Craigslist/ paypal scam

[donny123]

So my friend was selling some new legit electronics on craigslist and noticed that there are a couple of scammers who email him asking if they can purchase the item with paypal and offer like $100+ on the asking price for that convenience. He obviously tells them to "fuck off," but then he thought what if he scams the scammers?

He was thinking that he'd list some fake items on craigslist wait for these pp scammers to email him and play along like some naive person. He'd get them to send the money and shortly after he'd send it to a friend's pp under the facade of a "payment" for some gaming account and then have that money sent his real account as a gift or w/e.

Obviously, he would create a fake email and pp. But there are a couple of questions that he can't get answers to:
1. Can the assets be frozen or taken away when it's reached it's final destination?
2. Who takes the loss? PP or the buyer. If it's the buyer I doubt they could do jack shit about tracing IPs or contacting the internet service provider about illegal activity. But pp might be able to... so what he wants to know is how can he ensure that it won't get traced back to him? Can proxys protect him? What if he uses a proxy on his itouch to sign up for the fake pp? Can they contact your internet provider? (I know he could just go back to a starbucks or w/e he just doesn't feel like going there everyday)

I mean after he got the money he'd cash out real quick so even if the buyer claimed a dispute and the account went negative - it wouldn't matter. It just that he's worried that paypal would pursue the loss.

I obviously told him he was insane idiot, but is he really? Can he get away with it or are there flaws in his plans? He was thinking that he might even send the scammers an empty box with tracking to win the pp dispute and if anything, for shits and giggles.

[UseGardenDept]

First off, they're clearly scammers. Second, scammers aren't going to pay you unless its with a stolen credit card which will get your account locked quickly when the owner reports it. Odds are, they'll want you to send first as they are trying to scam you.

My buddy used to run a major Paypal scam back when Paypal didn't even care if you were verified nor were there any limits on the amount you could withdraw. He'd scam people all over the world on sales of big items. He once got a guy to send him like $900 for a case of new baseball cards less than 15 minutes after he started talking to the guy online. Once its in another account, they won't take it back. Just make sure the accounts have different names and address details. Always take the money out, if there is a dispute its frozen until it gets settled. if they do a cc chargeback, its gone for good. Enough complaints, they lock the account and take whatever is there. Never use any details which can be tied back to you, except your bank account where you are sending the money.

Use an email service like gmail, because the people will be going off on you once they realize they've been scammed. If you live with room mates/parents never give your phone number out or use your real name, they will call you. If the buyer wants references, learn how to fake those as well and remember to use different computers in case they check.

[donny123]

It seems he's not really worried about the seller tracking him down or moving out the money, but the fact the internet source can be traced back to him somehow.

Will using a proxy (on an ipod maybe?) connected to his home internet protect him from being pursued by paypal (if they decide to pursue the loss with a collection agency) Should it just be best to go to the library because it's hella far.

He doesn't think he'll go for much maybe a few hundred dollars for the "ipod" or "tablet" he's selling. So maybe pp won't really give a shit.

[Chrispy3]

I had to register just to respond to this. Don't be stupid. You really think it would be that easy? I was that stupid before I turned 18. I did exactly what your friend is planning on doing. I thought I had gotten away with it and I was so great. About 12 months later a collection agency finally got to me, and I was legally indebted. There's a reason you need to attach a bank account in order to withdraw funds. Paypal pays a collection agency to deal with shit like this. And if your over 18, when they get in contact with you they will rape your credit for something like this.

[Avarice]

Can't you spend the paypal money before you get chargedback? And why would you add your own bank account? That's a clear way to get tracked down. VBAs can be used to verify the paypal and they only cost $10.

[Pascal]

Originally Posted by Avarice

Can't you spend the paypal money before you get chargedback? And why would you add your own bank account? That's a clear way to get tracked down. VBAs can be used to verify the paypal and they only cost $10.

The only way this would work is if you had a dud PayPal account and used a public computer to buy whatever it was that you were going to buy. I mean, it can be done. Just be sure to cover your tracks very well.

[Chrispy3]

Do you honestly believe that a site whose sole function is money transfers doesn't know exactly where that money is going, and that they won't use their collection agency to get it back?
..

[Avarice]

Originally Posted by Chrispy3

Do you honestly believe that a site whose sole function is money transfers doesn't know exactly where that money is going, and that they won't use their collection agency to get it back?
..

I've actually read stories where that was exactly what happened. Someone got scammed somehow and when they chargedback, there was barely any money left in the scammers account. Or it was a buyer who chargedback on a purchase. The thing was, paypal didn't do anything.

If you make yourself untraceable (big if), then how will paypal be able to track you down?

[AllGood552]

What if you used a laptop with a spoofed mac address, using tor, on a random persons wifi to do this:
1. Make fake ebay/paypal
2. List expensive item (~$1k?)
3. Item sells, you get paid
4. Use paypal money to order something to a drop house with next day shipping
5. Get item next day
6. ???
7. Profit!!!

Unless theres some limitation to unverified paypal accounts that I dont know, i dont see why this wouldnt work. And the person wouldn't even realize they were scammed for at least a week since they'd just think the item was on its way.

[UseGardenDept]

Paypal nor a collection agency has the legal authority to get any of your personal info based off just your bank account. Your bank should only release personal info if there is a court order to do so. You probably used your real name/linked a credit card/used real address.

Never use a credit card
Never give your real name
Always use a fake address

If you do get a collection agency letter, demand proof that you owe money or you can just find one of the many pre-written cease and desist all contact letters and mail it certified to them. Its probably a shaddy law firm that just mails out thousands of these letters to kids hoping some get scared and mail them money. They can't mess up your credit because they never extended you credit in the first place.

[Chrispy3]

I used a dud account with no personal information to transfer money to a different account that had my bank attached to it and I got caught. I wouldn't worry about your IP address, paypal isn't a detective agency, I'd worry about finding a way to cash out the money that doesn't involve your identity in any way. If you had access to someone else's credit card or bank information, and opened up an account in someone else's name it could work. A better idea would simply to be the scammer. Buy shitloads of virtual items over the internet, chargeback, the person has no proof of sale since it's a virtual item, and then resell said virtual items while being wary of more scammers.