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Let Me Give You An Idea of How Many Scammers Are Out There

  1. WatchVaultNYC Jun 1, 2018

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    I recently implemented Stripe as a payment method on my watch website, in addition to Paypal, Apple Pay, etc etc. The cool thing about Stripe is that it gives you much more data than Paypal about the transactions that are processed. Here's a scary bit of info:

    I had always thought that the uncompleted checkouts on my website (and there are a lot, far more than there were completed orders) were basically buyers who were chickening out, getting as far as the checkout but then not finishing with a payment. Boy was I ever wrong. Here is a screenshot of the attempted payment transactions over Stripe:

    scary.jpg

    Basically, out of 9 transactions, only 1 was legit (the topmost - guy bought a Speedmaster). The rest were declined transactions, bank saying "do not honor". Notice the same email address, but different buyer names, and same order numbers, but different email addresses or different buyers. All scams.

    8 out of 9 attempts to place an order for a watch were from scammers.

    And that was just orders going through Stripe. Who knows how much I don't see happening over Paypal (who does not give out this same detail info)
     
    Edited Jun 1, 2018
    flw, bristnj, tikkathree and 26 others like this.
  2. ulackfocus Jun 1, 2018

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    I just got a call from Discover last night about fraudulent charge attempts. This is the 3rd time in 2 years I've had to replace my Discover Card. Same with one of my Visa Cards. ::censored:: ::rant:

    The internet is the modern equivalent of the Wild West - absolutely no safety and no law enforcement whatsoever.
     
    flw, bristnj, AveConscientia and 10 others like this.
  3. bloomy Jun 1, 2018

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    What a shame. Unfortunately, bottom dwellers throughout society face little to no ramifications for their actions.

    In my city, in US, police response time for a burglary is over two hours, we have to protect our neighbors and ourselves. Thanks for sharing.
     
    tikkathree and OMGRLX like this.
  4. shishy www.hpmor.com Jun 2, 2018

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    Woah, what city? That is incredibly high
     
  5. asrnj77 Jun 4, 2018

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    I think burglary calls aren’t always considered the most urgent because the items have already been stolen. If it’s a robbery or burglary in progress the police will hopefully expedite since the “bad guy” is still on the scene.

    In regard to the OP it sounds like the person was trying to use the stolen credit card but didn’t have the correct addresses on file or else the cards had already been burned. Scary though..if nothing else you should report it to the card company
     
  6. SpeedyPhill Founder Of Aussie Cricket Blog Mark Waugh Universe Jun 4, 2018

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    #TooMany scammers
     
  7. Exiztence Jun 4, 2018

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    Paypal is the worst, easy to get scammed if anyone pays you, there are dedicated "forums" with Paypal login dumps. Even if someone pays you via friends and family, it might be keylogged account and paypal will refund the real owner and you are left just with debt on your account.
     
  8. shishy www.hpmor.com Jun 4, 2018

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    What, that's insane. I've never heard of this... I think I trust buyers/sellers too much and have been lucky so far so I rarely think twice about stuff like this.

    Thanks for the info
     
    tikkathree likes this.
  9. gemstar Jun 4, 2018

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    Yea . This has been going on for a long time..Don't put your trust all in one basket..And if you have been lucky so far keep it that way by now protecting yourself or you will get stung soon.
     
    tikkathree and connieseamaster like this.
  10. Exiztence Jun 4, 2018

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    Yea, people think that Friends and Family transfer are irreversible, that is true UNLESS the account was scammed.
     
  11. Foo2rama Keeps his worms in a ball instead of a can. Jun 4, 2018

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    Never friends and family unless you know the person.
     
    Davidt, tikkathree and WatchVaultNYC like this.
  12. jmazpiazu Jun 4, 2018

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    This sucks. Really.
     
  13. Exiztence Jun 4, 2018

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    I wouldnt paypal unless I knew the buyer to be legit.
     
  14. jmazpiazu Jun 4, 2018

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    Yep. I was once rejected one claim with paypal because the buyer used a stolen credit card. It took paypal 2 months to discover. Lost the funds and the watch. Lesson learned the hard way.

    For me, it only works using wire transfer or face to face transactions. And even with these two methods, you have to be extremely careful these days. Too many scumbags out there.
     
    tikkathree and gemstar like this.
  15. ClarendonVintage Jun 4, 2018

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    Seems like it's just selling on eBay left...
     
  16. atc100 Jun 4, 2018

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    And omega forum. I think here we can see a lot of good guys buying and selling. I belive that there is a lot more good than bad people.

    What goes around comes around!
     
    bristnj, sdre, CTS-V and 4 others like this.
  17. wsfarrell Jun 4, 2018

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    On eBay: (1) Seller pays eBay fees. (2) Seller pays PayPal fees. (3) Buyer has protection in the event of fraud. (4) Buyer takes more risks with respect to authenticity---redials, incorrect parts, etc.

    On Omega Forums: (1) Buyer is usually required to pay PayPal fees. (2) Watches are more likely to be authentic and accurately described because experts will view and comment on listings. (3) Buyer has no recourse if paying via bank wire or PP Friends and Family if something goes wrong; buyer depends on seller's reputation and honesty for a good transaction.
     
    tikkathree, CTS-V and Larry S like this.
  18. jmazpiazu Jun 4, 2018

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    And not always is safe to sell on eBay. If the buyer claims he did not received the watch, even if he lies, Paypal will back him up 99% of the times, so the seller is screwed. He will loose both the watch and the funds.
     
  19. dwboston Jun 4, 2018

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    That's utter BS. If the tracking shows as delivered, it's not as simple as the buyer just claiming he didn't receive it and Paypal siding with the buyer. Always ship with tracking, direct signature required, and insurance. Still amazes me that people think Paypal F&F is appropriate for an online goods & services transaction, but that's beating a dead horse.
     
    tikkathree likes this.
  20. jmazpiazu Jun 4, 2018

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    Well, let me disagree with your statement. This things happen. And more than once. Even if shipped with signature confirmation, tracked and insured. Unfortunately for the seller, Paypal will most of the times back the buyer, even if he lies.
     
    Edited Jun 4, 2018