Problem with scammers sending fake best offers and then trying to get me to text a number.

[joycroe_0]

So in the past few days I've received best offers for 2 of my items. Both items exactly 10 dollars more than the starting auction price. Well, the 2 accounts haven't paid so I decided to look into their profiles and EACH different profile contains the same message: "Kindly text me on my number +1 689 290 2669 for more questions about your item so that i can make the payment right now ".  What's odder is that when I initially checked both profiles after already accepting the offer, only 1 profile had the text message number. Now today as I check again they both have it, so the profile was recently changed.

This is incredibly frustrating as each of the items were gaining quite a lot of traffic and now I have to wait a week before going through the no payment process. What's more is that I don't seem to have any option to cancel the order due to scam buyers.

[wastingtime101]

As you're aware, these are scammers. Do not respond. Block the IDs. Report them through the message.

You're still a relatively new seller (less than 150 sales) and selling in categories that draw in scammers, so as long as you use 'best offer' you'll keep running into this.

[mtgraves7984]

What's more is that I don't seem to have any option to cancel the order due to scam buyers.

@joycroe_0 

You can't cancel "due to scam buyers", but you can cancel for non-payment on Day 5... or in 96 hrs, 1 second.

[joycroe_0]

Well they didn't actually send me a message. I'm only going off what is instructed in their profile, so I'm not sure how report them. I know admins from Ebay participate on these forums so I was hoping one of them would come across this message.

[joycroe_0]

I also find it odd that this is a best offer problem. Why wouldn't they try it in auctions as well?

Very strange.

[inhawaii]

Yet another reason not to offer/accept best offers.

[wastingtime101]

eBay reps on this forum will tell you to contact CS to report the IDs. (You're actually not allowed to post the IDs on this forum.)

You can report to CS reps through chat here:

https://www.ebay.com/help/contact_us?id=4002&st=10

Scammers pull this with auctions, too.

[southern*sweet*tea]

Scammers will try to get you to take the sale off of eBay, or get your personal information so they can send you a fake payment email, hoping you are too new and naive to verify that you have actually been paid. No LEGITIMATE buyer needs that information.

RED FLAGS

1. Buyer asks for your email address, Paypal address
2. Buyer sends you a phone number to text/call him/her
3. Buyer asks you to buy gift cards to go with the order
4. Buyer asks you to send the item to a different address after paying
5. Buyer wants you to send the item overnight/express and will pay you a lot extra to do this
6. Buyers says that they cannot pay through the eBay website and sends you a link to click on so that the payment will go through
7. Buyer offers more for your item than the price you have it listed for

If ANY of the above happen, do not contact the buyer or respond to any messages from them. Block them here: https://www.ebay.com/bmgt/BuyerBlock This will prevent them from buying from you.

If they actually purchased, won an auction, or you accepted an offer, after four full days do an unpaid item cancellation. You can do that here: https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/getting-paid/cancelling-transaction?id=4136 Once you do that you can relist.

Also report the buyer: https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/resolving-buyer-issues/reporting-issue-buyer?id=4084 Use the reason "asking to complete a sale off eBay"

[joycroe_0]

"(You're actually not allowed to post the IDs on this forum.)"

Oops. Sorry mods. It's not letting me edit or delete the message now. Didn't know I was breaking any rules. I just thought it might be helpful for people to see that 2 different accounts are using the same exact phone number for the same scam.