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AIBU?

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Original poster

AIBU to think this is a scam and not know what to do now.

52 replies

MusicWithRocksIn1t · 25/07/2020 17:34

Yesterday I bought something on FB market, nothing expensive, just something small for the garden and I payed £15 for it.
The seller mentioned they wanted me to pay straight away by PayPal when she confirmed I could buy it as she had other people interested and didnt want to deal with 'time wasters' but I wasn't comfortable paying until I collected it and said so, I offered to pay cash or PayPal when I collected but if this wasn't acceptable to give it to the next person and after some dithering she accepted, she sent me her pay pal and I collected it the next day (yesterday) sent the money by paypal and all seemed fine.

Today she has messaged me saying she didn't receive the money and that there is a typo in her email address that I sent the money too and that I need to send the money again to a completely different email address.

I copy and pasted the email directly from her message so it was her typo not mine (if there even was a typo), so I sent a screenshot of the message showing the email address she sent me and I had already sent her a screenshot of the confirmation of payment from PayPal.

I got an extremely long message back saying I am scamming her out of money, I am lying, her DC will go hungry because of me and saying she will tell everyone what I'm really like.

I screenshot the conversation then blocked her. There have now been a number of other people messaging me telling me how disgusting I am for stealing from this 'poor woman'. It turns out she has put a massive post up on a local FB group showing my profile pic and name and saying not to sell to me (a friend found it and showed me) I've messaged the group admin and its now been taken down but i really don't need this stress and I'm sure she's going to do it again.

Was I BU to not send the money again? I'm fairly sure I wasnt!
What can I do to stop her being such a vindictive cow on SM?

OP posts:
Snarkastic · 25/07/2020 18:40

Of course it's a scam. If it wasn't she'd be interested in working out what had gone wrong and how you could get the money back from the "incorrect" payee rather than launch straight into an aggressive attack accusing you of scamming.

RandomMess · 25/07/2020 18:40

You offered cash and she insisted on PayPal - def her trying to scam you.

Please speak to the moderators. I would actually see if you can chat to the police, you have her actual address and 2 of her PayPal address - she is likely to have scammed others and they may have other complaints to act on? No idea if you can report to PayPal?

BeeTrees · 25/07/2020 18:42

She’s scamming you and threatening you into paying again, she’s probably done it before.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 25/07/2020 18:45

I did use freinds and family as thats what she requested

Why ever would you do that, when Friends and Family doesn't offer buyer protection (something she almost certainly factored in)?

Effectively you gifted her the money, but at least she's had it and you can prove it. Send the whole sorry tale to ebay (not that they'll do anything) and ignore the idiots contacting you ... it'll be their turn soon enough

mlhs4198 · 25/07/2020 18:48

Tell her to fuck off the tramp

BobbieDraper · 25/07/2020 18:49

@Puzzledandpissedoff
This has nothing to do with Ebay. No on bought anything from ebay.

ComeOnBabyPopMyBubble · 25/07/2020 18:55

She's obviously trying to con you by trying to get you to send her money to another of her accounts.

You pain in good faith to the address she gave you. If the addresses are so different that it can't have been a typo (a number/letter off) she's trying to con you.

Or too stupid to differentiate between her accounts/email addresses. Not your problem though.

WiddlinDiddlin · 25/07/2020 19:00

I think it sounds more likely that shes an idiot tbh.. she's given you a paypal address she doesn't want using, has no idea how to refund, and in typical idiot style, kicks off with huge drama at any disagreement.

If you can show you have sent the money to the address requested initially, and that money has gone through, there is no 'reclaim' option as there would be if the address were incorrect, you have done all you need to do.

In future though, NEVER pay someone you do not know and trust, via friends and family, firstly for sales of goods, thats fraudulent on both hers and your part (you are defrauding paypal of fees that would be owing to them) and secondly you've no recourse if she starts anything.

