I was (almost) scammed!!!

Alpha Echo · Nov 18, 2008

I feel like such an a$$.

I put my old laptop on Craig's list to sell. I've never had any problems on there before. My hubby and I once found an apartment to rent, I sold my old car and various other things - a table, a couch, a TV...no problems.

I got several emails from interested parties immediately.

The first to respond was someone who wanted it shipped to Nigeria. Said they would pay an extra $100 for shipping. I received one email from Pay Pal saying that the money had been sent to my account, then another one saying because they wanted to protect both the buyer and seller, I wouldn't actually get the money until I had a tracking number for the shipment.

So off I go to the post office. I'm not very experienced with Pay Pal and thought nothing of it. I send the package. I then try to send the tracking info to Pay Pal and can't figure it out, so I call customer service who promptly tells me I've been scammed.

I went right back to the post office and fortunately got both my money and my laptop back.

The most annoying part? This guy is still emailing me asking me why I haven't given him the tracking number and what's going on. I filtered his emails so that they are immediately deleted. I'm a little nervous about it though.

And I am now only accepting cash.

Anyone need a laptop?

(I would never give any of my fellow writers a Gateway!!!)

Cybernaught · Nov 18, 2008

Oh man, anything with Nigeria is a big red flag. These Nigerian scammers make a fortune ruining other people's lives. I'm glad that you got your laptop back.

Alpha Echo · Nov 18, 2008

Really? I mean, seriously? I kinda at first thought it was cool. Nigeria? Really? My husband had his doubts wondering why someone from Nigeria was buying a used laptop from someone in the US.

chevbrock · Nov 18, 2008

Go to the Lads from Lagos site - if there's nothing there that will help you, at least it will give you some inspiring ways to have a bit of fun at these scumbags' expense.

It's sad that you can't trust transactions from Nigeria anymore. I'm sure the country is not 100% populated by scammers.

Good work on getting your goods and your money back. Next time, I would suggest dealing only on transactions into your bank account. No money, no shipping. Simple.

C.bronco · Nov 18, 2008

Good Blessings Lovely Friend,

I have Thai pants and laptop buying worries. If only you can help me access my lumbago, I shall rain cash upon your loved ones!

I'm only kidding. I'm glad you got your stuff back before anything really went amiss!

maestrowork · Nov 18, 2008

Yup, Nigeria is a red flag. That happened to a friend of mine -- he was trying to sell an Mac iBook, and the first taker wanted to pay $800 cash (that's a good price) but wanted it to be shipped to some foreign control first... it immediately raised a red flag. He didn't go for it, and eventually sold the thing locally for $700.

astonwest · Nov 18, 2008

On a separate topic, I wonder if Nigeria is on the list of countries where technology can't be shipped from the US...via export regulations and all that.

Cybernaught · Nov 18, 2008

Their usual scams are through email, pretending to be a widow or orphan of some sort. They usually mention God and Jesus to make it easier to prey on unsuspecting victims, which involves wire transfers of large amounts of cash. They also run one where they make you believe that you're inheriting a large sum of money, and then try to milk you for all sorts of expensive legal and processing fees. It's all bogus.

There's a whole community dedicated to screwing with these guys so they are more wary about whom they contact. You can check it out for some laughs:

http://www.419eater.com/

Soccer Mom · Nov 18, 2008

I'm so glad you got your laptop back!

Darzian · Nov 18, 2008

Alpha Echo said:
.....shipped to Nigeria.

Silver King · Nov 18, 2008

Added (almost) to the thread title so we don't mislead anyone.

Alpha Echo · Nov 18, 2008

Silver King said:
Added (almost) to the thread title so we don't mislead anyone.

Okay...but wasn't I technically scammed? I mean, I did make actually pay the money to ship the laptop. Fortunately, I found out and got back to the post office in time...but....what if I hadn't?

All right. :tongue

I guess I was (almost) scammed.

Joe270 · Nov 18, 2008

I just saw this today:

http://obscurestore.typepad.com/obs...-woman-loses-400000-to-nigerian-scammers.html

$400,000 just gone.

There's gotta be a way to stop this criminal activity.

benbradley · Nov 18, 2008

Alpha Echo said:
I feel like such an a$$.

I put my old laptop on Craig's list to sell. I've never had any problems on there before. My hubby and I once found an apartment to rent, I sold my old car and various other things - a table, a couch, a TV...no problems.

I got several emails from interested parties immediately.

The first to respond was someone who wanted it shipped to Nigeria. Said they would pay an extra $100 for shipping.

