[StretfordEndArising]

Would like to make people aware of a scam that seems to be doing the rounds on Facebook Marketplace.

About a week ago I fell foul of said scam. Like an absolute d***head I payed via PayPal using friends and family. And before any clever and helpful trolls call me an idiot…..I ALREADY KNOW!!!!

Anyway, the parts in question were Dura Ace Di2 and the scammer went by the name of ‘Gary Thwaite’ it later transpired that Gary was a decent guy and his identity had been stolen (I actually tracked him down and chatted on the phone) he said other people had contacted him about similar. I believe that this is linked to other fake accounts with names such as Jerry Howard and Jack Byrne.

How did I stupidly get sucked in you ask? Well the scammer originally was saying that I could collect. It was only when I looked at travel distance I suggested postage. We agreed a price and he suggested I pay with PayPal friends and family to save on fees (I know, I know!) I said I wasn’t comfortable, he then sent me his address and his business card which checked out. This coupled with the fact that he’d previously ok’d a physical pick up…..led me to take a calculated risk with the payment. Fail. Excuses ensued until the messages were dropped completely.

Needless to say, no chance of refund. Bank won’t touch it because it’s a direct debit to PayPal. PayPal are giving it the ‘no buyer protection’ thing that they always do. I’ve actually lodged a complaint with them which will probably fall on deaf ears, but I do think there’s some questions to answer. Namely, why aren’t PayPal doing more to combat fraud. By creating this loophole they are actually supporting this crime. You can obviously say ‘well they are supporting the battle against fraud with buyer protection, it’s up to you to use it’ but people do get duped and if they could chargeback genuine fraud/scam payments it would leave the scammers in a tougher position.

I digress. Should anyone have any info then please message me. Any similar experiences please post up. Most of all, please be vigilant.

Topic

[Anonymous]

Fraud in the UK alone is now
Fraud in the UK alone is now in the billions of pounds per year. This figure includes all fraud. That means the pig butchering scams, the bait and switch scams, the outright i am just going to steal from you scams. All of them

The cops are not going to do a damn thing. The only way you can protect yourself is treating all as suspicious.

I bought a used electronic drumset a few years ago but i still went the few hundred miles by train and paid by cash once we met up. I am not sending some guy i have never met money. People are far too naiive and dotn question things enough.

[StretfordEndArising]

Can’t remember. But it was

Can’t remember. But it was months as opposed to weeks.

[sjamesorr]

Did you get your money back?

Did you get your money back? it just happened to me!

 

[sjamesorr]

How long after you kicked off

How long after you kicked off did you get your money back? 

[StretfordEndArising]

I made a LOT of noise with

I made a LOT of noise with the ombudsman and local MP……..

[sjamesorr]

Thanks – how did you get

Thanks – how did you get recompensated? Paypal are having none of it. 

[StretfordEndArising]

Read all comments on thread.

Read all comments on thread. I was fortunate and managed to get recompensed.

[sjamesorr]

Hi, I have just come across

Hi, I have just come across this and going through something similar with the same scammer! Even sent me a picture of his passport to confirm the identity and prove that he was a legitimate seller! (Gary Waite). Asked me to pay into his ‘wife’s’ account. I stupidly did. Did any of you above manage to sort with paypal? 

[kil0ran]

Good overview here of legal

Good overview here of legal rights when buying online and using Paypal as a payment processors

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/credit-cards/PayPal-Section75/

[Secret_squirrel]

I used to lurk around

I used to lurk around retrobike.co.uk a lot.  Most sellers/buyers on there used to use PP F&F all the time.  I must have bought and sold thousands of pounds worth of kit using it.

The key thing to remember is that you can pay the fees yourself.  So respond to the seller saying that and see what they do….

The phrase on retrobike was always “PP Friends and family or you pay the fees”.

I paid the fees a couple of times when it was oversea’s stuff.

[PH1]

Hello,  I got caught out with

Hello,  I got caught out with this too after buying some FOX 38 MTB forks! I’m going speak to pay pal too and see if I can get some money back. I cant believe pay pal still have his profile up and listed email address to pay him (Jack Byrne).  P

 

[Rendel Harris]

All to easy to do I’m afraid,

All too easy to do I’m afraid, I stupidly lost a considerable amount paid for a non-existent Macbook a few years back by falling for a sob story (“I’m only selling this because I’m a student who’s really struggling to make ends meet, I can’t afford to pay Paypal fees”). Since then if anyone says can I use friends and family payments I say I’ll add the commercial fees to the amount I send (it’s only 2% or so, which makes little odds unless you’re buying something really expensive); genuine sellers are fine with it, the scammers don’t come back.

[henryb]

PRSboy wrote:

Doesn’t sound like you did anything wrong… 

The OP does admit to what they did wrong, which is to use Paypal ‘Friends & Family’ (which doesn’t provide buyer protection) to pay someone who wasn’t personally known to them for goods or services. 

[PRSboy]

Doesn’t sound like you did

Doesn’t sound like you did anything wrong… when buying anything at all via an online marketplace we’re all taking a risk and I would have done the same in the circumstances.  Thanks for the warning-  I was thinking of buying a guitar effects pedal via FB and now I know to be on my guard.

[StretfordEndArising]

Word of caution.

Word of caution.

Seen a Di2 DA groupset for sale on FB Marketplace. Looks extremely dodgy. Seller name is Josh Wilson. £720

[Author]

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