Is This Facebook Marketplace Buyer Legit or a Scam?

TinyTimmy on 26/10/2022 - 18:46
Last edited 27/10/2022 - 09:54 by 1 other user

last week this guy messages me to buy a projector screen on Facebook Marketplace. He first tells me that he will pickup later during the week, but on the day he was supposed to pickup he tells me that he was involved in an accident and is in hospital (Unable to pickup for a long time).

He offers to bank transfer the amount and then he will get a Courier to come and pick it up. I said OK and asked him to transfer the amount, he then leaves me on read for half a day and tells me he isn't able to transfer because of an electricity outage in his area. I tell him that he can transfer now and arrange the courier to come 2 days after the payment is received (Just to be safe).

But he ignores this message and keeps asking me if I am receiving emails regarding the courier pickup, and still hasn't talked or mentioned anything about payment. After many messages of me telling him that I would need to receive the payment before the arrangement of courier, he finally bank transfers the money and I tell him that 2 days later he can arrange courier to pickup. This morning a TNT courier comes to my house asking for the parcel but I didn't give it to him because I'm scared that he may retrieve the money as it hasn't been 24 hours?

The only reason I am becoming suspicious of this person is because after some research there seems to be a lot of Facebook scammers who use couriers as a way to scam sellers. Also heard that if you have to think whether it's a scam or not it probably is.

Looking for OzBargainers opinion because I think this is quite weird.

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Comments

  • spackbace on 26/10/2022 - 18:49
    +4

    Shouldn't have gone as far as it did imo

    Has the transaction cleared in your account or is it still pending?

    • TinyTimmy on 26/10/2022 - 20:19

      Pending Transaction, but amount is correct. The whole thing just seems very odd for some reason though.

      • spc12go on 26/10/2022 - 23:38
        +2

        The deposit was done at an ATM where the person making the deposit “claims” to have made a cheque deposit. However this will bounce or not clear after 2 days.

  • SBOB on 26/10/2022 - 18:52
    +7

    99% chance it's a scam.
    How expensive is this projector screen though…seems like a strange target for scam purchase.

    I'd be telling them your happy to hold it until they get out of the hospital. It's not like they are at home to use it anyway if they were legit (which they won't be)

    • Ryanek on 26/10/2022 - 20:06
      +4

      100% it's a scam

      • TinyTimmy on 26/10/2022 - 20:25
        +3

        That's the feeling I'm getting. Especially because he sent me an invoice which he paid $80 dollars for a courier to come and pick this up. I am selling the projector screen for $120, so he's basically paying $200 to get this projector screen which is honestly not the best deal for him.

  • Nutrino on 26/10/2022 - 18:58

    Very weird op. Very weird.

  • bobbified on 26/10/2022 - 19:02
    +3

    he finally bank transfers the money

    How?
    Did he send a screenshot as proof? Is the money in your account? Does the account name match his own name?

    • TinyTimmy on 26/10/2022 - 20:26

      No screenshot but name matches his facebook profile name. The amount is still pending though.

      • bobbified on 26/10/2022 - 22:41

        See if the transaction completes and you can see the money in your account then, I guess.. (I wouldn't accept a PayPal transfer though)

        There's a good chance it's a scam, but from what you've described this guy has done, there's a slight chance it might not be. It all comes down to when/if you get the actual money in your account.

        If the transaction completes and the TNT courier does rock up (and you can verify they're actually an employee of TNT).. then I would let it go and put it down to dealing with a weirdo. Get the delivery address from the courier (if they're a genuine courier).

  • mbck on 26/10/2022 - 19:10
    +3

    Scam. Cash only

  • Some Human on 26/10/2022 - 20:22
    +3

    Pretty standard scam talk there.

    The excuse of why they can't pick it up.
    They mentioned a courier.
    The urgency.

    Block and move on.

  • Porker on 26/10/2022 - 20:23
    +1

    Reads like a scam up until the money being actually transferred into your account - do scammers actually do the transfer?

    Do you know the transfer has occurred because the funds appear in your account or did he email/send you a copy of the transaction?

    EDIT: just read your reply that buyer sent you a copy of the money transfer. Scam.

  • cookie2 on 26/10/2022 - 20:30
    +4

    I haven't read others opinions but by the time you wrote that he'd had an accident, was in hospital but still gave a shit about a tv on fb, it was an obvious scam. Tie in the hospital having electricity problems causing transfer issues and the fact that a courier collected it AND collected early, the answer is staring you in the face.

  • thatonethere on 26/10/2022 - 20:35

    Normally the scam doesnt even result in a courier arriving - ie normally the scam is that you send extra money to cover the courier who never arrives (but you hoped they would bring you cash).

    Maybe check your bank that the funds are fully cleared and not retrievable. Get it in writing.

  • randomusername2017 on 26/10/2022 - 21:01
    +1

    The TNT courier was the buyer?….

    • TinyTimmy on 26/10/2022 - 21:13

      No the buyer said he asked a TNT courier to come and pick it up for him because he is in hospital.

      • cosmicjul on 26/10/2022 - 21:22
        +1

        I’m gonna say that the courier was a fake, which is what randomusername2017 was saying too. Also I thought TNT was fed ex now?

        • TinyTimmy on 26/10/2022 - 21:23

          Any way to tell if TNT Courier is real? He said that the courier should be coming again this friday, anything I should look out for?

          • spc12go on 26/10/2022 - 23:40

            @TinyTimmy: Don’t hand it over till the fund is cleared. Meaning it’s available not pending.

          • Thrift on 27/10/2022 - 13:50
            +4

            @TinyTimmy:

            Any way to tell if TNT Courier is real?

            Call TNT on 13 11 50, tell them a man claiming to be a TNT courier turned up unexpectedly to collect an item you had listed for sale online, and when you refused to hand over the item you were told he would be back Friday. Ask if they can confirm if a TNT courier was booked for a collection at your address.

            https://www.tnt.com/express/en_au/site/support/fraud.html

            If you are in any doubt as to the authenticity of any TNT communication or whether TNT is in fact delivering a shipment intended for you, please contact our customer service department.

            Although this is regarding claimed 'deliveries', they'll be able to help you regarding fake collections. If he is a fake and comes back Friday, try to get a pic of the guy and note his vehicle's registration if you can safely and pass it on to TNT.

        • randomusername2017 on 26/10/2022 - 21:31
          +1

          Was thinking the only way the scammer turns a profit was that he was an opportunistic tnt employee.. possible to share the TNT invoice/con note?

          TNT was acquired by FedEx about 5 years ago…. Still plenty of TNT livery floating around.

  • Danstar on 27/10/2022 - 08:39
    +1

    The good ol' "had an accident and am in hospital" story; but still worrying about buying a projector screen LOL

  • Cheaplikethebird on 27/10/2022 - 08:52
    +2

    Pretty sure hospitals have back-up generators 😂

  • Baysew on 27/10/2022 - 09:56
    +1

    If buyer asks you why didn't give item to courier tell them that the cat had kittens.

  • solidussnake on 27/10/2022 - 17:23

    Car accidents, power outages, pending payments my gosh you are a scammers wet dream

    All that effort for a crappy projector screen you should have just handed it over

  • clover on 30/10/2022 - 01:39

    This proves scammers dont always need to be too sofisticated.

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