Sparticuscaticus · 25/07/2020 19:01

Do you not have the item you paid for?

This is fraud and you need to Report to police as fraud. You can do that online. Take screen shots and copies of all
Communications and copy all of them into your police report.

Chloemol · 25/07/2020 19:03

Report her to Facebook market and PayPal as a scammer

SunbathingDragon · 25/07/2020 19:10

I disagree about never using PayPal F&F. It’s fine if you use it in the same way you would cash - so if you are on someone’s doorstep and both are sure you have the right details it’s no different to paying cash (which some people might object to due to covid).

I do agree this is a scam though and it’s for a small amount so she probably thought she could guilt you into paying it twice (with her getting both payments).

I would report to FB and also to the non emergency police in case they have had (or have) similar in the future about her.

Shizzlestix · 25/07/2020 19:15

Unblock, get back on the Facebook page and post her email for the PayPal plus your payment showing paid.

Never use Friends and Family even if the seller wants, you can offer to pay the PayPal fees if they’re bothered about that.

EnoughAlready2020 · 25/07/2020 19:18

The "people" in the FB group could all be fake accounts she's made. Sounds like a scam.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 25/07/2020 19:27

This has nothing to do with Ebay. No on bought anything from ebay

My silly mistake - like a fool I read it as eb ay when actually it was FB Blush

InsertHilariousUserName · 25/07/2020 19:29

@Sparticuscaticus

Do you not have the item you paid for?

This is fraud and you need to Report to police as fraud. You can do that online. Take screen shots and copies of all
Communications and copy all of them into your police report.

Yes she does have the item, OP said that. But the woman is saying that she hasnt recieved the money and wants OP to pay again
InFiveMins · 25/07/2020 19:39

She gave you the wrong details. her fault. block and ignore completely.

stayingaliveisawayoflife · 25/07/2020 19:41

Put a post up saying that you understand this is very distressing. Can she confirm privately which paypal account is hers as you have Paypal on the phone and they need to investigate. They are very concerned and may need to report to the fraud squad as you have evidence that you have paid to the account you were given. This of course is not true but may be enough. Keep screenshots of everything!

I bet she will disappear!!!

Louise91417 · 25/07/2020 19:44

Could it be she uses a couple of email addresses but has initially given you one not connected to her paypal account. This would stop her receiving the money but is easy to fix at her end, she can add the second email address to her paypal account and the funds will be available..would she really be scamming for a relatively small amountConfused

Original poster
MusicWithRocksIn1t · 25/07/2020 19:48

I hadn't actually thought of contacting the police because it seemed so petty that they wouldn't be interested.
But I called the out of hours number for advice and have been told someone will call me back to discuss it.

I am wondering if the messages from random strangers are her because most of them type like she did with weird abbreviations. Definitely won't be using friends and family on paypal again though.

Thank you for everyone who's taken the time to read and respond.

OP posts:
Timekeeper1 · 25/07/2020 19:54

She has definitely scammed you. You can unblock her, send her a message, then 'Block Messages' from her, that way she cannot reply to you.

RandomMess · 25/07/2020 19:57

Your £15 is "petty" but why does she have 2 PayPal accounts for a start if she isn't systematically scamming...

Often the police get stuck due to difficulties of getting a true address but you 100% have that.

howfarwevecome · 25/07/2020 20:11

Sounds like she has a couple of paypal accounts on the go and she's scamming you fo rmore money.

Shinesweetfreedom · 25/07/2020 20:40

Have a look though on that Facebook page I mentioned,see if her name comes up.
It seems to be standard practise though complaining about not being able to feed their kids.Another one is if you try to get information out of them,they can’t talk because they are with their child at the hospital.Serviously you should look on that page it is hysterical.

BrieAndChilli · 25/07/2020 21:15

To the pp saying why would she scam for £15? People are likely to repay a small amount than say something like £1k. Even if she gets a couple of people a week Paying double it’s a nice little earner for someone like her.

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