Possible scam??

[efc19698]

Hi all,

I listed an item for sale and received a buy it now (the same day) from a buyer who started a new account the same day.

I was kind of excited to see the item sell quickly but when they asked for additional pictures via whatsapp and then the addition of a 200 pound amazon gift card I got very suspicious.

Message was "I'm currently in USA but want this as a gift sent to UK address and the gift card also"
is there anyway to contact Ebay direct to make sure my account isnt going to get hacked?

I am a new seller but not new to ebay.

[greatstuff80]

New sellers are scam magnets. Look around this board for all the scams people have had happen.  Asking for a gift card is a HUGE red flag. It is most likely a scam. If it were me, I'd add the buyer to my blocked buyer list, cancel the sale and report them. asking you to include stuff not in the listing ( gift card ) is a policy violation. Don't sell expensive stuff on ebay until you get a good feel for it.  Are they also asking you to change the shipping address? Another huge no no. If so, you also lose any seller protections. ebay is known for siding with buyers almost no matter what. 

[stuff4divas]

@efc19698   of course it's a scam, but u need to go to the UK site for the most accurate info.  go to> eBay.co.uk

[lonebuck-books]

100% it's a scam.  New sellers are magnets for scammers.  Don't do anything off site with buyers.  Everything a buyer might need can be done through eBay's message system.  Pictures, further descriptions, whatever.  If they want you to whatsapp, text, call, etc them, it is always a scam.  If they want to add a gift card to give to a friend, it's a scam.  If they want to pay you more for the item and then have you add money to the item because it is a 'gift', it's a scam.

[efc19698]

I cant see where to cancel sale?

[stuff4divas]

@efc19698   again, u need to go to the UK site

[mike_jayroe]

Simple rule to remember. If any one asks for you to include a gift card IT IS A SCAM. Some tried that with me on the second day I joined e-bay. I reported him within 1/2 hour and was told by e-bay he had been removed.

[luckythewinner]

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@efc19698 wrote:

Hi all,

I listed an item for sale and received a buy it now (the same day) from a buyer who started a new account the same day.

I was kind of excited to see the item sell quickly but when they asked for additional pictures via whatsapp and then the addition of a 200 pound amazon gift card I got very suspicious.

Message was "I'm currently in USA but want this as a gift sent to UK address and the gift card also"
is there anyway to contact Ebay direct to make sure my account isnt going to get hacked?

I am a new seller but not new to ebay.

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How did they contact you through WhatsApp?

Did you violate eBay policy by facilitating communication outside the eBay site?

[nobody*s_perfect]

This transaction has so many red flags: off-eBay communication, asking for more info, and above all the gift card.  The scammer would use the off-eBay communication to send you a fake message telling you that you have been paid.

Just don't correspond with this "buyer" any more, and there's no need to contact eBay about this. He almost certainly won't pay within the 4-day waiting period before you can cancel based on "Buyer didn't pay."  Here is the Help page about what to do if a buyer doesn't pay:

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/getting-paid/resolving-unpaid-items-buyers?id=4137 

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@luckythewinner wrote: ... How did they contact you through WhatsApp?

Did you violate eBay policy by facilitating communication outside the eBay site?

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The buyer might have used regular eBay messaging to provide their own whatsapp contact info to get started with off-eBay shenanigans.