As with anything, there are always people who try to cheat the system, and take unfair advantage of other people.

In the day to day eBay life too, you can expect to be ripped off.

First you may notice you get about 10 spoof emails per day from "eBay" and "PayPal" saying that your account has been suspended or expired or needs to be updated. What all of these emails have in common is that they ask you to follow some dodgy link where you are to put in your username and password, which then automatically get sent to some evil person's computer.

Thankfully, Gmail warns me of these imitation emails

"Warning: This message may not be from whom it claims to be. Beware of following any links in it or of providing the sender with any personal information."

It's another way of saying: DON'T DO IT, IT'S A TRAP!

I haven't responded to any of these emails and yet both my eBay and my PayPal accounts seem fine! How peculiar.

Secondly, you may find that you get some overseas interest in your items.

It will be something along these lines:

DEAR SELLER,I WILL LIKE TO BUY THIS VERY ITEM FROM YOU BECAUSE I WANT TO USE IT AS A THANKS GIVING TO THE PASTOR OF MY FIANCE'S CHURCH IN NIGERIA AS IN EASTER GIFTS AND I WILL PAY 900 EURO FOR THE ITEM AND THE SHIPPING TO NIGERIA AND I WILL LIKE TO PAY YOU THROUGH WESTERN UNION MONEY GRAM AND YOU CAN SEND YOUR CONTACT ADDRESS WITH FULL NAME THAT I WILL USE TO MAKE THE PAYMENT TO YOU AT WESTERN UNION MONEY GRAM OKAY AND AS SOON AS YOU SEND YOUR CONTACT ADDRESS AND I WILL MAKE THE PAYMENT TO WESTERN UNION MONEY GRAM AND THEY WILL CONTACT YOU WITH THE PAYMENT CONFIRMATION APPROVAL AND THEY WILL ALSO ASK YOU TO SEND THE SHIPMENT TRACKING NUMBER TO THEM AND AS SOON AS YOU SEND THESHIPMENT TRACKING NUMBER TO WESTERN UNION MONEY GRAM AND THEY WILL BRING YOUR MONEY TO YOU AT HOME OKAY.AND I WILL LIKE YOU TO SEND THE ITEM VIA FEDEX OR DHL COURIER SERVICE,YOU CAN SEND YOUR FULL NAME AND CONTACT ADDRESS THAT I WILL USE TO MAKE THE PAYMENT TO WESTERN UNION MONEY GRAM,THANK YOU""

900 Euros for one antenna. Not bad! If your quick enough you would notice they insist they pay you using Western Union. I'm not even sure how it works, but it's quite dodgy and there's probably some way where they don't end up paying you.

Now read this one:

Dear seller, How are you doing? your business and family.Hope they are all fine.I am interested in your item and I will be paying bidpay via western union auctionpayment.Also am sending it to my Friend in Nigeria as a Graduation gift which I need urgently and i have to send it before the week runs out.I will pay you the sum of AU $ 250.00 just for me to get this.Concerning the shipping I will want you to send me the shipping quote down to Africa (Nigeria) via Fedex or DHL, Special Delivery down to Nigeria. NB: I will want you to send me your full name and contact address so that payment can proceed for the item bidoay via western union auctionpayment. So i will be hoping to hear from you from you soonest. Thanks

Hey wait a minute! Another one from Nigeria. And again they explicitly state they want to pay with Western Union! How odd!

When I asked this person why in the Lord's name he would pay $250 dollars for one antenna and if he was pulling a scam he replied;

hello,
what do you mean ? do think i want to scam you don't think like that get back to me asap
Thanks

He never emailed me again. I hope he found an alternative graduation gift for his friend... Who the fuck gives someone a mobile phone antenna as a graduation gift in the first place?! Lame Nigerians.

And lastly:

Dear sir/madam compliment of the season to you all and a happy easter. i want to buy your product, for my younger sister and her husband in the united kingdon. london whom just got married on easter day, i will like to buy your ....... motorola v600, at Au.1.450.00 dollas, And i will be paying you [Via western union Auction Payment, for the phones and for the shipment of the phones to my sister in the uk[london] i want 2 pieces of your phones for my sister and her husband. thank you, and hope to hear in from you, instant reply, from rose kendel.

This wanghead opens with "compliment of the season to you". Perfect English there, also seeing as he can't read my item description. I sell the antennas, NOT the phone. Notice how this person too, insists on paying with Western Union. And please, find a better wedding gift than a mobile phone antenna!

So just beware! I remember when I first got the email saying someone would pay $250 for one antenna I couldn't believe it! Of course, I soon found out from another eBayer it was all a fake. I wouldn't mind seeing what happens though. I mean you can't send the antenna until you receive the money...

Adieu

This entry was posted on Sunday, April 03, 2005 at 1:40 PM.