[oneill333]

Hi,

I posted I sell a laptop, and the buyer asked me to ship it to Nigeria because its for his son and is willing to pay £50 for shipping.

He said would pay by paypal or if I give my bank account details.

But I want to know if this is a true, I could learn from your experience.

quote "Hi,i saw your mail which you wrote in reply to your gumtree item,the item is been bought for my kid who is undergoing language study in Nigeria,i will like the item sent to his Gaurdian's address as i will add an extra amount of £50 for the postage via royal mail to the guardian's postage address below..

Mail me as soon as possible and let me know if £50 will be enough for the postage and i will be able to transfer the total fund that is £540 to your bank account if you send me you banking details or your paypal account if you have a paypal address,pls email me asap,thanks and have a wonderful day."

[oneill333]

Yeah, now Ive read the topic with exemples, i will definetely not ship to Nigeria

[the_tidy_kiwi]

Hi Oneill333,

This is definitely a scam! Poor English, shipping to Nigeria and overpaying for the item. Next would have been a fake paypal email making you think that you have received money, so you ship your item, then finding out that the money is not actually there!

I will email you separately to get further details on this scam.

In the meantime if you haven't already, check out our 'Stay Safe' section in our help pages.
http://www.gumtree.com/help/stay_safe#item76

[Tigger_r_us]

Hi

We posted a diamond ring and seem to of attracted the scammer from Nigeria there has been two on this item and one on another item we have posted for sale.

They must think that we are stupid or something because the grammer that is used in the emails.

This is the latest one from this particular person "sarah hermann" <sarahcreamii@yahoo.com>


Hello

Thanks for the prompt response.I am intrested in buying this item off
you and i intend sending to my Daughter In-law in her citadel of
study abroad

I want you to find out Postage Fee to her at the location below via
Royal Mail International signed for on delivery service to

City:Surulere
State: Lagos
Zip Code:23401
Country: Nigeria

Let me know once you have gotten a Postage fee to the location stated
above.I can complet payment via Paypal or Postal Money Order

[thesciencesecret]

hehehe
laptops are a lot cheaper in nigeriii
diamonds too...

[Ralfi6]

Hello
People beware of nigerian scammers. About 2 months ago i send 3 memory cards to Nigeria after receiving fake paypal payment, because i didn`t know what it works. Now i`ve learnt how paypal is working. I lost about 80 pounds for bastards. It`s only price of my shopping without my earnings. Later "customers" never responded me. I will never trust this scammers. I know this issue was many times, but i am warning everyone. Every scammer offers more value for the posting and put information about some gift for example for son or mother
I wish that people will be punished for this crime way!!!
Regards

[adam2007]

watch out for email's saying you have received a postal order and to get the money you have to send the tracking number - the royal mail clearly state that there is no such thing as an email postal order

[the_tidy_kiwi]

Good tip Adam2007!

This is an example of 'phishing' or creating 'fake' emails from respected companies. There are Gumtree ones, Royalmail, eBay, Buysafe, Squaredeal and more. Always pays to google the company and ask them if they offer this service. Always send them the 'fake' email if you receive one and they will be able to tell whether it is real or not.

Keep the community spirit of Gumtree and meet people in person. Anyone who doesn't want to meet you face to face is most likely dodgy. Report them to us!!!

[Peco]

If you are being paid through PayPal, never presume that any email from PayPal is genuine. If you receive one confirming payment, don't take it for granted it's genuine. Always log-in to your PayPal account to check that the payment has been received, but NEVER NEVER NEVER do so by clicking on a link in any PayPal email. Thousands of people are ripped-off every day, some by sending the goods when in reality they haven't been paid, and some who are ripped-off even though they've checked their PP account, but the site they've been directed to is a fake PayPal site, and once you enter your password on it your real account will be hacked and emptied.

[mikescannot]

Hi i have just stopped my Laptop for being sent off, this was only due to the fact that they could not spell Paypal, Paypal have said that all orders come through them, and they advised me to use there new account invoice, as this should stop some of the scams.

They have also advised that we should delete any emails from them, as they could send a virse through.

Paypal will always respond to any alerts, if you are not sure, contact Paypal direct through there Security address, they will then confirm with you if it is a scam.

