Not sure where to put this...

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   Nicole Winterposted 15 years ago

   So, some of you guys know that I've been trying to sell my IPOD for... well, like two months now.  Before you start getting all clickity, no, I'm not trying to use HubPages to sell my IPOD, I want to discuss an e-mail that I got from a prospective buyer.  There's no "internet" topic under topics, but there is a technology topic listing, but I don't really think it would go well under there, so I'm posting this here instead... Prospective buyer sends me an e-mail that goes like this:
   
   Hello ,
   
           I do appreciate your reply and very much interested in buying it from you.i want you to know that am okay with the amount of the Ipod  $300 . Am making this as birthday gift for my close relative who reside in west-africa. I would have love that you send it to me here in "Chicago"then i can have it package and shipped out but i can't because am handicap and am on a wheel chair. So i seek your assistance in sending it to him.
   
   My mode of payment is via Pay-pal and i will like you to give your Pay-pal account for me to send money in to your account
   
   The shipping will be via USPS(United States Postal Service)Global Express Mail "EMS" www.usps.com you can check, $50 for shipping to africa making total payment $350. Below is the shipping address were the item we be send to:
   
   Name: Moses Willison
   Address: 90, Adebola Street Off Adeniran Ogunsanya.
   City: Surulere
   State: Lagos
   Country: Nigeria
   Zip Code: 23401
   
   Awaiting your urgent mail, so that i can make payment to you via Pay-pal today and you can have item sent tomorrow morning . Have a nice day
   
   Thank you and God Bless.
   Nia
   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   Correct me if you think I'm wrong, but doesn't this sound AWFUL fishy?  I've reposted the ad to the Chicago Reader & the Chicago Craiglist site specifically because I want to meet someone in person and in a public place to sell my IPOD for nothing other than cash or a money order.  I think I'm being smart here, but the boyfriend thinks I need to sell it.  NOW.  So I can make another payment on my rent.  Now, my landlord is being pretty cool, so I don't feel like I have to rush out and sell the thing to just anybody who will probably rip me off and get my precious, precious technology to boot.  I've been getting a ton of e-mails from people who want to send this IPOD all over the world, (it's always a gift for some relative,) and don't live in Chicago, or want to do things with a bank cheque or some other weirdness because they're too busy to meet me.  Any advice / comments, guys?
   
   --- NAW

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2. 57

   Mark Knowlesposted 15 years ago

   Once you have been paid - then send it

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3. 60

   Nicole Winterposted 15 years ago

   Yeah, but Mark, can't they get their money back from me through PayPal after they've received the item?
   
   --- NAW

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   1. 57

      Mark Knowlesposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      I don't think so no. Although, I wouldn't trust paypal as far as I could throw them.

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      darksideposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      Yes they can.
      
      I know someone who sold something through ebay, got the money, the buyer made a complaint about the condition that the product was in after they received it, and they got a refund. And never sent back the product.
      
      Nigeria has a very bad reputation (though the incident that happened with the person I know didn't involve a Nigerian) and it's been well deserved too. Personally I wouldn't sell the item to this person.

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   jim10posted 15 years ago

   It sound very questionable. Try selling it on Craigslist and have them pay cash. Are you expecting too much money for the Ipod. I would expect it to sell a lot faster.

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   1. 60

      Nicole Winterposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      Jim, yeah.  $300 for a 1st Generation (excellent working order,) IPOD mini.  My thing is that I think they're going to be collectibles, and... well, I don't really want to sell it, so I want as much money as possible for it, because I love it and it's my baby, and it's 6GB of my music down the drain 'cuz I can't figure out how to upload my IPOD to my ITUNES library.  And yeah, I am asking for cash / money order and for someone to meet me in a public place around Chicago.  I've been getting a lot of replies offering everything but, and they all sound a little fishy to me.
      
      ---NAW

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      1. 0

         daflaposted 15 years agoin reply to this

         That is a well known Nigerian scam.  You'll lose all $350 and your Ipod.  Don't do it.

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         1. 60

            Nicole Winterposted 15 years agoin reply to this

            Do you know how they use Paypal to scam people, though?  Do they get refunds somehow through PayPal?

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            Dottie1posted 15 years agoin reply to this

            Ditto

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5. 86

   stephhicks68posted 15 years ago

   I think it looks fishy.  I wouldn't sell it for other than cold hard cash.  If you need payment so badly, then the last thing you want is to lose your iPod and then have to try to track down the person that stole it from you through a scam.  I wouldn't do PayPal - plus, you lose a part of the sale through fees.

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   1. 60

      Nicole Winterposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks, stephhicks, I'm happy to see I'm not the only person who feels this way, I think my boyfriend is just worried that I'll end up on the streets with my IPOD and little else.  I'm working it elsewhere, so I'm going to hang onto my technology until I get an offer too good to refuse that meets my requirements.

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6. 63

   Mishaposted 15 years ago

   What Dafla and Darkside said.
   It's not a little fishy, it's a scam, and you don't have to know all the mechanics to tell it's a scam. Ipods mini are sold on Ebay below $100. What makes you thinking you are getting a free lunch this time? This thing sounds exactly too good to be true, no matter how exactly they are going to rip you off of your money.

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   spryteposted 15 years ago

   To be honest...when I first read the email from Nigeria, I thought..."you can't be serious."
   
   Here's why:
   
   The letter reads...
   
   "My mode of payment is via Pay-pal and i will like you to give your Pay-pal account for me to send money in to your account."
   
   You NEVER give your Pay-pal information directly to the buyer.  EVER.  You give Paypal the information on your buyer.  You aren't sending him $350.00...you've just given him complete access to whatever bank account is tied into your paypal account.
   
   If you sell your IPOD through ebay, the price probably won't be as good as you want, but you do not have to deal directly with the buyer (except to ship the package) and all financial matters can be put through Paypal who guarantees your payment.
   
   Good luck!

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8. 60

   Nicole Winterposted 15 years ago

   Thanks so much guys for your comments and observations!  I really appreciate everything ya'all have had to say on the subject, I've deleted the original e-mail after saving the addy to a folder called "Scams and DNO" (do not opens,) I didn't even think about it at the time, I thought her english was just poor, she couldn't possibly be asking me for my PayPal account info, but you're right, she was, it's right there in the e-mail.    What a world we live in!  Thanks for the reality check, guys.
   
   --- NAW

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9. 83

   DonnaCSmithposted 15 years ago

   It is a scam. Ignore it. I get these simular ads every time I post ads online - selling horses, riding lessons, anything!

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10. 59

    efegloposted 15 years ago

    Please can someone help new Hub writers at least for us to be encourage and tell how we are doing? Hub writers are very encouraging.

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