How Does This Scam Work Then??

[Gizmonster]

I've advertised a settee on Facebook for my mum.
I've just received a message:

//// I take but I would like to come but I am currently busy with work, I will send an InPosT postman to your home to give you your money in cash and collect the item Ok ? ////

I smell a scam, but if someone is going to give me cash, where's the catch??
The only thing I can think is maybe the notes are fake, in which case I'll have my magic pen ready :)

Anyone any further input please??

[Old_Geezer]

First I have heard on inpost. Web says it's a locker service. Is the postman taking the settee and putting it in a locker ?

[Gizmonster]

I've no idea what they're on about OG - they have a foreign sounding name, so their English isn't great.
It doesn't matter to me who collects it if their money is real.
Once they've collected the settee and paid in cash, where does the scam kick in ??

[237SJ]

They ask for more money for the courier up front, or insurance for carriage. It's rife on facebook marketplace.

[KristalBee]

FB market place is full of scammers. Don’t waste your time even thinking how they are going to scam you, just block them.

[Gizmonster]

//// They ask for more money for the courier up front, or insurance for carriage ////

Ah right - now that makes sense.
I think I'll play along for a while .... I'm going to message them and see where this goes next.
I'll keep you informed on here :)

[Buenchico]

Assuming that it is a scam (as, of course, it could be genuine), I suspect that you might be asked to pay a fee to cover the courier's services, with the promise that the same amount will be added onto the cash that you'll receive.

You'll then get a fake InPost invoice, with the money that you pay actually going to the scammer. Then nobody will turn up to pay you any cash (or to collect the item that you're selling).

That's based upon reading the "Facebook Marketplace Courier Scams" section of this page:
https://www.parcel2go.com/content-hub/parcel-delivery-scams

[KristalBee]

Gizmonster, they will never come to your door, it’s exactly what 237sj explained. They hook you in then take your cash -if you are thick enough which obviously you aren’t.

[Gizmonster]

I'm armed armed ready now - I'll give them fake details etc.

..... and even if I upset them too much that they might threaten to come after me ..... I'm using my 2nd FB account in a different name with no friends on it. I use it just for selling purposes :)

[Gizmonster]

The latest message from them:

//// I explain to you, an InPosT agent will come to your home to give you an envelope containing your money, and once you have verified your money you give him the item so that he can send it to my home.

the InPosT postman will be at your home tomorrow at 4 p.m., are you okay? ////

I've just messaged them my "details"

Let's see how long before they ask for cash upfront .....

[237SJ]

I know someone who played along with them. They wanted £150 for carriage. I advertised a handbag on marketplace and had the same attempted scam. The 'purchaser' had a french name but I expect that was someone's facebook they had hacked. Best to just block them.

[Buenchico]

I can't think of any firm in the UK (other than, say, an obliging taxi driver) who would carry cash from a purchaser to a seller and then take the goods in the other direction. There's definitely no mention of such a service on the InPost website: https://inpost.co.uk/

[Gizmonster]

I'll block them in a minute - or they might block me when they realise I'm stringing them along lol.

The latest message is asking for "insurance costs":

//// OK the shipping costs are my responsibility but there are insurance costs for the envelope that you must pay but on this point do not worry I would add that to the initial sum Ok? ////

[jazzgirl]

I tried to report a scammer (typical romance scammer posing as US military with fake photos. fake friends) He is already listed on a scammer's list. FB said they saw nothing wrong and did not remove his fake profile. FB is a scammers' patadise

[Gizmonster]

90 minutes of fun before the scammer left the conversation lol :)

[roopower]

A friend of my daughter's nearly got caught by this - fake notes. There is another where the courier pays into your bank account and immediately withdraws it.

[Gizmonster]

They wanted £48 insurance costs .... yea right !!!!

[Tuvok]

Have a look at these scambaiters on YouTube

Pierogi
Kitboga
Trilogy Media

and

Jim Potts