How I responded to Facebook Marketplace scammers

Watch out for requests to set up PayPal accounts, or pay insurance before someone delivers cash to your door.

OPINION:

“Is this article still available?”

Hmm, article? The item I was selling was not an ‘article’.

Sigh. In four weeks, I would have had four or five scam attempts on Facebook Marketplace.

Most begin with a Messenger approach from someone named Aleksandra, or something similar.

(Sorry to all the lovely, genuine Aleksandras out there.)

The first time, the person lived somewhere in the Northern Hemisphere and wanted to purchase two barstools I was selling.

The premise is that cash will be delivered by a TNT courier, but you have to pay insurance.

(TNT has issued multiple warnings against getting involved in transactions promising this.)

Now, these were fine barstools, but couriering them half a world away seemed a little odd.

The person stopped contact after I helpfully suggested they could buy brand-new barstools for less than what mine, plus freight costs, amounted to.

A few weeks ago, I replied to a fraudulent inquiry:

“Let me guess, you will have a courier send me the money, and they will collect the item. And all I have to do is pay insurance before they pick it up?”

The person replied: “Yes!”.

The most recent approach came from Aleksandra.

I replied: “I have had three fake inquiries from people asking me to a) give money to a courier, b) pay insurance, and c) create a PayPal account for them. I am only interested in genuine inquiries.”

I heard nothing for a day, and felt like I had given them a fright - they knew I was on to them.

The next day, Aleksandra replied: “Okay, I explain to you, a TNT agent will come to your home to give you an envelope containing your money, and once you have checked your money, you give him the item so that he can send it to my home. The TNT postman will come tomorrow at 5pm to your home, are you okay?”

I replied: “P*** off”.

Craig Cooper: I don’t have a PayPal account - my wife does, and annually, we use it to pay $99 for an online golf membership with a club I no longer belong to.

One earlier approach promised to pay me the money, as they were buying my item for a friend - as a special surprise - in Tauranga.

The modus operandi was different - payment was promised, but not by bank transfer. They insisted I give them PayPal details, and when I said I didn’t have a PayPal account, they assured me it was quite simple to set one up.

I don’t have a PayPal account - my wife does, and annually, we use it to pay $99 for an online golf membership with a club I no longer belong to.

Anyway, I declined to set up a PayPal account. There are warnings online against engaging in this type of transaction, by the way.

Still, having looked at the person’s Facebook page, I think there is a 99.5 per cent chance it is fraudulent.

Our chat went like this.

Kancho: Can I have your PayPal details here please so I can send you the money as we speak.

Me: I’m sorry, I don’t have PayPal.

Kancho: Oh, I can currently make use of my PayPal account for my online transactions just for the safety of we both.

Kancho: Kindly set up an account with PayPal now so I can send you the money right and take a screenshot once done.

Me: Sorry, it would have to be payment to a bank account number.

And there, it ended.

Why do I think there is a 0.5 per cent chance Kancho was genuine?

Kancho has a Facebook page, although I am always suspicious of people who have less friends than I do (five - and two of those were accidental button clicks).

On the off chance that ‘Kancho’ does indeed live in Tauranga, though, Kancho, I’m sorry - call me.

The article is still available.

Craig Cooper is a former Hawke’s Bay Today editor. He writes a weekly column, Reverse Spin, about life in the Bay.