Is this a Facebook Marketplace Scam?

[J.]

I recently put my Sony PSP up for sale on Facebook Marketplace and I received replies that seem kinda fishy.

The first response: hi there i saw your item on facebook market place and i will like to know if is still available for sale and i will like to know the condition of the item and do get back to me with the total price of the item including the shipping cost to west africa because i want to buy it for the son of my nabour so pls i will like to ofer you amount of $300 for the item including the shipping cost to west africa so pls do get back to me with your paypal id so that i can make the payment to you asap because that is the only way for me to pay you okay thanks....... you can get back to me on this email lindaneal_2010@operamail.com

and the second response was: Hello. am Lilian a very busy woman am very interested in buying your item i could have buy it here in malaga Spain .but do to my work there is no time for me.the only easy way for to make it through internet i work for 10 hours a day,when am back from work i have to start cooking for my kids so there is no time for me to go shopping center the only easy way for me is to make it through internet because am buying it for my friend son in Africa.so please just try to open paypal account is free what you need to do is to visit http://www.paypal.com then get back to me with your paypal id.once i have the paypal id i will order the payment.am offering you $465 including shipping fee. thanks.

Please, let me know if im getting myself into trouble here.
Thanks!

[TechSaviour]

Purchases that have any African overtones that involve Paypal can follow a very specific pattern, leaving you the victim heavily in debt.

First you are solicited for your goods and offered PayPal, next the payment is made to you, but through a phished PayPal account, or one specifically set up for the scam which may involve a stolen credit card at some point. This would of course be unknown to you.

Just after receiving the payment the buyer says they have changed their mind, and do not want the goods any more. There is a problem with their PayPal account, so they ask for a refund via Western Union. This is the point where you actually lose money.

The mechanism is the same as the Overpayment Scam which usually involves a fake check, only here it is the PayPal account being used like a check. If you were to refund the payment, that money is gone for ever, but when PayPal discover the fraud, (and/or the Credit Card), then they will claw it back FROM YOU! Leaving you twice out of pocket and with no hope of getting any of it back.

Alternatively, the PayPal account would have been Phished, or set up with a stolen credit card, and despite you getting paid, you may have sent the goods. By the time PayPal are alerted to the fraud, your goods have been collected, leaving you liable to pay back the money to PayPal, or they claw it back from your account if their are sufficient funds. If there are not sufficient funds, you will probably loose the PayPal account altogether. Here of course you loose both money AND goods.

There are more ways to be defrauded, but these two are very common.

Find me at http://www.crossloop.com/techsaviour !

[Adrian]

Both scams. They send fake or forged checks, or fake paypal emails, so they get the goods for free, and you are left holding the bag.
key scam woirds are:
1) Africa
2) For my son/daughter/wife/etc...
3) Pay more than it is worth
4) paying a large amount for "shipping"
5) Some use a "shipper" to pick it up.

Always deal in cash in these cases. You could use paypal if in your country, but ALWAYS go to Paypal directly in your browser, never use any email links. Scammers can even fake a Paypal site to capture your login information, so if you click on of their email links, you may get ripped off even more...