Possible Scam

FB, craigslist etc are rife with these. Its always out of state and its cash up front. No vehicle ever changes hands.
 
One of my friends had an old camper for sale. She had it parked in her side yard with a For Sale sign on it, but hadn't listed it anywhere. One day a young woman with a child knocked on her door, gave her a sob story about being homeless, and asked the price. It was $3,000. The girl cried and said she only had $1200 and would Friend take that? Friend was going to say no, but started feeling bad for her (as intended). The girl went back to the car and brought her "husband" who she claimed just got out of the service. They painfully counted out $1500 and asked again if Friend would accept it. Friend caved. A week later she saw a camper that looked just like hers on FB marketplace. The interior shots even had the same pictures she had had hanging! They were selling it for -- guess what? -- $3,000! A couple weeks after that, she saw it again on FB, this time being offered by a dealer -- for $4500!
 
ThatFowlWoman said:
One of my friends had an old camper for sale. She had it parked in her side yard with a For Sale sign on it, but hadn't listed it anywhere. One day a young woman with a child knocked on her door, gave her a sob story about being homeless, and asked the price. It was $3,000. The girl cried and said she only had $1200 and would Friend take that? Friend was going to say no, but started feeling bad for her (as intended). The girl went back to the car and brought her "husband" who she claimed just got out of the service. They painfully counted out $1500 and asked again if Friend would accept it. Friend caved. A week later she saw a camper that looked just like hers on FB marketplace. The interior shots even had the same pictures she had had hanging! They were selling it for -- guess what? -- $3,000! A couple weeks after that, she saw it again on FB, this time being offered by a dealer -- for $4500!
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A Story for Every Occasion ™.
 
ThatOwlWoman said:
One of my friends had an old camper for sale. She had it parked in her side yard with a For Sale sign on it, but hadn't listed it anywhere. One day a young woman with a child knocked on her door, gave her a sob story about being homeless, and asked the price. It was $3,000. The girl cried and said she only had $1200 and would Friend take that? Friend was going to say no, but started feeling bad for her (as intended). The girl went back to the car and brought her "husband" who she claimed just got out of the service. They painfully counted out $1500 and asked again if Friend would accept it. Friend caved. A week later she saw a camper that looked just like hers on FB marketplace. The interior shots even had the same pictures she had had hanging! They were selling it for -- guess what? -- $3,000! A couple weeks after that, she saw it again on FB, this time being offered by a dealer -- for $4500!
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Yea, the wife's been looking at travel trailers. There are several all for sale by women who's husband died in the last few months, usually from cancer, and priced at $1,200. They want you to bid on it on E-Bay and can't let you look at it ahead of time. But you get seven days to return it if you don't like it.
I'm pretty sure the scam works like this: You bid and win. They will deliver the trailer just as soon as you unlock the payment. If you do unlock the payment they disappear and you never see the trailer. Then you are left trying to fight with E-Bay over the transaction with no way to find and sue the other party.
 
T. A. Gardner said:
Yea, the wife's been looking at travel trailers. There are several all for sale by women who's husband died in the last few months, usually from cancer, and priced at $1,200. They want you to bid on it on E-Bay and can't let you look at it ahead of time. But you get seven days to return it if you don't like it.
I'm pretty sure the scam works like this: You bid and win. They will deliver the trailer just as soon as you unlock the payment. If you do unlock the payment they disappear and you never see the trailer. Then you are left trying to fight with E-Bay over the transaction with no way to find and sue the other party.
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Ebay is generally safe. you bid you win and your payment goes into escrow till you receive and accept the item. At least that is how it works for most things never bought a camper or car from them.
 
Eagle_Eye said:
Ebay is generally safe. you bid you win and your payment goes into escrow till you receive and accept the item. At least that is how it works for most things never bought a camper or car from them.
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Exactly. That's why I stated the scammers most likely try to get you to release payment before they hand over the goods. "I've got the trailer all ready to go. Just release the payment and I'll give you the address to pick it up..." Or, "I can deliver it to your house just as soon as you release the payment..."
 
T. A. Gardner said:
Yea, the wife's been looking at travel trailers. There are several all for sale by women who's husband died in the last few months, usually from cancer, and priced at $1,200. They want you to bid on it on E-Bay and can't let you look at it ahead of time. But you get seven days to return it if you don't like it.
I'm pretty sure the scam works like this: You bid and win. They will deliver the trailer just as soon as you unlock the payment. If you do unlock the payment they disappear and you never see the trailer. Then you are left trying to fight with E-Bay over the transaction with no way to find and sue the other party.
Click to expand...

Yep, sounds about right.
 
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