All the best

[Auctions-United.com]

I have been involved in online auctions for 5 years now and every single Nigerian offer I have seen is a fake. Play it safe and any time anyone asks you to do a deal where they give you more money than you are asking for, just delete and move on. It's safer than trying it once to see if you are onto a winner, the truth is you never ever are!

[Auctions-United.com]

I have to say in my 5 years or so of experience paypal only add to a sellers hardship. Most people that defend paypal have yet to be caught by them. If a buyer contacts paypal and says the item has not been delivered, paypal automatically refund the buyer even if you have sent the item. They also have a nasty habit of locking you out of your account on a whim regardless of how much you may have in there. Their worst trick in my book is to make you send an item without releasing the funds even if that item is going abroad, if the transaction is done by a dodgy buyer paypal then take back the funds and you have no money and no item. The abismallist of course is the paypal employees that screw with your account.

The safest way to deal with paypal is thus:

1) Always pay with your credit card for an item through paypal and NEVER from your bank balance direct or from your paypal balance no matter how much you have in the account because if the transaction goes wrong your credit card company have the power to snatch it back from paypal and they are about the only people that do.

2) as a seller, never accept paypal

Follow those two steps and it is impossible to get caught in any kind of paypal scam

[img]<a href="http://www.auctions-united.com">
<img border="1" src="http://www.auctions-united.com/banners/25%20Quid%20and%2025%20Quid%20referral.gif"></a>[/img]

[axemc]

I lost my iPod on one of these Nigerian Scams - supposedly a mother buying it for her son who's studying.

I thought the paypal email was genuine because it looked so much like the real thing and they weren't asking me for money or login details, so I thought it was safe.

I sent the iPod and they emailed me pretending to be from paypal, asking for a scanned invoice and tracking slip, then the mother emailed me asking me for the tracking number.

I fell for it and lost my ipod, maybe it was cos I was so excited over selling my ipod that I forgot reality. She paid more than the cost of shipping.

When the money didn't come in and I didn't receive any more replies, I rang paypal only to find a series of automated answer machines with a maze of pre-recorded information streams.

After my 5 or 6th try on their 0870 number, I decided to try the fraud option and after a long wait, I got through - they said I should have called them and checked, but I responded that I couldn't get through, just to machines and no humans - the guy went quiet and then said that the transaction was nothing to do with paypal so they can't do anything.

I then rang Royal Mail International and they said it left the UK and was out of their hands, also informing me that a mass scale of people suffered from the same issue. He told me to call the police.

I then rang the police and they contacted me back with funnily enough a Nigerian on the phone - I began to wonder if they were in on it too. The woman was not very helpful, despite me saying that alot of people have suffered, she hung up without giving me a crime reference number.

In the end I changed my email account and moved all my online accounts across - a very long procedure.

My advice is, NEVER EVER USE PAYPAL, unless of course it's with ebay, but then it's at your own risk. I dodged alot of fraud on paypal emails in the past, but this one caught me - it's only a matter of time before it catches you too.

AVOID PAYPAL AT ALL COSTS!!! DON'T RELEASE ANYTHING UNTIL THE MONEY IS IN YOUR BANK!

I've learnt my lesson now, an expensive one. The problem is I never knew how paypal worked because it's not clear until you trip over by experimenting.

PAYPAL IS NOT SECURE!! I WOULDN'T EVEN PUT IT ON MY WEBSITE. There is also a timer on when you can claim (via ebay).

Every time I've done business with Nigerians I've got ripped off, even by churches. Even my Nigerian friends tell me not to do business with Nigerians. I really thought this case was going to be different, but inside I knew otherwise.

Something needs to be done about this, these people can't keep getting away with it.

[totalexperts]

I got involved once with a Nigerien deal. I just wanted to tell you how serious it can get in a small amount of time. He offered me money for a load of computer parts via email, didnt hear from him for a month, then a cheque arrived for £2800!!! (parts were only £100) Nigeria


So I thought cashing it may get me into trouble so i took it to HSBC bank to have it checked out. 48 hours later the head of Dixons Fraud security Europe was at my house having a cup of tea and asking me all sorts of questions. Turns out it was a batch of stolen cheques.

AVOID ANY KIND OF DEALS LIKE THIS AT ALL COSTS, YOU WILL ONLY GET INTO BOTHER!!

[leozemliak]

I have a similar to a laptop scenario, he is offering me an extra £30 pounds for a PlayStation to be shipped, even though he is here in UK. Do you think its safe to ask to pay straight into my Bank account, can the funds be retracted? He is giving me an option of Postal order or PayPal.
Thanks.

