Selling a boat. Can someone scam me through Paypal?

LPyrock on 12/10/2015 - 18:36

So i am selling my boat due to moving and not having any room at my new house. After placing my boat on ebay and gumtree yesterday i got a reply today to my ph number - apparently from someone using an instant messaging service online, of which i gave them my email to contact me on, and here is their reply;

Thanks for getting back,i'm cool with the price likewise the condition as described on the advert,i work with New Zealand Oil and Gas (NZOG) and we are presently offshore in New Zealand Taranaki Basin on kupe project.We do not have access to phone at the moment and that's why I contacted you with internet messaging facility.Regarding the payment,i will be paying you through PayPal linked up with my westpac bank account,please get back to me with your paypal details so i can process the payment,you can alternatively send your bsb acct name and number if you have no PayPal acct.I have also contacted my courier who will come for pick up and deliver it to my place in Darwin after the whole fund has been cleared into your acct.

Await your reply

This looks a little suss as they dont want to call me directly and my question is, is there a way they can scam me if they pay through paypal?
Maybe if they pay, then pickup the boat through the courier service then claim that they never got it?

Also - is their excuse for not being able to call legit? can anyone confirm that you cant make calls from oil rigs or wherever they are but still have an internet connection?

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Comments

  • holdenmg on 12/10/2015 - 18:39
    +13

    Scam.

    Read:
    https://www.nzog.com/contact-us/

    and

    BEWARE OF SCAMS

    New Zealand Oil & Gas does not directly employ staff on offshore platforms. Do not trust online traders who ask you to transfer money because they are offshore.

    Examples of their scams are here:
    http://www.scamdex.com/ScamTipReports/14623
    and here:
    http://www.dia.govt.nz/diawebsite.nsf/wpg_URL/Services-Anti-… (Purchasing scam).

    • Pyrock on 12/10/2015 - 18:51

      thanks for this!

      I am pretty sure it is a scam but if they were to pay through paypal first - is there a way for them to try get the money back?

      • loulou1 on 12/10/2015 - 19:19
        +3

        Absolutely. Usually they have set up a fake account or hacked someone else's account, then PayPal reverses it and you are left out of pocket.

      • RockyRaccoon on 12/10/2015 - 19:36
        +2

        Why bother - you then have to go thru the hassle.

        Be realistic they havent even seen the boat and want to transfer money to you.

        Would you buy a boat that way?

  • what on 12/10/2015 - 18:41
    +3

    I had messages like this when I was selling my previous cars. I ignored all of them. I felt they were very suss. Let's face it, who buys a boat or a car without looking at it first.

    • Pyrock on 12/10/2015 - 18:48
      +1

      yea this is what i am thinking - plus it was all very quick and they didnt want to haggle at all (the price is more than what i expect to get for it)

    • gooddealmate on 12/10/2015 - 19:53

      Not always the case, i bought my ute from an Isuzu dealer in Victoria without seeing it or having it inspected and had it shipped to QLD.

      • Pyrock on 12/10/2015 - 19:54

        might be a bit different for a dealer. im guessing they have insurance and stuff for this sort of thing?

  • 2jzzzz on 12/10/2015 - 19:00
    +2

    SCAM! No one just says they are happy with the price an condition straight away….

  • sparkles on 12/10/2015 - 19:04
    +3

    One million percent scam. Why won't they think up some other scenario apart from working on an oil rig?

    • scrimshaw on 12/10/2015 - 19:52
      +3

      I'd think they'd have a better chance if they identified themselves as Matt Damon and were away from earth working on Mars, and couldn't come to see the boat in person.

      AAA+++ Would totally sell, great prompt payment matt damon

  • saty1296 on 12/10/2015 - 19:22

    Scam, stay away from them.

  • Pyrock on 12/10/2015 - 19:53

    Thanks guys - just confirming what i thought :)

  • JSQUARED on 12/10/2015 - 19:54
    +1

    Scam. Here, you probably won't get paid through PayPal at all. You will probably be sent fake PayPal payment invoices to the email address you pass on.

    Edit: Secondly if you just do a simple search of the first few lines of the message you received you'll see this exact same message is being used for a whole bunch of other attempted scams.

  • Nutrino on 12/10/2015 - 22:25
    +3

    You should try to prank them somehow. For a laugh. Try and keep the email conversation going.

  • charlotto on 13/10/2015 - 03:10
    +4

    I work on oil rigs and you have access to phones. It is a welfare thing that needs to be provided.

    • Charity on 13/10/2015 - 16:26

      scam! oil rigs don't really exist :P

  • StuffnStuff on 13/10/2015 - 07:40

    Its a SCAM, I've had heaps of these types of messages before. You will loose your money and probably your boat. Unless you have full documentation to prove to Paypal it was collected and shipped they will always rule in favour of the buyer.

  • ramshead on 13/10/2015 - 08:56

    Had a similar experience, except that I was offering to buy a boat. The price of the boat was suspiciously attractive. Seller was interstate, but happy to ship (no pun) boat to my address at no cost. In the email exchange, I asked what would happen if after close inspection I didn't like the boat. Seller replied, no probs just tell the transporter to return it to me - there will be no cost to you.
    Things just don't work like that. SCAM.

  • backpaqer on 13/10/2015 - 16:26

    as with any significant financial transaction…"I will shake your hand straight after you have handed me the cash"

  • Kkuba on 19/10/2015 - 09:27

    I have told this story before on OZB, but relevant:

    Funny story, a close family friend of ours is a tour guide who takes foreigners (from his native country) on tours in the Australian outback. He uses Toyotas for his trips. Turns them over every 3-4 years, maintains them meticulously, and sells them with ultra-high KMs.

    Anyway, I believe last year he was selling his Prado (2009), it had high KMs, and so he listed it as the cheapest one on carsales for that year by a significant amount.

    He got an email saying "I'm from a mining company… would like to buy your vehicle…will be coming from interstate…etc."

    Friend was apprehensive about the situation, but organised for the guy to come see/buy the car, gave him his bank details (as requested), and waited.

    Started to become more and more worried that this was a scam.

    Day before the meet up, he logged into this online bank, found the full amount for the car had been deposited in his account. O_O

    Next day, the guy arrived in a taxi from the airport, at the agreed time, got out, had a look around the car said "WOW! it's even better condition that I expected, it looks fantastic! Look, I gotta run and get this car back to Kalgoorlie by Friday, here is the paper work, please sign your name….etc."

    Signed the papers, and off he went. And that was it.

    If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it….might not actually be a duck.

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