Scam in progress: Received request to change shipping address to known scam address.

[jrock1956]

Sold an $800 item, and received a message shortly after from someone that wasn't the buyer, asking to change the shipping address.  I looked up the address, and found the same address being used in multiple threads about Ebay scams, from a few years ago.

The account that sent the message was created today, and when I went to look at the original buyer's account, it said that that account was created today as well.  Based on that, it seems like a pretty good chance that they are connected, no?

When I click on the name of the person who sent me the message, it now says 'user is no longer a registered user'.  The automated Ebay message on the order says "The buyer has paid for this order and we're processing the payment. When processing is complete, the funds will be available for payout".

I'm contacting Ebay, but curious if anyone has any info as to how to proceed here. I've been searching for this issue, but haven't found a lot of discussion about how it was resolved.

If the original buyer's account hadn't been created today, I probably would have just sent it out to them, but since their account was created today, I'm worried that they are connected to the scam, and I'm hesitant to proceed.

Any input?

This was the address:

Tamuna Skhirtladze

2213 Olgerown rd unit B

P -PON 68949

Newalk , DE 19711

[vintagecraze50]

One caveat on here is this and you ALWAYS DO THIS. NEVER EVER ship to an address that is not on the buyer’s account info here on ebay. If they want it shipped somewhere else you tell then you must cancel the transaction and add the new address onto their account. If they do not do that. NO SHIP.

[kensgiftshop]

@jrock1956 

Check the payment section to see if the buyer paid and don't rely on emails.

[uniwarehousewares]

even if some one from legit account purchase something and later ask to change the address, in my opinion cancel the order and ask buyer to update the address and place order again, if buyer open later case with paypal then seller will loose case if shipped on different address other then on order. unfortunately ebay leave open door for scammers to do this.  ebay should not allow buyers to ask seller to ship on different address. this thing causing and motivate scammers.

[itsjustasprain]

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@jrock1956 wrote:

If the original buyer's account hadn't been created today, I probably would have just sent it out to them, but since their account was created today, I'm worried that they are connected to the scam, and I'm hesitant to proceed.

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There is no way to tell if they are connected to the scam because the scam itself was in the form of a message from a different account. Those messages are sent out in bulk to every recent highly scammed sale as many as possible before Ebay detects the messages and nukes the account. The buyer probably does not know anything about that message.

If your actual buyer has paid and you can look in your sold item list and Ebay is telling you there that its time to ship then send it out. Remember that because your sale is more than $750 then you are required to add Signature confirmation to the package.

[nkmipgolf]

100% a scam. The real buyer (or new scammer) may have bought it but scammers send an email asking for an address change and hopes the seller changes it, happens often on high $$ items asking to ship ASAP overnight to avoid detection.   As for the new account today on a $800 item I would say sorry but no thanks and relist claiming address issue. 

[jrock1956]

For an update, I received a lot of advice stating to cancel the order and block the buyer.  I contacted Ebay customer support, and they said cancelling the order would be appropriate in this situation.  That's what I did.

[pjcdn2005]

I hope that you contacted the buyer and explained why you cancelled. It's possible that they were legitimate buyers and had absolutely nothing to do with the scammer.  In that case, it really isn't fair that they were penalized for something that a stranger did.

[electronicgoodiesinc]

Got the same person today, luckily I didn't fall for it.