Is this a scam?

[Gobrookeyourself]

Selling a next to me crib on marketplace. Had a message asking where collection is from, then the lady said she was busy with work but could send a happy postman (??) to collect tomorrow and pay cash. It SOUNDS like a scam but I can’t figure out how if it’s cash? I’ve googled happy postmen and they seem to be a parcel company that collect parcels, which confuses me more. Has anyone any experience of this?

thank you!

It’s a scam. Next!

Thank you @Mindthegob , block and move on it is!

It's a very common scam. There's at least a thread a week on here about it.

Is the guy supposed to bring cash?

Yeah, very common scam. If anyone ever says they will send a courier with the money, block them. It happens loads.

Have never heard of this. What is the scam? Does the 'happy postman' turn up, take the item and run off without paying?

I've never heard of this. How is it a scam?

i understand it’s a scam, but don’t understand how. If the ‘postman’ is paying cash, how can there be any issues?

I want to know how the scan works too! I'm considering selling some things and I've never done it before so i would appreciate knowing what red flags to look out for.

In ones I've heard of, the "courier" to pick up the item arrives earlier than the cash. Talks you into handing the item over because the cash is 'literally around the corner, here's a tracking number...' you're pressured, it's stressful, item gets handed over.

Goodbye item and of course no cash turns up.

@Gobrookeyourself
I've just had a look on their website (I think it's the right one) and in the 'avoiding scams and fraud section' it says this:

We do not accept payment by :
PCS recharge
Money orders
in cash
cash by a deliveryman who would come to collect the parcel from you
cash on delivery

I've had this a couple of times too, I stopped selling on Marketplace because it's just full of scammers.

Sweaty - I still don't get that though, who else would be coming with the cash, because surely if someone else was coming they could collect the item and there wouldn't be any need for the 'courier'.

Option 1. The cash is fake
Option 2. Cash never turns up, but you're pressured into handing the goods over anyway.

I don’t get it either. There wouldn’t be two people calling, one for the item and one with the cash.

Also who’s the scammer? The woman who called is in on it with the courier? There can’t be much in it for them as scams go.

I've been selling loads of stuff on FB Marketplace lately and have had several of these.

Usually they tell me they'll send a courier with cash (seems legit, I thought, the first time) but then at the end of our conversation dropped in that I would need to pay "insurance" in case my product doesn't reach them safely. And the "insurance" was £100! That's the scam bit.

I'd heard that the 'buyer' tells you they need to pay for insurance but they can't do it for some reason so they ask you to pay it for them and then they'll add the same amount to the cash. So you pay it by bank transfer/PayPal or something, but they get the money then no one turns up to collect and pay for the item.

Whoops- cross post (and you explained it much better)

Thank you @Suma2021 and @Chocoqueen that makes a lot more sense. I didn’t reply after she mentioned the courier and cash because it sounded dodgy, but presumably that would have been the way the conversation went if I’d continued it. Someone else is supposed to be coming tomorrow to collect so fingers crossed!

I love stuff like this. I drag it out. I act all dumb and pretend I've sent the payment "Did you get it yet?"

"Oh dear. I must have missed a digit! Let me try again!"

Then tell them the long winded story of how your great aunt Ethel was just as ditzy and tried to send you a few thousand pounds, you know, a bit of pocket money, but it ended up with a chap in Basingstoke who shared your surname!. How funny!

Waste their time and see how long it is til they get pissed off and give up.

Just make sure the address for pick up is actually the local police station.m for extra giggles.

The scam will be that you will be contacted by the "courier company" who will ask for a payment upfront, of course the vendor will assure you it will be added into the cash on delivery and you can check it before you hand over the item. No courier will come.

Check in your messages if they actually specify that it's a cot, usually the refer to it as "the item" as they have a copy/paste script. Also the word "kindly" is often used.

If you continue to engage them you are only wasting your own time. They have dozens on the go. They are not arsed.

You’re right @Miffee she never actually refers to the item as what it is, that’s so interesting! The other message I had for the item mentions specifics about it, whereas this is so vague. I would have never thought to look for that, so thank you