[montyzuma]

ship to nigeria = loose your goods and get a fake cheque

every time no exceptions

[Bluey]

[SpellKaster]

It's not PayPal's fault.

Bottom line, ALWAYS log in to your PayPal account yourself first to see if the money is in there. Don't trust any mails or anything, go and look FOR YOURSELF first.

But yes, Nigeria is scam central.

[markyd0601]

i just recieved this email after posting a laptop.

INVITATION FOR PARTNERSHIP
ATTN: DIRECTOR/CEO
Dear Sir/Madam,

THIS IS MY FATHER COMPANY IN ZIMBABWE

With due respect, trust and humility, I write to you this proposal, which I believe would be of great interest to you. I find your contact while I was doing a private research on the Internet for a reliable and capable foreign partner that will assist my family and I to transfer fund to his personal or private account and for investment purpose. I am MR. James Martins the eldest son of Late MR. MOHANED zure, who was the "Chairman" of the farmer’s co-operation in Zimbabwe.

My Father was among the few blacks that were murdered in cold blood by the President Robert Mugabe Administration during the land dispute that just happened in Zimbabwe. After the death of my Father, we decided to move out of ZIMBABWE because our lives were in danger because of the money that my father kept in his hidden safe in our house. The amount contained in the safe is US $14.5M (fourteen million five hundred thousandUSdollars).

This money was meant for the purchase of new machines and chemicals for the farms and establishment of new farms in Swaziland. Before his death, He is a Major Share Holder of companies in Zimbabwe. After my Father died we moved to South Africa and deposited this fund to his account oversea and for the safety of our family. this money in a security company in a box as valuables belonging to our foreign partner pending when we see somebody that will assist us transfer

We are presently in South Africa as Refugee (Asylum Seekers) and as such the law of South Africa does not permit us to operate or open any bank account here in South Africa or be involved in any financial transaction with the bank. That is why we contacted you to assist us in this transaction.

We are ready to compensate you with 30% of the total fund for accepting to assist us, contact me on the above phone number indicating your interest as soon as possible, on receiving of your acceptance, I shall be glad to give you more clarification on the modalities needed for smooth successful completion of this transaction.

I anticipate your quick response.

Best regard.
MR James Martins
(For and On behalf of my family)
20. NETMARK STREET JOHANNESBURG
SOUTHAFRICA TEL: +278-33-414-697
Reply me with this my private email address
johuburg@yahoo.co.uk


think il email him back and play about with him and see what hel do..... thatl be fun!!!

lol

[montyzuma]

i can send you a fake 17 page complicated homeland security form for him to fill in b4 you send him the coupls hundred $ he needs for the oddicial forms email ritchie.mabawza@gmail.com

[Pheenie]

A few days ago, I recieved an email from premolar002@yahoo.com saying that he was willing to purchase my laptop for $1200. Well, then I recieved the shipping address TO NIGERIA. To someone named Batunde Abraham. I was excited, but then sketchy... He said that he already sent the payment through paypal and all that I had to do was to send it and give him and paypal the shipment tracking number!!! urggghhhh!!! just bugs my mind why people have to do this. I knew it was a scam because I went through all my emails and noticed I had gotten other offers through the same email, like giving my account info so he could deposit like $15,000,000 into it... urgghhhh!!!

[the_tidy_kiwi]

Thanks for the info on this guy. We will try and stop him from contacting others on the site.

Be very careful when paying via paypal. If you receive an email from them saying that someone has paid then make sure you check your paypal account first as it could be a 'spoof' email.

We always encourage face to face trading as we are a local community site. This is by far the safest way of trading (unless you meet in a dark alley!) and is a good way to meet people in your community as well!!!

[sexycitybabe]

dont post to nigeria, they r using fake paypal emails and sendin them the latest person i have had is post to tayo aduekunle 55 razak balogun street,
surulere, lagos 23402 nigeria. it seemed really as the person who paid for it was from london and there english was great he said its for some1 who is workin over there in his family all seemed legit but it aint.
can any1 help me tho if an item has already been posted is there and way to get it bk or get ur money bk for it

[sexycitybabe]

oh yer if u know of anyways please could you email me at rscottdrabble1 @ hotmail.com asap thank you

[gums]

anything to do with africa no no no