ebayauctionguy
|
posted on August 4, 2003 06:58:39 PM new
I just had the most bizarre transaction yet on ebay. I sold a couple of video game consoles to "Bryan Adams" from Canada (2 feedbacks at the time, now NARU). He paid by Bidpay and asked if he could use his own UPS account for shipping. I agreed and used the shipping label that he emailed. The label was addressed to someone in Nigeria, but I figured that this was for charity. UPS picked it up and everything seemed fine.
A few days later, I get an internet relay telephone call at 5 a.m. from "Bryan Adams" asking if I attached a customs form. (I'm not a morning person and I was pissed!) I said it was it was fine and then hung up. Ten days later (today), UPS calls me up and said that the person who the package was addressed to did not reside at the Nigerian address. UPS called me because the account was in my name!!
Evidently, this scumbag opened an international UPS shipping account in my name and I didn't even have the slightest idea. UPS said that another package was also shipped to Nigeria in this same account that was under my name.
After explaining to the UPS lady the details of the transaction, she said that this was definitely a scam and they froze the account. She said that I probably will not be liable for the shipping charges. I didn't tell her but there's no way in hell I'll be payin' for a fraudulent account in my name!
I'm still trying to figure out this scam. He paid by Bidpay and I received a legit money order and so real cash must have been paid to Bidpay. No loss out of my pocket. I emailed Bidpay to alert them that the shipping address was different from the payer's address. They replied that everything looked ok.
Unless he paid Billpay with fraudulent funds, then he only scammed free shipping to Nigeria. Shipping the package legitimately to Nigeria by USPS surface mail would have cost only about $27.00. Why bother with a scam?
[ edited by ebayauctionguy on Aug 5, 2003 04:16 PM ]
|
fenix03
|
posted on August 4, 2003 07:06:34 PM new
Since the label address was surprising to you I'm assuming that the BidPay address was not Nigerian? If this is the case then Bidpay was probably paid using a stolen credit card.
~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~
If it's really Common Sense, why do so few people actually have it?
|
ebayauctionguy
|
posted on August 4, 2003 07:14:51 PM new
I emailed Bidpay and told them that the shipping address was different from the Bidpay address, but they replied that it looked ok.
|
AuctionAce
|
posted on August 4, 2003 07:20:39 PM new
Looks like you commited a few of the cardinal no-no's of selling.
-------------- sig file -----------Growing older is mandatory. Growing up is optional. .
|
CBlev65252
|
posted on August 5, 2003 04:35:38 AM new
"Nigeria" would have tipped me off immediately that something wasn't right. There are numerous scams coming out of Nigeria. Do you remember the emails going around some time ago? They refered to these people having a lot of money they wanted to share with you, but needed a bank account in which to put the funds? Nigeria.
How did he get all the personal information to open a UPS account in your name? Last time I went to open one, I had to supply my SS number (although this was quite some time ago). You also have to register at their site with a name and password. My question is, how did he get your personal information?
Cheryl
Power to the people. Power to the people, right on. - John Lennon
|
chathamsue
|
posted on August 5, 2003 04:50:29 AM new
It is possible he paid you 'legitimately' through bidpay just to get an account set up in your name. Then he sent the other package - that cost way more than the $27 - to who-knows-where. In the long run he saved himself a bundle.
|
Twelvepole
|
posted on August 5, 2003 05:21:40 AM new
Weird is right, Cheryl brought up a good point, how did they open an account in your name?
AIN'T LIFE GRAND... 
|
chathamsue
|
posted on August 5, 2003 05:28:06 AM new
Cheryl brought up a good point, how did they open an account in your name?
Didn't they get the address when they got their ebay invoice? What else would they need that they couldn't falsify?
|
CBlev65252
|
posted on August 5, 2003 07:54:55 AM new
If all you needed was an address to open an account in someone else's name (especially a credit account like UPS), we'd all be in a load of trouble. You need more than just an address to open credit accounts. UPS does not just open accounts. They do credit checks and the whole gammut. They are not about to lose their shirts by opening an account for just anyone. I also had to enter some personal information into Bidpay. So, just an address won't do it.
Cheryl
Power to the people. Power to the people, right on. - John Lennon
|
paloma91
|
posted on August 5, 2003 08:29:02 AM new
ebayauctinguy, thanks for sharing. I take bidpay all the time. Here is another thing to put in my Yellow alert file!
|
neroter12
|
posted on August 5, 2003 08:52:03 AM new
I opened a UPS account on line and I dont remember them asking for SS or anything. (They may have asked for a CC -- but that can be faked, right?)
Once had a buyer from Germany and after EOA email, HIS account would not accept my emails. He then requested information from EBAY on me, saying he was trying to contact me. He wound up not following thru on the transaction. But I never trusted the whole thing. I dont like this request for info idea with ebay with so many scammers out there.
|
AuctionAce
|
posted on August 5, 2003 09:47:56 AM new
That must be how the scamsters do it. They get a sellers shipping info and then use a stolen credit card and set up an account with the name on the credit card and the address the seller provided. That way any tracing of the shipment leads right back to the poor seller that gave his info to the scamster. The stolen credit card would not have a legit shipping address available for the scamsters to use and that must be a requirement to open an account.
This theory probably has a dozen holes in it. 
-------------- sig file -----------Growing older is mandatory. Growing up is optional. .
|
CBlev65252
|
posted on August 5, 2003 10:25:55 AM new
Last I checked, you have to use the correct billing address of a credit card in order to use it. The address is checked against the card unless using the card in person.
Cheryl
Power to the people. Power to the people, right on. - John Lennon
|
neroter12
|
posted on August 5, 2003 10:48:05 AM new
I dont know........we need a criminal mind to figure this one out!!!
|
CBlev65252
|
posted on August 5, 2003 10:50:47 AM new
I wonder who we can get? This one surely has me stumped. Any criminals out there?
Cheryl
Power to the people. Power to the people, right on. - John Lennon
|
neroter12
|
posted on August 5, 2003 10:58:08 AM new
LOL Cheryl!!
Come to think of it - you know what?
I just got a notice from a CC that my application was denied because the promo period expired. It came here to my home address. Kinda spooked me because I didnt send in any application for a new CC. (Not that I can recall anyway. I am almost 100% sure I didn't.)
So......what if the scammer applied for cc in sellers name then reported cc as lost or change of address?
But I guess that doesnt work cause you would need SS# -- unless you used a faked one?
Still stumped!!
|
ebayauctionguy
|
posted on August 5, 2003 04:09:47 PM new
I remember past threads about scams from Nigeria but I received my Bidpay money order and the package was supposed to be charged to the buyer's shipping account. Everything seemed ok. And with no risk to me, I would have shipped it to Kim Jong Il in North Korea if the buyer said so.
I don't know how the buyer set up a UPS account in my name. The only info he had was my name, address and phone #. I guess that he used a stolen credit card.
There was no loss out of my pocket from this scam. (Good thing I don't accept non-US Paypal payments!) Bidpay will probably lose the $45 payment if it was fraudulent and UPS will be out the shipping cost to Nigeria which was probably very expensive.
At first I actually thought it was a really cool thing that the buyer was buying video games for poor African kids.
|
CBlev65252
|
posted on August 5, 2003 04:12:26 PM new
And where would the poor African kids get the equipment to play video games on? I'd hate to think someone is buying video equipment for these kids instead of food, water and educational materials. Thankfully, you aren't out any money! Equally as good you were able to catch it!
Cheryl
Power to the people. Power to the people, right on. - John Lennon
|
