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  • 1 Post By kimwy66

Scams on HK Yahoo auctions - I don't get it....

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  1. #1

    Join Date
    May 2009
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    Scams on HK Yahoo auctions - I don't get it....

    I am am just wondering. What are those scams on Yahoo Auctions about?

    People list some cheap crap rather then tossing it in the bin. OK, fine....

    Then they get an email that somebody, often from USA, is interested. It looks like that:

    http://www.swindler-hk.com/2011/05/4...6gmailcom.html

    But what's the aim of the scam? Getting a used mug or Helly Kitty sticker for free?


  2. #2

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    Did you not read all of it? the aim is to get the buyer to send through a shedload of money on the basis that the tiny amount they are trying to send is fiddly small change that the bank won't touch. so could the buy please send USD$500 and the seller will then kindly reimburse the excess via Western Union.

    Yeah right.

    Fiona in HKG likes this.

  3. #3

    Join Date
    Jan 2008
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    11,711
    Quote Originally Posted by flameproof:
    I am am just wondering. What are those scams on Yahoo Auctions about?

    People list some cheap crap rather then tossing it in the bin. OK, fine....

    Then they get an email that somebody, often from USA, is interested. It looks like that:

    http://www.swindler-hk.com/2011/05/4...6gmailcom.html

    But what's the aim of the scam? Getting a used mug or Helly Kitty sticker for free?
    99.99% of dealers/auction creators, in fact, most of sellers are real (there are a few sellers who sell items are not so sensible prices - pro sellers with hundreds of items, there for mores, rarely any bids, but they are not scammers),

    but once in a blue moon, some sellers are arrested for selling illegal or fake items, but this is rare (last time was 2 years ago involving counterfeit bags and software)

    the real scams are originated mostly from Africa ( similar to craiglist scams) and try to persuade sellers to reveal the bank account details so they can be hacked

    sometime, they can target gullible and not so experience sellers to send ( ie, HK$1000 or more) cash over via western union and promise that they get a reward for sending the case only to be ripped off ( ie, " earn" HK$5000 with each transaction), ie, no different from dodgy craiglist scams of hk recent properties ( which don't exist) to expats

    the point is that these sellers are victims as they must be successful as these scammers seems to target sellers with low feedback and unlike ebay. yahoo rarely monitors this plague of scams.

    why yahoo sellers use yahoo, ebay has very small presence here and that their fees are expensive ( 10-12%, high as sotherbys and christies, btw), while yahoo auction charges around 0.5 - 2% and allow direct meet in person trading/bartering ( locally as fast trade) at local mtr and avoid postage charges

    also allows buyers, check the goods first before handing over cash ( some thing that ebay has a very small problem with dodgy advertised descriptions and lengthy after process to claim back money)
    Last edited by imparanoic; 17-02-2014 at 02:54 PM. Reason: edited for accuracy