I listed some wheels & tires for sale. Six responses - 6 scammers. Yeah it isn’t unexpected but what I’d like to do to those assholes ————-

Yep, par for the course.
I listed a blown engine earlier this year, half dozen spammers and 2 that I had to vet a bit before having serious discussion with.
2nd ended up buying it. Pretty funny pulling an engine out of your trunk.

I have a guitar on CL and FB Marketplace now. Nothing but scammer responses. One was based in Bulgaria, his FB name was in Cyrillic, said he'd have his brother in Phoenix come pick it up. LOL. Who falls for this stuff?

How were they scamming you?
Curious on the details.

Most of them are profiles created the same day as your listing, typically a young woman photo (about 20 yo), no friends or post history, and they want it right now, listing a phone number to call them, and respond about 5 minutes later getting pissy if you do not reply/call.

They stop after a few messages, when you don't reply/respond.

I do not even reply to them.

quote:

Originally posted by sigmonkey:
Most of them are profiles created the same day as your listing, typically a young woman photo (about 20 yo), no friends or post history, and they want it right now, listing a phone number to call them, and respond about 5 minutes later getting pissy if you do not reply/call.

They stop after a few messages, when you don't reply/respond.

I do not even reply to them.

Wrong section of Craigslist.

LOL.

I meant the FarceBook MarketPlace.

They want me to send them a " code " or some other such bullshit . I asked why and they said it was to verify if the ad was legit . I told them to meet me at the location and have cash in hand if they wanted to verify anything . I don't play any of those games .

I have sold about 6 things on Craigslist and Marketplace in the past 3 months. The instant response is generally always a scammer in broken English. I don't respond. Usually in a day or two, a legitimate buyer surfaces. There response is obviously a non-shithead.

Conversely, if I'm a buyer, I make my first contact clear that I am a real buyer.

quote:

Originally posted by smschulz:
How were they scamming you?
Curious on the details.

Typical approach.

Somehow they're hijacking existing but currently unused, profiles. No idea how that can be done

First hint - Said he's out of town but his brother could pick up.

2nd hint - said he couldn't use anything but Zelle and wanted my email address - which hasn't anything to do with Zelle (at least in my case)

Told him to send the money to his brother and he could bring the cash.

That was the end of that.

The others were similar. Several didn't respond after I told them cash only

quote:

Originally posted by Tn226:

said he couldn't use anything but Zelle and wanted my email address - which hasn't anything to do with Zelle (at least in my case)

A buyer can send Zelle payments to you using either your email address, or your cell phone number.

Something else you can do, use Zelle to send a "Request For Payment" to the other party, again using either the other party's email address or cell number. That way, the other person can just click on your request and does not need to enter your email address or your cell number.

I will use FB Marketplace to buy small stuff.

If I see what I’m looking for, I’ll just message the seller and ask if it’s still available. If it is, I say ‘I’ll take it. When and where can we meet?’


I don’t have the time or inclination to play games or quibble over a $20 item. But, scammers and hagglers must be a plague, because I’ve had sellers express relief that I’m being for real.

I just posted several items on Craigslist from my brother-in-laws estate. About 6 hours later I get two messages 1 minute apart with Hindu? names about the same item. Both with exactly the same message. SURE!!!!!

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

quote:

Originally posted by Tn226:

said he couldn't use anything but Zelle and wanted my email address - which hasn't anything to do with Zelle (at least in my case)

A buyer can send Zelle payments to you using either your email address, or your cell phone number.

Something else you can do, use Zelle to send a "Request For Payment" to the other party, again using either the other party's email address or cell number. That way, the other person can just click on your request and does not need to enter your email address or your cell number.

I rarely use it but, as I understand it, it’s either/or but not both. The only thing linked to Zelle at my bank is my phone number. No expert though

I always use an address of a business close to me. I tell them to message me when they get there. It’s a 1 minute drive for me. Had too many idiots not bother showing up so I don’t leave my house until they are there.

It's cash, in person, and if the word "kindly" shows up anywhere then you know they are Nigerian, Indian or Pakistani and not from my area code.

quote:

Originally posted by 220-9er:

if the word "kindly" shows up anywhere then you know they are Nigerian, Indian or Pakistani

May I know if your wheelbarrow is still available?

Yeah I am trying to sell some items on FaceBook Market place:

• Scammer ask if the item is still available
  
• I replay back letting them know it is still available.
  
• They ask me if they can call me and asks for my number (This is the start of the scam. They use the code to take over your number somehow, etc.)
  
• I say sure and give them my number
  
• They tell me that for our safety they have sent a code to the number I gave them and to confirm it is me, to give them the code.
  
• I tell them I received NO code. As the telephone number I gave them is a Landline number (To a local Pizza Hut, but they do not know that LOL !!!)
  
• For some reason they do not understand what a landline number is and keep asking me for the code and I keep replying the same answer back to them.
  
• They start to get angry and tell them I am a scammer. LOL !!!
  
• After a while they give up.
  

Thank you for reading how I have fun when I sell something and a scammer tries to contact me. God Bless

I’m going to show my ignorance. I’ve never sold an item online. What part of the interaction is a scam? Are they trying to receive goods with bullshit payment, or are they trying to get personal information from you to use in other nefarious ways?

Not really a scam, but nothing annoys me more about FB Marketplace than the automated "Is this still available" response they program into Messenger. Why idiots click this when they have no intention or interest in buying is beyond me, unless they are either clueless idiots or assholes, both of which are distinct possibilities with FB.