Got a text regarding an item I was selling on Kojiji with it leading to wanting me to send them $950 to pay for the shipping to an email address supposedly through PayPal it sound like a total scam, doesn't it?
Yes, it is a scam.
They want you to send them your PayPal email address so they can send you a fake PayPal deposit invoice.
Here is how the PayPal Scam, or any other online money service, works:
They say they will buy your item, unseen.
They say they will pay you extra money to cover the shipping charges through their shipping company or agent.
They request your email address linked to your PayPal account.
They instruct you to wire the extra funds they send you to their shipping company or agent.
You receive a invoice from PayPal to your email, stating the funds have been deposited to your PayPal account.
So, you use your money to wire the funds to the shipper.
You then find out the PayPal email was fake, it was sent by the scammer, there were no funds deposited into your PayPal account.
The money you wired, was really picked up by the scammer, it is unrecoverable.
You are out the money you wired.
The same scam is also done with money orders, bank drafts, or cashiers checks.
In these cases, the check you receive, for funds over the amount of your item, is forged, stolen, or counterfeit.
As it may take several weeks for the banks to realize the check is bad, you may not know you have been scammed.
Worst yet, as you passed a bad check, you can be held criminally liable.
You are out the funds you wired, return check charges, and face possible arrest.
See:
http://www.fraudaid.com/
http://www.fraudaid.com/solution_center/solution/draftsoption3/4c.htm
Got a text from them offering to buy my Honda CBR 600RR without it being seen, knowing it was a little overpriced (leaving room for negotiation). Says due to job he can't see it and can't pay in cash, only PayPal. I wouldn't trust this number at all.
Said they wanted to buy my tanning bed and they could pick it up at 7pm they were a flight attendant and it was the only time. Keep saying set up a pay pal account. Because that's the only way they could pay. I said you can wait until you are here to pay since we have a pay pal reader.
Here's what they sent me regarding a hospital bed I listed on Craigslist:
"Airlines,and i can only do PayPal account. do you have a PayPal account ? if you do, with that can we proceed with this transaction now ? Thanks
Oh ok cool, the picking up will be around 11PM tomorrow, am ready to purchase it as it is because am stuck at work being a flight attendant at American"
Its a scheme. Thanks for all of the previous posts!!
I sent the following text response:
"Yeah, I saw your scheme on the web. Just wanted to make sure you were the same person before I reported you too. Good luck trying to screw people over. I'm blocking you now."