Nigeria and overpayment! TWO red flags.

Alpha Echo said:
I received one email from Pay Pal saying that the money had been sent to my account,

NEVER go only by what an email says, it's so easy to fake "official" emails it's pathetic.

Go to your browser and TYPE (do NOT click in a link in an email, and DO NOT click on THIS link, there's NO TELLING wher it goes!) h ttp://www.paypal.com and see if the transaction is there. This one obviously is not.

Alpha Echo said:
then another one saying because they wanted to protect both the buyer and seller, I wouldn't actually get the money until I had a tracking number for the shipment.

So off I go to the post office. I'm not very experienced with Pay Pal and thought nothing of it. I send the package. I then try to send the tracking info to Pay Pal and can't figure it out, so I call customer service who promptly tells me I've been scammed.

I went right back to the post office and fortunately got both my money and my laptop back.

Whew! You sure got lucky in dodging that one...

Alpha Echo said:
The most annoying part? This guy is still emailing me asking me why I haven't given him the tracking number and what's going on. I filtered his emails so that they are immediately deleted. I'm a little nervous about it though.

It's hugely unlikely he could do anything to you. They treat this as a business, it's not 'personal.' Once he decides you haven't sent him anything, he'll go looking through ebay auctions for others to scam.

Here's a fun site, there was even a feature on "This American Life" about some of the people on it and how they "troll" these scammmers:
http://www.419eater.com/
Post your story so far (someonme there may have already dealt with this particular scammer), they'll tell you what to do next!

Alpha Echo said:
And I am now only accepting cash.

Good idea...

mario_c · Nov 18, 2008

The Lads from Lagos is great! www.scamorama.com to be precise.

chevbrock · Nov 18, 2008

Perhaps you could email him with, "sorry, I haven't been able to get to the post office. My car has broken down, and I'm so poor, I've been forced to hock my laptop to buy food. I'm waiting for my late uncle's inheritance of 65,000,000 pounds to be released, but I am having trouble securing the funds ...

crimsonnyx · Nov 19, 2008

*gasps...then blinks a lot*
My parents are merchandise sellers, so I know a lot of scams that trick you into sending your item first, then rip you off or give you a bad name. Because when my parents started a long time ago, they ACTUALLY got scammed a couple of times...but nothing more than a few hundred dollars. So, I give you my sympathy!

petec · Nov 19, 2008

seriously though

The last thing anyone should do is sell a computer to Nigeria (home of scam and identity theft). Even if you erase the hard disc, it is possible to recover information from it.

BEWARE OF SELLING COMPUTERS

crimsonnyx · Nov 19, 2008

yup, you should just recycle a comp...on one of those specific corp.

petec · Nov 19, 2008

The computer is OK, but the hard drive-- Take an axe to it. It is the only to be safe
A new hdd is cheap

KTC · Nov 19, 2008

Alpha Echo said:
Really? I mean, seriously? I kinda at first thought it was cool. Nigeria? Really? My husband had his doubts wondering why someone from Nigeria was buying a used laptop from someone in the US.

Nigeria is where most internet scams originate from. There must be a million internet cafes in Nigeria...all filled with thieving crooks working around the clock trying to get their hands on your money one way or another.

crimsonnyx · Nov 19, 2008

KTC · Nov 19, 2008

petec said:
seriously though

The last thing anyone should do is sell a computer to Nigeria (home of scam and identity theft). Even if you erase the hard disc, it is possible to recover information from it.

BEWARE OF SELLING COMPUTERS

Yes...it may not be worth it in the end to sell your computer. Especially to someone you don't know. Your personal information--that you think you deleted--can still be extracted.

Alpha Echo · Nov 19, 2008

KTC said:
Yes...it may not be worth it in the end to sell your computer. Especially to someone you don't know. Your personal information--that you think you deleted--can still be extracted.

Hmm...I really wanted *want* the quick cash. But now ya'll are making me nervous.

I really had no idea Nigeria was so known for its scammers. I hate that people can do this crap and get away with it. Because they will. I mean, how many leads are actually hunted down and caught? And what's the penalty for stuff like this? I was one of the lucky ones! I feel so naive. And I watch the news, I read the papers. I know how horrible people are, and yet...

Well, I am naive no more. (thanks in large part to my friends at AW

)

James81 · Nov 19, 2008

Post his email so that we can spam the shit out of him.

And I actually *do* need a laptop as mine has become complete shit. But I don't want it if the screen keeps blacking out. :tongue

I was (almost) scammed!!!

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