PSA: Whole lotta scamming going on in Classifieds

[spsphotos]

I've contemplated selling my Air2 and Mini 3 Pro here, but am concerned of fake PP payments from stolen accounts. I tend to sell my drones local, cash in hand, face to face. That way I can know that they person is real and they can see that the drone is in working order, etc.

 

[GroovyGeek]

Yes, PP tends to side with the buyer during most disputes.

 

[Bad Santa]

Here's the latest on the cash in hand scammer.

This is the second time this has happened so it's probably the same person.

Mini 4 pro is listed in the town on Craigslist.
The town in the description is at least 100 miles away.

First time it was close enough that I was willing to drive to meet the person. They set a time and location to meet. I agreed and said I'd be there.
I took the cash out of the bank (I still have it in my pocket) and the moment to meet got close. I texted one final time to make sure the deal was still on.
I was ghosted.

OK, No big deal.

_________________________________________________________________________

Today, I saw an ad for a Mini 4 near enough. Technically a 2 hour drive.
I contacted the person. We haggled and agreed to a price.
My son lives nearby there so I switched it up and said my son would meet him for the sale. My son even went to the bank to pull out the cash.
He even took a call from the guy to discuss where to meet. The meet was in an hour and a half.

Fifteen minutes later my son gets a text from the person saying they changed their mind (sentimental reasons) and just can't let it go.

The ad is no longer on Craigslist in that area.

So I went online to check other nearby areas.

Well, it's listed in many place with slightly different descriptions and in different rural cities. AND A LOWER PRICE!!!

Even if you plan to meet face to face, there's shady stuff going on. MEET IN PUBLIC and take someone with you

 

[jephoto]

Ask them to email you a copy of their driver's license if they don't/won't move on.

Doesn’t that put the person sending a photo or copy of their drivers license at risk for future scams? I’m real careful who I send photos of my ID’s to.
Kind of a 2 edged sword…

 

[jephoto]

Doesn’t that put the person sending a photo or copy of their drivers license at risk for future scams? I’m real careful who I send photos of my ID’s to.
Kind of a 2 edged sword…

Just read other posts about blurring the luc. Number & birth date. That’s better

 

[GFields]

Doesn’t that put the person sending a photo or copy of their drivers license at risk for future scams? I’m real careful who I send photos of my ID’s to.
Kind of a 2 edged sword…

NO, not at all. I ask them to blur out the number. It provides proof of identity and give you their address. If they don't want to, that's ok. I just don't buy form them. In addition, I always use PayPal's good/services to buy which give you an additional layer of protection. When buying products from strangers online, you cannot be too careful.

 

[Bad Santa]

The plot thickens.

The scammer didn't pay attention to who he was trying to scam.

This morning I woke to a message attempting to get me to buy the drone but it was like he'd never talked to me before.
It was a response to my original offer with him making a claim.

When I called him on it, he realized what "deal" he'd walked back into and then forgot whether it was me or my son and thought he messaged my son.

The discussion degraded very fast.

I'm more than willing to share the conversation with whoever that wants to see it.

His ads for the mini 4 pro are no longer around.

If you're thinking about buying a drone, insist on face to face meeting.
Get them to send you the serial number of the drone, then follow up after they provide it with requiring them to send a picture of the serial number with a hand written note with a code of your choosing. (something like "butterfly"). This prevents them from just pulling an image off the internet to send you. (Although AI could still generate one).

A legit seller won't have a problem with scam verification.

 

[GroovyGeek]

If you live outside a large urban area a f2f transaction may be difficult. The number of buyers is small. I have bought and sold camera lenses and bodies at forums for over 20 years and until now had never gotten scammed. In fact, I have shipped $2k+ lenses on a handshake agreement and promise to pay.

There are multiple ways to minimize the chances of getting scammed. It is important not to rush and to follow your intuition. A legit seller will never push you into making a rush decision. The moment you hear "I have 3 other interested buyers so make a decision now" you should pass.