buying a car on facebook market place thru Ebay

[loumet_11]

I've already been told my dream car for 1,000$ off Facebook Market Place purchased via EBAY with 5 200.00$ gift cards was a scam just minutes before I put the money on the cards. My question is, has anyone else received this email address in a similar scam? 

[eburtonlab]

Beware scammers who advertise on other sites and tell you that the transaction will be handled through eBay.

That is not how eBay works. eBay does not rely on users finding ads on Facebook or other sites and sending contact information to a seller. Likely the seller will send a phony "invoice" that appears to be from eBay but is not, asking you to pay with gift cards to have the vehicle shipped to you for a free evaluation period.

eBay has no warehouse and does not ship vehicles. eBay does not handle such transactions or provide "vehicle protection orders". Scammers often promise those things, though. Any phone number you may receive on such an "invoice" does not connect to eBay, but to the scammer.

Anyone that asks you to purchase gift cards or to send card codes to them to complete a transaction is trying to take advantage of you. Anyone asking for a gift card is looking for a gift at your expense. Once anyone else knows the code, your money will be gone and you will have no recourse.

See here for some info about avoiding such scams (US links):

https://pages.motors.ebay.com/buy/security/index.html

https://www.fbi.gov/scams-and-safety/common-fraud-schemes/online-vehicle-sale-fraud

The only way to purchase a vehicle on eBay is to sign in to eBay, find the vehicle on eBay and complete the checkout process on eBay, so that the item appears in your Purchase History. Then you typically meet the seller to inspect the vehicle, pay the seller, and collect the keys, title and vehicle.

If you encountered an ad on another site, contact that site to have the ad removed. eBay is not involved with any ads listed on sites other than eBay itself.

[donsdetour]

If you sent photos of the cards with the back scratched off you are already out your money.

THAT STEAL OF A DEAL was to steal from you.

Oh and eBay had nothing to do with this.

Report it were you found it.

[kathiec]

This is a quite common scam, using many email addresses.

[mtgraves7984]

I'm sure that many have received the same email, or similar ones. I am so sorry that you were among the scammer's prey.

You state that you were told that it was a scam, "... just minutes before I put the money on the cards", so I'm hoping you're not out any money yet. Please help out the next guy by reporting the bogus ad on the site where you found it.

[bonjourami]

These scammers use throw away emails. Probably sitting with his laptop in Nigeria.

[evry1nositswindy]

This is how scammers get their victims.  Did the cashier tell you about the scam before you purchased the cards?

[ittybitnot]

My question is, has anyone else received this email address in a similar scam? 

@loumet_11 

Generally this scam appears here daily, and sometimes more than once.  Some people suspect something might be sketchy, and come here to ask.  Others come after it is too late wondering where their dream car (boat, motor home, truck) can be found.  It is sad to have to tell them it doesn't exist. 

[fab_finds4u]

$30 billion a year is given to car scammers!

 What kind if dream car can you buy for just $1000?

[kensgiftshop]

@loumet_11 

That email address is a throw away email and once it gets shut down, they just get another one and keep on scamming.

[eburtonlab]

My question is, has anyone else received this email address in a similar scam? 

As others have indicated, the scammers use throw-away addresses, so the same scam will appear many times with minor variations -- a different vehicle, a different email address, slight script changes.

Generally, if you copy any single sentence from the scam email and paste it into a search engine in quotes, you can find links to hundreds or even thousands of copies posted on the net, mostly by others who have received it, asking if it is a scam or else pointing it out as a scam.

I recall one distinct variation that went into detail about an eye operation that was the reason for the quick sale. That particular eye-operation variation appeared no less than two hundred times online at the time I searched. And those were just the instances where the recipient felt compelled to post the entire text; no doubt many more received it that never posted about it at all.

More info here:

https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2019/06/put-brakes-phony-online-car-sales

[7606dennis]

I'm afraid that eBay doesn't work like that.  It is a known scam.  You should report it to Facebook.  Unfortunately, eBay can be of no help since they have nothing to do with the scam.

[debm1980]

It just happen to me today.  I wish I would have known earlier what I know now. Sad thing, I won't get my money back and scammers won't get caught. I reported the scam.

[downunder-61]

You have to be diligent but a modicum of common sense is required as well.

I know these scammers can come across as very legit - but would you ever go to Target to pay for something you purchased at Wallmart.

eBay 'GIFT' card also suggests it be used as a Gift on eBay - not as a payment method on another site [Facebook]

Sorry you got caught by this but if it it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck - it is a DUCK.

[fuzzface50]

what I do is if an item I am looking at seems to be too cheap of a deal on facebook, I click on the owners name and see what else they have. I just did that earlier this morning on an enclosed trailer that was only a $1,000 and saw it was listed in 125 different cities so that told me right there it was a scam without getting into any dialog with them.