Watch out for con artists!!!

[GearSlave]

I'm putting this under the Classified section and hope that the mods will make this a sticky thread.

Well, I almost got caught for a really bad one this morning!

This guy phones me earlier the week, very interested in the speakers I have for sale. He had a foreign accent and it was a little hard to hear him. We had a quick chat about the speakers and he wanted me to meet him ASAP so he could get them from me. Seeing as I was in Benoni - and he wasn't - he wanted to meet at Killarney Mall. I thought it strange, 'cause you would usually audition speakers before taking them, especially second hand ones. When I told him that, he was adamant that he knew the speakers very well and that he could tell that I looked after them. He tried to put me at ease, offering to do an electronic funds transfer right away. I told him that I'll only accept cash once I hand the speakers over to him.

I figured, what the heck, let me just give it a go and see, maybe I'm being uncomfortable for nothing.

So, this morning we chat and agree to meet. I actually phone him back to make him understand that I will only take cash, nothing else. So, half an hour before we are to meet (I'm on my way actually), he phones and says he is in a serious hurry, that he won't have time to draw cash. He insisted that I give him my bank details so he can do a transfer. I refused and told him straight that I will only accpet cash. His reply was "Well then keep your system!".

Man, if I was only a little more gullible he could've taken me for a nice ride. I sent him an sms afterwards saying that I suspected him of being a con and never got a reply from him. Turd!

Anyway, this wanker seems to frequent the Junk Mail.

His name is supposedly Adrian Miljak and his number is 0820548411. His accent sound vaguely North West African, so beware. I cannot help but think how many other people have been caught by this guy...

[Mervin]

The EFT that he would have done sometimes would refelct as CASH as some asleep teller would not check the box seeing that it is a cheque and passing it as such.  I have had a R147K cheque deposited as 'CASH' only to be revoked after 2 weeks and being charged the RTD fees of course. 

One thing to be weary of... is that syndication could be so organised and may lead to bodily harm or sometimes death.

[Andrew]

The EFT is one of the most common acts of fraud committed. Always be wary of someone extremely keen to buy something off you even though they haven't had a chance to even see it, never mind actually know if it works. I tried to sell my laptop a few month back in the Junk Mail. Not one call was genuine, every single one of them sounded foreign, most likely Nigerian, and all wanted to do the EFT thing. Another guy once went so far as to deposit money in my account, but by cheque, even though I had told him I wouldn't accept it. He was furious when I told him he couldn't come collect until the money cleared. He disappeared, and a few days later the cheque proved to be stolen. Of course the cashier didn't bother that it was a company cheque being deposited by an individual. Sometimes I wonder if they have 'insider cashiers' at certain banks to help them out. 

[Hennie]

.........Sometimes I wonder if they have 'insider cashiers' at certain banks to help them out. 

I think the probability is high......I know of at least one case where the bank cashier was a mole and an accomplice in a robbery after a large cash withdrawal.

[siphiwe]

This upsets me. Sometimes I'm tempted to buy stuff from the classifieds just so I can build something, for fun. However, being in Durban and a great majority of the advertised stuff being in Gauteng a review is not possible. This has never been an issue for me, but as said on the above posts, a big issue for a seller trying prevent being conned. Sellers just stop communicating, or items have buyers only to reappear on AVSA classifieds again from the same seller.

I _think_ I don't sound like a Nigerian either.

[GearSlave]

As siphiwe demonstrates, the opposite is true as well. You will have a genuine buyer, but because of conning the seller is scared away from something that "appears" suspicious but is not.

Any ideas to get past that one? Can you up front do a transfer and agree that two weeks past for the seller to be convinced he is dealing with a legit buyer? It is a little one sided though...

[Shonver]

Get a forum member to go check out the gear...

[siphiwe]

Get a forum member to go check out the gear...

Nice one Shonver but that's less of an issue than the seller not trusting the buyer. See, if sellers were willing to be referenced when making an offer to buy something from someone else, I think that could go some way to calming nerves. It's really tricky as I'd possibly be weary to ship my kit to someone without cash in hand.

I don't have a problem with GByleveldt's idea of waiting until all the money's cleared before shipping goods. I always approach my purchases thus. The seller can ship when he's comfortable he's got the money. However, over a certain limit and certain purchases I arrange to get the stuff myself. Problem is  when I can clearly sense that the seller is gonna back off the sale after talking to me. I just write it off to being a case of winning some and losing some.

Would you as a once-seller to a potential buyer be willing to be used as referee when said buyer is buying from somewhere else?

[GearSlave]

Would you as a once-seller to a potential buyer be willing to be used as referee when said buyer is buying from somewhere else?

Absolutely!! Fantastic idea!

[Mervin]

Having a 3rd acting as a referee is a process called 'purchasing via an arbiter' however this is also sometime used by a con-artist to have someone act on his behalf as the arbiter.  Think black US dollar or emerald scam.  Unless the arbiter is known by both or a trusted arbiter in case.  They are availble for a service fee.  Always a risk.

If I purchase I would always do EFT as I am protected by the ECT act to recover the money in case of fraud on the seller side.

[Hi-Phibian]

If I purchase I would always do EFT as I am protected by the ECT act to recover the money in case of fraud on the seller side.

More info on this please!!!

[RR]

If I purchase I would always do EFT as I am protected by the ECT act to recover the money in case of fraud on the seller side.

I did not know about this. More info anyone?

[GearSlave]

If I purchase I would always do EFT as I am protected by the ECT act to recover the money in case of fraud on the seller side.

Which would allow a fraudulent buyer to reverse the funds as he sees fit?!

[Shonver]

I don't have a problem with GByleveldt's idea of waiting until all the money's cleared before shipping goods. I always approach my purchases thus. The seller can ship when he's comfortable he's got the money. However, over a certain limit and certain purchases I arrange to get the stuff myself. Problem is  when I can clearly sense that the seller is gonna back off the sale after talking to me. I just write it off to being a case of winning some and losing some.

Ok, we're all grown-up here, so let's call a spade...

siphiwe

Do you think this is because you sound black/african (do you?)?

If so, that just complicates matters... and it sucks.

But I think it is reasonable in any case to ask for cash or else to wait for the deposit to clear. My experience with buying goods from forum members is that the transaction is more relaxed and trusting. Very often the seller would send off the goods prior to me even making a deposit. But that's because we are a community. My most common transactions are with folks who are part of an online community of which I am a member, or else have been recommended by another member.

But, lastly: over time one tends to develop an instinct for who can be trusted. It gets better.

[Andrew]

Yeah, I don't think it's a colour issue - it's just that the purchase offer is often too ludicrous to take seriously. Who buys, for example, a laptop, without even checking that it works?

"No, don't worry. I trust you. I'll deposit the money now and get my friend to collect it. Where are you?"

I mean...duh...