Scams against seller

[ColeH]

We put our Airstream on the classified, for sale. And quickly had a text from an interested buyer. No real discussion or questions, he (I assume a he) indicated he wanted to buy it. Then he wanted to pay via a PayPal account. Then he had to pay the 'shipper' who would pick up the trailer- except he could not pay the shipper directly and asked us to send money to the shipper before the rest of the funds would be released. The information ended up on an official looking PayPal site, except it was not.
So we quit with any communication. And want to let folks know that there is this type of stuff out there.
Hope things are well with all, stay safe.

[CBWELL]

Very common scam!! If people are really interested they will come and look at the trailer, or have one of the inspectors listed here take a look at it. Cash or certified cheque is the only safe payment option. Certified cheque deposited at your bank with both parties in attendance is a must, That way your bank can check if the cheque is "good" and not a forgery. Transportation is the problem of the buyer. Have no part of it unless you are delivering the trailer, and paid for delivery up front.

[JMynes]

Any time you have to send money to make a deal move forward it’s likely a scam.

[azflycaster]

PayPal should be another red flag

https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mp...y/common-scams

https://www.paypal.com/us/smarthelp/...t-them-faq3176

[mojo]

Yes there are scammers out there, you need to be careful. However I have bought and sold two used trailers using Paypal deposits to hold the sale and bank to bank transfers to complete the sale. Checks can be forged and running around with $20-100K in cash in your pocket ain't to wise either.

[KK4YZ]

Originally Posted by CBWELL

Very common scam!! If people are really interested they will come and look at the trailer, or have one of the inspectors listed here take a look at it. Cash or certified cheque is the only safe payment option. Certified cheque deposited at your bank with both parties in attendance is a must, That way your bank can check if the cheque is "good" and not a forgery. Transportation is the problem of the buyer. Have no part of it unless you are delivering the trailer, and paid for delivery up front.

I have heard of auto purchase scams involving fake cashiers checks (or is it certified Cheques?). I don’t recall the distinction. But the bottom line is it would take the bank a long time to figure out the payment is bogus. In the meantime, the auto title has already been signed over to the scammer.

What’s the difference between a “certified cheque” and a cashiers check?

[nvestysly]

This type of thing is common with online selling platforms. One way to minimize the issue is to "code" your phone number and email address. That seems to limit the bots that ferret out the postings and bring them to the scammers attention. For example:

987dash654dash3210

john(dot)doe(at)email(dot)com

[CBWELL]

I bought my last Airstream with a Certified cheque from my bank. The seller and I both went to his bank to deposit the cheque, and his bank contacted my bank to certify the cheque given as payment was legitimate. Very easy to do! By talking with sellers and buyers I get a good or bad feeling very quickly! Follow your instincts. Use common sense and logic. If it is too good to be true it usually is. Don't be in a rush, ask questions, and don't be afraid to contact your bank etc if something doesn't seem right.