freak Posts: 2,664member
    you deserve to be punished as much as the original scammer. vengeance is never a good answer. never.
  • Reply 9 of 14
    murbotmurbot Posts: 5,262member
    I wouldn't mess around with it personally - you'll end up with a negative comment on your feedback record. No matter what explanation is attached to it, you just can't shake those negatives. They carry as much weight as 20 positives.



    Tell him to take a hike and forget about it.
  • Reply 10 of 14
    What would be funny is if he were trying to scam you out of a PowerBook, and you were trying to scam him out of his money. eBay eats its own.



    Tell him you've reconsidered and for a transaction this size, you will only go through escrow.com. Offer to pay the fee yourself. If he's honest he can't very well say no. I recently bought a used iMac this way and just the fact that the seller was WILLING to use escrow made me feel a lot better.
  • Reply 11 of 14
    Quote:

    Originally posted by murbot

    No matter what explanation is attached to it, you just can't shake those negatives. They carry as much weight as 20 positives.



    I agree. You don't want to screw up your own reputation.
  • Reply 12 of 14
    francisg3francisg3 Posts: 168member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by thuh Freak

    you deserve to be punished as much as the original scammer. vengeance is never a good answer. never.



    Ziiinggg!!!



    I don't think I made myself clear. I'm going to hold onto my Powerbooks until payment arrives. Even if I did send the rocks, I would send the Powerbooks afterwards.



    I don't think I'd enjoy spending the $$ I've cheated off someone.



    I think I'm going to lurk somewhere else now....
  • Reply 13 of 14
    francisg3francisg3 Posts: 168member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by francisG3

    I also was considering giving him a tracking #, then holding onto it. When the payment arrived, then I would drop the item. If the payment doesn't come, then I'll keep it. (which has already happened twice). Trust seems to be my worst enemy this week.



    I changed my mind - you're a jerk, Mr. "thuh Freak." I know I didn't make myself clear in the first post, but then I noticed in my second post directly above yours, I wrote I'd keep the Powerbooks until payment arrived (see quote above). And you have the AUDACITY to tell me I should be punished for holding onto something until the payment arrives?
  • Reply 14 of 14
    placeboplacebo Posts: 5,767member
    Never make your schemes known to the public, FrancisG3...
Sign In or Register to comment.