Does this sound like a scam?

[Workshop Bob]

Hi, I have some things listed on Gumtree and I have just had a call from a gentleman purporting to be from Bahrain interested in buying one of the lathes I have for sale. He said he would pay in full and arrange a shipping agent to collect. He wanted to know my phone number ( which he obviously had as it was he who was calling me) and my address. Neither of which I provided to him. I asked him the company name of the shipping agent so i could Google them but he said he didn't know the UK agents name but he would find out and Email it to me. After speaking to him I Googled the phone number and it was coming up as Afghanistan! I don't want to be pessimistic or overly suspicious but this just set all the alarm bells ringing in my head.

What are your thought please folks?

 

[Grahamshed]

You have already said it set alarm bells ringing. Trust them and steer well clear of this.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Looks like a duck, walks like a duck, sounds like a duck ... it's a duck.

 

[Rorschach]

Sounds like a scam to me. Ask him to send you cash by post or a western union payment (neither are subject to a charge back of course) and then when that arrives you will help him arrange shipping.

 

[Workshop Bob]

That's kind of how I left it there, I wanted the details of the shipping agent and they were to pay in cash on collection etc.

Thanks for confirming my suspicions all.

 

[Racers]

With your name, address, bank account details the world is their oyster.

Pete

 

[lurker]

With your name, address, bank account details the world is their oyster.

Pete

I fink you mean lobster, Rodney.

 

[AJB Temple]

Cash (in large sums) is not safe unless you take it to the bank before parting with the goods and have the bank run the notes through their machine and credit to your account there and then. CHAPS is safe. If someone pays by CHAPS I don't care where they come from. PayPal is not safe - it is outside the UK regulatory net.

 

[Stanleymonkey]

Friend sold an ipad on ebay


Same things started happening. Calls from abroad. Please ship it.

Was all dodgy.

Avoid like the plague

 

[Rorschach]

A CHAPS or BACS payment could still be subject to chargeback though, the senders banks could dispute it with your bank and tie up the funds.

The most reliable is Western Union I think, they pay in cash at their end, send you the ref number, you go to a local centre (many travel agents and post offices do it) give the ref number, fill in a form and they pay you in cash on the spot. No chance at all of anyone claiming their money back once you have that cash in hand.

 

[otter]

Someone living in Bahrain be looking on British Gumtree for a lathe? Rigggggggghht...