Warning: new scam technique in operation

Watch out for a new type of attempted scam by tricksters posing as sellers of used motorcycles.

This one follows many of the traditional tricks of conmen by requesting payment details without the buyer seeing the bike. But this trick adds an extra twist by saying no money will be transferred to the ‘seller’ until the ‘buyer’ has received the bike and is satisfied with it.

The conman says the bike will be sold using PayPal’s ‘pay after delivery’ service, which is used by businesses as a perfectly legitimate way of increasing customer confidence.

When used properly, PayPal pays the seller immediately but delays debiting the payment from the buyer’s account. This gives time for the buyer to say the goods haven’t arrived, or are unsatisfactory, before their payment is taken. PayPal’s ‘buyer protection’ policy then protects the customer from being left out of pocket.

But ‘buyer protection’ does not cover sales of motorised vehicles of any kind, as stated on PayPal’s website and confirmed to MCN by a representative of PayPal.

MCN reader Nicky, who asked us to only report her first name, alerted us to the con attempt. Her husband Howard enquired about a Kawasaki 1400GTR that was for sale in Inverness. His enquiry was answered by someone claiming to be in Berlin, Germany, who said he was selling a bike that belonged to his recently deceased brother.

The £3600 asking price for the 2010 machine was around half its market value and the conman wanted the potential buyer’s eBay user ID, PayPal details and home address. He said the bike would then be delivered, and that the ‘pay after delivery’ method should reassure him there was no risk of losing his money.

The potential buyers smelt a rat, stopped contact with the ‘seller’ and reported the matter to PayPal. It is believed the trick is designed to fraudulently gain access to people’s PayPal details.

An internet search shows the 1400GTR isn’t the only machine that has been advertised for sale in this way, and Nicky wants other potential victims to be warned of the perils of falling for the scam.

She said: “I will follow this up so PayPal can find the person or persons, but this should be mentioned in the press, just to warn others.”

MCN contacted PayPal, who provided the following statement: “PayPal’s Buyer Protection covers most goods and services, and has recently been extended to cover digital goods. However, motor vehicles aren’t covered by Buyer Protection, whether paying after delivery or beforehand. PayPal advises customers to check the Ts&Cs on our website to ensure their goods are covered ahead of purchase. PayPal takes security very seriously, and encourages all users to email spoof@paypal.com if they sense anything suspicious about a purchase they are looking to make.”

This story was edited at 10:45 on Monday, February 2, 2015 to add a statement from PayPal